SUMMER PRUNING IN APPLE (Malus domestica borkh.): PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS, TECHNIQUES AND FRUIT QUALITY OUTCOMES: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

作者：Arun Kumar, Durga Prashad Bhandhari, D. Deepika · 发表于：Plant Archives · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.51470/plantarchives.2026.v26.supplement-2.250

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is one of the most important temperate fruit crops, cultivated between 25 and 52 degrees latitude (Rehman et al., 2021). Summer pruning, defined as the selective removal or modification of shoots and branches during the active growing season, is a multifunctional canopy management practice that reduces vegetative competition, improves light penetration into the bearing zone, re-exposes spur leaves and fruit to sunlight, concentrates fruit maturation, and simultaneously enhances productivity and fruit quality while reducing fungal disease pressure (Rom and Ferree, 1984; Autio and Greene, 1990). This review synthesises global and Indian research to assess the mechanistic basis, principal techniques, and documented effects of summer pruning on tree vigour, flower bud formation, fruit quality, and disease management, with special attention to the temperate Himalayan apple belt of India. Summer pruning modifies carbohydrate partitioning, cytokinin-to-gibberellin ratios, and light distribution within the canopy, collectively stimulating flower bud differentiation and improving anthocyanin biosynthesis in fruit. Evidence from Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, KVK Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh), and Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir) confirms that well-timed, moderate summer pruning consistently improves fruit colour, reduces physiological storage disorders including bitter pit, and complements dormant pruning in high-density plantings...