Soil scientist at SKUAST says cloud cover and rains could have hampered photosynthesis, nutritional supplement required

Anantnag: Apple farmers here in south Kashmir districts are worried at the premature fall of apples from trees well ahead of the usual harvesting season.
Hundreds of orchard owners in Kulgam and Shopian districts have been reporting the problem for a while now. “The phenomenon is more common in orchards located in plain areas of south Kashmir. The orchards at a higher elevation have been spared,” the fruit growers that Kashmir Reader talked to said.
They said that the fruit drop has been consistent for more than a week now. The orchardists think that the pesticides they used may be the reason.
Some of them also think that the early bloom in the orchards might be a reason. “This year the bloom came way too early, in March, when usually trees bloom around April-end,” Ashraf Wani, an orchardist from Shopian district, told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the problem has left hundreds of orchardists across south Kashmir worried. “Particularly in the low-lying areas of our district, like Zainapora and other areas in the vicinity,” Wani mentioned.
He added that the fallen fruit did not contain any seed, which is why he suspects that pesticides might be a reason for the early fall.
Orchardists from Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama districts complained of the same issue.
“The last few years have been the most turbulent years for the apple farmers of Kashmir, starting with early snow wreaking havoc and then the highway woes. Now it is this early bloom,” Zahid Ahmad, a fruit grower from Kulgam, told Kashmir Reader.
Zahid, however, said he did not believe that the use of pesticides could be a possible reason. “We have not used any new pesticides. If they were a problem the drop would have occurred in previous years as well,” he said.
Experts also believe what Zahid has to say. Kashmir Reader had a detailed discussion over the issue with Dr Mumtaz Ahmad, a soil scientist at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST).
Dr Ahmad categorised fruit drop into three stages: post-bloom drop, the June drop, and the pre-harvest drop.
“This is the June drop we are witnessing right now,” he said, adding that the reason for the drop is slower growth in the fruit. “Fruit in which daily growth slows down by about 50 percent is bound to fall,” he said.
Dr Ahmad said that the reasons for slower growth this year could be cloudy weather, lack of moisture, nutrient deficiency, or extra heat. “But as far as I think, this drop has been caused by the incessant rains that lashed the Kashmir valley in June, creating a flood-like situation,” he said.
He said that cloud cover and the rain curbed the photosynthesis in plants, causing a scarcity of nutrients in the plants and ultimately a drop of fruits. He, however, said he is hopeful and the drop should not be a cause of worry.
“The thinning out of fruit means the plant has to supply nutrients to a lesser number of apples, which will ensure their better growth,” he said. “However, the growers should ensure that they use a nutrient supplement as well, to enhance the growth of the remaining fruit.”

Suhail A Shah