Title: Effect of pruning on silver-leaf disease (Stereum purpureum(pers.) fr.) and yield of peach and nectarine trees
Abstract: Abstract In a field trial comparing different methods and times of pruning, 26% of the peach trees and all of the nectarine trees receiving standard winter pruning were infected with silver-leaf disease ({itStereum purpureum} (Pers.) Fr.) four years after planting. No infection occurred in trees pruned shortly after harvesting the fruit, irrespective of the degree of pruning and whether wound dressing was used or not. Application of wound dressing to most but not all cuts reduced the number of winterpruned trees becoming infected in some years. Total yield of peaches was directly related to degree of pruning and not to the disease so far. Young trees which received light pruning in late summer produced significantly higher yields of marketable fruit than more heavily pruned trees. Light pruning increased the amount of fruit thinning required to maintain fruit size when fruit set was heavy.