1. The author's previous experiments with heavy pruning, bark removal, and grafting on sapota trees did not yield fruits for several years as the trees only showed vegetative growth.
2. In a new experiment, the author performed light pruning by removing 28 branches less than 1 cm in diameter from a 20-year-old sapota tree.
3. This light pruning approach resulted in 52 new branches developing over 12-18 months, with an average of over 4 flowers per pruned branch, demonstrating this technique can successfully restrict tree height while maintaining fruit production.
Original Description:
Successful experiment to increase crop yield of Sapota by Bharatbhai Desai
1. The author's previous experiments with heavy pruning, bark removal, and grafting on sapota trees did not yield fruits for several years as the trees only showed vegetative growth.
2. In a new experiment, the author performed light pruning by removing 28 branches less than 1 cm in diameter from a 20-year-old sapota tree.
3. This light pruning approach resulted in 52 new branches developing over 12-18 months, with an average of over 4 flowers per pruned branch, demonstrating this technique can successfully restrict tree height while maintaining fruit production.
1. The author's previous experiments with heavy pruning, bark removal, and grafting on sapota trees did not yield fruits for several years as the trees only showed vegetative growth.
2. In a new experiment, the author performed light pruning by removing 28 branches less than 1 cm in diameter from a 20-year-old sapota tree.
3. This light pruning approach resulted in 52 new branches developing over 12-18 months, with an average of over 4 flowers per pruned branch, demonstrating this technique can successfully restrict tree height while maintaining fruit production.
By Shri Bharatbhai N. Desai Village:- Umarsadi Dist.:- Valsad, GUJARAT Mobile:- 09913040089
MY EARLIER EXPERIMENTS ON SAPOTA
1. I had difficult in harvesting fruits from my Chiku Orchard due to height of the trees. I tried heavy pruning and central opening in year 2005 on twelve trees. But I did not get fruits for 5 years. Only straight vegetative growth was observed in all the twelve trees. 2. I also tried application of Palcobutrazole on two trees for vegetative growth restriction, but I could not get results. 3. I also tried to restrict the vegetative growth by removing 75% bark layer of the new branch for restriction of food and water to new branch but I could not get result. 4. I also tried grafting on new vegetative growth during rejuvenation on old tree but could not get result.
HEAVY PRUNING 75% BARK REMOVAL GRAFTING My experiment of Light pruning I started experiment of light pruning on tree of 20 years old. I pruned 28 branches of dia. Less than 1 cm. This has given me positive results. I have recorded my experiment results which is as per enclosed table. I have observed that new tillering have appeared after two months on pruned branches. I have also observed that further new branches came out with flowering after 12 months of pruning. I got 52 new branches from 28 pruned branches. Average flowering per pruned branch was 4.32 after 12 months. Average flowering per pruned branch was 6.18 after 18 months. I have observed that the new branches were of shorter length. This will also help to restrict the height of the tree. SAPOTA FLOWERS SAPOTA (CHIKU ) PRUNING EXPERIMENT 2012-2013 Date:24-12-2013 1. Pruning done in October 2012 2.New branches developed in Jan 2013 3.Further new branches with flowers in Nov-Dec 2013 and March 2014 Sr.No. Date of Pruning of Branch Number of New Branches in Pruning Point in Jan-Feb 2013 Number of Flowers on new branches in November -2013 Number of flowers on new branches in April 2014 1 20-10-2012 4 4 3 2 2 8 2 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 8 3 20-10-2012 2 4 4 0 0 6 4 20-10-2012 2 0 0 0 0 3 5 20-10-2012 3 1 1 0 0 6 6 20-10-2012 3 4 3 1 0 6 7 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 3 8 20-10-2012 2 3 2 0 0 5 9 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 3 10 20-10-2012 1 0 0 0 0 6 11 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 5 12 20-10-2012 3 2 3 5 0 10 13 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 7 14 20-10-2012 2 5 0 0 0 9 15 20-10-2012 2 3 1 0 0 8 16 20-10-2012 3 6 2 0 0 10 17 20-10-2012 2 3 1 0 0 5 18 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 4 19 20-10-2012 2 6 1 0 0 0 20 20-10-2012 2 4 2 0 0 8 21 20-10-2012 2 5 2 0 0 9 22 20-10-2012 2 8 2 0 0 3 23 20-10-2012 2 3 0 0 0 0 24 20-10-2012 3 0 0 0 0 0 25 20-10-2012 2 0 0 0 0 16 26 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 4 27 20-10-2012 3 5 0 0 0 18 28 20-10-2012 1 5 0 0 0 3
Total 28 points of pruning Total Number of New branches 55 Total flowers observed in new branches 121 Total flowers observed in new branches 173
NOTE: As the flowers observed in November , normally setting can take place in January or February .Setting will depend on temperature in this case. Pruning of 0.5cm dia results in one or two short flushes which gives flowers within 12 months from date of pruning, Pruning of dia 1cm gives more flushes with concussions & pest problems which gives flowers in 1.5 to 2 years, Pruning of 2cm gives more flushes with concussions & pest problems which gives flowers after 2 to 3 years, pruning of 5cm dia branches gives more flushes with concussions & pest problems which gives only vegetative growth for 2 to 3 years.
If pruningof less than 1 cm dia is done in January/February which gives flowers in next February.
SUMMARY Under this new pruning method, we can go for high density plantation in Sapota crop with regular pruning after 6 to 7 years. This pruning will restrict the height of the Chiku tree, which will reduce the labour problem for harvesting. Because of high density, production will be more per hectare.