Amali Al-Ahmad1*, Bayan Muzher2 , Ola Al-Halabi2 and Muhammad Thaer Anqoud3 Hasan Rustam3
1Tartus Research Centre, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria.
2 Pome and Grapevine Department, Horticulture Research Administration, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria.
3 Sargaya Research Station, Damascus Countryside Research Centre, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria
(*Corresponding author: Dr Amali Abdo Al-Ahmad, Email: amale_alahmad@hotmail.com).
Received: 9/03 / 2026 Accepted: 22/04 / 2026
Abstract:
The present study was conducted at Sarghaya Research Station (Damascus Countryside) during 2024-2025 on Golden Delicious apple trees grafted on MM106 to evaluate the effects of fruit thinning and summer pruning on bearing regularity. In the first season (heavy load), all treatments significantly reduced the percentage of remaining fruits after June drop and at harvest time. Yield decreased under summer pruning combined with chemical thinning (2.20 t/dunam) and manual thinning (2.40 t/dunam), compared with the control (2.53 t/dunam). In the second season (light load), summer pruning produced the highest fruit set (15.16%) and remaining fruits after June drop (13.63%), more than the control (10.23%, 8.46%, respectively). Manual thinning increased remaining fruit at harvest time (13.01). However, productivity improved with summer pruning+ chemical thinning and with chemical thinning alone. Overall, fruit thinning and applying summer pruning during heavy load season improved annual bearing regularity and increased production stability.
Keywords: apples, Golden Delicious, summer pruning, bearing alternation, productivity.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF