Effects of Pruning on Canopy Growth and Yield of ‘Black Jack’ Fig
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study of figs pruning was done to determine the potential of vegetative growth affecting yield and yield quality, and obtain the proportion of leaf area suitable for figs quality. The experiment was conducted on 1 year old ‘Black Jack’ figs grown in plastic baskets diameter 14 inches in a semi-closed greenhouse. Pruning was done to allow the number of branches to grow and produce different amounts of yield after the first year of harvesting. The experiment was performed as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 4 treatments based upon the pruning method i.e.1) no pruning 2) pruning to leave 2 branches 3) pruning to leave 4 branches, and 4) pruning to leave 6 branches. The results showed that pruning figs did not affect canopy width but pruning to leave 4 branches resulted in the tallest fig plant. No pruning treatment produced the most number of leaves per plant, but also the smallest leaves. The total leaf area was similar to pruning to leave 4 - 6 branches. Pruning to leave 2 and 4 branches had higher PSII (YII) light efficiency than no pruning and pruning to leave 6 branches. The pruned plant had fruit weight and size greater than no pruning. Plants in pruning to leave 6 branches had the highest number of fruits per plant and yield. Plants in pruning to leave 2 and 6 branches had less ratio of leaf area to fruit weight and leaf area per number of fruits than no pruning. As for the ratio of the number of leaves per fruit, plants in all pruning methods had fewer leaves per fruit than no pruning. There was no difference in the peel color at harvest time. It can be concluded that the proper pruning of fig is to leave 6 branches per plant.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Chatsuwan, N. and V. Areekul. 2010. Color parameters, total phenolic and anthocyanin content in various rice cultivars. pp. 252-260. In: Proceedings of 48th Kasetsart University Annual Conference Agro-Industry, Bangkok. (in Thai)
Hosomi, A., T. Isobe and Y. Miwa. 2015. Shoot growth and fruit production of the ‘Masui Dauphine’ variety of fig (Ficus carica L.) undergoing renewal long pruning. Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly 49(4): 391-397.
Jarassamrit, N., T. Jaroenkit and S. Ratanamarno. 2007. Longan fruit quality development to create value added by fruit thinning and fruit bagging. Research report. Maejo University, Chiang Mai. 78 p. (in Thai)
Jeen-on, S. 2007. Fruit quality improvement of “Daw” longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) by tree training: A study of leaf area index in relation to number of fruit. M.S. Thesis. Maejo University, Chiang Mai. 119 p. (in Thai)
Jeen-on, S., P. Manochai, A. Pintaluk and N. Jarassamrit. 2008. Development of fruit quality in “Daw” longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) by mature leaf thinning. Agricultural Science Journal 39(Suppl. 3): 1-4. (in Thai)
Posawang, S. 2020. Testing of fig varieties on highland. Journal of Agricultural Production 2(2): 31-38. (inThai)
Public Relations of Kasetsart University. 2006. Fig Healthy fruit. (Online). Available: http://pr.ku.ac.th/pr_news/research/Acrobat/2549/390-49.pdf (March15, 2022). (in Thai)
Qiu, X., H. Zhang, B. Wang, C. Duan, H. Zhang, H. Li, H. Wang, B. Xiong and Z. Wang. 2020. Effects of different leaf area index on fruit quality and production of Huangguogan. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 474(3): 032013, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/474/3/032013.
Sakdiset, N. and S. Sanputawong. 2016. The canopy height control and arrangement main branch for quantity and quality of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn.) Songklanakarin Journal of Plant Science 3(Suppl. 1): 76-80. (in Thai)
Seanpheug, T., S. Simla and B. Harakotr. 2016. Influence of plant density on yield and agronomic traits of corn (Zea mays L.). Journal of Science and Technology, Mahasarakham University 35(1): 123-132. (in Thai)
Snelgar, W.P. and P.J. Martin. 1997. Relationship between leaf area index and fruit size in kiwifruit. Acta Horticulturae 444: 199-204.
Zare, H., 2021. Effects of different methods of pruning intensity on old fig (Sabz cultivar) trees under rainfed conditions. International Journal of Fruit Science 21(1): 379-391.
