Srinagar: The department of Horticulture on Saturday issued an advisory for orchardists in Kashmir asking for ‘speedy harvest of fruit’ in the face of any possibility of inclement weather.
“The valley has been witnessing snowfall in the month of November during the last many years resulting in damage to the unharvested fruit, breaking of limbs, uprooting of trees etc,” said the advisory.
In last two years, untimely snow caused massive damages to orchards by uprooting and harvest lying in orchards.
To avoid any such apprehensive loss, the orchardists of the valley are advised to follow the below mentioned advisory to ensure the safety of fruit trees and reduction in inoculums of various diseases such as Scab, Alternaria etc, it said.
It asked the orchardists to ensure the speedy harvest of fruits. It said harvesting of late varieties of fruit to be completed as soon as possible to avoid any damage due to early snowfall, adding that maintain orchard sanitation by collecting the fallen leaves, fallen and mummified fruits and dispose them off properly by burying or composting.
“Spray the fruit trees and leaf litter with urea @4kg/100 litre of water to enhance the decomposition of leaves and disease inoculum”.
The advisory said pruning of fruit trees to be started as soon as the leaves start yellowing.
The orchardists have also been asked to apply white lead paint /Bordeaux/Chaubatia paste on the cut surfaces.
Keep the limbs of the fruit tress supported to avoid any tilt or damage in case of any ensuing snowfall, it said.
The advisory said, “Vigorous campaign against Rodents to be continued through traditional methods and by using recommended rodenticides”.
“Clean the drainage channels of the orchards to avoid water logging” it stated. KNO

Reader correspondent