Fruit tree architecture of apple, sweet cherry and plum

Vasiliy Dzhuvinov, Kolyo Kolev, Valentina Bozhkova, Stefan Gandev

Abstract: During the last 10 – 15 years serious research studies have started on one new direction-fruit tree architecture, i.e. on tree vigorous, form of canopy, type and age of fruiting branches, which determine quantity and quality of fruit crop. The apple cultivars are divided into four groups concerning age of the fruiting wood – Type I (Starkrimson), Type II (Reine des Reinettes), Type III (Golden Delicious) and Type IV (Granny Smith). The most of apple cultivars bear fruits on spurs. Strong reduction of the crop from 5 and more age wood is observed. Investigated sweet cherry cultivars bear fruits mainly on spurs and depending of cultivars on 5 and 7 years old braches no fruitfulness. Plum cultivars bear predominant on 2 – 4 age wood. These investigations determined which kind of pruning need to do for each cultivar depending type and age of bearing wood for obtaining high, regular and qualitative fruit crop.

Keywords: apple; bearing habit; plum; sweet cherry; vegetative habit

Date published: 2017-07-07