Effects of intensity of summer pruning on fruit quality and production of peach trees cv Marli

Peach trees Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) cv. Marli were summer pruned, 30 days before harvesting in Porto Alegre, RS (30 degrees 0 1'S; 51 degrees 13'W), in 1990, by removal of 0; 25; 50 or 75% of current season shoots. Fruits from summer pruned trees with 50 or 75% of shoot removal showed a higher percentage of coloured surface than those that had 25% or no shoot removal. There was also a higher percentage of removed leaves by the removal of 50 and 75% of current-season shoots. Fruit firmness, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and pH of fruit juice, as well as yield per trees were not affected by any of the treatments. There was a decreased in mean fruit weight from trees with 75% of shoot removal by summer pruning.