Induction of Lateral Branches in Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) by Notching

Feathered apple trees promote earlier canopy structure formation, which simplifies pruning and reduces management costs. Feathering can be induced on young fruit trees by using different cultural techniques such as pruning (head back of 1-year-old wood), limb spreading and leaf removal (youngest cupped leaves) and also by use of plant growth regulators in combination with notching. Notching is a phloem-interruption technique to stimulate lateral shoot growth precisely in the desired place on shoots of young apple trees. The present study was conducted to ascertain the ideal timing, location, and age of wood for notching to induce lateral branches in apple cultivars 'Jeromine/M 9' and 'Galaval Gala/M 9' in the sub-temperate zone of India during two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). The experiments constituted six different timing periods of notching (5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 week before expected full bloom and un-notched), three different positions of buds (top, middle and bottom portion of the shoot), and two ages of wood (1 year and 2 years old). The notching performed on the fifth and fourth week before the expected full bloom on the bottom and middle portion of shoot, and notching of 1-year-old wood, resulted in high bud sprout and better formation of lateral shoots in apple trees. The description regarding notching presented in this paper will act as a tool for developing lateral branches in apples under high-density plantation precisely and efficiently.