THE EFFECT OF REGENERATIVE PRUNING ON FULL-GROWN FEIJOA TREES’ DEVELOPMENT AND FRUITING

The paper informs about long-term observations on the effect of regenerative pruning of full-grown feijoa trees in comparison with the control plants on which general pruning was carried out (thinning of the crown and removal of dry twigs). Regenerative pruning of feijoa trees was carried out in 2012, when the plants reached the age of 28 years. As a result, a large number of annual shoots with a length of 7 to 30 cm or more were formed from dormant buds on scaffold branches. Among them, the percentage of productive shoots (10–20 cm) is 72.2 %. In the year of regenerative pruning, as a rule, there is almost no harvest on plants. In the third year, the plants yield equally or slightly more than the control variant. And in the following (for 7–8 years) – the yield of regenerated feijoa trees is twice as high as the control. The increase in yield occurs with an increase in the growth of fruit shoots, as well as a due to greater percentage of reproductive organs’ setting and due to the fruits weight. On average, over six years, productivity on regenerated feijoa plants was 10.8 kg versus 5.6 kg on the variant with general pruning. In addition to increasing yields, regeneration improves the commercial quality of fruits; they become larger and more aligned. This is primarily due to the fact that plants are better illuminated from all sides, there is a larger percentage of solar radiation per unit; also, more favorable conditions are created for ventilation inside the crown, providing less damage to trees from diseases, especially from gray rot. Regeneration of feijoa plantings has a positive effect on the growth processes in plants, restores their productivity and helps to obtain a high yield of fruits.