Completed project
Rootstock and training system to optimise stone fruit bearing and growth (SF13001)
Publication date: December 13, 2018
Delivery Partner: The Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
Using the Stonefruit Field Laboratory established in sister project Increased stone fruit profitability by consistently meeting market expectations (SF12003), this investment addressed issues related to the very early years of tree establishment and development until full production.
It generated knowledge on how rootstocks and tree training systems – and their interaction with crop load – affect the physiology of trees and fruit development, with a particular focus on fruit size, composition and performance, and on reserves as wood starch content.
With avenues of investigation varied, comprehensive information and resources from the project (and from SF12003) can be found on the Profitable Stonefruit Research website at www.hin.com.au/networks/profitable-stonefruit-research.
In short, results showed that a higher crop load reduced shoot growth, quantity of pruning wood and fruit size, and generally delayed fruit maturity. It did not affect wood starch reserves in any of the canopy systems or rootstocks investigated.
Some of the key recommendations from the project included:
The project extended its findings through a series of orchard walks, workshops and industry roadshow events, as well as fact sheets, industry magazine articles, and videos.
Visit the Profitable Stonefruit Research website here to explore the project’s work, findings and recommendations. It includes a range of instructional videos, including how-tos on summer pruning, using DA-meters and the IAD index and more.
This project was a strategic levy investment in the Hort Innovation Summerfruit Fund
© 2026 Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited.
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