Shoot growth and fruit productivity of 'Masui Dauphine' fig (Ficus carica L.) having high limb position with horizontal bearing shoots and renewal long pruning

Optimal positioning and pruning of bearing shoots were investigated in the 'Masui Dauphine' fig trees, having high limb straight-line (HLSL) training (Hosomi et al., 2013). In a comparison of bearing shoot positions between horizontal and downward, thicker bearing shoots with more lateral shoots were observed in the horizontal position. Fruits that ripened earlier, were larger, or had greater color with higher soluble solids content (SSC), were obtained from some nodes of bearing shoots in the horizontal position. Furthermore the growth and fruit production of the trees of (a) HLSL with renewal long pruning (Hosomi et al., 2015), were compared against trees having (b) conventional low limb straight-line style training with short pruning. No clear difference between (a) and (b) was observed in the size of bearing shoots, the abundance of lateral shoots, the number of fruit set, or the estimated yield, but these were difference in the qualities of the fruits. In 2009, larger fruits at the 3rd nodes of bearing shoots and less colored fruits at the 18th nodes were obtained from trees in category (a) with downward bearing shoot position than from trees (b). In 2010, larger fruits with higher SSC at the 3rd and 8th nodes, and greater fruit color at the 3rd and 13th nodes were obtained from trees in category (a) with horizontal bearing shoot position than from trees (b). To summarize these results, the horizontal position is better for the bearing shoot of HLSL trees, because the quality of some fruits is greater than with downward positioning. Furthermore a high quality fruits of the 'Masui Dauphine' fig were obtained from HLSL trees combining the horizontal bearing shoot positioning and the renewal long pruning.