Nauni/Solan: Apple fruit trees must be pruned every year, usually during the dormant period and growers are following the manual for since long.
However, lately, need of pruning of apple trees in the summer has been experienced in order to open up the tree canopy to sunlight and air circulation and promote fruit production and a healthy plant.
Mainly Summer pruning is being done to controlling the height of the tree so that most of the fruit doesn’t grow out of reach. It also helps in developing good limb structure for strength, fruit size and colour. And if rightly executed, summer pruning encourages a plentiful supply of necessary nutrients to the new limbs, which will begin to bear fruit in their second year.
With so many benefits of summer pruning, it can also damage the apple plant and thus it needs to be undertaken in proper method and knowledge. These days most social media platforms are full of suggestive videos and tutorials. Many apple growers are even following these self-proclaimed genius’ tutorials and may damage their years of hard work.
Scientist at the prestigious Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has come out with a detailed summer pruning tutorial. Dr D.P Sharma, HOD, Department of Fruit Science, of the University has elaborated the process of summer pruning and also given tips on summer pruning in apple.
Apple crop is the most common fruit being grown in the state and Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti and now apple trees have been planted in lower reaches of Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Solan district of the state as well. Millions of families in the state (directly and indirectly) are dependent on the apple crop and in this scenario right information and methods should be disseminated to the growers.
