Krishi Vigyan Kendra - Anantnag, SKUAST-Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India
The adoption of high-density (HD) apple orchards in Kashmir, particularly for the cultivar Gala, provides a pathway for improving productivity and fruit quality. Effective crop load management, especially during the formative years, is essential to avoid biennial bearing and maintain yield consistency. This study, conducted as an On-Farm Trial (OFT) from 2022 to 2024 in the Anantnag district, assesses the impact of various thinning methods on fruit quality, yield, and economic returns in HD Gala orchards. Six thinning treatments, encompassing both chemical and manual methods, were evaluated against a control. The findings demonstrate that precision crop load management significantly enhanced fruit size, uniformity, and marketable yield, affirming the critical role of thinning in HD systems.
Crop load management, Gala apple, High-density orchards, Kashmir, Thinning
