ISHS Acta Horticulturae 592: V International Peach Symposium
FRUIT WOOD REJUVENATION BY REDUCING TREE HEIGHT AND SHOOT REMOVAL YEAR 2 PROGRESS REPORT |
| Author: | M. Norton |
| Keywords: | Prunus persica, peach, pruning, summer pruning, shading |
| Abstract:
A 9-year-old block of Prunus persica cv. ‘Doctor Davis’ was used to evaluate reducing tree height and removal of vertical shoot growth in the upper portion of the tree in an attempt to stimulate fruit wood development in the lower portion. The trees were 3.5m tall and were spaced 4.3m X 5.5m and were growing on a deep, sandy soil under drip irrigation in the North San Joaquin Valley. The foliage in the upper portion of the trees was moderately dense. The first treatment consisted of lowering the trees by pruning 30-46cm off the top in the dormant season to an outward branch. The second treatment was to pull out or prune off any upward growth in the top of the trees in early summer. The control was dormant pruning only with mechanical topping at 3.5m. There was a positive response to both treatments as expressed by new fruit wood > 0.5cm diameter developed in the lower portion of the trees. The controls continued to lose fruit wood while the modified trees began to slowly recover fruit wood in the lower portion of the tree. Yield components will be measured in year 3. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
