Girdling

The choking of a branch by a wire, rope, or other inflexible material which usually occurs most often in woody stemmed plants that have been tied down too tightly without regard for growth.

Girdling may also be done intentionally by removing a strip of bark all around the stem of a plant, thus cutting its circulation of water and nutrients. It may also be done as a propagation technique, by removing a similar bark strip on a limb to induce rooting in air layers or for putting on a patch bud.