Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Regional Horticultural Research Station, Sharbo-172107
National Symposium on Strategic Issues in Plant Pathological Research held at Department of Plant Pathology, CSK HP Krishi Vishvavidayalaya, Palampur on November 24–25, 2011
The cold desert and dry temperate regions of Himachal Pradesh comprising of Pooh sub division of Kinnaur and Spiti valley are known for inhospitable climate, less or no rain (20–40 cm/year), rugged terrain and sparse population. Despite all these constraints, temperate fruits are playing a pivotal role in improving the socio-economic status of the tribal people. The area under apple is increasing at the rate of about 1500 to 2000 ha per year The import of planting material from other parts of the state or country carry incipient infection of many pathogens, of which Phytophthora species have been found to cause collar rot causing upto 30–40% plants mortality. The changing climate has been found to create wet temperate like condtions leading to emergence of new foliar and soil borne diseases. Marssonina blotch of apple which was unknown to this region, has appeared in most of the apple growing pockets of Kalpa and Nichhar block and in few pockets of Pooh Block where incidence varied from 10 to 100 per cent alongwith fruit infection of about 20–30%. Severity of gummosis in almond and wild apricot or Chuli and Stigmina leaf blight and fruit spot in apricot or Chuli has assumed alarming situations in some of the areas. The strategies such as complete restriction on movement of nursery or seedling apple plants from lower areas to dry temperate zone, restriction on cultivation of high rising crops amongst orchard trees, modification of floor management practices such as shape of tree basins, system of irrigations, standardization of nursery production techniques, grafting height of seedlings or rootstocks, are required to be modified for tackling upcoming disease problems.
