Low-chill apple successfully grown in lower Kangra area

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, MAY 14

Rajiv Pathania, a progressive fruit grower in Sadwan gram panchayat of Nurpur, has successfully grown low chill ‘Anna’ variety of apple in his small orchard. This has made the fruit scientists to explore the possibility of growing apple crops in the lower hills of sub-tropical zone of the hill state.

The sub-tropical zone hot temperature is not considered conducive for apple cultivation. But after the successful growing of the low-chill variety of apple the possibility of apple production is likely to be explored by the fruit scientists of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan.

A visit to the orchard reveals the success story. Pathania said initially in 2014 he had brought only a few saplings of low chilling ‘Anna’ variety of apple from the regional research station of the horticulture university at Bajora in Kullu district and planted in his small orchard on an experiment basis. “The apple plants started bearing fruit last year and fruit started ripening around June 15. However, apple size was small but it was sweet and in proper colour. I had not done any pruning of the plants for three years but this year I applied organic manure and proper irrigation to the plants with timely pruning. As a result, the fruit is in healthy size having no disease. No chemical spray has been done to the plants,” he asserted.

He said after the successful growth of apple plants he planted 11 more ‘Anna’ apple saplings in his orchard and distributed as many as 10 saplings among his friends during the past two years so that fruit production could be observed in other parts in lower Kangra valley.

Exhorting fruit growers of the area to diversify into apple cultivation, Pathania has appealed to the fruit scientists to undertake research on the successful cultivation of apple crop in lower hills in the state.

Success story 

• Rajiv Pathania, a progressive fruit grower of Nurpur, said initially in 2014 he had brought only a few saplings of low chill 'Anna' variety of apple and planted in his small orchard on an experiment basis. 
• The apple plants started bearing fruit last year and fruit started ripening around June 15. However, apple size was small but it was sweet and in proper colour. 
• “I had not done any pruning of the plants for three years, but this year I applied organic manure and proper irrigation to the plants with timely pruning. As a result, the fruit is in healthy size with no disease. No chemical spray has been used on the plants,” he said.