PRUNING: HOW TO MANAGE SHOOT GROWTH

Apricot varieties show different architectures in their tree habit and fruiting branches.
The most common groups are: A – with a very vigorous and spreading habit, and a tendency to fruit on spurs, brindles and sylleptic shoots; B – with a generally less vigorous and semi-spreading habit, and with the capacity to fruit on spurs and more vigorous shoots; and C – with a very vigorous, mixed spreading habit, and ability to fruit on all kinds of shoots.
In the present study, the effects of pruning with different intensities and in different seasons were tested on several new varieties, recording sylleptic and proleptic shoot growth and flower differentiation.
Results suggest that each group of varieties has its own optimum season and intensity for pruning, according to fruiting aptitude and branch habit.
Some of the new low productive varieties benefit from early summer pruning (early or late spring shoot head back) in order to induce the formation of sylleptic shoots and to obtain good flower differentia¬tion.
Weak varieties perform the best after winter pruning (branch head back). Other very productive varieties may be pruned in late summer or at the end of winter (shoot or branch head back) depending on local growing conditions.

XIV International Symposium on Apricot Breeding and Culture

D. Neri, F. Morini, F. Massetani, P. Pirazzini

tree habit, plant architecture, shoot head back, summer pruning, flowering

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.862.55