CHANDIGARH: The torrential rains and the harsh weather have impacted the apple industry of the state as a severe fungal disease has hit the apple plants, causing apple leaves to turn yellow and fall prematurely, leading to a sharp decline in yield.
It is estimated that around 35 to 40 per cent of apple trees in each orchard are affected. The size and quality of the fruit are likely to be impacted.
After Kashmir, the hill state is the second largest producer of apples in the country, with a substantial market share of around 25 per cent. The apple industry in the state amounts to Rs 5,000 crore.
Talking to TNIE, Harish Chauhan, a leading apple grower and the convener of the Kisan Samyukt Manch, said, "The teams of experts from the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni will assess the damage and check which fungal infection has hit the apple crop."
"The teams are visiting today and tomorrow at different apple orchards, but we estimate that around 35 to 40 per cent apple trees in each orchard are affected by the fungal infection," he added.
He claimed that this year, it is suspected that Alternaria leaf spot fungal infection has hit the apple crop, as Alternaria blotch primarily damages leaves of apple plants, resulting in premature defoliation and damage to fruit.
"Due to this fungal infection, the size of the apple remains small. The quality is bad, and there is a decline in the yield. This fungus spreads in the apple crop due to high rainfall and high moisture levels," said Chauhan.
"The delegation of apple growers had yesterday met the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and apprised him of this fast-spreading disease and he ordered the university to dispatch teams of experts to the affected areas immediately, ’’ Chauhan added.
He said the same fungal infection affected the apple crops in 2023 when the state was devastated by natural calamities due to heavy monsoons. "The same disease affected the apples on a large scale but at a lesser magnitude."
"The other problem is of the fungicides being used by the apple growers to control the fungal diseases, as many of them are at times duplicate and their residue period is of 10 to 15 days only, we demand a proper check on this,’’ said Chauhan.
Meanwhile, Dr Usha Sharma, a senior scientist of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Shimla said that alternaria and other leaf-spot diseases had attacked several orchards in the main apple belt of Kotkhai, Jubbal and Rohru. She said that the disease was more severe in orchards where the leaves of the plants had become vulnerable due to mite infestation or other factors such as canker, root disease or unbalanced use of fertilizers.
A delegation of apple growers called Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday and apprised him of a new disease rapidly spreading in apple orchards, causing significant damage to their crops. The delegation urged Sukhu to take prompt action to investigate and control this issue.
Chief Minister Sukhu spoke with the Vice Chancellor of Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni over the phone and directed him to dispatch the expert teams of the University to the affected areas without any delay. He instructed that the disease be scientifically investigated and that orchardists be educated on preventive and control measures on the ground.
Sukhu emphasized that the disease was spreading rapidly and causing financial losses to the growers and it was imperative to address the situation swiftly. He asked the Vice Chancellor to submit a detailed report to the state government within seven days so that the appropriate measures could be taken at the earliest.