Raising the woes of apple growers in Himachal Pradesh, scab and apple blotch leafminer have started appearing in orchards. Experts have noted that field inspections suggest the scab has begun appearing on the leaves of apple plants. In certain areas, including Janjelhi in Mandi and Jubbal in Shimla, scab has also been observed on the fruits, which are still immature and in their initial stage. Also, traces of contagious apple blotch leafminer, an insect known to have damaged thousands of hectares of apple orchards in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) every year, have started emerging in the orchards of the state. These alarming findings were shared by experts from various institutes, including Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, the Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station, Mashobra, and private enterprises, at the CII Apple Conclave held in Kufri on Wednesday. “Scab was found everywhere where apples are grown, but its appearance ahead of the apple season is alarming. The season in Himachal Pradesh starts on July 15 and lasts until October. During our field visits, we found traces of scab caused by fungus on the leaves and fruit. If not treated in time, it can damage the entire production in an orchard. Scab is curable, and apple growers in Himachal are equipped to deal with it,” Vikas Rohta, a postgraduate in Horticulture from Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, and North Head of Bayer CropScience Limited, said on Effective Disease Management at the conclave. The more worrisome finding is the traces of apple blotch leafminer – which up until now was limited in J&K – were found in Himachal Pradesh. “Our state machinery is not equipped to deal with this contagious insect, which lays its eggs on shaded leaves and spreads like wildfire,” he added. Senior scientist Dr Usha Sharma from Dr. YS Parmar University emphasised on the importance of natural farming along with the adoption of modern techniques involving the use of pesticides. “Recently, I met apple farmers in the Jubbal area who are complaining about scab in their orchards. Indeed, apple farmers are focusing on and demanding high-density planting instead of traditional planting, but they cannot rule out that viruses and insects will not hit the new varieties of apple plants. Farmers should not stop using natural farming methods and should not rely completely on modern techniques. They should use cow dung paste, bordeaux paint, chaubattia paste, and bordeaux mixture, which have been used for a long time.” Sharma added. Approximately 300 apple farmers, especially from Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, and Kinnaur, attended the conclave. Apple is the most important cash crop of Himachal Pradesh, constituting about 49 per cent of the total area under fruit crops and about 82.5 per cent of the total fruit production in the state.
