Uman NUH | today: 12/21/2024
| Author(s) |
Chaploutskyi A.M., , , Uman National University of Horticulture Головатий П. А., , , Butsyk R. M., Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, , |
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| Category | The Agronomy | ||
| year | 2024 | issue | Issue 105 part 1 |
| pages | 137-145 | index UDK | 634.11:631.542.1:631.542.2 | DOI | 10.32782/2415-8240-2024-105-1-137-145 (Link) |
| Abstract | The present study investigates the influence of crown formation and pruning timing on the development of leaf apparatus of apple (Malus domestica) varieties Fuji and Honey Crisp grown on dwarf rootstock M.9 in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Given that apple is one of the most popular fruit crops, special attention is paid to the importance of improving the lighting and leaf condition as a result of crown pruning. The experiment evaluated different crown shapes: slender spindle, ballerina and French axis, as well as the timing of pruning: winter and its combination with summer. The aim of the experiment was to determine which agronomic measures contribute to maximum plant productivity, in particular through the impact on leaf area, number of leaves and total leaf area. The largest leaf blade area (31.4 cm²) was recorded in Honey Crisp trees when the crown was formed in the French axis with pruning in winter and summer. The lowest value of the index (25.9 cm²) was observed in Fuji trees when forming the ‘slender spindle’ crown in winter, which is 17.5 % lower than the maximum value. In general, Honey Crisp trees showed larger leaf blade areas than Fuji trees, exceeding them by an average of 5 %. Crown formation also affected the number of leaves. A decrease in the number of leaves was observed in the formation of the French axis crown (1551 leaves per tree), which is 20 % less than in the formation of the ballerina crown. Trees of the Honey Crisp variety outnumbered the Fuji variety by 22 %. Pruning in winter and summer reduced the number of leaves by 8 %. The maximum leaf surface area was achieved in the formation of the ‘ballerina’ crown in the Honey Crisp variety – 15.8 thousand m²/ha. against 11.7 thousand m²/ha of the ‘French axis’ crown, which is associated with a decrease in the number of leaves and crown dimensions. The total leaf area of Honey Crisp trees was 26% higher than that of Fuji. It was found that the greatest influence on the leaf blade area and number of leaves was the crown shape factor (53.5 % and 40.9 %, respectively), as well as the pruning time factor (3–5 %). In addition, the effect of pomological variety was one of the key factors, influencing 60.4% of the total leaf area. The study also found a strong direct correlation between leaf area and traits such as percentage of usable ovary and fruit weight. Leaf number was correlated with crown diameter, volume and total leaf area, but also showed an inverse correlation with specific productivity per crown volume and feeding area. | ||
| Key words | apple tree, crown shape, pruning, leaf, pruning time | ||