Effect of Root Pruning and Irrigation Regimes on Yield and Physiology of Pear Trees

TY - BOOK

T1 - Effect of Root Pruning and Irrigation Regimes on Yield and Physiology of Pear Trees

AU - Wang, Yufei

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Clara Frijs’ is the dominant pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar in Denmark. It is vigorous with long annual shoots, and therefore can be difficult to prune. Root pruning has been widely used to control the canopy size of fruit trees including pears. However, root pruned trees are more likely to suffer from stress for water and nutrients due to the curtailed root systems, which may constrain fruit growth, reduce yield and quality. Thus, there is an urgent need to research on developing field strategies to mitigate those negative effects brought about by root pruning. The objective of the Ph.D. project was to investigate the effect of root pruning compared with non-root pruning on shoot, root and fruit growth; and the potential of supplemental irrigation in alleviating the negative effect of root pruning on fruit growth, yield and quality. Based on the results of two-year field experiment, it was concluded that root pruning not only decreases water uptake but also nutrient uptake, and both have contributed to the reduced canopy growth. Supplemental irrigation partially improved the tree water status and nitrogen uptake without stimulating additional shoot growth in the root pruned trees. A combination of root pruning and irrigation could be a promising practice to control tree size and secure a stable fruit yield in pear orchard.

AB - Clara Frijs’ is the dominant pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar in Denmark. It is vigorous with long annual shoots, and therefore can be difficult to prune. Root pruning has been widely used to control the canopy size of fruit trees including pears. However, root pruned trees are more likely to suffer from stress for water and nutrients due to the curtailed root systems, which may constrain fruit growth, reduce yield and quality. Thus, there is an urgent need to research on developing field strategies to mitigate those negative effects brought about by root pruning. The objective of the Ph.D. project was to investigate the effect of root pruning compared with non-root pruning on shoot, root and fruit growth; and the potential of supplemental irrigation in alleviating the negative effect of root pruning on fruit growth, yield and quality. Based on the results of two-year field experiment, it was concluded that root pruning not only decreases water uptake but also nutrient uptake, and both have contributed to the reduced canopy growth. Supplemental irrigation partially improved the tree water status and nitrogen uptake without stimulating additional shoot growth in the root pruned trees. A combination of root pruning and irrigation could be a promising practice to control tree size and secure a stable fruit yield in pear orchard.

UR - https://rex.kb.dk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=KGL01008972058&context=L&vid=NUI&search_scope=KGL&tab=default_tab&lang=da_DK

M3 - Ph.D. thesis

BT - Effect of Root Pruning and Irrigation Regimes on Yield and Physiology of Pear Trees

PB - Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen

ER -