Effect of Pruning on Productivity of Guava under High Density Plantation – A Review

The productivity of guava is presently much below the productive potential, due to traditional practices and prevalence of old and unproductive orchards with declining yield efficiency. Moreover, large trees take several years before they come into bearing and overall cost of production per unit area is further increased. The hi-tech and Innovative methods which include high planting density have been identified to increase guava production in India in order to be competitive in world market. The response of guava to training and pruning for canopy modification is well known. It is one of the most suitable for high planting density, as it bears on current season’s growth and responds to pruning. Modifications in pruning and training techniques influence plant spacing and production decision. Similarly, unpruned tall and crowded guava trees pose a number of problems while carrying out various cultural operations. Guava has a higher proportion of ‘shade’ to ‘sun’ leaves and their leaves are found photosynthetically inactive under deeper shade and act as unproductive sink. Therefore, vegetative growth, fruit yield and quality are functions of light interception and translocation of light energy into chemical energy. Quality fruit is function of absorption of light and light is directly proportional to the yield of fruit trees. In the present, high-density plantation with managed canopies is the need of the hour to achieve high productivity per unit area.