Monitoring the impact of branch pruning on the quantity of flower clusters and fruit setting of Marian plums
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Abstract
Background and Objective: Pruning practices in Marian plum (Bouea oppositifolia (Roxb.) Meisn.) significantly influence nutrient balance, thereby affecting flowering and fruit set. This study aims to investigate the effects of various pruning methods on flower cluster abundance, fruit set, and production costs for farmers.
Methodology: The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments and five replications per treatment: (1) no pruning, (2) moderate pruning, (3) heavy pruning, and (4) square-shaped pruning. Data were collected on the number of flower clusters, fruit quality, and chemical usage, with production costs calculated based on chemical inputs.
Main Results: In the second year of observation, trees that underwent no pruning and moderate pruning showed flowering percentages of 51.25% and 48.75%, respectively, both statistically higher than other treatments (P < 0.05). However, data for the third year could not be collected. Heavy pruning and no pruning produced fruit sizes that were significantly different from those of the other treatments (P < 0.05). Additionally, heavy pruning incurred the lowest production cost of 36.81 baht/tree, which was statistically lower than that of other treatments (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: No pruning and moderate pruning yielded similar flowering and fruit production percentages; however, the production cost for no pruning was higher than that of moderate pruning. Based on the results, moderate pruning is recommended as it balances optimal flowering and fruit yield while effectively reducing production costs.
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