2017 ASHS Annual Conference

High density orchard management requires strategies for renewal pruning to regenerate adequate fruiting wood. Cherry does not respond to the type of renewal pruning typically used for peach or apple. The effect of pruning cut length and diameter on the regeneration of fruiting wood was evaluated in ‘Montmorency’ tart cherry over two seasons. Dormant pruning cuts were made to branches of varying diameter leaving a range of stub lengths (0 to 25 cm). Resulting growth was evaluated for number, length and branch angle. Results show that stub cuts at least 10 cm in length produce at least one replacement shoot, with the majority (59%) of shoots having a predominantly horizontal (< 45°) growth habit. Large cuts (>2.5 cm diameter) produced 70 to 80% more replacement shoots than the smallest branch cut size class (<1.5 cm). These extended-stub pruning cuts provide a renewal pruning strategy appropriate for developing high density tart cherry training systems, that can facilitate over-the-row harvest equipment.