canopy management in fruit crops - Department of Agriculture & Co ...
canopy management in fruit crops - Department of Agriculture & Co ...
canopy management in fruit crops - Department of Agriculture & Co ...
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Custard apple<br />
Custard apple requires more corrective prun<strong>in</strong>g. Initially, it is essential to<br />
develop a good growth and better yield over a long period <strong>of</strong> time. Without<br />
prun<strong>in</strong>g, its plants become bushy and<br />
their bear<strong>in</strong>g efficiency comes down.<br />
Severe prun<strong>in</strong>g is detrimental for the<br />
plant growth. Yellow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> leaves<br />
starts as the harvest<strong>in</strong>g season <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>fruit</strong>s ends. The leaves beg<strong>in</strong> to drop<br />
with the onset <strong>of</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter and fresh<br />
growth occurs <strong>in</strong> spr<strong>in</strong>g. Flower<strong>in</strong>g<br />
occurs s<strong>in</strong>gly or, rarely, <strong>in</strong> small clusters<br />
mostly on current season’s growth and,<br />
occasionally, on old wood. Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to<br />
a s<strong>in</strong>gle stem is the only option when<br />
rootstock is employed.<br />
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Young plants need tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> framework. Keep<br />
the ma<strong>in</strong> stem clean up to 50-60 cm<br />
height from the ground level.<br />
Timely removal <strong>of</strong> misplaced limbs<br />
is necessary to build a strong<br />
framework.<br />
Four to five scaffold branches with wide crotch angle are encouraged to grow<br />
<strong>in</strong> different directions dur<strong>in</strong>g early years <strong>of</strong> orchard establishment.<br />
Prun<strong>in</strong>g dur<strong>in</strong>g March-April is done to encourage new growth on which flower<br />
buds are generally formed. Tree height is generally ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed up to 3 m.<br />
Prun<strong>in</strong>g is also done to remove dead wood and old branches which bear fewer<br />
<strong>fruit</strong>s.<br />
Properly tra<strong>in</strong>ed plants develop <strong>in</strong>to a good<br />
framework<br />
Canopy Management <strong>in</strong> Fruit Crops 35