In all probability, apple growers in Kashmir must have begun discussing the concept of “high-density apple orchards” in 2016 when an uncontrolled mob damaged the plantation of Khurram Mir, a young Valley-based entrepreneur in south Kashmir’s Bumdoora village.

This was soon after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in the area. His farm subsequently became the first “high-density apple orchard” and was inaugurated by former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a few months later.

“That was when I came to know about this style of apple farming through the media and gave a thought to developing high-density orchards,” says Mohmmad Ashraf from north Kashmir’s Baramullah district, who is now an expert on the subject.

Opting for high-density apple orchards is the latest buzz among growers in the valley as more and more of them are converting their conventional apple orchards into high-density plantations. Their logic is simple: the trees give higher and quicker yields as they begin bearing fruit early. “I have felled around 200 conventional apple trees in my orchard and am planning to replace them with the high-density variety since it starts bearing fruit within just a couple of years,” says Javed Ahmad from Shopian. He cites the same reason as others who have made the shift. Not only does the new variety require less space but the yield is also several times higher.

Higher yield, oftener

According to a horticulturist, the high-density apple trees yield 50-70 tonnes per hectare as compared to the 10-12 tonnes in the case of conventional plants. “Only 12-13 trees can be grown on one kanal (one-eighth acre) of land in the case of the conventional apple, while as many 111-166 trees of high density are recommended for land of the same dimension,” he says.

The high-density plants are mostly imported from Italy and need trellising or a support as they grow since they are thin-stemmed. There are several varieties of them, including the Red Chief, Super Chief and Red Velox. Says grower Showkat Ahmad, “After four years, a high-density apple plant of any variety yields 20-25 kg of fruit.”

According to Rajesh Kotwal, Chief Horticulture Officer of Pulwama district, unlike conventional apple varieties which bear fruit only biennially, the high-density variety has an annual yield once it matures. He says that the trend of switching to the new variety has gained popularity in his district more than other areas of the Valley. “One of the main reasons is its availability as farmers have started growing cash crops instead of paddy.” Besides, to promote high-density plants, the horticulture department presently provides 50 per cent subsidy to growers.

Threat to Red Delicious

However, there is a downside to the trend. Many growers fear that conventional varieties of apple will disappear from the Valley if the trend continues. “The onslaught of new, high-density apple plantations poses a serious threat to our conventional and indigenous varieties like Red Delicious, which is comparatively more juicy and tasty,” rues grower Ashfaq Ahmad Bhat from Sopore.

The writer is a Srinagar-based journalist

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