Root pruning field demonstration — Batlow, NSW

2014 | Kevin Dodds, NSW DPI | Future Orchards® field demonstration and final report

This Batlow field demonstration evaluated root pruning as a response to excessive vigour in a commercial orchard. The report records both the establishment of the demonstration and the final observations, allowing growers to see how the treatment was implemented and how trees responded over the season.

Root pruning was used to reduce vegetative growth by temporarily restricting the active root system. The demonstration compared different levels of intervention, including pruning on one side or both sides of the tree row, against untreated trees. The work showed how root pruning can reduce shoot number and total shoot extension, helping open the canopy and reduce the need for later corrective pruning.

The practical message is that root pruning is a targeted tool for blocks where vigour is already excessive. The treatment should be integrated with crop load, irrigation and nutrition management, because overly strong restriction can also reduce tree performance. The resource is especially relevant to growers managing vigorous Fuji and similar blocks.