Environ Exp Biol (2025) 23: 175–182

Relationship between pruning severity and reproductive performance in commercial pear orchards

Abstract

Pruning is a key horticultural practice, which strongly influences flowering, fruit set, and overall yield in pear orchards. This study evaluated the effects of severe (short) versus conventional (long) winter pruning on reproductive performance and yield of ‘Santa Maria’ pear trees grown in an intensive orchard in Algeria. The findings demonstrated that severe pruning promoted floral bud initiation, increased flower abundance, and improved fruit set, with fruit set rates of 40.9% under severe pruning and 37.4% under conventional pruning. Strong positive correlations among floral bud number, flower density, and fruit set highlighted the coordinated nature of the reproductive response. Overall, severe winter pruning enhanced reproductive development and yield without compromising fruit set efficiency. These results suggest that optimizing pruning intensity may be an effective strategy to enhance productivity and sustainability in commercial pear production systems.