Studies on pruning and nitrogen fertilization in peach

The studies were conducted during the year 1992 at Rajgarh, HP on 10-year old ‘July Elberta’ peach trees of uniform size and vigour, planted at a spacing of 5x5 metre. Pruning treatments (main plot) were light, medium, heavy and retention of 700–750 nodes per tree. Nitrogen levels (sub plot) consisted of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 g/tree. Fruit weight, yield, TSS and different grades of fruits were significantly affected by puming treatments and nitrogen levels. There was non-significant effect on acidity of fruits. However, the interaction effects of pruning and nitrogen were significant only on 4-layer grade fruits. Fruit weight and TSS increased with the inceasing severity of pruning but the yield decreased. Heavy pruning resulted in big sized fruits weighing (99.75 g) with maximum (15.22%) TSS but the yield was low compared to mild pruning. Fruit weight and yield increased with the increasing levels of nitrogen upto 500 g/tree and TSS upto 600 g and thereafter decreased slightly. The better grade fryits (3-layer) were produced by heavy pruning and 500 g N/tree.