Temprate Fruits (1+1)

TRAINING AND PRUNING

Training

• Pruning of young plants for developing frame work in initial 3-4 years of planting is termed as training.
• Training is mainly done to give a proper shape and to build a strong framework of trees.
• Another benefit is to utilize the available space and sun light to the maximum extent for the production of quality fruits.
• Peach is generally trained in the form of open center. However, in the plain area where plenty of sunlight is available, trees are trained on modified central leader system with 4-5 scaffold branches.
• In high density, peach are trained with tatura trellis system .

Open Centre System

• After planting, the plant is cut back to 40-60 cm above the ground level.
• During the growing season, about 3 to 6 laterals, in addition to the central leader are produced on the tree.
• In the first winter pruning, 3 to 4 scaffold branches which are well located and have wide angle should be selected and remaining unwanted branches are removed.
• The central leader is also completely removed. The selected branches are headed back to ¼ to ½ of the growth.
• During the second dormant pruning, 2-3 secondary branches are selected on the primary branches.
• The major consideration in selecting secondary branches should be their location so that after pruning, the tips of primary and secondary leaders are about 30-40 cm apart from each other.
• The height of secondary branches is staggered in different years by pruning all branch leader more severely. The vertical ones are pruned more severely. This will produce branch leaders at different heights and prevent overcrowding when the tree is mature. In the following years, the head should be fully formed and selection of secondary branches are completed.

Tatura trellis system

• In high density planting, this system of training of plants is very popular being very yield efficient. Trees are planted at a spacing of 5x1m or 6x1m.
• At the time of planting, one year old plant is headed back to 20 cm above the ground level.
• In next growing season two limbs or branches are selected in opposite directions and these branches are trained across the inter row space at an angle of 60 degree from the horizontal, forming V-shaped canopy.
• The canopy is supported by a permanent trellis constructed of high tensile galvanized steel fence posts.
• The secondary branches are developed along each primary branches forming fruiting canopy.

Pruning

• The main objective of pruning is to maintain balance between vegetative growth and fruiting.
• Bearing peach require heavy and regular pruning because it bear fruits laterally on the previous season growth.
• It is known, once a growth has fruited will never bear again in its life. Therefore, pruning is done to remove the unproductive parts which in turn will form new fruiting branches in the following season.
• In peach pruning, thinning and heading back of shoots are two basic components. Pruning should be done so as to produce 30-70 cm of growth under subtropical conditions and 25-30 cm under mid hills, annually, which is sufficient for optimum fruit production,

• For good quality fruit production, 40-50 per cent of thinning out and 75% heading back of shoots is suggested under mid hills conditions.
• At the time of pruning , dead ,diseased and broken branches should be pruned off.