Early Yield and Fruit Quality of Japanese Pear ‘Hosui’ Trained with a V-shaped Trellis System

Effects of the number of leaders per tree and fruit numbers per leader on early yields and fruit quality were investigated in Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia (Burm.f.) Nakai) ‘Hosui’ trees trained with a V-shaped trellis system. The trees of two leaders and four leaders reached to the top wire with a height of 3.6 m in the 2nd year of planting, and the trees of six leaders reached to the top in the 3rd year. The early yields were more than 3 t・10 a–1 in the 3rd year of planting regardless of the number of leaders. Bearing more fruit attained more yields, but the fruit was smaller and tended to be of lower Brix. The fruit size of the V-shaped trellis was significantly smaller than that of the traditional pergola system, even when the fruit number was limited to 8 fruits per leader. When the crop load was set at 12 fruits per leader with the V-shaped trellis, the Brix was similar to that using the traditional system. The fruit at a higher position on the V-shaped trellis had an earlier harvest time than at a lower position and tended to be of smaller size. Interquartile ranges of fruit weight and Brix were similar between V-shaped trellis and pergola systems. Considering early yields and the fruit quality during the first 5 years after planting, four leaders per tree and 12 fruits per leader would be suitable for the cultivation of Japanese pear ‘Hosui’ with the V-shaped trellis system.