Training and pruningin Pear

Training and pruning

         Proper training and pruning of pear trees is essential for the development of strong framework, to maintain vigour and growth, spread the fruiting area uniformly, secure fruits of good size and quality, encourage regular bearing and to provide convenience of pruning, spraying and harvesting.

          Pear trees are usually trained according to ‘Modified Central Leader’ method. In this method, 4 or 5 well-spaced limbs are developed during initial 3–4 years and then the leader is headed off. In first year, plants are headed back at 90cm low-headed trees and at 125cm for high-headed trees at the time of planting. The lowest branch is allowed to develop at a height of 60cm from the ground level. Four or five primary scaffold branches arising at wider angle, well-spaced, 10–15cm apart and spirally arranged around the tree trunk are selected. Two to three secondary branches are selected on the primary scaffold during second dormant pruning. During subsequent years, training consists of thinning out unwanted branches and cutting others to desirable side limbs. The leader should be removed to keep a well-placed, outward growing lateral in the fourth year of training.

          In pruning bearing trees, a certain amount of thinning out and heading back of outward growing laterals are considered adequate. A balance is required to be maintained between fruit production and vegetative growth. Pruning intensity varies with the bearing habit of a cultivar and vigour of a tree. Pear bears fruits on spurs on 2-year-old wood and a spur continues to bear for more than 6 years. The limbs with spurs over 6–8 years old need to be removed in a phased manner. The branches and new shoots are headed back to induce new growth and old fruiting branches and spurs are thinned out to maintain the vigour of the retained ones. Vigorous growth is more susceptible to fire blight. Therefore, in areas of heavy blight infection pruning should be carried out in such a way that the trees make a thrifty growth. Light pruning reduces cork spot and increases yield of desirable fruit size.

            In hills, dormant season, when the danger of heavy snowfall is over, is the best time of pruning. Early pruning may result in severe cold injury.