MAXIMIZATION OF CANOPY DEVELOPMENT AND FRUITING POTENTIAL OF NON-BEARING PEACH TREES

Newly planted dormant trees were headed at 60 cm following planting for use in open center training system.
In one experiment, trees were unpruned or pruned (control) in mid-May when height averaged 1.0 m.
Pruning treatments were removal of two scaffolds below initial heading cut (delayed heading) or removal of one-half length of two scaffolds below initial heading cut (topped center). Pruning increased crotch angles of uppermost primary scaffolds but had no effect on tree size or trunk diameter.
In a related experiment, trees were trained with eight scaffolds and pruned or unpruned (control). Pruning treatments were removal of bottom four scaffolds on June 1; or removal of one-half the length of the top four scaffolds on June 1, July 1 or August 1. Pruning had no effect on trunk diameter, shoot length and tree height and width.
June pruning increased scaffold diameter.
June pruning of bottom four scaffolds resulted in more narrow crotch angles and more upright scaffold orientation.
Pruning the top four scaffolds resulted in wider crotch angles of uppermost permanent scaffold.

IV International Symposium on Research and Development on Orchard and Plantation Systems

S.C. Myers, D.B. Warnock

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.243.11