{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T16:23:33Z","timestamp":1791908613276,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769040000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Young Scientific and Technological Backbone Innovation Capacity Building Project","award":["xjnk-2021014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["xjnk-2021014"]}]},{"name":"Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Major Science and Technology Special Project","award":["2023A02008-3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023A02008-3"]}]},{"name":"Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Fragrant Pear Industry Technology System Project","award":["XJLGCYJSTX05-2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XJLGCYJSTX05-2025"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The optimal branch bending angle for Pyrus sinkiangensis Y\u00fc (Korla fragrant pear) remains undefined. In this study, the optimal angle was determined by integrating the phenological, nutritional, hormonal, and fruit-quality responses across a 15-day bloom window. Four branch angles (40\u00b0, 60\u00b0, 80\u00b0, and 100\u00b0) were applied to 8-year-old trees in spring 2022, and flowering dynamics, bud carbon\/nitrogen status, leaf morphology\/mineral content, fruiting-shoot architecture, endogenous hormones, and fruit quality were comprehensively evaluated. The 80\u00b0 angle maximized the fruit set (11.77%) and bud soluble sugar content (8.84 mg\/g DW), significantly outperforming the other angles (p &lt; 0.05). The flowering rate peaked at 100\u00b0 (7.89%) but was statistically comparable to that at 60\u00b0 and 80\u00b0 (p &gt; 0.05); calyx removal was greatest at 60\u00b0 (73.33%), with no significant difference from that at 80\u00b0 (71%, p &gt; 0.05). These reproductive benefits aligned with enhanced leaf source capacity\u201480\u00b0 pulling resulted in the greatest leaf area (59.51 cm2), the greatest amount of chlorophyll (3.11 mg\/g DW), and elevated N\/Mg\/Cu concentrations. Branch architecture was optimized at 80\u00b0, with the percentage of medium fruiting spurs reaching 41.1% and the xylem:phloem dry-weight ratio peaking at 1.78, indicating the development of efficient assimilate transport pathways. Hormonally, 80\u00b0 triggered a distinct cascade: a transient GA4\/GA7 surge (50.6 and 1.34 ng\/g DW) on 28 April, followed by sustained IAA elevation (2.05 ng\/g DW) and zeatin stabilization (0.27\u20130.29 ng\/g DW) during ovary development. Consequently, the fruit quality was comprehensively improved at 80\u00b0\u2014the single-fruit weight (110.7 g), soluble sugar content (10.08 mg\/g DW), and sugar\/acid ratio (17.08) were greatest, whereas the stone-cell content was lowest (0.49 mg\/g DW). Principal component analysis of 57 traits confirmed 80\u00b0 as the system-wide optimum (D = 0.718). These results demonstrate that an 80\u00b0 bending angle synchronizes carbohydrate supply, hormone signaling, and fruit quality in Korla fragrant pear, providing a low-cost, nonchemical benchmark for precision canopy management in high-density orchards. An 80\u00b0 branch-bending angle optimizes carbon-hormone synergy via a transient GA4\/GA7 surge and sustained IAA-zeatin signaling, maximizing fruit set and quality in high-density Korla fragrant pear orchards.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15020339","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T14:58:40Z","timestamp":1769180320000},"page":"339","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Optimal Branch Bending Angle for Korla Fragrant Pear: A Multi-Trait Physiological Trade-Off Framework"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Ablah","family":"Niyaz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Turpan Experimental Station, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Turpan 838000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9532-7262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mansur","family":"Nasir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shikui","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Fruit Tree Germplasm Resources Luntai Fruit Tree Resource Garden, Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Korla 841600, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shaopeng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Fruit Tree Germplasm Resources Luntai Fruit Tree Resource Garden, Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Korla 841600, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cuihui","family":"Min","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guoquan","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural Science and Technology Achievement Transformation, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dilraba","family":"Muhtar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xianbiao","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mirigul","family":"Tunyaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lihong","family":"Yao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruizhe","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tianming","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, No. 311 Nanchang Road, Shayibak District, Urumqi 830052, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juan","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forestry and Horticulture, Aksu Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Center, Aksu 843000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mayira","family":"Eziz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forestry and Horticulture, Aksu Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Center, Aksu 843000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3537","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erm200","article-title":"Effects of shoot bending on lateral branch formation and hydraulics in apple","volume":"58","author":"Han","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. 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