Bioscience Methods 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 32-42 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 32 Research Insight Open Access The Effects of Different Winter Pruning Intensities on The Proportion of Fruiting Branches and Fruit Quality of Kiwifruit ShudanYan Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: shudan.yan@jicat.org Bioscience Methods, 2026, Vol.17, No.1 doi: 10.5376/bm.2026.17.0004 Received: 06 Jan., 2026 Accepted: 07 Feb., 2026 Published: 19 Feb., 2026 Copyright © 2026 Yan, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Yan S.D., 2026, The effects of different winter pruning intensities on the proportion of fruiting branches and fruit quality of kiwifruit, Bioscience Methods, 17(1): 32-42 (doi: 10.5376/bm.2026.17.0004) Abstract Kiwifruit is an important economic fruit tree in China. Reasonable winter pruning is a key measure to achieve high yield and good quality of kiwifruit. This paper conducted a systematic study on the effects of different winter pruning intensities (light pruning, moderate pruning, and heavy pruning)on the tree structure and fruiting performance of kiwifruit. The results showed that the intensity of winter pruning directly affects the formation of fruiting branches and fruit quality of kiwifruit: as the pruning intensity increases, the number of fruiting branches and their proportion in the new shoots decrease, but the fruiting branches per plant are more robust; under heavy pruning treatment, the single fruit quality and soluble solid content of the fruit significantly increase, and the appearance and intrinsic quality of the fruit are optimized, but the number of fruiting branches per plant and total yield decrease; light pruning treatment increases the number of fruiting branches and fruits, increases the initial yield, but causes problems such as smaller fruits and reduced sugar content, resulting in a decline in quality. Moderate pruning at an appropriate level can maintain a high yield while also taking into account fruit quality, achieving a coordinated balance between yield and quality. The research provides a scientific basis for optimizing the intensity of winter pruning in kiwifruit orchards and is of great significance to the quality and economic benefits of kiwifruit products in the industry. Keywords Kiwifruit; Winter pruning; Pruning intensity; Resulting branches; Fruit quality 1 Introduction Kiwifruit (scientific name: Actinidia chinensis)originated from China. To be precise, the reason why this fruit has spread to so many countries around the world is largely due to its delicious taste and high nutritional content (Shu et al., 2023). Currently, in major kiwi-producing areas in China, such as Shaanxi and Sichuan, the planting scale is considerable, and their area and output have ranked among the top in the world (Gao et al., 2022). However, a large production does not necessarily mean good quality. Especially in recent years, people have placed greater emphasis on quality. Whether the planting is good or not, and whether the pruning is done properly, the differences become immediately apparent. Especially in pruning, it's not just a matter of how much to prune; it directly affects the structure of the tree, the number of fruits produced, and the shape of the fruits (Medič et al., 2021; Patiyal et al., 2024). Some orchards, because they are reluctant to prune or do it carelessly, not only have messy tree crowns but also produce small fruits, with low yields and difficult to sell at good prices. Therefore, whether to prune in winter and how to do it actually lays the foundation for the next year's harvest. Winter pruning is an important management measure for kiwifruit during the dormant period (Angami et al., 2022). By removing overly dense, diseased, pest-infested, and weak branches, as well as shortening overlong branches, it regulates the structure of the tree and balances growth and fruiting (Zhang et al., 2018). Winter pruning improves the ventilation and light penetration conditions of the tree crown, promotes the renewal of inner branches and the balanced distribution of nutrients, and directly affects the number, distribution, and bud and flower emergence of the next year's fruiting branches (Angami et al., 2022). Moderate winter pruning can make the tree structure reasonable, distribute the fruiting branches and nutrient branches evenly, ensuring there are sufficient healthy fruiting branches for the next year while avoiding excessive tree vigor that leads to nutrient waste (Bound, 2022). Different pruning intensities have different effects on tree vigor regulation: heavy pruning stimulates the emergence of dormant buds and the renewal of new shoots, which is conducive to the regression of
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