Pruning Time Research Articles

The timing of pruning affects flushing, flowering and yield of macadamia

Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia, M. integrifolia × M. tetraphylla) trees were pruned at different times at sites near Alstonville, northern New South Wales, Australia, to examine the effects on vegetative flushing, subsequent flower raceme production and yield. Pruning of cv. 849 and cv. A268 modified the cycle of flush development. Pruning times that resulted in immature flushes on the canopy in late autumn or early winter inhibited raceme production. In contrast, pruning in late May and early June did not generally reduce raceme production relative to production on unpruned trees. The times of pruning that reduced raceme production also reduced yield. The yields of trees pruned in late May were also reduced, presumably because of decreased light interception. In the season after treatment the trees pruned in early April had greater numbers of racemes per unit of tree canopy volume than the trees pruned in late May. The trees of the lighter flowering cv. 849 pruned in early April had higher yield efficiencies than the trees pruned in late May, whereas there was no effect on yield efficiency in the prolifically flowering cv. A268. The differences in raceme production in the season after pruning may have been due to a combination of an alternate bearing response, characteristics of the stems produced after pruning, or maturity of the flushes. In a separate experiment, uniconazole sprays immediately after pruning reduced the length of the new stems, slowed canopy expansion, and increased kernel recovery compared with untreated hedged trees, but did not affect flowering or yield. In another experiment, hedging in early June had no effect on raceme production in cv. 849 trees in consecutive seasons, and no effect on canopy volume or yield in the first season. In contrast, canopy volume and yield were reduced in the second season. Finally, pruning of young, yet-to-flower cv. 849 trees from late winter to spring staggered flush development, with the earliest pruned trees producing more racemes and setting more fruit than the later pruned trees.

Efeito da poda e de épocas de colheita sobre características agronômicas da mandioca

The experiment was performed at the Campus of Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia – UESB, in Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia-Brazil, from November 2005 to February 2007, aiming to evaluate the effect of pruning and harvest time on cassava agronomic characteristics. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with three replications. The treatments were arranged according to a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, with six harvest times (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 days after pruning) and two cultivation systems (with and without pruning). The results showed that pruned plants presented low aerial part weight and low productivity of tuberous roots, though a reduction of dry matter, starch and flour production was not observed, which were evaluated in kg ha -1 . Tuberous roots, starch and flour production increase linearly with the harvest times. Cooking time was influenced by pruning. Pruned plant roots showed higher cooking time when compared to the roots of non pruned plants.

A fast ensemble pruning algorithm based on pattern mining process

Ensemble pruning deals with the reduction of base classifiers prior to combination in order to improve generalization and prediction efficiency. Existing ensemble pruning algorithms require much pruning time. This paper presents a fast pruning approach: pattern mining based ensemble pruning (PMEP). In this algorithm, the prediction results of all base classifiers are organized as a transaction database, and FP-Tree structure is used to compact the prediction results. Then a greedy pattern mining method is explored to find the ensemble of size k. After obtaining the ensembles of all possible sizes, the one with the best accuracy is outputted. Compared with Bagging, GASEN, and Forward Selection, experimental results show that PMEP achieves the best prediction accuracy and keeps the size of the final ensemble small, more importantly, its pruning time is much less than other ensemble pruning algorithms.

Épocas de poda na produção de figos verdes 'Roxo de Valinhos' em sistema orgânico na região oeste do Paraná

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito da época de poda sobre o crescimento e a produção da figueira 'Roxo de Valinhos', cultivada na região oeste do Paraná, sob sistema orgânico, para a produção de figos-verdes. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, com quatro blocos e seis tratamentos - épocas de poda: abril, maio, junho, julho, agosto e setembro. Em cada parcela, constituída de três plantas úteis, foram coletados dados no ciclo de produção de 2007/2008. As variáveis fenológicas, comprimento final médio dos ramos, produção por mês (número e massa média de frutos por planta e produtividade estimada, entre os meses de outubro a fevereiro), produção acumulada, produtividade estimada acumulada e massa fresca média dos frutos. Houve diferenças na produção entre as épocas de poda; plantas podadas em julho e agosto apresentaram as maiores produções, escalonadas entre os meses de dezembro a fevereiro, com pico de produção em janeiro.

EVALUATION OF THE CUTTING FORCE ON VINE BRANCHES IN WINTER PRUNING

Mechanical pruning, usually integrated with manual finishing, still excites some doubts regarding the quality of the cut which appears not to be the best as precision and cleanliness. This aspect, probably conditioned by the model and the application of pruning machines, might also be affected by the characteristics of the vine branches in particular by their cutting force. In order to evaluate the cutting force on different vine type, laboratory and field trails were carried out. The experiments were set in order to evaluate this parameter during winter pruning in relation to three variables: vine type; branch size; pruning time. The results show how the cutting resistance of vine branches during vegetative rest depends on vine variety (Trebbiano 675 N Cabernet 1175 N), on the diameter of the canes (increase of force from 56 % to 86 % between the classes of diameter) and on the pruning date (26% decrease of the cutting force in the latest period for Trebbiano and Sangiovese, and 32 % for Cabernet Sauvignon). Such variations, which can be considerable, affect directly the pruning results. High values of cutting force can generate tiring of operator in manual pruning or cutting damages on the vegetation during mechanical pruning.

Pruning in poplar plantations by mechanized device Stihl HT-75

The effects of branch pruning device Stihl HT-75 were researched on sample plots in FA Kupinovo and FA Klenak, in poplar plantations of Populus?euramericana 'I-214', Populus?euramericana 'M1' and Populus deltoides of different planting spaces and different ages. The analysed factors were: pruning method, site conditions, number of pruned branches, pruning height, branch diameter, etc. Time measurement was performed by the flow method, and the required number of measurements was calculated by variation statistics. The results of the analysis of variance show the statistical significance of the differences between pruning times of different clone species, different planting spaces and different plantation ages. The results of the analysis of variance and statistical tests show that there are no statistically significant differences between the average time of poplar pruning in plantations of the same age and different planting spaces. The correlation of branch pruning time and the number of pruned branches is represented by the power function model, which according to the results of the regression analyses, is the best representation of the nature of this dependence. Exponential function represents the correlation of the average diameter of pruned branches and the time of pruning. Also, there is a correlation of the average diameter of pruned branches and fuel consumption. Pruning time of poplar trees increases with the increase of the average diameter of pruned branches.

Épocas e intensidades de poda de frutificação na goiabeira ' Paluma' , em Pinheiros-ES

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos de diferentes intensidades de poda de frutificação realizadas em diferentes épocas do ano sobre a fenologia e a produção da goiabeira 'Paluma', em Pinheiros-ES. As plantas foram submetidas a três intensidades de poda de frutificação (curta, média e longa), em quatro diferentes épocas (25-11-2005, 21-12-2005, 27-01-2006 e 23-02-2006). O ciclo da goiabeira 'Paluma', entre a poda até o início da colheita dos frutos, variou de 189 dias (podas em novembro e dezembro) a 203 dias (poda em fevereiro). Independentemente da época de poda, as plantas submetidas à poda longa apresentaram maior emissão de brotos novos e maior número de ramos estabelecidos. As plantas submetidas à poda curta apresentaram menores números de brotos emitidos e de ramos estabelecidos, bem como menor índice de pegamento de frutos, menor número de frutos por planta e, conseqüentemente, menor produção; entretanto produziram frutos de maior peso médio em relação às plantas submetidas à poda longa. A maior produção e o maior número de frutos colhidos por planta ocorreram nas plantas podadas em fevereiro. A época e a intensidade da poda de frutificação afetam a brotação e a produção da goiabeira 'Paluma'.

Wind effects on juvenile trees: a review with special reference to toppling of radiata pine growing in New Zealand

Summary Toppling, or the windthrow, of young (<2 – 3 years of age) trees is a problem in some regions of the world, including New Zealand. In that country, the incidence of toppling of young radiata pine ( Pinus radiata D. Don) trees is a concern to foresters. Toppling differs from wind damage in older forests as trees are not blown completely over, but instead attain a lean; a tree is said to have toppled when this lean exceeds 15° from vertical. Impacts of toppling include a higher incidence of stems with basal sweep and reduced selection choice at the time of pruning and thinning. When trees from toppled stands are harvested, basal sweep results in reduced yields of clearwood and increased levels of compression wood in sawn timber. This paper discusses the phenomenon of toppling and presents an overview of research that has been carried out to identify key causal factors and evaluate treatments which reduce this risk. Due to confounding infl uences, it is often diffi cult to experimentally determine those factors responsible. Therefore, a mechanistic model is proposed, which aims to predict the probability that a tree will topple, as well as allowing the effect of different management actions to be evaluated.

Delayed winter spur-pruning in New Zealand can alter yield components of Merlot grapevines

The effects of delayed winter spur-pruning on yield, yield components and fruit composition of Merlot vines was evaluated within a commercial vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand. Vines were spur-pruned, trained using vertical shoot positioning, trickle irrigated and grafted to Kober 5BB rootstock. Delaying pruning from July (usual winter pruning time in New Zealand) until up to October (when apical shoots on canes were 5 cm long) resulted in yield increases of up to 93%, 63%, and 82% over the three seasons of experimentation. These yield increases reflected higher average berry weight and in turn bunch weights. The increase in average berry weight was associated with a change in the relative abundance of different berry types. Later pruning increased the proportion of large seeded berries while the proportion of smaller seedless berries and live green ovaries (shot berries) decreased. The delayed pruning may have enhanced fertilisation of flowers and development of seeds by postponing flowering to a time when climatic conditions are more favourable; measurements of shoot lengths support this proposal. By delaying winter pruning until after budburst the development of basal nodes was inhibited, so that budburst on the resulting spurs was also delayed.

Goiabeira 'Paluma' sob diferentes sistemas de cultivo, épocas e intensidades de poda de frutificação

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produção e a qualidade dos frutos da goiabeira 'Paluma', em diferentes sistemas de cultivo, épocas e intensidades de poda de frutificação, em Pedro Canário, ES. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, em esquema de parcelas sub-subdivididas. As parcelas foram os sistemas de cultivo irrigado e sequeiro; as subparcelas foram as épocas de poda (10/11/2005, 9/12/2005, 13/1/2006 e 10/2/2006); e as sub-subparcelas foram as intensidades de poda (curta, média e longa). A produção, o número de frutos e o peso médio dos frutos foram maiores nas plantas cultivadas com irrigação. Independentemente da época de poda, as plantas submetidas à poda curta apresentaram as menores produções e números de frutos por planta, entretanto produziram os frutos mais pesados. As maiores produções e número de frutos por planta ocorreram nas plantas submetidas às podas médias e longas, em fevereiro, enquanto os frutos mais pesados, independentemente da intensidade da poda, foram produzidos pelas plantas podadas em dezembro. O teor de sólidos solúveis totais (SST), acidez total titulável (ATT) e relação SST/ATT dos frutos não foram influenciados pela intensidade da poda de frutificação, porém foram influenciados pelo sistema de cultivo e a época de poda.

Produção e qualidade dos frutos da goiabeira 'Pedro Sato' submetida a diferentes épocas de poda

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a possibilidade de produção de goiaba de boa qualidade comercial, em diferentes épocas do ano, de acordo com podas realizadas em setembro e dezembro de 2003, março e junho de 2004. Utilizaram-se goiabeiras, cultivar Pedro Sato, com os ramos podados a 30 cm da base, sem desfolhamento, com quatro anos de idade, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso. Avaliaram-se: número de frutos produzidos, produção por planta, firmeza, sólidos solúveis (SS), acidez titulável (AT), relação SS/AT, pH e açúcares solúveis totais. Observou-se que as épocas de poda afetaram de maneira expressiva as características avaliadas. A produção de frutos por planta variou de 269,8 a 500,8 e foi inversamente proporcional ao peso dos frutos (186,9 a 205,5 g). A produção foi entre 55,5 e 93,6 kg por planta. O período de poda também influenciou as características físico-químicas dos frutos, mas não afetou a firmeza. É possível a produção de frutos de boa qualidade ao longo de nove meses do ano, com o manejo das podas.

Improvement of quality and storability of apple cv. Aroma by adjustment of some pre-harvest conditions

Abstract To improve the quality of the important Swedish apple cultivar Aroma and increase its resistance to bruising and storage decay, three studies were conducted at Kivik research station during the period 1998–2003. The effects of tree age, pruning time and nitrogen fertilization were investigated. Fruits from young trees (younger than 6 years) had a lower resistance to bruising and Pezicula malicorticis decay, while fruits from trees older than 20 years seemed to show a quality and storability decline. Choosing a suitable summer pruning time was an effective factor for fruit storage potential. Thinning cut during August (5–6 weeks before harvesting) improved fruit colour and decreased decay without negatively influencing tree yield. Applying fertigation according to fruit development phase and soil nitrogen content had a very important influence on fruit quality and storability. Appropriate nutrition supply produced more deeply coloured fruit that maintained their quality after storage for 4 months. The bruising sensitivity of cv. Aroma apples was correlated with their N and K/Ca content. More coloured fruits showed less sensitivity to bruising.

シジミバナの剪定時期が花芽形成に及ぼす影響

For Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spirea), we investigated how differences in the timing of pruning affected sprouting, growth, and formation of buds and flowers, by measuring the number of flowers and sprout growth rate in the following year, to determine how long pruning could be delayed. Our results showed that the longer pruning time was delayed after flowering, the greater the number of buds - but the buds tended to be smaller, and both the rate of new branch growth and the new branch length tended to decrease. We concluded that delaying pruning resulted in fewer buds growing into fully-formed branches. We also found that pruning of branches up to about 30 cm long, representing up to two years growth, resulted in more flowers and more growth in remaining branches in the following year. While the best pruning time is just after flowering, we found that pruning time could be delayed up to four weeks after flowering - i.e. until no later than May - without significantly affecting flowering in the following year. These results probably also apply to other roses related to Spiraea Prunifolia (bridal wreath spirea).

Curva de crescimento de frutos de pêssego em regiões subtropicais

Em regiões com inverno ameno, o cultivo de pêssego tem apresentado um aumento significativo na produção, especialmente para as variedades de ciclo curto. A determinação da melhor época para a execução de práticas culturais, como o raleio, é de fundamental importância para a melhoria da qualidade dos frutos colhidos. A indicação da melhor época para a execução do raleio pode ser definida a partir do conhecimento da curva de crescimento dos frutos. Foi avaliado o crescimento de frutos de pessegueiro mediante dados de peso verde (PV) e de peso seco (PS) em 20 variedades cultivadas na Epagri Estação Experimental de Urussanga. As plantas foram agrupadas em variedades de ciclo curto, de ciclo médio e de ciclo longo de acordo com o tempo que levaram da floração à colheita dos frutos, 77 a 85 dias, 86 a 109 dias, e mais que 109 dias, respectivamente. Semanalmente, foram colhidos frutos verdes, pesados (PV) e secos em estufa a 70ºC para a determinação do PS. Todas as variedades apresentaram crescimento relativo (PS ganho no dia/PS total do fruto) inicial muito alto, o qual foi reduzindo até a maturação dos frutos para as variedades de ciclo curto e médio. Em contraste, para as variedades de ciclo longo, no final do ciclo, houve novamente aumento do crescimento relativo. O crescimento dos frutos avaliados pelo PS, PV e pelo acúmulo diário de PS e PV apresentou três estágios de crescimento para as variedades de ciclo longo: Estágio I, com crescimento exponencial; Estágio II, com pouco crescimento, e Estágio III, novamente com crescimento exponencial culminando com a maturação do fruto. Contudo, as variedades de ciclo médio e de ciclo curto não apresentaram o Estágio II, com pouco crescimento, passando do Estágio I diretamente para o Estágio III.

Emprego da poda verde para a obtenção de duas safras por ciclo vegetativo em 'Niagara Branca'

Avaliou-se o efeito de épocas de poda verde em dois anos consecutivos visando obter a segunda safra de uva em um mesmo ciclo vegetativo na cv. Niágara Branca (Vitis labrusca L.), cultivada no sistema em espaldeira. O experimento foi realizado na Estação Experimental Agronômica da UFRGS, em Eldorado do Sul (RS), nas safras de 2003/2004 e 2004/2005. Os tratamentos constaram de três épocas de poda verde, realizadas imediatamente após a quarta folha acima do último cacho, e dois anos consecutivos de avaliação. Todas as plantas foram submetidas à superação de dormência mediante aplicação de cianamida hidrogenada a 2%. Analisou-se a duração dos estádios fenológicos, o período de maturação, a produção por planta, a massa fresca do cacho, o teor de sólidos solúveis totais e a acidez total titulável. Observou-se que a época de realização da poda verde não afetou a quantidade, nem a qualidade da uva produzida na primeira colheita, apenas atrasando-a em uma semana. A poda verde realizada no início de novembro possibilitou a segunda colheita de uva, realizada entre março e abril, sendo uma alternativa de ampliação do período de oferta do produto no mercado.

MANAGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL TREE DIAMETER GROWTH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRUNING FOR BRAZILIAN Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden

In the present work a thinning program and a model describing dynamic of crown base recession for Eucalyptus grandis was established on an individual tree basis. Therefore, 485 trees were measured on temporary plots in forests of the companies Klabin Riocell (Guaíba), Todeschini (Cachoeira do Sul), the Federal University of Santa Maria and Aracruz Company, located in Rio Grande do Sul, Espirito Santo and Bahia, Brazil. A straight relationship between crown width and diameter at breast height (DBH) was found by using regression analysis. The equation obtained was crown width = e0.504+0.0307* DBH, with a coefficient of determination of 0.78 and a standard error of 0.034. With this equation the standing space of the individual trees was calculated over the whole rotation period, taking into account a crown cover of 70 %. Therefore the number of trees which can be grown on a hectare was derived for different variants of management systems aiming to produce eucalypt sawlogs in short rotation periods. Beside this a multivariate model describing height of crown base as a function of DBH and total height was found. Based upon this model the dynamics of crown base recession for different site qualities and thinning regimes are described, giving advice for time and intensity of green pruning.

Long-term impact of a gliricidia-maize intercropping system on carbon sequestration in southern Malawi

Tree/crop systems under agroforestry practice are capable of sequestering carbon (C) in the standing biomass and soil. Although studies have been conducted to understand soil organic C increases in some agroforestry technologies, little is known about C sequestered in simultaneous tree/crop intercropping systems. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of agroforestry practice on C sequestration and CO2-C efflux in a gliricidia-maize intercropping system. The experiment was conducted at an experimental site located at the Makoka Agricultural Research Station, in Malawi. The studies involved two field plots, 7-year (MZ21) and 10-year (MZ12), two production systems (sole-maize and gliricidia-maize simultaneous intercropping systems). A 7-year-old grass fallow (Grass-F) was also included. Gliricidia prunings were incorporated at each time of tree pruning in the gliricidia-maize. The amount of organic C recycled varied from 0.8 to 4.8 Mg C ha � 1 in gliricidia-maize and from 0.4 to 1.0 Mg C ha � 1 in sole-maize. In sole-maize, net decreases of soil carbon of 6M g Ch a � 1 at MZ12 and 7 Mg C ha � 1 at MZ21 in the topsoil (0‐20 cm) relative to the initial soil C were observed. After 10 years of continuous application of tree prunings C was sequestered in the topsoil (0‐20 cm) in gliricidia-maize was 1.6 times more than in sole-maize. A total of 123‐149 Mg C ha � 1 were sequestered in the soil (0‐200 cm depth), through root turnover and pruning application in the gliricidiamaize system. Carbon dioxide evolutionvaried from 10 to 28 kg ha � 1 day � 1 in sole-maize and 23 to 83 kg ha � 1 day � 1 in gliricidia-maize. We concluded that gliricidia-maize intercropping system could sequester more C in the soil than sole-maize. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mid-season Pruning Affects Cold Tolerance of Abelia Cultivars in Central Georgia

While the recommended time to prune abelia is before spring growth initiates, the actual pruning time is often variable and dependent upon labor and plant appearance. As abelia suffers from freeze damage north of zone 8A, pruning may have an impact on the level of freeze damage. Six Abelia genotypes were established in replicated field plots in Griffin, Ga., in 1999. On 3–4 July 2003, half the individuals of each genotype were severely pruned (75% of growth removed). Subsequently, 80 uniform-sized stem tips were randomly collected from plants of each genotype–treatment combination once per month from Oct. 2003 through Apr. 2004. Stem sections were exposed to predetermined temperatures ranging from –3 °C to –27 °C in a temperature bath. The number of stem sections killed in each of two replications out of four possible stem sections was recorded (0 = none dead; 4 = all dead). Data were analyzed with SAS using the Genmod procedure to acquire seasonal results as well as with PROC GLM and means separation to acquire monthly results. Using the Genmod procedure, all genotypes with the exception of `Canyon Creek' were significantly more cold tolerant in unpruned compared to pruned treatments. In this study, Dec. 2003 was the first month with temperatures below freezing at the test site. Proc GLM analysis indicated a significant difference between the pruned and unpruned treatments in Dec. 2003–Feb. 2004. Results of the Proc GLM analysis for the months of Oct. and Nov. 2003 as well as Mar. and Apr. 2004 were nonsignificant (P &lt; 0.05) due to an absence of cold acclimation. These results indicate that mid-season pruning of Abelia genotypes can significantly reduce cold hardiness and lead to serious stem dieback in pruned plants.

The size of the canopy of sour cherry trees depends on the time of pruning

The intensive culture of sour cherry is achieved by training of trees to form smaller canopies not by means of dwarfing rootstocks but by growth moderation techniques. The rootstocks traditionally used cause vigorous growth, and it is up to the technology to apply procedures less utilised earlier for that purpose. One of those techniques is the transfer of hibernal pruning to the estival period. The best term of the latter is the period of 1-3 weeks after fruit harvest.&#x0D; The prolongation of the period of favourable illumination and the reduction of the canopy size facilitate higher densities of planting (number of trees per hectare) and a better exploitation of the crown (specific yield). The regular use of summer pruning resulted also in a better quality of fruit.

Poda e sistemas de condução na produção de figos verdes

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito da época de poda e de sistemas de condução sobre crescimento, produção e qualidade de frutos da figueira cultivada na região norte mineira, sob irrigação. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, e os tratamentos arranjados em esquema fatorial 4x2, tomando por fatores épocas de poda (junho, setembro, dezembro e março) e sistemas de condução (com desponte e sem desponte). Em cada parcela, constituída de três plantas úteis, foram coletados dados nos ciclos de produção 2000/2001 e 2001/2002. Não houve interação entre os fatores época de poda e sistema de condução. Houve diferenças de produção entre épocas de poda; plantas podadas em março e junho apresentaram maiores produções. Não houve diferença de produção entre os dois sistemas de condução. Diferentes épocas de poda e sistemas de condução não influíram na qualidade dos frutos em relação a teores de sólidos solúveis totais, pH, acidez total titulável, açúcares totais, glucose, sacarose e amido. A poda da figueira em diferentes épocas do ano pode propiciar produção na entressafra da cultura no norte de Minas Gerais, sem alterar a qualidade dos frutos verdes com padrão para a indústria.