Apple cultivation moving up to higher reaches, courtesy climate change
Dipender Manta
Climate change is taking a toll on apple orchards in Kullu district as well. As a result, the cultivation of standard apple varieties including royal, golden and others requiring more chilling hours has been shifted from lower parts to the upper region in the district. Rising temperature, rapid urbanisation and deforestation for development works in the region are some factors to be blamed.
The standard apple varieties (royal, golden and others) were big in size and one plant fetched even 40 boxes or even more. But now, the growth of plant is stunted, which fetches one to five boxes only, which is quite less.
Due to this change, pomegranate and kiwi plants have replaced apples in the orchards.
The standard delicious varieties of apple require long chilling hours for better produce. Such plants get good growth in areas that receives adequate snowfall during the winter season, as it maintains requisite temperature and moisture in the soil.
Bajaura, Bhuntar and the main Kullu town were considered the hub of apple orchards once. Similarly, there were big orchards in the lower parts of Kharahal valley, Manali, Anni and Nirmand, but with the passage of time, the standard varieties of apple was wiped out from the lower areas because of change in climate.
Now, pomegranate and kiwi orchards are seen in Bhuntar and Bajaura instead of apple orchards. Not only this, people here have started cultivating vegetables also to sustain their economy. However, the Horticulture Department is now struggling hard to cover the area with low chilling apple varieties.
Local people said earlier they witnessed snowfall at Bajaura and Bhuntar, which maintained the temperature. But for the past several years, they have not witnessed any snowfall in the area.
Paine Ram Thakur, a native of Khokan village, near Bhuntar, said: “The area was covered under standard apple variety orchards around 15 years ago, but with the passage of time, these have vanished completely. Now, people have diversified their fruit crops with pomegranate, kiwi, peach, apricot and other vegetables to sustain their economy.”
Data received from the Horticulture Department Kullu reveals that around 2,000 hectare land in the lower region of Kullu district has been replaced by low chilling apple varieties such as spur, rootstock and gala to enhance the produce in orchards with new varieties in the last five years.
Area under standard apple varieties
At present, 24,830 hectare land is covered under standard varieties of apple in Kullu district, in which 9,462 hectare land is in Naggar block; 6,011 hectare in Kullu; 4,207 hectare in Banjar; 3,675 hectare in Ani and 1,477 hectare in Nirmand. Similarly 1,961 hectare land is covered under low-chill varieties, in which 621 hectare is in Naggar block, 644 hectare in Kullu, 269 hectare in Banjar, 290 hectare in Ani and 137 hectare in Nirmand.
What study says
A study conducted two years ago by the Regional Centre, National Afforestation and Eco-development Board and Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry points out that rising temperature in Himachal due to climate change has driven the shift. It says that apple growing belt in low-lying valley areas such as Kullu — once considered good for apple production — has now become extremely marginal, resulting in diversification to other fruits such as kiwi and pomegranate and cash crops.
“The snowline once considered as ‘white manure’ for the apple crop and forest cover necessary for conservation and recharge of natural water bodies has also shifted upwards to the higher hills. Therefore, the quality of apple production has shifted to higher hills and dry temperate zones of Kinnaur and Spiti areas,” the study says.
It said dry and warm weather will ultimately result in shorter growing season and lesser crop yield.
State divided into 4 zones
Himachal has been divided into four zones on the basis of agro-climatic conditions. Zone-I comprises low hills sub-tropical zone up to 1,100 metre, Zone-II of mid hills sub-humid zone (1,100 to less than 2,000 m), Zone-III of high hills temperate wet zone (2,000 to less than 3,000 m), and Zone-IV the high hills temperate dry zone (above 3,000 m).
According to the National Horticulture Board, apple can be grown at an altitude of 1,500-2,700 m above sea level in the Himalayan range, which experiences 1,000-1,500 hours of chilling (when temperature remains at or below 7°C every season). The temperature during the growing season should be around 21-24° C.
Plantation is usually done in January and February. Loamy soils, rich in organic matter and having proper drainage and aeration are suitable for cultivation.
For optimum growth and fruiting, apple trees need 100-125 cm of annual rainfall, evenly distributed during the growing season. Excessive rain and fog near the fruit maturity period result in poor fruit quality with improper colour development and fungal spots on its surface.
In Himachal, apple is mainly cultivated in Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba and some parts of Sirmaur districts. Apple constitutes about 49 per cent of the total area under fruit crops. Utam Chand Prashar, subject matter specialist of Horticulture Department in Kullu, said: “The department is promoting the cultivation of low-chilling varieties of apple in those areas where standard apple orchards have vanished because of change in climatic condition. Now, Bajaura, Panarsa, Bhuntar and other parts of the district have been covered under low-chill varieties of apple and people are fetching good price for the crop.
