-5- 



Results and Discussion 



Heading all of the 1-year-old shoots during dormant pruning followed with removal 

 of 2 shoots directly below each heading cut during the growing season to leave 1 

 terminal extension shoot, increased lateral growth some years but not others (Fig. 3 

 and 4). However, yields were reduced on the Tiers and Headed trees in comparison 

 to the Conventional and Slender Spindle Trees (Table 1). 



Table 1. Effects of pruning systems on tree size, and yield of redspur Delicious trees 

 on M26. 



Pruning Treatment 



Tiers & Slender 



heading spindle 



3.9a 



5.8a 



^Mean separation in rows by Duncan's range test, 5% level. 



The decreased productivity of the Tiers and Headed trees was clearly a result of 

 the heading-back cuts since the number of structural limbs per tree and tree size 

 at the completion of the study, with the exception for branch spread, were smiliar 

 among treatments (Table 1). The spread of the Tiers and Headed trees was less than 

 that of Conventional and Slender Spindle trees because the branches were more up- 

 right due to lighter cropping. Heading cuts reduced the length of 1-year-old wood, 

 forced some lateral buds to produce vigorous shoots rather than flower buds; and removed 

 the most productive section of the wood because the apical sections have more blossom 

 clusters and fruit than the more basal sections of wood. 



