To ensure the safety of fruit trees and reduction in inoculum of various diseases, Directorate of Horticulture has issued advisory for the orchardists of Kashmir.
The valley has been witnessing snowfall in the month of November during the last many years resulting in damage to the unharvested fruit, breaking of limbs, uprooting of trees etc. To avoid any such apprehensive loss, the orchardists of the valley are advised to follow the below mentioned advisory to ensure the safety of fruit trees and reduction in inoculum of various diseases such as Scab, Alternaria etc.
1. Ensure the speedy harvest of fruits.
2. Harvesting of late varieties of fruit to be completed as soon as possible to avoid any damage due to early snowfall. 3. Maintain orchard sanitation by collecting the fallen leaves, fallen and mummified fruits and dispose them off properly by burying or composting.
4. Spray the fruit trees and leaf litter with urea @4kg/100 litre of water to
enhance the decomposition of leaves and disease inoculum. 5. Pruning of fruit trees to be started as soon as the leaves start yellowing.
6. Apply white lead paint /Bordeaux /Chaubatia paste on the cut surfaces.
7. Keep the limbs of the fruit tress supported to avoid any tilt or damage in case of any ensuing snowfall.
8. Vigorous campaign against Rodents to be continued through traditional methods and by using recommended rodenticides. 9. Clean the drainage channels of the orchards to avoid water logging.
