Success Story of Pruning in

SAPOTA (CHIKU) crop

By Shri Bharatbhai N. Desai
Village:- Umarsadi
Dist.:- Valsad, GUJARAT
Mobile:- 09913040089

MY EARLIER EXPERIMENTS ON SAPOTA

1. I had difficult in harvesting fruits from my Chiku Orchard due to height of the trees.
I tried heavy pruning and central opening in year 2005 on twelve trees. But I did
not get fruits for 5 years. Only straight vegetative growth was observed in all the
twelve trees.
2. I also tried application of Palcobutrazole on two trees for vegetative growth
restriction, but I could not get results.
3. I also tried to restrict the vegetative growth by removing 75% bark layer of the new
branch for restriction of food and water to new branch but I could not get result.
4. I also tried grafting on new vegetative growth during rejuvenation on old tree but
could not get result.

HEAVY PRUNING
75% BARK REMOVAL
GRAFTING
My experiment of Light pruning
I started experiment of light pruning on tree of 20 years old. I pruned 28 branches of dia. Less than 1 cm.
This has given me positive results. I have recorded my experiment results which is as per enclosed table.
I have observed that new tillering have appeared after two months on pruned branches.
I have also observed that further new branches came out with flowering after 12 months of pruning.
I got 52 new branches from 28 pruned branches. Average flowering per pruned branch was 4.32 after 12
months. Average flowering per pruned branch was 6.18 after 18 months.
I have observed that the new branches were of shorter length. This will also help to restrict the height of
the tree.
SAPOTA FLOWERS
SAPOTA (CHIKU ) PRUNING EXPERIMENT 2012-2013 Date:24-12-2013
1. Pruning done in October 2012
2.New branches developed in Jan 2013
3.Further new branches with flowers in Nov-Dec 2013 and March 2014
Sr.No.
Date of Pruning
of Branch
Number of New
Branches in
Pruning Point in
Jan-Feb 2013
Number of Flowers on new
branches in November -2013
Number of flowers on new branches in
April 2014
1 20-10-2012 4 4 3 2 2 8
2 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 8
3 20-10-2012 2 4 4 0 0 6
4 20-10-2012 2 0 0 0 0 3
5 20-10-2012 3 1 1 0 0 6
6 20-10-2012 3 4 3 1 0 6
7 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 3
8 20-10-2012 2 3 2 0 0 5
9 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 3
10 20-10-2012 1 0 0 0 0 6
11 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 5
12 20-10-2012 3 2 3 5 0 10
13 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 7
14 20-10-2012 2 5 0 0 0 9
15 20-10-2012 2 3 1 0 0 8
16 20-10-2012
3
6 2 0 0 10
17 20-10-2012 2 3 1 0 0 5
18 20-10-2012 1 4 0 0 0 4
19 20-10-2012 2 6 1 0 0 0
20 20-10-2012 2 4 2 0 0 8
21 20-10-2012 2 5 2 0 0 9
22 20-10-2012
2
8 2 0 0 3
23 20-10-2012 2 3 0 0 0 0
24 20-10-2012 3 0 0 0 0 0
25 20-10-2012 2 0 0 0 0 16
26 20-10-2012 1 2 0 0 0 4
27 20-10-2012 3 5 0 0 0 18
28 20-10-2012 1 5 0 0 0 3

Total 28 points
of pruning
Total Number
of New
branches 55
Total flowers observed in
new branches 121
Total flowers observed in new
branches 173

NOTE: As the flowers observed in
November , normally setting can take
place in January or February .Setting will
depend on temperature in this case.
Pruning of 0.5cm dia results in one or
two short flushes which gives flowers
within 12 months from date of pruning,
Pruning of dia 1cm gives more flushes
with concussions & pest problems which
gives flowers in 1.5 to 2 years, Pruning of
2cm gives more flushes with concussions
& pest problems which gives flowers
after 2 to 3 years, pruning of 5cm dia
branches gives more flushes with
concussions & pest problems which
gives only vegetative growth for 2 to 3
years.

If pruningof less than 1 cm dia is done in
January/February which gives flowers in
next February.



SUMMARY
Under this new pruning method, we can go
for high density plantation in Sapota crop with
regular pruning after 6 to 7 years.
This pruning will restrict the height of the
Chiku tree, which will reduce the labour
problem for harvesting.
Because of high density, production will be
more per hectare.