Farmers apprised about high-density apple plantation

Nauni, July 19, 2022: The Department of Fruit Science of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni organized Apple Day cum Kisan Mela at the university campus. The event was attended by over 200 orchardists from different clusters of eight districts of the state formed under the World Bank-funded Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project (HP HDP) along with non-cluster farmers and officers from the state horticulture department. The idea behind the event was to apprise and address the queries of farmers on high-density apple plantations.

Professor Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice-Chancellor of the University was the Chief Guest on the occasion. During the inaugural session, Dr. Ravinder Sharma, Director of Research and Nodal officer of HP HDP activities in the university welcomed the participants and informed them about the various works undertaken and completed under this project. Dr. Gobind Singh Jobta, State Nodal officer of HP HDP explained in detail about the World Bank-funded project and listed several achievements and initiatives which have been taken. He informed that under the project around 5000 hectares of new high-density plantations and 1000 hectares of scientifically managed orchards have been targeted to be raised.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Chandel complimented the university for establishing world-class research laboratories and said that the joint efforts of scientists have ensured 42 MT productivity in four-year high-density plantations which is a substantial jump over the present productivity. He asked the scientists to work towards understanding and eliminating  the gaps between the productivity achieved by the farmers and the university’s productivity.

He urged the scientists to study and establish a cost-benefit ratio including the impact on soil and water, of raising plantations using different agricultural techniques. He also suggested that the different plantation models for small and medium farmers must also be established. Professor Chandel requested the farmers to share their best practices with the scientists so that these could be studied and validated by the university for use by the farming community. 

A field visit to the high-density apple plantations raised in the year 2016 was also held. Various varieties like Jeromine, Red Velox, Red Cap Valtod, Scarlet Spur-II, Super Chief, Gale Gala, Redlum Gala and Auvil Early Fuji grafted on M9 and MM106 rootstocks have been planted in different spacing and training systems.

Dr. DP Sharma, HOD Department of Fruit Science said that the scientists of the department addressed the queries of the farmers during the field visit and later a farmer-scientist interaction was also held at the Directorate of Extension Education. The scientists of the university addressed the queries of the farmers on nutrient management, insect and pests, diseases and overall orchard management.  

The farmers suggested that university literature must be available in Hindi. The participants also requested that rootstocks must be made available to them and training and pruning camps must be organized at different locations. Dr Sharma informed that this year along with seedling rootstocks, the university will be providing over 10,000 grafted plants on clonal rootstocks to the farmers.