Temperate Fruits

TRAINING AND PRUNING

Training and pruning are most important orchard management practices for proper canopy development and quality fruit production.

Training

• Training is done to shape or build a strong framework of the trees in order to support maximum crop when plant reaches bearing stage.
• There are several systems of training in apple especially for dwarf plantations like spindle bush, dwarf pyramid and cylinder spindle etc., but modified central leader system is most suitable for standard plantation.

Modified central leader system

• Generally, one – year – old whip without a single branch is planted in the dormant season.
• Immediately after transplanting the tip of plant is headed back 60 to 75 cm above the ground level.

• In the following summer, most of the buds on main branch will sprout.
• In order to develop clean stem up to 45 cm from the ground the sprouted buds are pinched off soon after their appearance.
• Three or four well spaced buds projecting in opposite directions are retained with lowest one 45 cm above ground . If summer pruning is not done, then 3-4 well spaced primary branches having wider crotch angle are selected during dormant pruning.
• The selected branches should be spaced 10-15 cm apart in spiral fashion. The branches emerging below 30 cm from ground level and other undesirable branches are pruned off.
• The selected branches are headed back to ¼ of growth to a bud projecting to the outer direction.
• The leader is also headed back to 30 cm above the last branch.
• During the second dormant pruning, 2-3 well spaced primary branches are selected on the leader.
• On the primary branches selected during previous year, two secondary branches which are growing outward direction should be selected.
• The selected primary and secondary branches are headed back to 1/3 - ¼ of the growth.
• The secondary and tertiary branches selected should be spreading horizontally and upright or down ward growing branches should be removed.
• The third year training consists of thinning out of unwanted branches and heading back of desirable side branches.
• The central leader should be headed back to a bud or weak shoot, which will develop in the form of a side branch.
• By fourth year training should be completed.

Pruning

• The objective of pruning is to maintain a proper balance between vegetative growth and spur development.
• The training is completed during initial 4-5 years after planting of plant, but pruning is continued after training throughout the life of tree.
• In pruning, thinning out and heading back are two basic components. The pruning consists of thinning out of all upright laterals and those growing inside the trees and heading back of leaders and laterals.
• In apple, the fruit in obtained not only spurs but also on fruit buds on young laterals. Therefore, pruning should be done in such a way that continuous supply of new, healthy shoots, spurs and branches are maintained.

• While pruning, some part of tree is pruned and some left unpruned. The pruned parts produced shoot growth and unpruned parts will produce fruit buds.
• The laterals which have left unpruned in one year, may be either shortened or left unpruned in the next year depending on the growth, spur formation and crop load.
• Once the laterals have cropped and become weak, they must be severely shortened leaving them 5-6 cm long.
• The severe shortening will promote the production of new growth from these stubs, which in two years will give a crop.
• The whole cycle is accordingly repeated every year to ensure regular growth, spur formation and cropping.
• At the time of pruning dead, diseased and broken branches are removed and on the cut surface Chaubattia or Bordeaux paste is applied to avoid any fungal infection.
• The best time of pruning is during dormant season (December to January).