Labour cost, fruit production and tree growth of 'Tonewase' Japanese persimmon [Diospyros kaki] cultivated with a horizontal trellis

We investigated the labour cost, fruit production and tree growth of 'Tonewase' Japanese persimmon cultivated with a horizontal trellis in comparison with Y-shape training one. The features of the persimmon trees cultivated with a horizontal trellis were as follows: l. A horizontal trellis allowed the shorter working hours in disbudding, fruit thinning, harvesting, pruning, because of smaller proportion of stepladder usage. But it took longer to train shoots to the trellis and has unfavorable point that most hand work is overhead. Less volume of chemical application controlled pest and disease sufficiently under a horizontal trellis cultivation. 2. Fruit weight and Brix were higher, and fruit size was less varied compared with Y-shape training tree. There was no difference in yield and harvesting time between the two training systems. 3. On the tree growth, a persimmon tree with a horizontal trellis had the larger number of flower buds, shorter shoot length, smaller leaf area and deeper green leaf at blooming stage than a Y-shape training tree.