Pruning intensity on blackberry phenology and production

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of pruning intensity on the phenology and production of blackberry cv. Xavante. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Paraná – Palotina, PR, Brazil, during the 2018/2019 season. The completely randomized design was used as a statical model with four treatments and seven replications. The treatments consisted of different number of stems of 1 m height retained per bush after the pruning: 2, 4, 6, and 8, and each plot consisted of one bush. Data collection included: sprouting and flowering (%), number of fruits per bush, fresh weight, total soluble solids content and titratable acidity of fruits. The number of stems per bush significantly influenced the number of shoots, flowers and fruits per bush, titratable acidity, soluble solids and maturation index. Under the growth conditions, the treatments consisted of 2 and 4 stems per bush resulted in more uniform growth development and higher chemical quality of fruits. However, the highest number of fruits per bush was observed when 8 stems per bush were retained.