Despite warning, farmers resort to ‘Plant Growth Regulators’ in apple orchards

Pulwama, Apr 13: Farmers in several areas of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have increasingly turned to using expensive Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) in their apple orchards to boost fruit set—despite experts discouraging the practice.
Mohammad Yusuf, an apple orchardist from Wahibugh village, told Rising Kashmir that around 60 percent of orchardists in the area have applied PGRs this season.
“There’s a race among apple growers to use PGRs these days,” he said.
A local pesticide dealer corroborated Yusuf’s statement, confirming that the majority of local orchardists have been purchasing various PGR formulations for spraying.
He noted that despite Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) not including PGRs in their recommended spray schedule, farmers have been applying them extensively over the past few years.
Dr. Jehangir, a pomologist at SKUAST-K’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Malangpora, said that the use of PGRs for fruit sets is not advised under normal climatic conditions.
“These chemicals may be used only in extreme weather situations, but under normal conditions, their use should be avoided,” he said.
He explained that PGRs artificially induce fruit sets, which can lead to multiple negative outcomes.
“Firstly, these chemicals are costly and add an unnecessary financial burden to farmers,” he said, “Secondly, the fruits produced often lack fully developed seeds and may fall prematurely before harvest.”
Moreover, Dr. Jehangir highlighted that PGR-treated trees tend to produce more fruit than they can naturally support.
“This excessive fruit load stresses the tree, affecting its overall health and ability to supply adequate nutrients,” he explained, “As a result, the fruits often remain undersized and of lower quality.”
He advised orchardists to adopt more sustainable practices like planting 10 to 20 percent polliniser varieties uniformly throughout the orchard and relying on natural pollinators like honeybees for effective pollination.
According to Rising Kashmir’s findings, many gullible orchardists are influenced by unverified advice from pesticide sellers and self-styled “experts” on social media who promote PGR use as a shortcut to better yields.
Experts strongly urge farmers not to fall prey to such misleading advice and to consult trained professionals before making such critical decisions.