Effect of Root Pruning on Vegetative Growth and Leaf Mineral Content of Le Conte Pear Trees

2 Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of root pruning on vegetative growth and leaf mineral content of "Le Conte" pear trees grown in Agricultural and Experiments Researches Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University at Giza Governorate, Egypt. This study was conducted on 11-year old "Le Conte'' pear trees grown in loamy soil at 5X5 m during three successive seasons. Root pruning treatments involved 30, 60 and 90 cm at a depth of 50 cm from both sides of trunk at bud break and full blood stage during seasons 2008, 2009 and 2010. Results indicated that the direct and residual effect of all treatments significantly decreased shoot length, diameter and leaves number per shoots. However, the direct and residual effect of the 30 cm root pruning treatments produced the highest significant leaf area. Meanwhile, the residual effects of all treatments produced the highest significant of leaf N, P, K in all seasons. On the other hand, leaf concentration of N was significantly higher in the control trees in the direct effect.