"Look everyone, the lowest branches must be pruned to at least 60 centimeters above the ground. This ensures good ventilation and light penetration while reducing the spread of pests and diseases from the soil upwards!" On January 15th, in the apple orchard of Wang Zhanfeng, a villager from Menghuang Village, Yaosheng Town, Yijun County, Tongchuan City, more than 20 local fruit growers gathered around fruit trees. Song Jianping, an agronomist from the county fruit industry center, demonstrated pruning techniques on a low-hanging branch, his explanations straightforward and practical. Despite the lingering winter chill, the farmers' enthusiasm for learning was palpable, with some standing on tiptoe for a better view, others bending down to take notes, and quiet discussions turning the field into a vibrant "technical classroom."

"Many growers mistakenly believe pruning means 'removing the strong and keeping the weak,' but that's a misconception!" Song Jianping corrected this traditional understanding while trimming branches. "We must follow the principle of 'remove the strong, remove the weak, and keep the moderate.' Those overly vigorous branches consume too many nutrients and are less likely to bear flowers; the very weak branches have poor growth themselves, resulting in low-quality buds and inferior fruit—both types should be pruned. We keep the moderate branches with steady, balanced growth to ensure nutrients are concentrated, yielding larger, more uniform fruit next year." With each snip of the pruning shears, excess strong and weak branches were removed, instantly opening up the tree's structure. The growers nodded in approval, and many filmed the process to capture every crucial detail.

Wang Zhanfeng watched as his orchard trees were neatly pruned, a broad smile on his face. He pointed to the pruned trees and explained, "I now understand that the optimal fruit-bearing zone on an apple tree is above 1.2 meters, and it's also important to balance the thickness of the main branches. These technical points lay a solid foundation for a good harvest next year."

Song Jianping, the agronomist from the county fruit industry center, stated, "Today we came to Menghuang Village in Yaosheng Town to conduct winter orchard management training. The training focuses on three main areas. First is orchard cleanup training, which involves removing all waste like dead branches, fallen leaves, pests, weeds, and mummified fruit from the orchard, then burying or burning them to reduce overwintering pathogen levels and ease pest control pressure next year. Second is training on trunk whitewashing, explaining the mixture preparation and application methods to the growers. The third key area is winter shaping and pruning; for young trees, the focus is on shaping, currently promoting the 'spindle bush system,' while for fruit-bearing trees, pruning aims to improve ventilation and light, manage biennial bearing, and regulate tree vigor."

Fan Yingjie, a villager from Menghuang Village who grows apples on 12 acres of land, is a seasoned participant in these training sessions. "I used to know nothing about pruning, just copying others without understanding the reasons," Fan Yingjie said with a laugh. "Thanks to the regular training from the fruit industry center, I now not only know how to prune but also understand the principles behind it. I can identify strong and weak branches and know how to prune for bigger, sweeter apples."

The apple industry is a pillar of rural revitalization in Yijun County, a "golden industry" that drives income growth for the people. Winter management is a critical link in the fruit tree growth cycle, bridging the past and future seasons, directly impacting the yield and quality of the next year's harvest, and serving as a vital measure to strengthen the foundation for high-quality industry development. Scientific and standardized winter practices like cleanup, whitewashing, and pruning effectively eliminate overwintering pests, enhance the trees' cold and stress resistance, and optimize nutrient distribution, laying a solid groundwork for budding, flowering, and fruiting in the coming year.

To effectively translate technological benefits into industry advantages, the county fruit industry center adheres to the principle of "bringing technology to the fields and services to the doorstep," organizing annual winter training tours across all fruit-growing townships with key technical staff. A single field training session not only disseminates techniques but also boosts confidence. Nowadays, in orchards throughout Yijun County, growers are busy applying the learned techniques—cleaning, whitewashing, and pruning—using their diligent hands to safeguard the trees through winter. Empowered by science and technology, it is believed that another bountiful harvest awaits next year, further burnishing the golden brand of "Yijun Apple" and injecting continuous industrial momentum into the county's rural revitalization efforts.