Crown Pruning Research Articles

Growth Activity of Apple Trees Depending on the Method and Timing of Crown Pruning

Growth Activity of Apple Trees Depending on the Method and Timing of Crown Pruning

The productivity of apple trees of the Jonaveld variety depends on the method and timing of crown pruning

The productivity of apple trees of the Jonaveld variety depends on the method and timing of crown pruning

Dimensions of crowns and their level of productivity of apple trees of the Jonaweld variety depending on the method and term of crown pruning

Dimensions of crowns and their level of productivity of apple trees of the Jonaweld variety depending on the method and term of crown pruning

Аналіз активності угрупувань птахів у міських парках: приклад з містом Дніпро (Україна)

The article presents the results of the analysis of bird communities’ activity in the parks of the right-bank part of Dnipro City during the breeding season of 2022–2023. It was established that 51 bird species consistently exhibit activity in the city parks. Among them, more than half (68.6 %) belong to the order Passeriformes. The analysis of the obtained data indicates that common species such as the house sparrow, chiffchaff, great tit, and white wagtail demonstrate the highest activity in all investigated parks and squares. The widespread presence of these species suggests their flexible use of spatial resources in urban parks, indicating their adaptability to anthropogenic environments. Applying the Rodgers–Shannon overlap index allowed determining the similarity degree of bird community parameters. The results indicate significant similarity among communities in several parks in the right-bank part of Dnipro, associated with their small area, proximity to residential buildings, and common tree crown pruning stages. The correlation between bird diversity and the size and characteristics of park territories was investigated. The correlation matrix revealed a clear positive relationship between park area and the number of bird species exhibiting activity. This is attributed to the greater environmental heterogeneity and the presence of resources for survival, which, in turn, enables representatives of different ecological complexes to realise their ecological and spatial niches. This is explained by the greater heterogeneity and the availability of resources for survival, facilitating the realisation of various ecological and spatial niches for different species. Some parks in the right-bank part of the city exemplify a clear connection between park area and bird species diversity. It was found that with an increase in park area by an average of 2.9556 hectares, the number of bird species increases by one. Additionally, a correlation was observed between the number of tree species in the territory and the bird communities’ biodiversity of the park or square, emphasising the importance of the plant cover for preserving and attracting bird diversity.

Postharvest treatments influenced the incidence of internal browning, phenol, ABA, AND GA3 contents of two pineapple clones

Phenol is an internal browning (IB) enzymatic reaction substrate and endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) used to suppress IB incidence in the Comte de Paris cultivar (Queen type). There is no information on the correlation between pineapple IB to endogenous total phenol content (TPC), ABA, and gibberellic acid 3 (GA3) after postharvest applications of decrowning. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze the relationship of IB incidence to total TPC, ABA, and GA3 after postharvest treatments of decrowning and coating in GP3 and MD2 pineapple clones. The structure was based on a completely randomized design with 3 factors, namely clone (GP3 and MD2), decrowning (crown and crownless), and coating [50 mg L-1 ABA, 1% chitosan, ABA+Chitosan mixture, and control (H2O)]. The results showed that the MD2 had a lower IB incidence and higher TPC than the GP3 stored at 7°C for 37 days. The increased TPC was positively correlated with IB incidence. TPC was also negatively correlated with ABA but positively with endogenous GA3 2 weeks earlier. Coating with 50 mg L-1 ABA and 1% chitosan on MD2 decreased IB incidence. Pineapple crown pruning decreased ABA and increased TPC, GA3, and IB incidence.

Early rootstock selection under ‘tahiti’ acid lime crown in Capitão Poço, Pará State, Brazil

Citrus represents one of the main fruit crops grown in the world, highlighting the ‘Tahiti’ acid lime tree. The objective was to compare rootstock varieties combined with this scion to identify those with the best agronomic performance and precocity of production, in addition to Phytophthora gummosis resistance. The experiment was carried out in Capitão Poço, northeast region of Pará, and the following seven rootstock genotypes were evaluated: ‘Sunki Tropical’, ‘BRS O S Passos’, ‘BRS Bravo’, ‘BRS Donadio’, ‘Citrandarin Indio’, ‘BRS Matta’, and ‘LVK x LCR-038’. A randomized block experimental design was used, with three replications and 10 plants per plot. The evaluated characteristics were: plant height (m); crown volume (m3); number of ripe fruit per plant; total yield of ripened fruit per plant (kg plant-1); cumulative fruit yield (fruit kg plant-1); and average productive efficiency (fruit kg m-3 of crown). The average productive efficiency was high. For early selection, the best rootstocks in terms of yield, stability and adaptability were Sunki Tropical, BRS O S Passos, and Cintradarin Indio. The fruit number had the greatest direct effect on fruit yield, and crown pruning was directly harmful. Further studies to understand the complex interaction of G x E for BRS Donadio and Sunki Tropical should be carried out.

The Growth Activity and Productivity of Apple Trees Depending on the Form of the Crown and the Time of Pruning

Abstract The apple tree is the most common fruit crop in the temperate climate zone. Modern intensive fruit cultivation involves the use of new, highly productive cultivars and cultivation technologies, thanks to the creation of small crown shapes with an increased number of trees per hectare. Reducing planting patterns and creating more dense plantation systems can significantly improve their yields. However, the limiting factor that can reduce tree productivity and deteriorate fruit quality is the degree of crown illumination. Ensuring even access of sunlight to all parts of the crown is the main task in the formation and pruning trees. The study aimed to determine the effect of crown pruning at BBCH 0 (winter) and BBCH 74 (early summer) and various types of crown formation on the growth activity and productivity of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees. A significant decrease (20%) in the number of newly formed shoots in the form of the French axis crown compared to the ballerina and slender spindle crowns was found. However, their length and total growth were significantly higher. The formation of the ballerina crown (with the removal of overgrown wood in the 25 cm zone on the central conductor above the lower tier of semi-cross-branched branches) contributed to a decrease in shoot length and total growth. The introduction of crown pruning in the summer also improved crown illumination – shoot length decreased by 17% and total growth by 12%. Specific productivity per bole cross-section and total shoot length was the highest in ballerina crown trees, followed by trees with a slender spindle crown, and trees pruned in winter and summer.

Canopy openness of individual tree promotes seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents

Scatter-hoarding rodents are important seed predators and dispersers in various forest ecosystems and significantly influence the seed fate and seedling regeneration of many tree species. Canopy openness is believed to have an important influence on the foraging behavior of scatter-hoarding rodents, mainly because of the variation in predation risk between open and canopy microsites. Most of the current studies have mainly focused on the spatial variation in canopy openness within a forest or on comparisons among forests; however, the question of how variation in canopy openness at the individual tree scale affects seed-rodent interaction has received little attention, although tree-to-tree variation in canopy openness is ubiquitous. In this study, we measured the individual canopy openness of 45 trees belonging to three species in a subtropical forest, and compared seed dispersal and predation by rodents under the selected trees by labeling and tracking 4,500 seeds. Our results showed that canopy openness differed among individual trees both within and across species. More importantly, our results proved that individual tree variation in canopy openness significantly affected seed dispersal and predation by rodents, although not all species followed a consistent pattern. Seeds under trees with larger canopy openness were more likely to be removed rather than eaten in situ and dispersed farther. Our study highlights the pattern that individual tree characteristics (e.g., canopy openness) have profound effects on rodent-mediated seed dispersal services, which may further lead to tree-to-tree variation in seed fate and seedling regeneration. Our results also provide important implications for forest conservation and management: crown pruning can promote seed dispersal by rodents and natural seedling regeneration.

The effect of crown pruning and induction of Acremonium sp. on agarwood formation in Gyrinops caudata in West Papua, Indonesia

Abstract. Auri A, Faridah E, Sumardi, Hardiwinoto S. 2021. The effect of crown pruning and induction of Acremonium sp. on agarwood formation in Gyrinops caudata in West Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2604-2611. Agarwood-producing trees have been planted by the community, but have currently not produced agarwood resin. This research examines the crown pruning effect and fungi inoculation effectivity on the formation of agarwood resin in Gyrinops caudata. The environmental modification was also ascertained based on the real environmental situation in natural forests. Furthermore, it was assumed that environmental conditions significantly influenced the growth, G. caudata tree association, and fungi infection. This method involved the tree crown cover modification. Tree crown was categorized into three different classes, i.e. dense crown (no pruning); moderate (pruning 25%), and sparse (pruning 50%). The results showed that inoculating fungi of Acremonium sp. to infection coverage area after three months produced the best results, due to Fcount 79.671. However, crown prunings obtained through heavy, moderate and non-pruning did not show any effect on stem infection spread. In the sixth month, it was observed that the fungi inoculation factor of Acremonium sp. had a significant effect on infection spread formation by Fcount of 168.894. The change in wood internal tissue also had a highly significant effect as depicted by Fcount 461.516. The fragrance level treatment also showed a considerable effect with Fcount 290.385.

Yield efficiency for apple trees depending on intensive orchard systems in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

The study investigated effects of intensive orchard density of different apple cultivars on the yield on the M9 and NK stocks, in comparison with planting on the MM106 stock with the same spindle-shaped crown pruning in the foothills of the KBR. In the first 3 variants, the orchard is on espalier and on drip irrigation, in the 4th and 5th variants - without espalier, irrigated along the furrows. With a non-spaller system and without drip irrigation, the average yield of the Idared, Golden Delicious, Prikubanskoye varieties was 35-37 t/ha, and in the espalier orchid on a M9 dwarf rootstock and on drip irrigation with a planting density of 3170 trees/ha the average yield of the Golden Bee, Granny Smith and Gala varieties was at around 40-43 t/ha. With a superdense planting of Jonagold and Golden Bee trees varieties (6660 trees/ha), the average yield was 66.2-68.7 t/ha. The production of a high-density orchard of the Red Delicious Sandidge variety planted in 2012 with a planting scheme 3,5×0,5 m (5700 trees/ha) was 30 t/ha in the 3rd year, 50 t/ha in the 4th year, and 55 t/ha in the 5th year.

Wood decay diagnostic of Joannesia princeps Vellozo at Bali Botanical Garden using arborsonic acoustic 3D tomograph

Living collection such as tree in botanical garden has hazard risk. Tree hazard risk must be evaluated to give safety for visitor and employee. However, standing tree with decay wood inside is often the cause of tree failure. Internal tree defect such as wood decay cannot be seen only from visual investigation but must be done with ArborSonic acoustic tomograph to get accurate result. The objective of this research was to diagnostics wood decay in the stand of Joannesia princeps Vellozo tree using visual investigation and ArborSonic measurement technology. The result shows Joannesia princeps has severe damage cause of wood decay especially in the base of the trunk. Wood decay percentage range from 21-49%. The alleged caused of this damage is stem borer and termites. This information give advantage for Bali Botanical Garden manager to minimize this tree hazard risk by doing activity such as crown pruning, give hazard risk tree sign to limit activity around this tree and do pest management.

Dinamika Sistem Berbagi Sumberdaya (Resouces Sharing) Dalam Agroforestri: Dasar Pertimbangan Penyusunan Strategi Silvikultur

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Crown pruning and understory removal did not change the tree growth rate in a Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation

How tree growth and the underlying photosynthesis of leaves, especially those multi-aged leaves, change after the application of both pruning and understory removal remains unclear. In this study, the tree growth and photosynthetic responses of various-aged needles to pruning, understory removal and their interactions were investigated in a Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation. The biochemical and stomatal limitations to photosynthesis was separated by the combined measurements of stable carbon (δ 13C) and oxygen (δ 18O) isotopes in needles. Our results showed that the tree growth rates did not respond to pruning, understory removal, and their interactions. Pruning significantly stimulated the net photosynthetic rates (PA) and stomatal conductance (gs) of remaining foliage (especially the current- and one-year-needles). Although pruning had no effect on needle total nitrogen (N) concentration, the concentrations of water-soluble N (NS), the ratio of water-soluble N to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-insoluble N (NS/ND), and the photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) were higher in needles of pruned trees compared with the unpruned trees. A significant and positive correlation between PNUE and NS/ND was also detected. The constant δ 13C and declined δ 18O in the current-year-needles from pruned trees suggested that both the photosynthetic capacity and the gs were responsible for the enhancement in PA of the youngest needles. Conversely, in the previous year needles, δ 13C and δ 18O were not significantly different between the control and pruned trees. Consistent with the response of tree growth rate, the foliar photosynthesis also did not exhibit changes following understory removal in both pruned and unpruned stands. We highlighted that pruning caused an up-regulation in PA of remaining foliage, thereby mitigating the negative effects of canopy loss on carbon assimilation.

When the going gets tough, the tough turn female: injury and sex expression in a sex-changing tree.

PremisePlant sex is usually fixed, but in rare cases, sex expression is flexible and may be influenced by environmental factors. Theory links female sex expression to better health, but manipulative work involving the experimental change of health via injury is limited, particularly in sexually plastic species. A better understanding of mechanisms influencing shifts in sex is essential to our understanding of life history theory regarding trade‐offs in sex allocation and differential mortality.MethodsWe investigated the relationship between physiological stress and sex expression in sexually plastic striped maple trees (Acer pensylvanicum) by inflicting damage of various intensities (crown pruning, defoliation, and hydraulic restriction). We then monitored the sex expression of injured and control individuals for 2 years to assess the extent to which injury may cue changes in sex expression.ResultsWe found that severe damage such as full defoliation or severe pruning increased odds of changing sex to female and decreased odds of changing to male. In fact, no pruned male trees flowered male 2 years later, while all males in the control group flowered partially or fully male. After full defoliation, trees had 4.5 times higher odds of flowering female. Not all injury is equal; less‐severe physical trauma did not affect the frequency of sex change to femaleness.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that physical trauma in striped maple appears to exhibit a threshold effect in which only the most stressful of physiological cues instigate changes in sex expression, a phenomenon previously unknown, and that damage stress is strongly correlated with switching to femaleness. These findings have implications for population sex ratios and sustainability within an increasing stressful climate regime.

Understanding Tree-to-Tree Variations in Stone Pine (Pinus pinea L.) Cone Production Using Terrestrial Laser Scanner

Kernels found in stone pinecones are of great economic value, often surpassing timber income for most forest owners. Visually evaluating cone production on standing trees is challenging since the cones are located in the sun-exposed part of the crown, and covered by two vegetative shoots. Very few studies were carried out in evaluating how new remote sensing technologies such as terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) can be used in assessing cone production, or in trying to explain the tree-to-tree variability within a given stand. Using data from 129 trees in 26 plots located in the Spanish Northern Plateau, the gain observed by using TLS data when compared to traditional inventory data in predicting the presence, the number, and the average weight of the cones in an individual tree was evaluated. The models using TLS-derived metrics consistently showed better fit statistics, when compared to models using traditional inventory data pertaining to site and tree levels. Crown dimensions such as projected crown area and crown volume, crown density, and crown asymmetry were the key TLS-derived drivers in understanding the variability in inter-tree cone production. These results underline the importance of crown characteristics in assessing cone production in stone pine. Moreover, as cone production (number of cones and average weight) is higher in crowns with lower density, the use of crown pruning, abandoned over 30 years ago, might be the key to increasing production in combination with stand density management.

Optimising intensive apple crown pruning by IT improvements

Prunig is a key element of fruit production technology and is affected by a number of subjective factors. Putting research findings into practice is often hindered by bad and harmful habits that make plantations and trees heterogenious in terms of growth and fruiting features, which can even lead to significant financial losses. Having identified this challenge, in this publication we aim to present some guidelines for those who are open to new ways and believe in the power of innovation. The 21st century is undoubtedly the century of unstoppable IT innovations filtering through into our everyday lives. The fact that our project is based on IT innovations is not only essential due to the subject matter itself but also because it makes it easier to address younger generations. Whichever tool they choose to use (smartphone, tablet, laptop), all registered students have access to our web contents, making it super easy for them to practice pruning techniques. Students don’t just read texts in our training materials but have access to a pool of pictures and images to illustrate the different procecces and phenomena. All the different phrases have explanations against them, so anyone can understand the ins and outs of why and how to prune or remove the different crown parts (5-year-old and above crown parts, 2–4-year old parts or 1-year-old parts) to achieve specific results, whether it be apple, pear or cherry trees etc. Our database comprises thousands of pictures that will walk you through the entire fruit tree pruning process, without you even having to leave your desk. There is an old proverb that also applies to pruning: „The wise man learns from the mistakes of others, the fool has to learn from his own”. Our program aims to help students by presenting a number of bad examples along with their corrections as well as photos of ideal ways to prune multiple different crown shapes. Using our web-based tool eliminates time and space limitations, i.e. you can access our interactive contents to gain or extend your pruning skills, irrespective of the pruning time and location.

Changes in rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora Ducke) essential oil in response to management of commercial plantations in Central Amazonia

Rosewood essential oil (REO) is an Amazonian industrial crop required by fragrance and cosmetic industries worldwide. This essential oil (EO) is obtained from a singular resource, the endangered tree species Aniba rosaeodora Ducke. The management of this resource influences the chemical composition of the EO, affecting the quality and international price of the product. A systematic study was performed within the rosewood plantations of two major REO producers. Chemical composition (GC–MS) and REO yields were analyzed to identify the best harvesting periods and the potential sustainable use of other plant parts, such as resprouting shoots, to produce the oil. With a large sample and a well-controlled statistical approach, the study’s methodology allowed us to describe the differences in the REO composition between tree parts and between harvest times. REO yield was highest in branches from the first harvest and in resprouting leaves from the second harvest. In the first harvest, α-pinene was found only in REO from branches and leaves, and cyclosativene was sourced only from branches, regardless of the sampling region. Geraniol was detected only in the first-harvest REOs, while myrcenol was found only in second-harvest REOs. The temporal spacing of harvest rotations and the use of different plant parts in extraction are the main management tools determining the variations in REO. Despite higher EO yield in the stem, the management by crown pruning assures sustainable oil production. Greater understanding of these variations may provide opportunities to expand the production chain of globally exported REO.

Maize Response at Three Levels of Shade and its Improvement with Intensive Agro Forestry Regimes in Gunung Kidul, Java, Indonesia

This research was conducted to determine maize growth and yield at various agroforestry development levels, especially in Batur Agung area, Gunung Kidul District, Java, Indonesia. This experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) single factor with three blocks as replication. Research factor was agroforestry development levels, namely, initial, intermediate, and advanced levels. Observations were done on maize growth and yield variables. Data then was analyzed by applying Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 5% level, and continued with the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) if significant.Maize physiological response on initial to intermediate and advanced agroforestry level demonstrated impairment tendency. This condition continued to maize production decline in line with shade level (initial AF, intermediate AF, and advanced AF). Traditional silvicultural developed with trees along border, alley cropping and mixer characteristics. Tree planting space was irregular with conventional stands management. Although the physiological response decreased in line with shade increase and so did maize production, farmers still continued to develop initial, intermediate, and advanced agroforestry models. Scheme developed to improve the productivity of agroforestry was constructing intensive agroforestry regimes (IAR). There are 3 IAR, namely, IAR-1 to hold initial agroforestry during the acceleration and management of initial agroforestry heading to intermediate and advanced. IAR-1 base is more intensive crown pruning and commercial thinning approach. Crop area was utilized during the management with C4 species. IAR-2 was designed to hold intermediate AF from traditional to intensive by applying intensive harvesting, with need based cutting and C3 species cultivation. IAR-3 was carried out for the development of advanced AF to initial AF with intensive need based cutting, pollarding, and intensive crop with C4 species.

Competition and facilitation-related factors impacts on crop performance in an agro-forestry parkland system in Burkina Faso

Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa are known to improve soil fertility and redistribute water under their crowns in parkland systems. A field experiment was conducted to separate above and belowground interactions between these species and associated Sorghum bicolor using root trenching and crown pruning during three cropping seasons. Trenching increased soil water availability because Sorghum plants displayed higher leaf water potential (-0.73 ± 0.11 MPa) in the trenched plots than control plots (-1.32 ± 0.14 MPa). There were no significant differences in grain (315 ± 80 kg ha-1 versus 217 ± 48 kg ha-1) and straw biomass (1639 ± 295 kg ha-1 versus 1307 ± 278 kg ha-1) yields between trenched and control plots. Crown pruning increased sorghum grain yield in the trenched plots in 2008 and 2009 under P. biglobosa while the opposite happened under V. paradoxa. Better performance of Sorghum in the trenched plots under unpruned V. paradoxa trees than pruned trees could be an indication that light was less limiting under this species as previously thought but also that crown removal induced soil water evaporation and decreased soil water content under this species. An implication of this is that recommendations for including trees in cropland, or for management of existing trees within cropland, must be context and species specific. Key words: Crown pruning, plant water potential, tree-crop interactions, root trenching.

Separating competition-related factors limiting crop performance in an agroforestry parkland system in Burkina Faso

To address tree–soil–crop interactions in the Sahel, we examined the growth-limiting factors (water, light and mineral nutrients) of Sorghum bicolor growing under trees in agroforestry parklands of Burkina Faso. Growth and yields of sorghum were measured after (1) pruning crowns of Vitellaria paradoxa and Parkia biglobosa trees, and (2) applying mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and/or phosphorus) and supplemental irrigation during normal wet cropping seasons in 2007 and 2008. Irrigation treatments led to non-significant 29% and 23% gains in grain and dry matter yields (from control values of 455 and 1,140 kg ha−1), respectively. The fertilizer showed variable but in general significant increases in grain and straw yields and more consistently in the height of sorghum plants. The crown pruning increased the values of these variables much more strongly, by 520% and 348% (from control, no-pruning values of 282 and 612 kg ha−1), respectively. The growth and production of S. bicolor were also >56% higher under V. paradoxa than under P. biglobosa. The same trends were observed in both cropping seasons, although rainfall was much heavier in 2008 than in 2007, and the mean sorghum grain yield was approximately twice as high in 2008. The results clearly indicate that competition for light limits sorghum growth more than competition for other resources in the studied system, suggesting that parkland management should aim at either increasing light availability (by reducing tree density or pruning) or growing shade-tolerant crops under the trees. However, use of a poorly soluble phosphorus source during the first year, modest amount of water applied through the supplemental irrigation (48 mm) and the wetness of the rainy season in 2008 (which led to abandonment of the irrigation treatments and floods in the experimental plots) may have masked possible effects of the applied fertilizers and irrigation. Therefore, more prolonged analyses of the effects of fertilizers and deficit irrigation are required before robust recommendations can be made to farmers.