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- Author or Editor: Peter H. Jerie x
- Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science x
Abstract
Peach [Prunus perscia (L.) Batsch] flowers opened first at the base of young trees and last at the top. In contrast, fruit ripened first at the top of trees and at the tips of laterals. Dry weight and percentage dry weight (% dwt) of the mesocarp of fruit from the upper canopy were consistently greater throughout the season than for fruit from the lower canopy. These differences were large enough to have marketing significance and important implications for the future of mechanical harvesting.
Abstract
Fruit yield was increased, summer pruning decreased, and water saved when regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and withholding irrigation (WI) were used over 5 years to manage mature ‘Bartlett’ pear ( Pyrus communis L.) trees planted at three levels of within-row spacing (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 m) and trained to a Tatura trellis. Three levels of irrigation, 23%, 46%, and 92% replacement of evaporation from the planting square (Eps), were compared during the RDI period. Weight of summer prunings was positively and linearly related to level of irrigation in each year, including a relatively wet year. When compared between years, the degree of this response on the dried treatment was positively and significantly related to net evaporation (evaporation – rainfall) recorded during the period of rapid shoot growth. Fruit number also tended to be greater on the 23% and 46% Eps treatments in all years. Cumulative yield over 10 years of cropping did not differ between tree spacing, although fruit size was larger at the 1-m spacing. High yields were obtained at all levels of tree spacing. Yield and tree growth responded most to RDI for the 0.5-m-spaced trees.