Performance of ‘Fuji’ Apple on M.9 Rootstock in Different Tree Training Systems for the First Five Years

The effects of five training systems on tree growth, yield, and some fruit characteristics were assessed for ‘Fuji’ apple grafted on M.9 rootstock for the first five years in Tokat, Turkey. The trees were trained in one of five ways: Slender Spindle (SS, 4762 trees ha-1), Vertical Axis (VA, 2857 trees ha^-1), HyTec (HT, 1904 trees ha^-1) and two different tree densities of super spindle (L-Sup S with 5,000 trees ha^-1; H-Sup S with 10.000 trees ha^-1). Trunk Cross-sectional Area (TCA), canopy diameter and canopy volume were higher in low tree density systems (HT and VA) than in high tree density systems (SS, L-Sup S and H-Sup S). Annual and cumulative yields per tree over the first cropping years were higher in VA and HT than in SS, L-Sup S or H-Sup S. Yield per unit area was the highest in HSup S in every year due to the higher number of trees per hectare. Yield efficiency (yield cm^-2 TCA) was higher in VA and HT than in SS, L Sup S or H-Sup S in every year. HT produced the largest fruit among the training systems in every year. VA had the second largest fruit in 2008, 2010, and 2011.