Canopy Management in Stone Fruits

Canopy management is one of the most important concerns of orchard management that growers stand facing each year as the fruit trees habitually produce additional fruit than necessary. Hence, to guarantee good size and fruit quality, canopy management is compulsory to lessen fruit-to-fruit competition, to allocate fruit enough opportunity to grow, to expose fruit to ample passable sunlight, and to improve the overall fruit quality. In order to lower the cost of production and increase the overall production and the quality of the fruit tree, canopy management, especially size control, has become a prerequisite. The design and shape of the canopy highly influences sunlight penetration and distribution with guaranteed financial profit to the orchardists. Thus, beforehand, manipulation of the height and management of the tree canopy are principal strategies which are supposed to be carried out in fruit crops for increased profit to the orchardists. In scores of fruit crops, the increase in the production along with well-appreciated fruit quality is acquired by managing canopies of squat heighted trees. Canopy management starts from selection of site, rootstock and scion combination correct spacing, training, pruning and the use of growth retardants also.