In the early spring of 2018, one-year-old ‘Florida Prince’ cultivar peach trees grafted on a ‘Nemaguard’ rootstock were planted at Minia University’s Centre of Agricultural Research and Experiments in southwest Egypt. The trees were planted 5 5 m apart in a randomised full block pattern with four replicates, each with 10 trees. Two pruning techniques were used in the late spring: conventional open centre (OC) and de-branched top trees (DBT). The OC trees were planted 80 cm above the ground. DBT is an OC alteration, but no heading was done, and the new shoot development from the top 20 cm of the plant was eliminated. Measurements were obtained on the highest two opposing branches prior to winter trimming. The average length and diameter values of the top two opposing branches of trees trained to the OC were greater than those of trees trained to the DBT. The distance between the highest two branches (25 cm) at the top of the DBT trees, on the other hand, was substantially greater. Similarly, the values of the crotch angles (48°) and the number of branches (81 of 100 branches) with required crotch angles (greater than 40°) were much higher in the DBT-trained trees. After the winter trimming, the DBT trees were taller than the OC trees. Furthermore, the trees trained with the DBT required less trimming and took less time. Furthermore, the pruning wood weight of the DBT trees was almost half that of the OC trees. Finally, the DBT training method had the intended effect on the crotch angles and the evaluated pruning parameters.

Tree training techniques have an impact on tree growth, light penetration, photosynthesis, fruit output, and crotch angles. An open centre training method (OC) was used to improve tree precocity with improved canopy growth management. In general, OC training is often utilised for stone fruits like as peach, apricot, and sweet cherry. Furthermore, as compared to other training systems such as a modified central leader and central leader systems, the yield of the ‘Florida Prince’ peach trees is greater when subjected to the OC training method. The conventional OC system is made up of three to five main scaffolds. However, pruning adjustment, i.e. Compact vase and Spanish bush, proved beneficial in increasing the OC system’s capacities. Peach trees are usually extremely robust. Heading the parent axis causes the distribution and growth of peach tree branches in the trunk to produce a reverse conical shape. The crotch angle is the angle formed by the major branches (Scaffold branches) and the main axis (trunk). Wider crotch angles, caused by a strong union between the branches and surrounding tissues, are more advantageous, allowing the branches to support a heavier crop weight. On the other hand, narrow crotches contain bark inclusion between the branches and the trunk, which blocks the transfer of food reserves in the phloem tissue and causes a delay in wood maturation, resulting in a weaker union with soft tissue. Winter cold may cause harm to these tissues. Furthermore, narrow crotches provide access sites for insects and illness. Several methods have been used to increase crotch angles, including selecting the proper rootstocks, spraying with growth regulators, using mechanical forces such as bending, cloth pins, and sticks, and employing pruning strategies such as cutting 2/3 of the primary branches, feathering the 1-year-old lateral branches, heading the current season’s growth and leaf removal, and selecting a proper training system based on the tree’s growth habit.

The problem with increasing the crotch angles of the higher tree scaffolds for classic open centre training is that lower branches often have larger angles than upper branches, regardless of the training technique used. As a result, low open centre training, a variation on the standard OC, was adopted. Because lower branches had larger crotch angles, only the lower branches were chosen as scaffolds. However, this method results in poor peach yields. The majority of crotch angle widening pruning methods were used in the first year following planting. In the first year, severe summer pruning to increase crotch angles reduced shoot growth, trunk diameter, and root development. As a result, the purpose of this research is to apply a new pruning modification to the standard open centre training technique in order to increase the upper branches’ crotch angles of ‘Florida Prince’ peach trees in the first year after planting without the harshness of summer trimming. Furthermore, the study looks at the impact of pruning modifications on various plant vegetative development parameters as well as the practicality of pruning expenses.