Tree Fruit Physiology and Culture, Hort. Vigor management influences tree productivity and early production of fruit along with develo ping a tree structure for long-term productivity. In contrast, excessive vigor produces too much growth with poor structure for future crops or severe competition retards growth and development. Thus, tree vigor represents a balance between all factors that influence growth and development and eventual productivity.
Vegetation management is one factor of many that influences tree vigor.
Orchard SysNET provides a framework for students and orchardists to construct knowledge and functional management systems that promote or regulate tree vigor. You must decide what amount of vigor or what your trees are to look like in 5 years. Growers want early fruiting on a vigorous, well-formed tree of mediu m size to minimize ladders. Students should consider themselves as consultants. Factual information and recognition of intuitive, experiential, or hypothetical knowledge must be defined as an integral part of your desig n and analysis, along with ways that you expect to monitor, evaluate, and modify your proposed practices and tree establishment system.