Disease management practices in orchard crops - critical gaps and strategies

Economic returns from orchard crops are showing diminishing trends. Declining productivity is attributed to several factors including incidence of serious diseases and pests. The magnitude of losses on yield and productive life of orchard vary with agro-ecological locations and disease management practices adopted. Plant protection packages have been recommended by different research organizations but the performance at farmer's field is not satisfactory. Impact analysis reveals several critical gaps in adoption of recommended protection packages viz. quality planting materials, technical/researchable gaps, dissemination of technology, awareness/precision of execution etc. To bridge the gaps, state policy should prioritize production of quality planting materials by following phytosanitory standards. Necessary infrastructure for indexing infectious diseases, identification of elite mother plants for scion wood bank and suitable rootstocks of known pedigree will be prerequisite. The collaboration of different agencies will be required to meet the increasing demand which require policy for human resource development and skill upgradation.

Research and technical issues should address the knowledge gaps in etiology, diagnostic techniques particularly for soil borne diseases and weather dependent outbreaks. Protection packages are largely chemical based pesticides against single pest/pathogen resulting in resistance against pesticides and resurgence of new pest/pathogens. Therefore, comprehensive eco-friendly approach for key pests and diseases should be focused as research priorities. Intensive research on soil health factors, chemical fertilizer application with declining organic carbon is needed. Fortification of the compost with bio-agents and nutrient enrichment will help in ensuring desirable soil health. Nursery production practices should be standardized for enriching the mycorhizosphere with desirable microbial consortia to develop endurance in saplings against biotic and abiotic stresses. Significant gaps have been observed in the efficiency of proven protection technologies in between research farms and farmers fields. Factors responsible for low efficiency are variation in pesticide grade/quality, inappropriate/indiscriminate use of pesticides, use of banned/spurious/expired pesticides and knowledge gaps in execution of integrated orchard management practices. Execution through remote communication because of absentee land lords have been observed as one of the important factors for not achieving the desirable results. Extension agencies can bridge the knowledge gaps by dissemination of proven technologies through awareness programmes, upgrading execution skill by imparting training through farmer clubs/KVK's/SHG's/NGO's/Kissan Mela/Gosthi's etc. Emphasis may be focused to train women folk of rural/remote areas. Most of the orchards are established in rain fed steep slopes on degraded lands of varying degree. Adoption of Intensive Integrated Farming System model with livestock and soil/water conservation components will ensure sustainable economic returns. Diversification of fruit crops in orchards will promote orchard profitability.

Consistent efforts by research organizations, extension agencies, press & media and active participation of orchardist are required to achieve desirable orchard health, sustainable production and socio- economical gains.