Temperate fruit cultivation practices, hurdles insects and pests and their management

1. TEMPERATE
FRUIT GROWING

2. Apple Pear Peach/ Nectarine Plum
Scientific name Malus domestica Pyrus communis
Prunus persica
Prunus domestica
Origin
Western Asia, First
apple orchard in Kullu
valley by Lee
Rich source of Vit A,
B1, C;
Calcium, Phosphorus ,
Iron
Carbohydrates,
Proteins, Mineral
Rich source of vit A,
Iron, Protein
Climate
1000- 1500 hrs of
chilling
Altitude: 1500-2700
m
Avg temp : 21-24 oC,
100-125 mm of
rainfall
900- 1200 hrs of
chilling,
Elevation: 1200 to
1800 m,
Mean temp: 15-25
oC
100-125 mm of
rainfall
Elevation: 1000 to
1600 m
250-800 hrs of
chilling
Can be grown
under subtropical
conditions also
700- 1000 hrs of
temperature below 7
0 C to break rest
period
Low and mid hill
region
Cool winter and
warm summer
Soil Deep and well
drained loams,
pH range from 5.5
to 6.5
Wide range of
soil, Well drained,
Neutral pH, High
N is not suitable
Light sandy loam
soil, Deep and
well drained, pH
range from 5.8 to
6.8
Well drained
medium to deep
loam, pH range
between 5.5 to 6.5

3. APPLE ROOTSTOCKS
• M27: very dwarfing
• M9,M26 are dwarfing
• MM106, M7,M4: dwarfing
• M2,MM109,MM111 are vigorous
• M25 precocious
• M baccata: Crab apple

4. Fruit Plant Apple Pear Peach/ Nectarine Plum
Varieties Red Delicious,
Starking Delicious
Top Red, Red spur,
Oregon spur, Ambri,
Golden delicious,
Bartlett,
Patharnakh,
Baggugosha, Punjab
Beauty, Punjab
Nectar, Punjab Gold
Redhaven,
Sharbati, Khurmani,
Early Grande, Shan-
e- punjab, Partap
Santa Rosa,
MariposaFrontier,
Satluj purple, Kala
Amritsari, Alu
bokhara
Propagation Grafting and
budding
Cleft / tongue
Grafting and
budding
T-Budding and
grafting
Hard wood cutting,
Budding &grafting
Time for
propagation
Feb to March Dec -Jan April to Sept
(Budding)
Dec- Jan (Grafting)
April to Jul
(Budding)
Dec- Jan (Grafting)
Rootstocks Mainly on seedling
stocks of crab
apple, dwarfing
rootstocks like M9,
M4, M7 and
MM107
Seedling stocks of
Pyrus pashia
(Kainth), Pyrus
ussuriensis (Quince
A)
Wild peach
seedlings
Wild peach and wild
apricot (Zardalu)

5. Fruit Plant Apple Pear Peach/ Nectarine Plum
Layout Contour, Square,
Hexagonal
Contour, Square,
Hexagonal
Contour, Square Contour, Square
Planting Time Spring Mid Jan- Mid Feb End of Jan Jan
Distance 3-7.5 m 5-7.5 m 6.5 6m
After Care Irrigation,
Staking, Weeding
Irrigation,
Staking, Weeding
Irrigation,
Staking, Weeding
Irrigation,
Staking, Weeding
Training Modified Leader
System
Modified Leader
System
Modified Leader
System
Open centre

6. Sod culture
• Grasses and legumes taken as permanent cover
• They are cut when 7-10 cm high
• Left in orchard for decomposition
• Prevention of soil erosion
Mulching
• Straw, hay, sawdust, FYM, Black plastic used
• Moisture conserved
• Increases availability of K, N, P, Ca,Mg and B in soil
Clean Basin management
• Prone to soil erosion

7. Fruit Plant Apple Pear Peach/ Nectarine Plum
Pruning Proportional
heading back and
thinning out
system
Thinning out old
branches in
older tree
Thinning out old
branches in older
tree
Light annual
pruning
Fertilizers(For 1
year old tree)
70:35:70g of N,
P&K for 1 year old
200-600 gm N,
200-600 gP, 150-
450 g K
N: 90g,
P:30g,K:90g
N: 30g, P:15g,
K:36 g
Irrigation Frequent irrigation
during summer
months
Frequent
irrigation during
summer months
Frequent
irrigation during
summer months
Frequent
irrigation during
summer months
Orchard
Management
Mulching:
Improves soil
condition
Sod culture:
Grasses grown,
when 7-10 cm
height they are cut
Intercropping :
Leguminous
crops
Mulching
Mulching, Proper
intercultural
operation
Intercropping
with leguminous
plants
Harvesting Red Delicious:133-
139 days after full
bloom
Golden delicious:
148-154 days
Fruit matures after
155 days of fruit
set
Start ripening by
April till June, Reach
to maturity in 11
month after fruit set
Ripens in summer
(May-June
Fruit matures 12
weeks after fruit set

8. Insects Wooly Aphis: Suck
sap, insects are
hidden under white
fluff that can be
mistaken for a
mould, infested
parts of the
trunk and
branches are
covered with a
fluffy white waxy
material. Affected
shoots often
develop soft,
lumpy growths in
the bark Active
from March-Dec, To
control spray
Dimethoate @ 15
gm/metre
Sanjose Scale:
Plants covered with
ash, death of plant,
presence of
reddish
blemishes on
fruit at
harvest.Spray
Hairy caterpillar,
Bark eating
caterpillar, Mites
Control
Spray
Chloropyriphos @
500ml/tree
Rewmove infestated
parts
Aphids, Caterpillars,
Peach fruit fly
Control
For aphids spray
Dimethoate @ 0.3 %
For caterpillars
Spray
Chloropyriphos @
500ml/tree
Rewmove infestated
parts
Plum case worm:
eats leaves
Hairy caterpillar,
Bark eating
caterpillar
Control: Spray
Chloropyriphos @
500ml/tree
Rewmove infestated
parts

9. WOOLY APHIS

10. SANJOSE SCALE

11. Apple Pear Peach Plum
Diseases Scab: Spots develop on leaves,
leaves fall
Spray Dithane M-45 @ 0.5 %,
Powdery mildew, Root rot
Collar rot: In poorly drained soils
Stem black disease: Dithane M
45
Canker, Root rot
Control: Spray
Captan, Ziram or
Thiram( 0.2 %)
Peach leaf curl,
Powdery mildew,
Viruses
Control: For powdery
mildew spary crop
with Sulphur based
fungicides like
wettable sulphur and
Karathane
Bacterial Canker
Control: Remove
infected parts
Spray Bordeux
Powder

12. FRUIT DROP IN APPLE
• Early drop: Due to unpollinated flowers
• June drop: Moisture stress, Fruit competition
• Preharvest drop: Severe in early maturing cultivars, 40-60 % crop load
• Can be controlled by application with NAA (15 ppm) sprayed 20 days
before the expected fruit drop or 20-25 days before the harvest.

13. SOME DISORDERS IN APPLE
• Bitter pit
Dry brown pockets below skin
Northern spy and Delicious more susceptible
Heavy use of N fertilizers, Heavy pruning
• Scald
Darkening on fruit surface
Develops in storage
• Internal browning
Yellow brown spot
Associated with Yellow Newton variety
CA storage reduces the extent

14. BITTER PIT

15. SCALD

16. ALTERNATE BEARING
• Royal delicious, Red delicious, Golden Delicious
• Heavy crop in one year followed by poor cropping
season
• Go for judicious pruning
• Proper thinning of fruits
• Application of growth regulator like Paclobutrazol
1500 ppm in June –July in on year