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FRUIT PRODUCTION AS RELATED TO BRANCH DIAMETER 



Richard B. Taylor-'- and William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



In a recent study, fruit production from apple spurs associated 

 with branches of specific diameters was determined. Four trees each of 

 11 -year-old Mcintosh and Red Delicious and 13-year-old Cortlands were 

 used in the study and the total percent of fruit harvested from branches 

 of different diameters was determined. 



For all 3 varieties, approximately 78% of the total fruit harvested 

 were from spurs associated with branches of 1/2 inch to 1 1/4 inch diam- 

 eter. The percent of fruit harvested from spurs on branches of 1/2 inch 

 to 1 inch diameter was 40% for Mcintosh and S3% for Red Delicious. How- 

 ever, for the Cortland variety 65% of the fruit came from spurs on 

 branches of 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, which indicates the "willowy" na- 

 ture of Cortland wood. 



The number of fruit harvested on all 3 varieties from spurs associ- 

 ated with wood greater than 2 inches in diameter was negligible. This 

 information and that presented above indicates the importance of good 

 pruning techniques and the encouragement of new vigorous wood. When 

 pruning bearing apple trees, the drooping ends of branches and the down- 

 ward growing laterals should be removed, leaving most of the upward and 

 outward growing (and consequently younger) parts of the tree. Water 

 sprouts which are out of place and limbs that tend to crowd others should 

 be removed, also. What should be left in a bearing tree, after pruning 

 is completed, is largely young or middle-aged fruiting wood, and no 2 

 branches trying to occupy the same space. 



Considerable thought and experimentation now is being devoted to 

 the development of tree walls which could be harvested by persons riding 

 at various levels on a trailer as it moves down the tree row. This 

 spring, the question arose as to what percentage of the crop on large 

 apple trees could be harvested by reaching-in from the periphery of the 

 branches. The data obtained in the study mentioned above indicate that 

 approximately 60% of the fruit on 35 lower scaffold limbs on the 3 vari- 

 eties could have been harvested by reaching-in from the tree periphery. 

 Naturally, the percentage harvested would be influenced considerably by 

 pruning, tree-size and other factors. 



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^Present address: ZigZag Road, R.D. #1, Albion, New York 14411 



