Standardization of pruning for high density Sardar guava orchards under hot and humid climate of Eastern India

Abstract

Response of guava to three levels of winter and summer pruning (30, 50 and 70%) was studied in a trial conducted during 2014–16 on eight-year-old guava plants spaced at 2.5 m × 1.25 m. In general, pruning encouraged shoot emergence, irrespective of time and intensity, however, winter pruning resulted in production of more shoots or laterals (27.02 ± 3.85 shoots/m of branch) as compared to treatments of summer pruning (14.55 ± 3.3). Shoot emergence increased with the severity of pruning. Shoot pruning during winters was found effective in enhancing flowering intensity (38.58 ± 4.25%), fruit set (73.68 ± 0.48%) and fruit yield (6.12 ± 1.13 kg/plant), whereas, summer pruning did not show significant influence on these parameters. Among three treatments of winter pruning, 70% shoot pruning was the best treatment and recorded the maximum values for flowering intensity (42.83%), fruit set (74.15%) and fruit yield (7.25 kg/plant or 23.2 t/ha). The same treatment recorded the highest cumulative yield of rainy and winter season (8.65 kg/plant or 27.68 t/ha) as well. With respect to fruit quality, all the pruning treatments recorded significant improvement in total soluble solids and vitamin C contents for both rainy and winter season crops over the control. However, differences remained at par among all the pruning treatments. The treatment 70% shoot pruning during summer yielded fruits with maximum TSS and vitamin C content in both the crops i.e., rainy and winter season. Thus, it can be concluded that under hot and humid climate of Odisha, high density guava orchards could be pruned during winters at 70% intensity to realise high yield potential of guava in the region.