Abstract
In high-wire tomato, pruning young leaves at the top of the canopy is common practice to increase yield. While pruning young leaves increases dry matter partitioning to the fruits, it also leads to decreased leaf area index (LAI), which could counteract this benefit. This research investigated the impact of young-leaf pruning on the yield of a high-wire cucumber crop. Moderate pruning was hypothesized to slightly increase yield over the non-pruned canopy due to increased dry matter partitioning to the fruits. In contrast, heavy pruning was expected to decrease yield attributed to a reduction in LAI. In a greenhouse experiment, 0%, 33%, and 50% of leaves were removed at an early leaf development stage and a yield component analysis was conducted. Young-leaf pruning led to a lower cumulative fruit yield. Unexpectedly, the 33% and 50% pruning treatments had similar yields. Dry matter partitioning to the fruits did not increase with pruning. An assimilate partitioning model, based on organ sink strengths, illustrated that the observed increase in fruit abortion and fruit growth duration reduced the impact of young-leaf pruning on dry matter partitioning mainly for the 33% treatment. LAI reduced from 3.1 to 2.3 to 1.9 for the 0%, 33%, and 50% treatments, respectively. Reductions in LAI and light interception due to young-leaf pruning resulted in reduced yield. Therefore, young-leaf pruning in a high-wire cucumber greenhouse, using similar cultivation parameters, is not recommended for the purpose of increasing yield.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Young-leaf pruning lowered cumulative fruit yield.
- Taxon
- cucumber
Cucumis sativust0 - Treatment
- Young-leaf pruninge0
- Outcome
- cumulative fruit yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Young-leaf pruning led to a lower cumulative fruit yield”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
The 33% and 50% pruning treatments produced similar yields.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- 33%e0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- 50% pruning treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the 33% and 50% pruning treatments had similar yields”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning did not increase fruit dry-matter partitioning.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- pruninge0
- Outcome
- Dry matter partitioning to the fruitse0
- Direction
- did not increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Dry matter partitioning to the fruits did not increase with pruning”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
The assimilate model indicated that greater fruit abortion reduced the pruning effect on partitioning, mainly at 33% pruning.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- young-leaf pruninge0
- Outcome
- dry matter partitioninge0
- Qualifier
- increase in fruit abortione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“observed increase in fruit abortion and fruit growth duration reduced the impact of young-leaf pruning on dry matter partitioning mainly for the 33% treatment”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
The assimilate model indicated that longer fruit growth duration reduced the pruning effect on partitioning, mainly at 33% pruning.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- young-leaf pruninge0
- Outcome
- dry matter partitioninge0
- Qualifier
- fruit growth duratione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“observed increase in fruit abortion and fruit growth duration reduced the impact of young-leaf pruning on dry matter partitioning mainly for the 33% treatment”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf area index fell from 3.1 without pruning to 2.3 with 33% pruning.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LAI reduced from 3.1 to 2.3 to 1.9 for the 0%, 33%, and 50% treatments, respectively”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf area index fell from 3.1 without pruning to 1.9 with 50% pruning.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“LAI reduced from 3.1 to 2.3 to 1.9 for the 0%, 33%, and 50% treatments, respectively”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning reduced light interception.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- young-leaf pruninge0
- Outcome
- light interceptione0
- Direction
- Reductionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Reductions in LAI and light interception due to young-leaf pruning resulted in reduced yield”
t0“cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors do not recommend pruning young leaves to increase greenhouse cucumber yield under similar conditions.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- young-leaf pruning in a high-wire cucumber greenhouse, using similar cultivation parameters, is not recommendede0
- Qualifier
- for the purpose of increasing yielde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“young-leaf pruning in a high-wire cucumber greenhouse, using similar cultivation parameters, is not recommended for the purpose of increasing yield”
t0“cucumber”
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