Five different pruning strategies were not able to improve productivity of a densely planted ‘Salustiana’ common orange block in the short term

‘Salustiana’, a prominent common orange cultivar in Australia, can suffer from a decline in yield brought on by overcrowding due to its vigorous growth habit; this is further exacerbated when planted at higher densities.
To assess the efficacy of hand and mechanical pruning to bring an overcrowded ‘Salustiana’ orange block back into optimum production, five pruning treatments were carried out across four years in a commercial high-density orchard (1111 trees ha^‑1). A basal treatment was applied across the experiment by hedging the sides of trees (light hedge) to a canopy width of 2.7 m.
To this were applied two hedging treatments and two hand pruning treatments.
No treatments were better than the control in terms of t ha^‑1, number of fruit ha^‑1 or fruit size, or by dollar returns when accounting for costs.
The structural pruning treatment increased light penetration, stimulating new flush growth within the canopy.
The long-term value of hand pruning may yet to be realised, as new structural limbs formed in this experiment produce fruiting wood throughout the canopy.
The returns to the grower, including real $ t^‑1 and treatment implementation costs are discussed.

XV International Citrus Congress

K. Mahmud, A. Creek, D. Monks

Citrus, canopy management, high-density, pruning, light, rootstocks

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1448.41