Detailed Explanation of Early High-Yield and Efficient Cultivation Techniques for Snowflake Pear

The courtyard pear orchard of Qu Guohui in Ping'erfang Village, Guantun Town, Dashiqiao City, is a city-renowned typical example of dense planting for early high yield. The orchard was established in 1992, with an area of 800 sq m, planted with 133 Snowflake Pear trees at a spacing of 2m x 4m. All trees bore fruit by the 4th year, with a yield of 400 kg, sold at 2.80 yuan per kg; in 1996 the yield was 2100 kg, sold at 2.60 yuan per kg; in 1997 they were 4000 kg and 2.60 yuan respectively; in 1998 they were 6100 kg and 2.40 yuan respectively, with an annual income of 14,600 yuan, and the highest single-tree yield exceeded 150 kg. In the 1998 Liaoning Province Fine Fruit Selection, it won 3rd prize.

Its main technical measures are as follows.

1. Strengthen soil, fertilizer and water management

Before planting, the whole orchard was deep-ploughed to 60 cm, and at planting each tree was given 80 kg of barnyard manure. From the planting year to the 3rd year, each June each tree was given 0.2 kg of special fruit-tree fertilizer, and along with orchard spraying, urea (0.3%) was applied to the foliage 4 times. Watering was done 2 times. Because of sufficient nutrition, the canopy expanded rapidly, was robust and uniform, and by the 4th year the number of branches and buds per 666.7 sq m reached about 10,000, laying a solid foundation for early fruiting and early high yield.

Starting from the 4th year when fruiting began, early-autumn fertilization was carried out every year, mainly with chicken manure or pig manure, at a rate of more than 10,000 kg; before flowering and in early June, 0.75 kg of special fruit-tree fertilizer was applied each time; combined with orchard spraying, urea was sprayed on the foliage 3-4 times in the early stage, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (0.5%) was sprayed 3-4 times in the later stage.

On the basis of ensuring pre-flowering water and freeze-up water, watering was done 3-4 times according to drought conditions.

2. Reasonable shaping and pruning

In the planting year, the three basal main branches were basically formed. From the 2nd year, modified spindle-shaped training was carried out, that is, the three basal main branches were still retained, and above them was the spindle shape, with about 20 main branches in the whole tree. On the basis of winter pruning, pruning during the growing season was strengthened, mainly branch bending, angle opening, shoot twisting and pinching. Generally, branches were bent in August, with the three basal main branches opened to 80-85 degrees and other main branches opened to 90 degrees. For upright shoots, depending on the space around them, they were pinched when 30 cm long (where space was large) or twisted (where space was small). The proportion of overlong branches in the whole tree was controlled at no more than 5%, with medium and short branches accounting for more than 85%, which not only solved the light problem,

but also increased nutrient accumulation, creating favorable conditions for flower-bud differentiation. This orchard never used girdling, nor was paclobutrazol (pp333) sprayed.

3. Strict flower and fruit thinning

Every year during the pear flower bud stage, flowers were thinned, leaving one strong inflorescence every 23-26 cm. After fruit set, the central fruit was retained and all others were removed, ensuring 50 leaves per fruit, so that the single-fruit weight reached more than 500 g and the extra-grade fruit rate reached 90%.

4. Timely prevention and control of pests and diseases

Adhering to the policy of "prevention first, combining prevention and control", treating early and treating small. Each year before flowering, 1 spray of 5-degree Beaume lime sulfur mixture was applied; to control pear scab and other diseases, from May to before harvest, 200-fold double-strength Bordeaux mixture, 800-1000-fold thiophanate-methyl solution, and 800-1000-fold Fuxing fungicide were sprayed 7-8 times; to control yellow aphids, pear psylla, fruit borers and others, insecticides were sprayed 3-4 times. Over several years, the leaves in this orchard were 100% intact, there were basically no diseased or insect-damaged fruits, and high-quality fruits reached 98%.