SINGLE-AXIS PEACH ORCHARD: TANGIBLE RESULTS AFTER TWO YEARS IN THE FIELD IN THE PROVINCE OF RIETI

We are in Lazio, in the province of Rieti, at the peach orchard of the Ceccarelli brothers’ farm. Established in January 2024, the orchard now shows tangible results as of July 2025, after two complete vegetative cycles, as documented and analyzed directly by Agronomist Vito Vitelli during technical field visits

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In their second year in the field, the trees already exhibit a well-defined and fully functional structure, with an average yield of 6 to 7 kg per plant. This is a significant figure when considered in relation to the young age of the orchard and the training system adopted.

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The orchard is managed using single-axis pruning, a system that concentrates production along the central axis of the tree. During the season, green pruning was carried out, retaining productive mixed shoots and spur-pruning excessively vigorous branches to just a few centimeters.

The result is an essential, orderly tree, with fruit borne directly on the main axis and no secondary branching. This represents one of the key agronomic advantages of the system: improved fruit nutrition, greater vegetative balance, and a clear increase in commercial quality, particularly in terms of fruit size and uniformity, which is especially evident in mid to late ripening varieties.

Pruning management is simple and rational. Vigorous shoots can be topped back to a weaker lateral to be converted into productive branches, or they can be completely spur-pruned to stimulate new renewal growth. In both cases, production and renewal occur exclusively on the central axis.

The outcome is a tree free of unnecessary volume, without complex structures and without the accumulation of unproductive wood. The canopy remains flat, readable, and easy to manage. The height of the axis can be adjusted according to farm needs and the level of mechanization, but the principle remains unchanged: fruit on the axis, renewal on the axis, maximum light interception.

When volume disappears, shaded areas disappear as well. When shade disappears, light works at its maximum. And when light works correctly, quality works too.

This is where the true paradigm shift in modern fruit growing is measured: the productive wall in place of traditional volumetric training systems. It is not merely a training technique, but a different way of designing and managing the orchard, simpler, more controllable, more efficient, and more consistent with the economic sustainability of contemporary fruit farms, as promoted and disseminated by Agronomist Vito Vitelli through his technical and educational activities nationwide.

Keywords:
#peach #peachorchard #singleaxis #pruning #greenpruning #modernfruitgrowing #productivewall #highdensityplanting #fruitquality #agriculturalmechanization #agronomy #AgronomistVitoVitelli

Editorial note:
Original content by Agronomist Vito Vitelli, developed and optimized with the support of artificial intelligence tools for educational, informational, and technical enhancement purposes.

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