Camellia oleifera is an economic tree species in southern China and is famous for its oil. The surrounding climate is filtered by the tree itself, resulting in the canopy microclimate, which affects the growth and fruit quality of C. oleifera. This study investigated the effect of canopy positions on microclimate and fruit growth, maturation and qualities by comparing the differences in canopy position. This study also considered the relationship between microclimate and fruit qualities during the oil conversion period. The fruit qualities and microclimate were studied by dividing the canopy into two vertical layers and horizontal layers, creating the following canopy positions: upper outer canopy (UO), upper inner canopy (UI), lower outer canopy (LO) and lower inner canopy (LI). The light intensity increased significantly from inside to outside and from top to bottom in the canopy; however, there were no significant differences in temperature and relative humidity. At maturity, the moisture content of fruits and kernels in UO and LO was approximately <5% of those in UI and LI. The soluble sugar content increased by 10.90%, 8.47% and 6.84% in UO, UI and LO in November, while no significant change was observed in LI. The kernel oil content (KOC) obtained a higher value in UO and UI at maturity. However, KOC decreased by 5.16%, 3.02%, 3.10% and 0.67% in UO, UI, LO and LI in November. Light intensity in September and October was correlated, and temperature and relative humidity in August and September were correlated.

Camellia oleifera Abel is rich in oil, which is beneficial to human health. Seasonal drought and uneven canopy microclimate distributions result in low yields and picking efficiencies. To reveal the features of fruit development in the canopy and evaluate the impact of pruning on the canopy microclimate and fruit parameters, a field experiment was carried out in Zhuzhou, Hunan. The C. oleifera tree canopy was divided into four positions: inside the upper canopy (UI); inside the lower canopy (LI); outside the upper canopy (UO); and outside the lower canopy (LO). A combination of high-light efficiency tree pruning and mulching with camellia shells and weedproof film (CPM) was tested and compared with mulching (M). Compared with temperature and humidity, canopy light intensity is a key climate factor that affects the development of Camellia oleifera fruits. CPM improved the canopy light distribution and increased the light intensity inside the canopy of C. oleifera. There was no significant difference in the fruit cracking rate among the four canopy positions in the CPM treatment, which indicated that the fruit maturation period tended to be consistent across the canopy positions. Treatment with CPM resulted in 24.14% and 4.11% greater yield and oil content ratios, respectively, than the treatment with M. The fresh weight of the fruits from LO was the lowest, and the fatty acid accumulation was the lowest due to the poor light availability. CMP increased fruit quality, particularly in LI, which was 41.92%, 36.36%, 13.21%, and 12.79% greater in terms of fresh weight, yield, fresh seed rate, and oil content, respectively, than M. Unfortunately, there was no discernible difference in fatty acid components between CPM and M. Our research suggested that pruning combined with the mulching of organic material is an effective way to alleviate seasonal drought and uneven fruit maturation in C. oleifera trees, further increasing yield and fruit quality.