Advances in understanding apple tree growth: the manipulation of tree growth and development

Description

Recent research and development has investigated the factors influencing apple tree growth, with the ultimate aim of helping apple growers provide the market with fruit which is consistent in quality and which exhibits the features that consumers value, such as firmness, juiciness, colour and appropriate sugar–acid balance. This chapter offers a detailed review of how different interventions after planting allow the manipulation of apple tree growth and development. It then provides discussion of two case studies which show the importance of this factor, and illustrates how it can interact with choice of rootstock and planting system to optimize yield.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Canopy development 3 Dormancy release and bud break 4 Managing vegetative growth 5 Training and pruning 6 Case study 1: intensive growing systems in Tasmania, Australia 7 Case study 2: comparison of artifi cial spur extinction and chemical thinning for crop load control 8 Summary 9 Future trends in research 10 Where to look for further information 11 Acknowledgements 12 References