Vol. 48 No: 2

Title:
Pruning Experiments with Pears

Author:
A.P. PRESTON

pp: 195-202

Abstract:
Pear pruning experiments on Doyenné du Comice, with Conference and Beurré Hardy pollinators, all on Quince A, comprised established-spur, renewal and regulated pruning methods; in addition completely unpruned trees of Comice were included. The trial lasted for 15 years. Data are presented on tree size, weight of prunings, total crop, yields in 5-year periods, fruit size and blemish, and ratio of total crop to scion fresh weight at 15 years. Unpruned Comice came into bearing earliest and yielded the heaviest crops during the first 7 years, but by the 10th year and subsequently total yields from regulated trees were similar to those of unpruned trees. Established-spur pruned trees gave the lowest yields, especially in the early years, but their fruits were larger. It is suggested that, after leaving Comice unpruned for the first 7 years, they should then be regulated to avoid the accumulation of dead wood and to lessen the risk of fruit blemish. Regulated Conference trees were initially larger than established-spur pruned trees, but at the conclusion of the trial they were shorter, and during the first 10 years they had cropped more heavily. At 10 years the yields from Comice and Conference, within a pruning treatment, were similar. Pruning treatment had no major effect upon the growth and cropping of Beurré Hardy; even light pruning failed to give early and heavy yields.

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