Reform of Traditional Persimmon Orchards in the Caserta Area: Giving Trees a Second Life

In the Caserta area, the cultivation of persimmon has a history spanning more than a century. In these territories, numerous traditional orchards are still present, composed of historic varieties such as Kaki Vaniglia, “Ukakis,” and the so-called “Lignasante.” In recent decades, the variety “Rojo Brillante” has also become widespread. This cultivar has firm flesh that is astringent at harvest and is now well known from a commercial standpoint.

Persimmon cultivation fully represents the territory and its strong agricultural vocation. However, this deep-rooted tradition has not always been accompanied by a parallel evolution in agronomic cultivation techniques. In many cases, orchards have remained structured according to now outdated criteria, with trees that over time have developed a significant woody mass but a progressively reduced productive capacity.

During a technical visit to the Caserta area, Agronomist Vito Vitelli observed an orchard about twenty years old that exhibited exactly these characteristics: tall trees, a strong predominance of wood, and fruiting that had gradually shifted toward the outer parts of the canopy.

In situations of this kind, there are essentially three possible options: continue with traditional management while accepting limited yields, completely remove the orchard and replace it with other crops, or intervene with reform pruning capable of restoring the vegetative–productive balance of the tree.

In this case, the chosen solution was precisely reform pruning.

The intervention consists of a drastic cut of the trunk at around 65–70 cm, carried out on a portion of wood that is still healthy and structurally sound. The cut section clearly showed compact wood free from alterations, an evident sign that the tree is still physiologically vital.

At first glance, this type of intervention may appear traumatic. In reality, persimmon is an extremely long-lived species, capable of living 80–100 years. When the base of the tree is healthy, such a drastic cut often represents an opportunity to completely rebuild the productive structure.

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From the cut surface, vigorous new shoots will emerge. These regrowth shoots can then be managed through subsequent selective pruning in order to build a more balanced tree structure that is better suited for production.

The objective is to obtain more compact trees, with a maximum height of about 2–2.5 meters, and with the first fruiting points already positioned at 60–70 cm from the ground. In this way, the tree avoids investing energy in producing vigorous vegetative growth that would otherwise need to be removed each year.

In traditional orchards, the continuous development of vigorous shoots in the upper part of the tree tends to direct sap flow toward vegetative growth rather than fruit production. The result is a highly developed tree with low yields and frequent fruit drop.

Reform pruning, on the other hand, makes it possible to restore the balance between vegetative growth and production, bringing fruiting closer to the trunk while also improving the overall agronomic management of the orchard.

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Initially, the intervention was carried out on only a few trial trees, with the aim of observing the plant’s vegetative response over the coming months and in the following years. This represents a cautious and technical approach: experimenting, observing results, and, if outcomes are positive, gradually extending the technique to the entire orchard.

Even in strongly traditional contexts such as the Caserta area, it is therefore possible to combine the historical heritage of the crop with more modern agronomic techniques capable of restoring productivity and sustainability to existing orchards.

 

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

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