Rejuvenation Therapy in Trees

Rejuvenation Therapy/Rejuvenation Technology is the process of pruning and after pruning management of the plants to make them productive by utilizing the existing root system for support and absorption and the existing limb/branch system to rebuild the productive canopy.

What is Senility?

Senility is a stage of the plant in which after a long span of continuous fruiting the ability of the branches or limbs and the whole tree to produce vigorous and efficient twigs having the capacity to bear the fruit is reduced.

 Why rejuvenation of senile plants?

  1. India is a leading fruit-producing country.

  2. Fruit production in the country is an age-old enterprise.

 3. A large acreage is under the systematic fruit plantation.

 4. The low average productivity of orchards in India is attributed to the prevalence of senile orchards.

 5. Hence rejuvenation is requested to improve the productivity of senile orchards.

Characteristics of senile orchards?

 a. Predominance of long unfruitful branches and tip-bearing habit.

 b. Reduction in the ability of a particular branch to produce vigorous and efficient twigs that can bear fruits.

 c. Overcrowding of branches in the inner part of the canopy leads to restricted sunlight penetration.

 d. Heavy incidence of pests and disease.

 e. Drastic reduction in fruit yield, and appearance.

Principle of rejuvenation:

1. Trees have latent buds on their limbs and branches which are activated to put forth new sprouts which ultimately form the canopy and fruiting area of the plant.

2. Improvement in root shoot; ratio.

Considerations for rejuvenation:

 a. Age of the plant

 b. The ability of the species to coppice

 c. A frame of the tree

 d. Time and severity of rejuvenation

 e. Post-rejuvenation care

 f. Transformation of rejuvenated juvenile shoots

 g.Top working to change the variety

Advantages of Rejuvenation Therapy/Rejuvenation Technology in Trees

1. Utilization of existing root system.

2. Lowering the fruiting area which can be conveniently managed.

3. Creation of extra space for inter-cropping in the orchards.

4. The availability of a large amount of pruned wood can provide additional income.

5. Enhancing the productivity of plants.

Conclusion:

1. Rejuvenation has been found successful in mango.

2. It is responding to the trees having strong shoot renewal and coppicing capacity.

3. Efforts should be made to improve the productivity of other fruit and plantation crops having similar growth habits.

4. In crops where young shoots have economic importance, rejuvenation practices should also be tried to improve their productivity.

Methodology and operation in mango trees:

1. Marking and cutting of the trees.

2. Heading back and selection of main branches.

3. Pasting on cut ends.

4. New shoot initiation on rejuvenated trees.

5. Profuse shooting.

6. Thinning of shoots.