• Conclusions of the videoconference: “The importance of pruning and its influence on productivity” organized by EDYPRO.
•  The talk included the participation of experienced technicians in the field.
• Purposes of pruning, typologies, structure and main guidelines; “False beliefs” These are some of the topics that have been addressed.

Pruning is responsible for almost 50% of the success of the crop. This is the main conclusion reached by the technicians who participated in the videoconference.“The importance of pruning and its influence on productivity” organized by EDYPRO. That is why it is necessary to perform this task correctly with the appropriate technique, knowing the configuration of the tree and correcting according to its stage of development.

The talk was led by Vicente Puchol, Technical Director and Manager of EDYPRO, and have accompanied him Javier Ribelles, manager and technician at Fruteq, and Paco Martín, manager and technician of Pavisa Alfinet. Both technicians have extensive experience in pruning and manage almost 400 hectares of crops.

The first part of the videoconference was dedicated to analyzing the purposes of pruning: to achieve a balance in the tree between the vegetative and productive parts, that it maintains optimal behavior throughout its life, reducing alternate bearing and energy expenditure to improve the quality of the fruit.

In this regard, Vicente Puchol has pointed out that Before starting pruning, it is necessary to understand the tree's shape., “There is a misconception that all trees must be shaped by removing their skirts, limiting their height, and emptying their interior; this is not the case.”. “Each tree has its own height, and if this is not respected, it will become stunted, its productive potential will be reduced, and its lifespan will be shortened.”,“ he pointed out. This is the first aspect on which experts have debunked one of the most repeated myths.“No, not all trees are pruned the same way, since each variety and each pattern has specific and particular behaviors.”.

The three experts commented on the importance of distributing the tree structure leaving “fair, well-defined and respected guidelines”. “Trees with dichotomies (2 leaders) perform much better than those with 3 or 4 leaders, and this is essential for evergreen fruit trees.”"They have pointed out.".

As Vicente Puchol explained, there is a trend towards removing skirts and lowering the height of trees.“This has no physiological or scientific basis.”Trees that are hillside shrubs need good slopes, which are the most productive parts.”.

Another widespread belief is that citrus trees don't need pruning every year, thus saving money. As Javier Ribelles has pointed out,“It does not represent any savings because the pruning waste will be double, but also, it encourages imbalances and the tree does not ventilate or receive enough light”.

During the tree's growth stage, the three technicians agreed that pruning is a vital process for any fruit tree.. As Javier Ribelles has explained, “Formative pruning determines the shape of the tree when it is mature”In this phase, the height of the cross is determined, and the vigor and location of the shoots are observed.“When pruning, care should be taken to ensure that these are evenly distributed around the entire circumference of the plant's crown.”,” he commented.

Vicente Puchol added that in vigorous trees it is advisable to carry out two prunings in the same year, when they are in the formative stage.“The logistical cost is lower and vegetative development can be brought forward by a year, which represents a saving of time.”.

On this topic, Paco Martín commented on the “urban legend” surrounding green pruning of persimmon trees.“Previously this was not done and production was delayed by up to 5 years; with green pruning, fruit is obtained in the third spring.”"He pointed out.".

In the maintenance pruning of mature trees, all three have highlighted the need to know the tree physiologically, although That the branches ventilate and that the canopy allows the passage of light are essential factors common to any variety.

Vicente Puchol has outlined the steps before starting pruning: Analyze the tree, define and plan the main guides, observe the tree from the outside before undertaking the pruning operation, determine which branches are superfluous and above all start pruning from the outside in, eliminating in the secondary branches the developments with a vertical tendency that take on a prominence and inappropriate place; and finally, start cutting making clean cuts without leaving stumps or stubs (short branches with very little vegetation).

Javier Ribelles has recommended Proceed with pruning when the tree has good sap circulation to help it regain the balance it had before being pruned. Furthermore, it has been indicated that the tool must be disinfected, the cuts must be clean, without tears, and oriented to prevent water from pooling. It is also advisable to apply a pruning sealant to the cuts.

On this point, Paco Martín also advised analyzing each branch before cutting it, to determine, by its appearance and the color of its skin, which ones are productive and should be preserved, and which are very vegetative and should only be left if they are on a main stem and draw sap. For Martín, precision in pruning is as important as the pruning itself.“Pruning is not about randomly cutting branches; it's about knowing how to prune by removing branches that are no longer useful. productive ones and those that will not provide us with quality fruit”.