EFFECTS OF TREE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON GROWTH INDICES, SPUR FORMATION AND FRUIT SET IN APPLE (MALUS × DOMESTICA BORKH.)

Jammu and Kashmir being endowed with natural advantages of topography coupled with tremendous diversity of agro-climatic conditions possesses immense scope for horticultural development.Apple is the principal fruit crop of Jammu and Kashmir but the yield of apple although appears to be highest among the apple producing states in the country yet it is far below the level achieved by advanced countries.The yield is governed by a number of factors including canopy development that forms an important tree management practice.Among different management practices applied in orchard, shoot bending, girdling, summer pruning was used as growth control strategies and to induce flower bud formation.The trees of uniform size, vigour and bearing capacity were selected, marked and maintained under uniform cultural operations during the year under study as per package of practices for apple.The most effective strategy in reducing trunk girth increment was girdling followed by shoot bending.Minimum leaf area to the extent of 36.47 cm 2 was observed in shoot bending + girdling + heading back treated plants.Among the different treatments T 11 (shoot bending + girdling + heading back) was found to be the best strategy in reducing plant vigour and increasing bloom density and number of spurs.The present study revealed that the combined application of shoot bending + girdling + heading back registered highest fruit set in the following year.