Abstract:The objective of this work was to evaluate different pruning times, performed before or after natural leaf drop, regarding their effects on the yield of 'Royal Gala' apple (Malus domestica) trees. The experiment was carried out in Vacaria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on seven-year-old trees in four harvests from 2008/2009 to 2011/2012, using a randomized block design. The following pruning times were tested: 46 days before leaf drop (DBLD); 25 DBLD; 5 DBLD; 15 days after leaf drop (DALD); 36 DAL… Show more
“…Crown pruning during the growth season inhibits vegetative growth (Kweon & Sagong 2022), and according to de Almeida and Fioravanço (2018) and Gościło (2013), increases the fruit yield in the following year. However, according to Bound and Summers (2001), summer pruning reduces the content of dry soluble substances in fruits.…”
The apple tree is the most common fruit crop in the temperate climate zone. Modern intensive fruit cultivation involves the use of new, highly productive cultivars and cultivation technologies, thanks to the creation of small crown shapes with an increased number of trees per hectare. Reducing planting patterns and creating more dense plantation systems can significantly improve their yields. However, the limiting factor that can reduce tree productivity and deteriorate fruit quality is the degree of crown illumination. Ensuring even access of sunlight to all parts of the crown is the main task in the formation and pruning trees. The study aimed to determine the effect of crown pruning at BBCH 0 (winter) and BBCH 74 (early summer) and various types of crown formation on the growth activity and productivity of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees. A significant decrease (20%) in the number of newly formed shoots in the form of the French axis crown compared to the ballerina and slender spindle crowns was found. However, their length and total growth were significantly higher. The formation of the ballerina crown (with the removal of overgrown wood in the 25 cm zone on the central conductor above the lower tier of semi-cross-branched branches) contributed to a decrease in shoot length and total growth. The introduction of crown pruning in the summer also improved crown illumination – shoot length decreased by 17% and total growth by 12%. Specific productivity per bole cross-section and total shoot length was the highest in ballerina crown trees, followed by trees with a slender spindle crown, and trees pruned in winter and summer.
“…Crown pruning during the growth season inhibits vegetative growth (Kweon & Sagong 2022), and according to de Almeida and Fioravanço (2018) and Gościło (2013), increases the fruit yield in the following year. However, according to Bound and Summers (2001), summer pruning reduces the content of dry soluble substances in fruits.…”
The apple tree is the most common fruit crop in the temperate climate zone. Modern intensive fruit cultivation involves the use of new, highly productive cultivars and cultivation technologies, thanks to the creation of small crown shapes with an increased number of trees per hectare. Reducing planting patterns and creating more dense plantation systems can significantly improve their yields. However, the limiting factor that can reduce tree productivity and deteriorate fruit quality is the degree of crown illumination. Ensuring even access of sunlight to all parts of the crown is the main task in the formation and pruning trees. The study aimed to determine the effect of crown pruning at BBCH 0 (winter) and BBCH 74 (early summer) and various types of crown formation on the growth activity and productivity of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees. A significant decrease (20%) in the number of newly formed shoots in the form of the French axis crown compared to the ballerina and slender spindle crowns was found. However, their length and total growth were significantly higher. The formation of the ballerina crown (with the removal of overgrown wood in the 25 cm zone on the central conductor above the lower tier of semi-cross-branched branches) contributed to a decrease in shoot length and total growth. The introduction of crown pruning in the summer also improved crown illumination – shoot length decreased by 17% and total growth by 12%. Specific productivity per bole cross-section and total shoot length was the highest in ballerina crown trees, followed by trees with a slender spindle crown, and trees pruned in winter and summer.
“…Factorial analyses also confirmed the significant dependence of accumulation of carbohydrates in leaves on years (Figure 4). In deciduous plants, such as apple trees, the carbohydrate reserve levels vary during the growth cycle; they are low during the blossom period and the beginning of fructification and high at the end of the growing season [44,52]. During the harvest, sugars are no longer transported to apple fruits; thus, more of them are retained in the leaves and intensively transported in storage locations for the winter [53][54][55][56].…”
In this study, we used apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) cv. Rubin grafts on dwarfing P60 rootstock. Our planting scheme was single rows with 1.25 m between trees and 3.5 m between rows. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of canopy training treatments, as a stress factor, on metabolic response to obtain key information on how to improve physiological behavior and the management of the growth and development of apple trees. The results indicated that all applied canopy training treatments significantly increased the total phenol and total starch contents in apple tree leaves. The total starch increased from 1.5- to almost 3-fold in all treatments, especially during the 2017 harvesting season, compared to the control. The fructose, sorbitol, and ratio of chlorophyll a to b in leaves also significantly increased. Higher precipitation levels induced changes in the accumulation of secondary metabolites in apple tree leaves and fruits during the 2017 harvesting season. The total phenol content significantly increased in apple tree leaves in all treatments, but the fructose content decreased. We observed the same tendencies in total phenolic content and glucose concentration in apple fruits. Therefore, the defense reaction might be a preferred option for apple tree cultivation and the optimization of its growth and development.
“…사과나무의 정지 및 전정은 대부분 잎이 없는 겨울철 휴면 기에 이루어지는데 [5,6], 이는 휴면기 전정(겨울전정, 동계전 정)의 꽃눈 수 조절에 의한 영양생장과 생식생장의 균형 및 수관 내 광투과율 증진에 대한 효과가 생육기 전정(여름전정, 하계전정)에 비해 높기 때문이다 [6][7][8][9]. 그러나 휴면기(겨울철) 기온이 -20°C부터 -40°C 사이로 내려가기 2주 전에 사과나 무를 강하게 전정하면 동해가 심하게 발생하므로 겨울철에 극심한 저온이 예측될 경우에는 전정을 지연시켜야 하는데, 만약 사과나무를 개화기까지 동계전정을 지연시키면 영양생 장 및 이듬해 개화율이 크게 감소될 위험이 높다 [3].…”
BACKGROUND:The freezing injury by pruning can be reduced by suspending pruning work when severe cold weather (-23 to -49°C) is forecast. Minimum air temperature of the study area, Gunwi region at February 3, 2012 was -21.9°C, and the subzero temperature continued until April 8, 2012. This study was conducted in two years to investigate the effect of delaying winter pruning until full bloom on shoot growth and fruit quality of 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees. METHODS AND RESULTS: The time of pruning were March 26 for dormant, April 3 for bud break, and May 2 for full bloom. The winter pruning at full bloom significantly reduced fruit weight for two years compared with the control (winter pruning at dormant), and shoot growth was reduced only in the following year. There was no significant effect of delaying winter pruning at bud break on soluble solid content, fruit red color, return bloom, and pruning weight for two years compared with the control. CONCLUSION(S): These results indicated the delaying winter pruning at bud break of 'Fuji'/M.9 apple tree did not offer any disadvantage over comparable dormant pruning, since the fruit quality was not affected. The delayed pruning at full bloom resulted in decreased fruit weight, though shoot growth, fruit quality, and return bloom were not affected by the delayed pruning. So, the delayed pruning should be considered carefully only for the fruit tree orchards in diseases.
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