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HORTICULTURE LESSON
Typology: Lecture notes
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Training and pruning are important operations. Both the operations form an indispensable process having direct bearing on growth and vigour of plants and yield and quality of fruits. A properly trained and pruned plant sustain heavy crop load and produce bounteous harvest of quality.
Training refers to the judicious removal of plant part / parts to develop proper shape of a plant capable of bearing a heavy crop load whereas pruning is defined as the judicious removal of plant parts like root, leaf, flower, fruit etc.to obtain a good and qualitative yield. Thus, it can be conceived that the training is related to shape and size of plants where as pruning is related with harvesting better yield and more so harvesting fruits of quality. Both the operations of training and pruning work together in maintaining shape and size of tree and harvesting desirable yield. Training is a treatment given to the young plants to get a suitable or desirable shape with strong framework. It may or may not involve pruning. Pruning is the removal of unwanted, surplus annual growth; dead, dried and diseased wood of the plants is called Pruning.
Before actually discussing the subject of training, it is necessary to understand the various terms used to make the subject more intelligible. Trunk: The main stem of the plant. Head: The point on the trunk from which first branches arise. Scaffold branches: The main branches arising from the head are known as scaffold branches. Trees in which scaffold branches arise with in 60-70cm height from the ground level are called low head trees and those in which they come out from the trunk above 120cm are called high head trees. Crotch: The angle made by the scaffold limb to the trunk or the secondary branch to the scaffold limb is called crotch. Leader: The main stem growing from ground level up to the tip dominating all other branches is called leader. Water shoot: A vigorous growing unbranched shoot arising on any branch or leader is called water shoot. Water sucker: The growth appearing on rootstock portion is called water sucker. The reasons for training fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs etc. are:
It is necessary to pay attention to the training of a plant during the first few years when it is young. In this period, its permanent framework is built up as decided upon by the grower. The main objectives to be kept in view in training the fruit trees are:
F 0D 8 To facilitate orchard cultural operations. F 0D 8 To provide an attractive appearance. F 0D 8 To admit more light and air to the centre of the tree and to expose
maximum leaf surface to the sun F 0A 7 for increasing production F 0A 7 for complete colour development F 0D 8 To protect the tree trunk from sunburn injury. F 0D 8 To secure a balanced distribution of fruit bearing parts on the main limbs of
the plant. Most deciduous and evergreen woody trees are best trained to a single stem with a low head. In case of pomegranate, custard apple and fig it would be better to train two or three stem plant and remove the other stems that may grow later.
In the tropical climate, the high-headed trees are unsuitable as their exposed trunks are subject to sunscald in summer. Low headed trees are common all over the world. In such trees the heads or crown is kept so low on the trunk that there is only a distance of 60-- 90cm (2—3 ft.) between the ground and the lowest branch. Such low headed trees come in to bearing comparatively much earlier, are able to resist stormy winds more effectively and their spraying and harvesting also become easy.
The formation of the main frame work of the tree is the most important part of the
training.
The most important systems of training followed in most of the fruit crops are:
Central Leader system:
F 0D 8 In this system of training, the main stem of the plant is allowed to grow
only up to a certain height by beheading it in the young stage ie.within an year of planting and inducing all the subsequent vegetative growth by lateral branches F 0D 8 This results in the low head in which the bulk of the crop is borne closer to
the ground than in case of central leader tree.
Merits and demerits:
crotches.
Pruning may be defined as the removal of any excess or undesirable branches,
severity, changes the nutritive conditions with in the tree and consequently, limits or encourages fruit bud formation. Reasons for pruning
F 0D 8 There always seems to be surplus branches on a tree. But only those, which
are useful to the plant in holding up the leaves to the sun to grow strong. Those which will have little chance of doing so, because of shade or other reasons become weak and eventually dry up. Evidently the plant is making a selection and eliminating the useless branches. But this process of selection and elimination is a slow one. Till they are eliminated the useless branches also draw some nutrients which is a waste for the tree ultimately. If such branches are recognized and eliminated earlier will help in conservation of food in the tree for better production. F 0D 8 The second reason for pruning will be the removal of diseased twigs to
check the spread of diseases F 0D 8 In some fruit trees, fruits are borne on current flush (Ber, Grape etc.) which
will be obtained in large number after pruning of certain no. of old branches.
Objectives of Pruning:
is reduced, their length is also reduced. Therefore, the net effect of pruning a tree is dwarfing, which is in proportion to the severity of pruning. Both the spread of the top as well as the spread of the root system are reduced. This also results in dwarfing of the plant.
Methods of pruning
Pruning leaves wounds and cut ends which should be protected to avoid the access of disease pathogens and insect pests through these wounds and cut ends .So, immediately after pruning, these cut ends and wounds should be protected by applying disinfectants like Bordeaux paste or blitox paste.
Unfruitfulness in fruit trees – Causes and remedies