Abstract
SummaryCanopy size control is one of the major purposes of summer pruning. However, reducing canopy size might also result in less light interception, consequently decreasing canopy photosynthetic efficiency and carbohydrate production, which might lead to the imbalance of carbohydrate supply and fruit demand. To document the effectiveness of summer pruning on canopy control and the impact on canopy gas exchange, pruning treatments at four levels of intensity (unpruned, light, moderate, and severe) were carried out on mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) on 30 July 1998 and 4 August 1999. Changes in canopy leaf area after summer pruning were estimated. Canopy net carbon exchange rate (NCER) and canopy transpiration before and after summer pruning were monitored. Canopy growth was suppressed by summer pruning and the post-pruning regrowth was insignificant. Canopy NCER was reduced in proportion to the amount of leaf area removed by summer pruning. The result suggests that commercial pruning intensity similar to the moderate to severe treatments in this study could cause a significant reduction in canopy NCER and carbohydrate production. In addition, canopy transpiration was reduced in proportion to pruning intensity. Lower water consumption and improved water status during the growing season after summer pruning might benefit fruit growth and relieve the potential detriment due to carbohydrate shortage.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Summer pruning suppressed canopy growth compared with unpruned trees.
- Taxon
- apple trees
Malus domesticae7 - Material
- Empiree7
- Treatment
- summer pruninge2
- Outcome
- canopy growthe2
- Direction
- suppressede2
- Comparator
- unprunede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“pruning treatments at four levels of intensity (unpruned, light, moderate, and severe)”
e2“Canopy growth was suppressed by summer pruning and the post-pruning regrowth was insignificant”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Post-pruning regrowth of the canopy was insignificant.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae7
- Material
- Empiree7
- Outcome
- post-pruning regrowthe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Canopy growth was suppressed by summer pruning and the post-pruning regrowth was insignificant”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Canopy net carbon exchange rate was reduced in proportion to the leaf area removed by summer pruning.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae7
- Material
- Empiree7
- Treatment
- amount of leaf area removed by summer pruninge3
- Outcome
- canopy NCERe3
- Direction
- reducede3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Canopy NCER was reduced in proportion to the amount of leaf area removed by summer pruning”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial pruning intensity similar to the moderate to severe treatments could significantly reduce canopy NCER and carbohydrate production.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae7
- Material
- Empiree7
- Treatment
- commercial pruning intensity similar to the moderate to severe treatmentse4
- Outcome
- carbohydrate productione4
- Direction
- reductione4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The result suggests that commercial pruning intensity similar to the moderate to severe treatments in this study could cause a significant reduction in canopy NCER and carbohydrate production”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Canopy transpiration was reduced in proportion to pruning intensity compared with unpruned trees.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae7
- Material
- Empiree7
- Treatment
- pruning intensitye5
- Outcome
- canopy transpiratione5
- Direction
- reducede5
- Comparator
- unprunede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“pruning treatments at four levels of intensity (unpruned, light, moderate, and severe)”
e5“canopy transpiration was reduced in proportion to pruning intensity”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower water consumption and improved water status after summer pruning might benefit fruit growth.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae7
- Material
- Empiree7
- Treatment
- summer pruninge6
- Outcome
- fruit growthe6
- Qualifier
- Lower water consumption and improved water statuse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Lower water consumption and improved water status during the growing season after summer pruning might benefit fruit growth and relieve the potential detriment due to carbohydrate shortage”
e7“mature ‘Empire’/M.9 slender spindle apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)”
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See all 106 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.