**1.18 Thinning of fruits**

Prunus

**1.15 Tatura trellis system**

**1.17 Orchard floor management**

**1.16 Pruning**

which are well located and have wide angle should be selected, and the remaining unwanted branches are removed. The central leader is also completely removed. The selected branches are headed back to ¼ to ½ of the growth. During the second dormant pruning, two to three secondary branches are selected on the primary branches. The major consideration in selecting secondary branches should be their location so that after pruning, the tips of the primary and secondary leaders are about 30–40 cm apart from each other. The height of secondary branches is staggered in different years by pruning all branch leaders more severely. The vertical ones are pruned more severely. This will produce branch leaders at different heights and prevent overcrowding when the tree is mature. In the following years, the head

should be fully formed, and selection of secondary branches is completed.

In high-density planting, this system of training of plants is very popular due to yield efficiency. Trees are planted at a spacing of 5 × 1 m or 6 × 1 m. At the time of planting, a 1-year-old plant is headed back to 20 cm above the ground level. In the next growing season, two limbs or branches are selected in opposite directions, and these branches are trained across the interrow space at an angle of 60° from the horizontal, forming a V-shaped canopy. The canopy is supported by a permanent trellis constructed of high-tensile galvanised steel fence posts. The secondary branches are developed along each primary branch forming a fruiting canopy.

The peach fruits are borne after 1-year growth. A small proportion is borne on short-lived spurs also. Pruning should be done so as to produce 50–100 cm of growth in young trees and 30–70 cm in old trees annually. About 40% of 1-year-old branches should be thinned out to ensure proper tree growth and improve fruit size

The main objective of pruning is to maintain balance between vegetative growth and fruiting. Bearing peach requires heavy and regular pruning because it bears fruits laterally on the previous season growth. It is known that once the tree bears fruits, it will never bear again throughout its life. Therefore, pruning is done to remove the unproductive parts which in turn will form new fruiting branches in the following season. In peach pruning, thinning and heading back of shoots are two basic components. Pruning should be done so as to produce 30–70 cm of growth under subtropical conditions and 25–30 cm under midhills, annually, which is sufficient for optimum fruit production. For good-quality fruit production, 40–50% of thinning out and 75% heading back of shoots are suggested under midhill conditions. At the time of pruning, dead, diseased and broken branches should be pruned off.

In the initial years of plantation, the intercrops like peas, beans, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower and ginger are grown in the vacant area in between the trees but not in the basin area. Besides these, some green manuring crops like bean, peas and gram should be grown which helps in improving soil texture and nutrient status. In bearing orchard, the basin area of trees should be kept clean either by manual weeding or the use of weedicides. Sod grasses like white clover, red clover, orchard grass and rye grass are grown in the vacant area between the trees. Basins are

mulched with 10-cm-thick dry grass mulch or black alkathene mulch. The mulching helps to conserve soil moisture and efficiently control the weeds in the basin area.

and quality. The pruning of peaches is carried out in early January.

**84**

Thinning is more desirable on mature trees making small annual growth than on young vigorous plants. Thinning may also be another resort when good-sized uniform fruits are needed for canning and fancy trade. Hand thinning and chemical thinning can be done. While doing hand thinning, first shake the branches in order to dislodge the fruits which are likely to drop off naturally. If there is still surplus fruit, then start thinning from top to bottom of the branches. The distance from fruit to fruit after thinning on the shoots should be between 10 and 15 cm, and the average number of leaves per fruit should be 20–25.

