Apple growers and horticulturists in Himachal Pradesh are concerned about the unusually hot weather in March, as the dry condition could affect blooming and fruit set. ‘If the dry weather persists, crop loss in apples may occur,’ state horticulture joint director Hem Chand said on Tuesday, adding that the weather will have little bearing on stone fruit setting.
Despite widespread orchard damage caused by rain and snow in April, the state had a bumper crop last year. In the lower apple belts of the state, there is 75 percent less fruit setting this year. ‘The trees have bloomed ahead of time due to the extremely high temperatures, and this may have a negative impact on fruit size if current weather conditions prevail,’ said Lokinder Singh Bisht, president of the Progressive Apple Growers Association.
The high temperatures were also causing the soil to lose moisture. ‘Over the last two years, the weather has been challenging. We had bumper blossoming last year, but this year there isn’t as much flowering, but there are a lot of pollination agents,’ he said.
The meteorological service has issued an advisory, recommending apple growers to irrigate their orchards because maximum and lowest temperatures have been five degrees over normal in most sections of the state for the past fortnight.
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