755 Evaluation of Training Systems for Nashi Pears J.L. Petri, G.B. Leite, C. Basso and F.J. Hawerrth Epagri/Caçador Experimental Station Caçador, SC Brazil Keywords: Pyrus pyrifolia, orchard management Abstract In Brazil, Nashi pears are being cultivated by small growers looking for high quality fruits. This fruit crop requires special training care due its fragile branches that break easily during the growing season. The traditional training system is the so called trellis, which is very expensive and is restricting the crop expansion. In 1996, an experimental orchard with three varieties of Nashi pears was planted to evaluate their behavior regarding to three training systems and pruning. Central leader, vase, and V training systems were tested on Hosui, Kosui and Nijisseiki pears grafted on Pyrus calleryana rootstok, spaced 6 x 6 m. The experimental design was RCB, with three replicates. The training systems were set in the plots and the varieties in the sub-plots. Tree vigor by measuring Trunk Cross Sectional Area (TCSA), yield and mean fruit weight were evaluated. After 8 years, ‘Hosui’ was the best adapted. ‘Kosui’ was too susceptible to the branches canker caused by Botryosphaeria sp., with more than 50% of dead plants. ‘Nijisseiki’ had the lowest yield independently of the training system. The central leader and the V training systems were those with the highest yield, independently of the varieties. Yields were generally low due to the high rate of floral abortion. The training systems did not affect the mean fruit weight. The spacing used was to large for all the training systems tested, suggesting that it can be reduced. The central leader system showed to be viable as a free system, without support for the trees, which reduces significantly the installation costs of the orchard. INTRODUCTION Nashi pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) is a new option for the development of deciduous fruit in some areas of southern Brazil. Training systems used for apples, peaches, and grapes were tested for nashi pears, without satisfactory results. It became imperative to test and adapt training and pruning systems suitable to the regional growing conditions. Nowadays, there are many training systems that are being used for pears growing at low, medium and high densities (Musacchi, 2007). In Japan, almost all nashi pear orchards are trained using an overhead horizontal trellis to support tree branches due to the frequent strong winds that damage plants and fruit growing in free training systems. Nashi pears have growing and fruiting habits that make them suitable to supported training systems because their branches brake easily when pulled for orientation without being supported. Also, nashi fruit may bruise easily in contact with the branches when not firmly attached to the support, reducing marketable fruits. Free systems such as central leader and open vase do not need support, but may occur rupture of basal branches during tree formation. The V system requires support, which increases planting cost. Trees grow freely with the central leader system, which makes them adaptable to various densities and provides high yields (Raseira and Petri, 2003). Japanese technologies were used in the quite new nashi pear orchards in Brazil, including the overhead horizontal trellis training similar to that mostly used in Brazilian vineyards, which is expensive to install and laborious. The recent adoption of high-density plantings to anticipate cropping and to reduce pruning labor resulted in significant changes in the fruit industry. Most studies on training Proc. X th IS on Pear Eds.: A.D. Webster and C.M. Oliveira Acta Hort. 800, ISHS 2008