Meaning of Pruning in Agriculture
Pruning in agriculture refers to the removal of dead branches, buds, overgrown branches, and unproductive parts of plants to encourage proper growth and yield of crops.
It involves cutting away branches, buds, or roots that are not desirable to the farmers and the gardeners. Pruning is a systematic process that requires skills and technical know-how to achieve desired objectives.
Pruning is an ancient practice in horticulture and silveculture, the practice is probably one of the most cultural practices carried out in urban and rural areas for the beautification of landscape and maintenance practices for most farmers and homeowners.
Many crops such as cocoa, oil palm, mangoes, rubber, citrus, and flowers require proper pruning from the early stage of life and throughout their life cycles.
Tree crops and flowers need adequate pruning to maintain attractive and healthy trees. The practice entails carefully and stylishly removal of some parts of plants or ornamentals plant branches, leaves buds, or roots to give room for healthier branches and leaves to rejuvenate, and increase flowering.
Pruning is both an agricultural and non-agricultural practice. It is an agricultural practice done on the farm because it involves the removal of deadwood or disease branches. Shaping, redirecting growth, and improving health, to increase the yield of crops.
It is a non-agriculture practice because it is performed in estates or homes for the beautification of flowers and landscaping.
Principles and techniques of pruning can be effectively done in both subsistence and commercial farms to increase the yield of crops or fruits.
Since the principle can be effectively practiced by all with little or no skills, it is advisable to prune properly not to create avenues for potential pathogen infestation. However, painting of pruned edge of mature trees will help to prevent pest and disease attacks.
Importance of Pruning in Agriculture
The importance of pruning in agriculture cannot be overstated, they are usually carried out in plantations, estates, and homes for the following reasons.
Increase the Yield of Crops:
Pruning is essential to improving the yield of crops. The removal of unproductive parts of the tree creates adequate room for plants to develop flowers and subsequently bear fruits. Pruning in oil palms has been observed to increase the size and the number of the fruit.
To influence the Growth of Plant.
Pruning is usually carried out on the farm or in the garden to influence the growth of plants. Pruning during the early stage of crops can lead to an increase in growth hormone in plants.
The action of this hormone at the early stage of life stimulates cell division, and aids shoot tips growth and production of new leaves.
However, pruning in mature plants like Hevea brasiliensis, Mangifera indica, Theobrama cacao, Anacardiun occidentale, and ornamental crops reduces the number of stored carbohydrates, nitrogen, potential leaf surface, and growing points.
This reduction in stored minerals reduced the number of growing points, and tree height and increased the spread of leaf area.
More so, crops like Elasis guineensis, (oil palm) silvery palm, Tectona grandis (teak tree) require adequate pruning throughout their life for proper growth and development.
In ornamental crops, pruning is used to control the height of flowers so that they don’t overgrow.
Improve Tree Shape
Pruning in tree crops and flower enable them to develop fine shade. Whenever a tree is not pruned, it grows haphazardly and develops various branches that are unproductive.
But pruned trees have uniform shapes and sizes. Pruning helps trees to develop fine branching at the point of cutting or the edge, which enables the tree to develop dense shades.
In ornamental plants, pruning is used to shape flowers to beautify the environment. As trees become old many branches become very weak, unproductive, and eventually die.
These dead and weak branches create a lot of space which makes the tree unhealthy but as these larger portions of the tree canopy that are unproductive are frequently pruned, they develop fresh branches, and a produce healthy canopy that can help to shape the tree.
Maintain Plant Health
As unpruned economic trees grow older, a larger portion of the tree canopy is affected by plant parasites such as Mistletoe.
The attack of this parasite can be severe on economic crops if they are not eliminated. Pruning become a veritable tool for removing plant parasites, therefore providing a healthy environment for the survival of the crops.
Additionally, old plants have many unproductive canopies and branches that consume large amounts of nutrients and are not productive, therefore decreasing tree efficiency.
However, pruning helps to reduce these unproductive plant parts that consume large portions of nutrients therefore providing enough nutrients for plant growth and productivity.
Death branches if not pruned can harbor various pests and diseases, which become a primary host for pests and disease attacks on plants. Unpruned trees are usually very densely shaded and contain high humidity which leads to the build-up of insects and diseases.
Aid Flower and Fruit Production
During pruning unproductive and disease-infected branches are removed from the plant. Creating better avenues to open up the canopy of dense shaded trees to allow more light to penetrate.
Pruning is essential for stimulating the growth of different shoots and branches. This practice of establishing fresh canopy and branches helps to promote the formation of flower buds.
A high quantity of flowers equals to high quantity of fruits where all favorable factors are present. Economic fruit production in plants is possible with the improvement of light distribution within the tree.
These improvements in light are due to pruning which helps to maintain fruit quality and increase fruit size.
The effect on fruit size is due to improved light conditions in the canopy. More so, fruit production is higher on pruned trees than on unpruned ones.
Maintain Aesthetics Value Flowers:
Pruning helps to shape the cultivated crops and bring out the aesthetic value of pruning plants. When ornamental crops are pruned, they become very beautiful and attractive.
The shape created on the plant needs to be maintained to help maximize the aesthetic value of the crops.
Ensure Safety on Farm.
Older trees tend to have dead, weak, and rotten parts which can constitute a threat to life if not pruned.
Pruning therefore ensures that these dead and rotten parts of the tree are removed to protect life and property on the farm.
The breaking of weak and rotten branches is more common in plantation farming, hence pruning should be frequently practiced to remove these hazardous parts from the farm to create proper farm sanitation and ensure safety on the farm and at home.
In oil palm and other shady plantations, pruning helps to keep dangerous reptiles such as snakes and others from inhabiting the plants which helps to promote safety on the farm.
It Encourages Farm Sanitation.
Poorly prone farms usually look dirty and unkept than the frequently pruned farms. During the rainy season, high rainfall and wind lead to the breakage of dry wood, buds, and rotten hedges which litter the farm and cause dirt.
Unpruned farm crops harbor dry grasses and dangerous substances which during strong winds blow to the ground and increase the amount of dirt on the soil.
It Makes Harvesting Easy
The pruning of economic crops like oil palm, citrus, mangoes and more makes harvest in a pruned farm than an unpruned farm.
Unpruned trees will tend to shade most fruits from being seen and harvested.
Aid Air Circulation and Sunlight Penetration:
Since pruning involves the removal of unproductive branches, buds, and rotten branches. The Pruning helps create a conducive environment for the new canopy, developed.
The system therefore allows for better air circulation and sunlight penetration into the plant canopy.
Improve Soil Nutrients
Pruned leaves, branches, and shrubs help to improve soil nutrients. These materials when acted upon by microorganisms decay to farm organic manure which is also used by the plant for growth and development.
Proper Nutrient Management on the Farm
Unproductive plant parts, dying, and old branches, and leaves hold some essential nutrients that are vital for plant growth and development.
Pruning helps therefore to remove these unproductive parts of the plant and give room for proper nutrient circulation in the farm
Guideline for Pruning in Agriculture.
The following guidelines should be strictly adhered to when planning for pruning in agriculture.
- Strictly follow the pruning schedule recommended by your agronomist.
- When pruning trees or shrubs follow the 9 O’clock – 3 O’clock rule of pruning, i.e. remove any branches below 9 O’clock and 3 o clock level in the plant.
- When pruning out the branches of a mature tree or shrubs use a serrated knife, pruning shears, or a saw to remove the branches.
- Don’t prune near the trunk be sure to leave a space of about two inches between the trunk and the branches to avoid stress and damage to the trunk the tree or shrubs.
- Pruning should be done during the early morning before sunrise and toward the cool evening. Pruning in the hot hour of the day should be discouraged as this will lead to shock and may serious effect on the plant.
- Pruning out Leaves that are brown except for brown shrubs, dead or dying.
- Do not prune many leaves from the tree or shrubs, as pruning of many leaves may lead to over-stressing the tree.
- Cut off the top of the tree or shrubs to control the height except for oil palm, and date palm as these plants require leaves for photosynthesis.
- Pruned out plant parasites, diseased, and broken branches.
- If two branches are competing with each other one should be pruned out.
- Side, root, and trunk suckers should be pruned out
- Paint the pruned hedge of a mature tree to avoid disease infestation.
- Don’t prune flowing, and fruiting trees.
- Don’t prune close to the flowering time of the tree
Time of Pruning / Pruning Schedule
| s/no | Crops | When to prune |
| 1 | (1)Flower shrubs that bloom during the summer period i.e. the Flowering and Shrubs (prune plants before bud break in spring) such as Butterfly Bush, Carolina Allspice, Japanese Spirea, Hydrangea spp, Rock Rose, Smoke Bushed, Bluebeard, Hydrangea, etc
(2)Fruit Trees Including, apple, Guava, hawthorns, Coconut, Citrus fruits, grapefruit, lemons, Avocado, Pear, Pineapple, Figs. etc (3) Evergreens Including Japanese Holly, False Cypress, Concolor Fir, boxwood, Chinese Juniper, yews, cedar spp.
|
Pruned Late winter – early spring (i.e. February-April).
|
| 2 | Fruit tree-bearing trees like oil palm, mango, Cashew.
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Prune immediately after fruit bearing I.e. during the summer June-July |
| 3 | Spring flowering shrubs such as Pieris japonica, Loropetalum chinense, Daphne ‘Aureomarginata, kerria japonica, Viburnum carlesii., Alpine currantBarberry, Buffaloberry, Burning bush, Honeysuckle
Ninebark, Peashrub, Purpleleaf sandcherry, Smokebush, Suma. (1) Spring flowering trees such as Dogwoods tree spp, flowering cherry, Plum trees, Deciduous Magnolia and Trees spp,
|
Pruned Late spring–early summer (i.e. May-June).
|
| 4 | Deciduous trees and shrubs that shed their leaves during the autumn, hence should be pruned when new shoots reach full growth and become woody.
(1) Deciduous trees: Examples of deciduous trees are Chinese Tallow · Pin Oak · Sugar Maple, Katsura, Acer spp, Crimson Sunset · Parrotia- Persian, elm, beech, aspen, and birch. Deciduous shrubs such as honeysuckle, viburnum Abelia grandiflora – Glossy Abelia · Cornus alba argento-marginata ‘Elegantissima’ Variegated Red Twig Dogwood Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’) · Burning bush (Euonymus alata). |
Pruned during the early summer (i.e. June-July) |
| 5 | Pruning during the late summer to early winter should be restricted to the removal of plant parasites like mistletoe, dead and dried wood, and damaged parts of the plant. . |
From late summer to early winter i.e. August-December. Pruning should not be done. |
From late summer to early winter i.e. August-December. Pruning should not be done.
How to Prune Tree for Growth
Growth occurs throughout the life cycle of plants unlike animals where growth is limited at certain years or ages, pruning is typically meant to control the growth of plants.
Growth occurs at every stage of the plants. However, the height of the plant is determined by the choice of the owner or the gardener.
Pruning for Growth in Young Plants
To encourage vigorous growth of your tree or shrubs when all favorable factors are present, pruning should be done at an interval of two months to remove old leaves close to the base of the young tree as well as the lateral branches, ensure that the epical succulent’s leaves are remaining.
Care should be taken not to remove all the leaves as this will hinder photosynthesis. Small hand shear can be used to remove the leaves and lateral branches at 2 inches away from the shoot or trunk.
Pruning for Growth in Older or Overgrown Trees or Shrubs
To encourage growth in mature plants, or shrubs one-third of the old part of the plant should pruned.
Small hand saws or long saws should be used to reduce the height of some old stems or trunks. This cutting will encourage the growth of new stems or leaves from the tree.
Tools for Pruning in Agriculture
Pruning in agriculture is not just an essential cultural practice it is time-consuming and energy-demanding. Accessing the right types of pruning tools for plantation, orchard or gardening makes pruning efficient and effective.
The tool to be used for pruning should sharpen and have a good hand. Blunt and bad pruning tools will lead to the destruction of the tree trunk and create avenues for pest and disease attacks. Some of the tools used in agriculture are highlighted below.
Pruning Shears
The shear is one of the oldest and most important tools used for pruning in agriculture. It is bigger scissors used for pruning leaves, and removing small lateral branches trees, and shrubs. The pruning shear-cutting edges are very sharp and can be used to cut plants of different inches. The shear should be clean, and stored in a cool dry place after use.
The Lopper or Lopping Shears.
The lopper or the lopping shear is made of various capacities. It has a long thick metal hand coated with rubber.
The hand is attached to a pair of wide metal blades. The blades are very sharp and are used for cutting thin branches. The heavy-duty lopper can used to make cuts of about 4 inches while the smaller lopper to cut branches that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
It is efficient in cutting thick branches and trimming leaves and shrubs.
Hedge Shears
There are different types of hedge shear used in pruning in agriculture. They include the battery hedge shear, the pole hedge shear, and the electric hedge shear.
The hedge shear is just like the bigger scissor that is head with two hands while used for pruning.
It has a sharpened metal blade that is used strictly for pruning hedges of flowers, cut soft, or small stems, and it is efficient for pruning hard-to-reach branches of trees or shrubs.
Hand Saws
Second, the shear in pruning is the hand saw, it performs activities that the shear cannot perform. The hand is made up of carefully curved wood, ceramics, or plastic that provide efficient handling when in use.
It has a flat metal blade that is serrated for cutting branches that ordinarily cannot be cut by the shear.
Woodworking and carpentry tools have gained popularity in gardening or orchard farms because it is in sawing back or pruning in agriculture.
The serrated cut-tooted tools exist in various categories and are effective for cutting branches of various sizes and shapes. It can be used to cut shrubs and tree branches of about 4 inches in diameter.
Pole saws
It is outdoor power equipment designed to aid pruning. It is a small engine power saw. Consists of a battery, and a long hand and it is lightweight and permits cutting at a higher height.
The pole saw powered hand operated tools that can be used for Cutting hard-to-reach branches of trees and shrubs safely and accurately.
The tool has he high performance ability and low echo compared to a chain saw. It is used to trim high branches and prune with ease. The demerit of this tool is that it must be difficult to achieve clean cuts if not properly handled.
Small or Mini Chain Saws
the small portable saw which could be electrical or battery-operated. It has a lever which is designed to be used for locking and opening.
The chainsaw is used for cutting bigger branches on the farm or in the garden, cutting down dead and damaged wood, and trimming trees and shrubs.
Unlike a pole saw, the user of the chain saw should protective clothing such as goggles, rain boots, and coverall when using the chain saw and must adhere to all the safety rules as specified by the producer.
Keeping tools well-maintained and sharp will improve their performance.
FAQs
What time of the day to prune the plant?
In agriculture punning it is advisable to prune in the early morning before sunrise and toward the cool evening. Pruning in the hot hour of the day will lead to shock and may serious effect on the plant.
The worst time to prune a tree?
The worst time to prune trees is from late summer to early winter i.e. August-December. Pruning should not be done at this time of the season, however, if there must be pruning it should be restricted to the removal of plant parasites like mistletoe, dead and dried wood, and damaged parts of the plant. Pruning at this time of the year does not give the tender shoot and leaves adequate avenues to mature as this may predispose the young plant to winter frost damage.
When to prune
The late dormant season (late winter to early spring) is best for most pruning. however, Shrubs cultivated primarily for their foliage rather than flowers should be pruned in spring, before growth begins: