Nauni farm varsity teams make orchadists aware of diseases in apple in five Himachal districts

To curb indiscriminate and ineffective use of chemical sprays and break the disease cycle in orchards, eight scientific teams from Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni in Solan district, started a comprehensive awareness drive in major apple-growing areas of Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba and Mandi districts on Tuesday.

The teams created awareness about the management of Alternaria leaf spot and Marssonina leaf blotch diseases in apple. These diseases cause the death of apple trees by destroying their roots and stem portions near the soil line. Most of the orchardists fail to diagnose these problems early and come to know about the attack when most of the damage has already occurred. Apple is the mainstay of the state’s horticulture economy and brings about Rs 5,000 crore revenue every year. Sizable destruction has been caused due to the scourge of these diseases in the recent years.

Experts from the Regional Horticultural Research and Training Stations at Mashobra, Bajaura and Sharbo (Kinnaur) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras in Shimla, Solan, Chamba and Kinnaur have also been roped in, besides officials from the Department of Horticulture.

The experts are targeting apple-growing regions identified as highly prone to these foliar diseases where awareness is being created till February 19. Field visits, farmer interactions and on-site demonstrations are being held to help orchardists identify early disease symptoms and adopt scientifically-recommended management practices.

The endeavour will also strengthen farmers’ understanding of disease identification, preventive measures and integrated management strategies, thereby promoting sustainable apple production and improving the livelihoods of orchardists in the state.

In Shimla district, four teams were active and covered areas like Baghi, Ratnari, Kalbog, Chaithla, Dharonk, Sheelghat, Nakrari, Tikker and Karchari on Tuesday while they visited Chiyog, Tiyali, Sandhu, Shilaru, Kandru, Bharana, Thanedhar and Khaneti on Wednesday.

In Kinnaur, the teams covered Nichar and Sungra on Tuesday while Bari and Ponda were covered on Wednesday. In Chamba, Bharmour and the Holi areas have been covered while in Kullu district, the experts covered the Garsa and Manikaran valleys. In Mandi district, the teams covered Sangalwara and Dheem Kataru on Tuesday and Janjehli and Tungadhar on Wednesday.