THE OPTIMAL DENSITY AND FIG TREE (FICUS CARICA L.) PRUNING FOR A BREBA CROP IN ISRAEL

From mid June, monthly, to mid September a group of one year old trees were pruned to a height of 50 cm. The control group was left unpruned. The aim of the treatments was to produce new growth for a breba crop for the next year and to determine how pruning and time of pruning affects new growth, height of the tree and amount and quality of the fruit in the next year.

Results showed that in unpruned trees most of the yearly growth was before June, (that growth was removed in the pruned treatments). The pruned trees grew rapidly after pruning. The total size of the unpruned trees was largest. The next year, the unpruned trees bore higher yields of better quality fruits.

As a result of this preliminary observation and the necessity of keeping the height of the trees down for daily picking, a new pattern of pruning and tree spacing was developed and recommended. The high density plantings were thinned to larger distances. By this method we eventually obtained low, wide trees, comfortable for picking. It was obtained by minimum pruning in the first years and thinning branches later.

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