High-density apple orchard inaugurated

Nauni (Himachal Pradesh): A new high-density apple orchard raised under ICAR’s National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) Institutional Development Plan was inaugurated at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni. The plantations, raised by the University’s Department of Fruit Science, was inaugurated by Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university. 
 
Dr. KK Raina, Principal Investigator of IDP welcomed the chief guest and briefed about the activities being carried out under the project which will improve the academic infrastructure and education delivery system at the university. Dr. DP Sharma, Professor and Head Department of Fruit Science informed that over 1000 apple plants of Jeromine, King Roat, Redvelox, Schelect Spur, and Gala Schinco on EMLA111 and EMLA9 rootstocks have been planted in the orchard. The plantations have been raised at a spacing 1.5 x 2.5 meter and 1.5 x 2.0 m apart. Dr. Sharma said that the established apple orchard will serve as a bud wood orchard in the future to supply quality scion wood to apple growers.
 
Congratulating the whole team, Dr. Kaushal said, “It is great to see that the plantations carried out during the Covid lockdown period taking the shape of a beautiful orchard. The orchard will further improve our capacity to sensitize and provide training to students and orchardists for skill up-gradation in high-density apple plantation.” He said that the university has developed several sustainable plantation models in Horticulture and Forestry under the NAHEP IDP and efforts are being made to establish such models at the regional stations as well. 
 
Dr. Kaushal added that the new orchard will be helpful to train undergraduate and postgraduate students in canopy management of apple especially on the new systems of training and pruning, fertigation techniques and other improved technologies. He said that the university has also been actively working on the multiplication of clonal rootstocks so that the demand of the farmers can be met. 
 
Dr. Pramod Kumar, Scientist, Department of Fruit Science and in charge of the plantations presented the vote of thanks. Dr. Ravinder Sharma, Director Extension Education;Dr. Anju Dhiman, Dean College of Horticulture; Dr. Bhupender Gupta, Dean College of Forestry; Dr. Divender Gupta, Librarian; Er VK Sharma, Estate Officer; Dr. Manish Sharma, CO PI IDP; Dr. YR Shukla, Procurement Officer IDP along with heads of various departments and activity in charge took part in the inauguration.