Pest and disease management of apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh –A potential area for optimization

This paper is an extract from a study titled “Impact of Skill Management on the Sustainability of Apple Orchards in Himachal Pradesh”. The study attempts to explore and understand the apple industry of Himachal Pradesh by studying the farm practices of a sample of apple orchardists from two highest apple producing districts of the state-Shimla and Kullu. The aim is to objectively analyze the industry to uncover areas of operation which are not yet optimally managed but show potential in creating a positive impact on the production, productivity, profitability and sustainability of the apple industry of Himachal Pradesh by skillful management. This was done by carrying out a onetime survey. The survey was conducted in 2009 in both the districts. The sample size was 100; 50 from each district. Findings of the survey were further supplemented with secondary data. In addition to this, expert opinion and an extensive survey of literature was carried out.