Srinagar, Nov 09: The experts at SKUAST-Kashmir have said that orchard sanitation post harvesting of fruits, removing of leaves and pruning are important to keep the diseases at bay suggesting many measures for the benefit of the farming community.
Dr Irfan Ahmad Bisati, Senior Extension Specialist Horticulture SKUAST-K said that the first and foremost thing that farmers should take care of is harvest of the fruit.
“During harvesting all fruits whether diseased fruits or healthy ones should be harvested. It should be a complete harvesting. We don’t have to keep any fruit on the tree,” he said.
Regarding shedding of leaves, Dr Irfan said that farmers should ensure they collect the fallen leaves and maintain orchard sanitation to avoid diseases and fungus.
He said once the pruning of trees is started farmers should also collect and remove the pruned wood which is important to keep disease and pests at bay. “All the pests and diseases survive on leaves and pruned wood in orchards in winter that cause many diseases.”
Dr Irfan said trees that have disease should be identified before the pruning so that its wood is separated. “After pruning farmers should use pruning paste above the cuts of 1 cm to avoid damage and infections to the trees in view of winter season,” he said.
He said during pruning pruners should be alert and check the branches of trees whether these would survive the snowfall season or not.
Dr Irfan said farmers should also take care of water channels in orchards before the snowfall and make these cleans so that there is not any stagnation of water.
“Where ever there is late leap fall in orchards, we have recommended 3-4 % of urea spray so that they can prune such trees on time before the snowfall,” he said.
Regarding high density apple trees, Dr Irfan said orchards should take precautionary measures including checking of pillars, anchor wires etc. before the snowfall.
“In many orchards some farmers use shade or anti hail nets which should be closed to avoid damage to the structure or trees,” he said. “In high density trees, farmers should be curious about the drainage as there are more chances of infections and rotting,” he said.
Dr Irfan suggested that farmers should always keep a repository of equipment in their homes so that they can use it during any untoward incident during heavy snowfall. “Nuts, bolts, ropes, nails, drillers, gloves, shoves, helmets and jackets should be at home,” he said.
Another expert of SKUAST said if orchardists and farmers remove these leaves and the pruned wood in autumn, 80 to 90 percent of the disease source could be curbed.
He said it is impossible to eliminate 100 percent source of infection adding that farmers should be focused on orchard sanitation which is very important.
Notably, farmers in Kashmir spend Rs 500 crore annually on fertilizers, pesticides and sprays on disease and pest management. “Orchard sanitation will limit the occurrence of diseases in orchards and lower the spray burden on farmers,” the expert said.
