Downpour raises hopes in HP

Even as mercury8217;s incessant plunge has chilled many a heart in north India...

Even as mercury8217;s incessant plunge has chilled many a heart in north India, the fruit growers of Himachal Pradesh can barely hide the warm glow of pleasure. For, the recent snowfall and rains in the upper and lower regions of the state are likely to produce a bumper fruit yield after the drought-like condition of the past four months.

Besides moderating the diurnal temperature, the fresh spell of snowfall in upper parts, including Shimla, Kullu, parts of Mandi, Chamba, Solan, Sirmaur and tribal belts, will help fruits like apple, cherry, pear and peach. The rains, meanwhile, will increase the yield of Rabi crops, including wheat, gram, barley, mustard and other traditional crops in rain-fed areas.

The previous week saw the state record over 110 cm of snowfall and 32.6 mm of rain. The last showers in the region were recorded at 12.1 mm in November. Subsequently, the relative humidity of around 50 percent has shot up to 99 percent in the region. The decrease in relative humidity following the drought-like conditions had caused harmful hydrological imbalances in the soil moisture and evapo-transpiration of plants.

8220;The rains and snowfall will help meet the requirement of low temperatures besides eliminating the chances of early flowering in apple orchards of the state,8221; said Dr Jagmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.

According to Singh if there are frequent rains and snowfall till the end of March, the chances of a bumper apple crop will increase. Apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot and peach need a dormant period for development and an exposure of at least 600-1,400 hours of chill with a minimum of 7 degree Celsius for a bumper crop. The current rains will also help reduce the increasing attacks of insects and pests and the subsequent use of pesticides.

Dr. A.S.Kashyap, former head of Horticulture Research Station, Kandaghat, said that the downpour and snow would act as a cushion in meeting the cold and soil moisture requirements in the apple belt, and hoped that the snow would also help check the erratic flowering in apple orchards. He said that though the near drought had damaged the Rabi crop in rain-fed areas, the current showers would moderate the soil temperature in lower regions and help in the tilling of the late varieties of wheat, barley and mustard.

However, former member of the National Executive of the BJP Kisan Morcha, Devender Thakur, said that the current rains would not help the farming community as the dry spell had already delayed the farm operations in rain-fed areas across the state. Following drought-like conditions and the lack of the requisite soil moisture, farmers in about 60 percent of rain-fed areas had not carried out the farm operations.