EFFECT OF PRUNING AND DEFOLIATION ON PRECOCITY OF BEARING OF CUSTARD APPLE (ANNONA ATEMOYA HORT.) VAR. AFRICAN PRIDE

Pruning and defoliation practises were investigated on juvenile custard apple trees, cv.
African Pride, clonally propagated from cuttings.
Moderate summer and spring dormant pruning, (the traditional pruning time), resulted in severe yield reduction probably as a result of a reduction in lateral numbers and floral buds initiated.
Chemical defoliation of trees using 0.2% V/V Ethrel (R) and 20% W/V urea, during the mid-summer period increased lateral numbers and improved precocity of bearing considerably, 25 t ha^-1 in the first year of cropping.
The trees receiving no pruning or defoliation treatments (control), although high yielding, were structurally unsound, and exhibited severe limb breakage.
In comparison the trees which received the mid-summer defoliation treatment were structurally sound and exhibited the best shape.
The experiment also demonstrated the high yield efficiency or fruitfulness of clonally propagated African Pride trees.

Symposium on Physiology of Productivity of Subtropical and Tropical Tree Fruits

A.P. George, R.J. Nissen

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1986.175.34