Optimizing pruning time for improving yield and fruit quality of tablegrapes ‘Sugraone’ under semi-arid climate

Pruning is a crucial cultural practice in vineyards that significantly affects vegetative development, phenology, productivity, and fruit quality. The study aimed to deter­mine the suitable pruning window for optimizing vine vigor and fruit quality in grapes ‘Sugraone’ under semi-arid climate conditions in the Pothwar region. A field study was performed in the Pothwar region of Pakistan to evaluate the effect of different winter pruning times starting from 1st December, 2024, to 15th February, 2025, at an interval of 15 days on the vegetative development, yield components, and fruit quality of ‘Sugraone’. The experiment was laid out in a rand­omized complete block design with four replications. Obser­vations were recorded on phenology, yield traits and fruit quality traits such as total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, sugars and ascorbic acid levels. The statistical analysis showed that pruning time significantly affected phenolog­ical stages, vegetative growth and yield parameters. Early pruning advanced bud burst and increased vigor with greater cluster weight (448 g) and high TSS (18 °Brix) com­pared with normal or late pruning. On the other hand, late pruning delayed phenological development, reduced yield with lower TSS, sugars and higher TA and ascorbic acid lev­els. The results showed that the early pruning window, i.e., 1st December to 15th December, proved to be the most effec­tive in maintaining a good balance between yield and fruit quality of cv. Sugraone.