Cactus pear is a plant that grows vigorously if not properly managed. In Eritrea under natural conditions, the plants tend to spread, limited only by the competition from other cacti and tall trees. Pruning should be a regular practice in commercial orchards and household orchards.
Why pruning a beles plant? The following effects can be expected from regular pruning practices:
extension of the productive life of the plant;
control of plant size;
maintenance of the fruiting areas within hand, facilitating harvest;
reduction of damage from pests and diseases;
facilitation of application of fertilizers and pesticides if needed;
rejuvenation of old plants;
facilitation of transit of people and machinery in the orchard;
Pruning calendar. Pruning is performed when the plants are in the dormant stage, once the pads have acquired full size, and preferably during the winter season. However, sanitary pruning can be practiced all year around.
Selective pruning. Removal of young (one-year-old cladodes), located inside the canopy, specially those higher than 2 -m or diseased, and misshapen cladodes. Avoid removal of well exposed cladodes. This practice, if performed annually does not affect fruit yield.
Rejuvenating pruning or pollarding. The practice of removing all branches down to the second or third cladode is called "rejuvenation pruning" (a practice similar to pollarding of forest trees) because it induces the formation of new secondary branches. It is recommended for tall, old plants. Rejuvenation pruning delays fruit production at least one year, as it is the time the new cladodes need to reach the reproductive stage.
Pruning tools. Special or modified tools are used to prune beles. A minimum tool set is composed of a "derho" or cactus pruner, a modified pruning saw and fork. The fork can be improvised using a sturdy two-headed tree branch.
The derho or beles pruning tool. Mexican growers evolved a handy tool to prune spiny beles. The blade of the tool resemble the shape of a bird, hence the name derho. This tool can be manufactured from scrap steel sheet and a piece of steel pipe (Plate 14). It has two sharpened edges, one designed for pushing and the other for pulling. It also includes a pointed end, useful for collecting spiny cladodes.
The modified pruning saw. This tool is useful to remove those cladodes that are older, therefore more lignified and hard to cut. Older cladodes should also be cut at the joints. Leaving "stumps" delays the emergence of new young cladodes and exposes the succulent tissue to rotting (Plate 15).
This tool can be improvised from a normal pruning saw, by removing the short handle and replacing it with a 1.20 m extended wooden handle or a piece of steel pipe. The handle is slotted at one end and the saw adjusted and firmly bolted in place. The same set of screws is used to fix the metal blade in place. If using metal pipe the two pieces can be welded together.
Pruning methods. The cladodes are separated from the plant by means of a sharp knife a machete or derho. They should be cut at the joints to reduce the risk of infection and to accelerate healing. Some guidelines are suggested when pruning adult cactus pear plants:
Maintain the height of the plant below 2.0 m. Keep in mind that the fruits produced inside the canopy should be reachable by hand.
Eliminate pads that are touching the ground, otherwise they can root and form a new plant invading the alleys of the orchards and thereby reducing the working space.
Eliminate cladodes damaged by pests and diseases.
Eliminate overlapped pads especially those in the interior of the canopy in order to reduce shading and improve fruit quality.
Maintaining tools. Using the right tool properly maintained improves the effectiveness of pruning and inflicts less damage on the plant. Sharpen pruning tools periodically.
Disinfect the pruning device when moving from diseased to healthy plants. Dipping the derho in a 10 percent bleach solution helps to reduce disease spreading.
Removal of pruning waste. Avoid storing pruning waste in the orchard. A pile of leftover cladodes can provide shelter to rodents and other pests and diseases. Cladodes that are not removed from the orchard can root and produce new plants forming thickets that will impede transit and harvesting operations.
Remove pruning waste with a fork. Avoid unnecessary pinching of the cladodes, especially if they are going to be stored for later use. Wounding or chopping the pruning waste will increase the chances of rotting.
