Leaf Miner affects orchards in Pulwama villages, growers worried

Pulwama, Sept 09: Mohammad Yusuf Mir, an apple grower from Lonepora village of Newa area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was surprised on noticing some unfamiliar insects hanging down from tree branches of his apple orchard a few days ago.
Worried by the presence of this strange pest, he started a deep inspection of his trees and found some whitish patches on trunks of many trees.
He noticed pests hanging down from tree branches by fine thread like structures and noted yellow spots on leaves too.
Within the next few days many orchardists in Lonepora, a village along Newa –Pakherpora road around 5 Kilometres from district headquarters in Pulwama, reported this pest in their orchards.
Symptoms indicated that Apple Leaf Blotch Miner (ALBM) has struck the apple orchards in this village of Newa zone and worried farmers started looking for control measures.
Yusuf, expressing his concerns, said, “Around 90 percent of trees have been infected in my apple orchard spread over 5 kanals of land. The infection even resurfaced after four days of applying insecticide. The insects suck green leaves, causing yellowish spots. Subsequent defoliation and leaf drop could prove fatal for both the fruit and the health of the trees.”
Another affected apple grower, Javid Ahmad Malik, from Newa Jahuma reported that more than 70 percent of his trees had been infected by ALBM.
What’s particularly worrying for these farmers is that they had never encountered this invasive pest in their apple orchards before.
ALBM, a type of moth, lays its eggs on apple tree leaves, which later hatch into larvae. These larvae tunnel into the leaves, creating mines that can cause significant damage. This damage affects the tree’s ability to photosynthesize, ultimately leading to reduced fruit production.
The infection has been reported from many surrounding villages including Checkpora, Newa Jahuma, Malwari, Karimabad, Gudoora, Zadoora and others.
Sartaj Ameen, Horticulture Development Officer for Newa, informed that Leaf Miner had been reported in South Kashmir for the past four years.
It initially appeared in Shopian and gradually spread to other parts of South Kashmir, including Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama.
He said that last year it was less prevalent in Pulwama district.
“This year, the incidence of this infection, is comparatively higher in Litter, Tral, and the Newa area of Pulwama,” Ameen reported.
He and his team have been swift to respond, rushing to the affected villages in their zone. They’ve been advising apple growers on how to control this infection, using guidelines issued by SKUAST-K (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir).
Through on-spot field visits, social media, and phone consultations, they’re supporting affected apple growers in combating this invasive pest.
Ameen estimated that around 30 to 40 percent of trees have been affected in the infected orchards.