Abstract
Abstract Apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Smoothee Golden Delicious) on 4 rootstocks Mailing (M) 9, Malling-Merton 106/M 9, MM 106, and seedling, received 4 pruning treatments at planting: no pruning, shoot pruned to 70 cm above graft union and branches removed, root pruned to 1/3 its original volume, or shoot and root both pruned as above, to determine effects on early shoot and root growth. Shoot pruning stimulated rapid new shoot growth and resulted in the highest new shoot relative growth rate and new shoot/total shoot dry weight ratio. Also, shoot pruning, with and without root pruning, resulted in very little root dry weight increase up to 8 weeks after planting, indicating a competitive inhibition of root growth by rapid new shoot growth. Root pruning, with and without shoot pruning, stimulated the greatest amount of new, white root formation soon after planting, but these contributed very little to root dry weight. Shoot- and root-pruned trees had the lowest shoot and root dry weights with all rootstocks. Pruning treatments significantly altered the root/shoot ratios of trees on M 9 and MM 106/M 9, but not on MM 106 and seedling. Shoot pruning of trees on M 9 caused the greatest deviation of root/shoot ratio from unpruned, heavily favoring shoot growth.
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