Impact of pruning and training systems on the growth and productivity of pomegranate trees

Abstract

This experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons in the experimental orchard of the Horticultural Research Station in Shandaweel, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, on uniform four-year-old pomegranate trees of "Manfalouty" cultivar to evaluate the performance of trees under traditional pruning method (multi-trunk; five stems (control), four stems and three stems) as the first experiment and training systems (open centre, central leader and modified leader) as the second experiment. The results showed that, in the first experiment, the superiority of three stems in shoot length, total number of flowers /tree, fruit set (%) and number of fruits per tree, the value of juice total soluble solids, the ratio of TSS/acidity, total sugars content, anthocyanin content of peel & juice and least of acidity percent. In the second experiment, the superiority of modified leader in shoot length, fruit weight, volume, marketable (%) and least of cracking and sunburn percentage could be noticed. Wherese, the open centre system was superior in the total number of flowers /tree, fruit set (%), number of fruits per tree, yield, the value of juice total soluble solids, the ratio of TSS/acidity, total sugars content, content anthocyanin of peel and juice and minimum value of acidity content.