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<p>India has experienced a&#xa0;substantial increase in the production of fruit crops since independence and now ranks second globally after China. Although the area under fruit cultivation has increased, productivity has remained low. Old and senile orchards are now reverting to a&#xa0;declining trend in production because of plant age, non-compatible varieties and poor canopy management. Therefore, a&#xa0;6-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of heading-back height on the rejuvenation of a&#xa0;38-year-old ber (<i>Ziziphus mauritiana</i> Lamk.) cv. ‘Gola’ orchard. The experiment was laid out in a&#xa0;randomized block design comprising of three treatments with seven replications. The pruning treatments included: heading-back of primary branches at 2 m (T1), heading-back of the main trunk at 1.5 m followed by selection of six vigorous shoots retaining 90 cm in length from the main trunk during the subsequent year (T2), and an unpruned control (T3). Pruning height significantly influenced vegetative growth, reproductive behaviour, fruit morphometrics and yield. The T2 trees produced the longest bud sprouts (2.5 m), greatest shoot girth (14 cm), shortest flowering duration (36&#xa0;days) and longest fruit-set duration (14&#xa0;days), reflecting improved shoot vigour and a&#xa0;more synchronized phenology. Fruit size (33.48 mm × 30.92 mm) and pulp weight (18.55 g) were also highest in T2, whereas seed traits remained unaffected. Total soluble solids (TSS; 18.5 °Brix) increased under treatment T2 and at par with treatment T1, whereas the acidity and ascorbic acid content did not differ significantly. The annual and pooled fruit weight and yield were consistently highest in T2, which presented the highest fruit weight (20.70 g) and maximum yield (56.17 kg plant⁻<sup>1</sup>). Among the treatments, yield in T2 increased by approximately 45% during the 6th year compared with the control. Therefore, heading-back at 1.5 m with regulated shoot retention may be recommended for the rejuvenation of senile ber orchards to improve canopy architecture and improved fruit quality and long-term yield stability.</p>

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Effect of Heading-Back Height on the Rejuvenation of a Senile Ber Orchard (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) Cv. ‘Gola’

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月19日

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  • Anuradha Bishnoi,
  • Mukesh Kumar,
  • Krishan Kant Meena,
  • Sudha Bishnoi

摘要

India has experienced a substantial increase in the production of fruit crops since independence and now ranks second globally after China. Although the area under fruit cultivation has increased, productivity has remained low. Old and senile orchards are now reverting to a declining trend in production because of plant age, non-compatible varieties and poor canopy management. Therefore, a 6-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of heading-back height on the rejuvenation of a 38-year-old ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cv. ‘Gola’ orchard. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design comprising of three treatments with seven replications. The pruning treatments included: heading-back of primary branches at 2 m (T1), heading-back of the main trunk at 1.5 m followed by selection of six vigorous shoots retaining 90 cm in length from the main trunk during the subsequent year (T2), and an unpruned control (T3). Pruning height significantly influenced vegetative growth, reproductive behaviour, fruit morphometrics and yield. The T2 trees produced the longest bud sprouts (2.5 m), greatest shoot girth (14 cm), shortest flowering duration (36 days) and longest fruit-set duration (14 days), reflecting improved shoot vigour and a more synchronized phenology. Fruit size (33.48 mm × 30.92 mm) and pulp weight (18.55 g) were also highest in T2, whereas seed traits remained unaffected. Total soluble solids (TSS; 18.5 °Brix) increased under treatment T2 and at par with treatment T1, whereas the acidity and ascorbic acid content did not differ significantly. The annual and pooled fruit weight and yield were consistently highest in T2, which presented the highest fruit weight (20.70 g) and maximum yield (56.17 kg plant⁻1). Among the treatments, yield in T2 increased by approximately 45% during the 6th year compared with the control. Therefore, heading-back at 1.5 m with regulated shoot retention may be recommended for the rejuvenation of senile ber orchards to improve canopy architecture and improved fruit quality and long-term yield stability.