Impact of Changing Climate on Apple Productivity

The productivity of temperate fruits especially apple in Himachal Pradesh is declining at a faster rate. Average yield of apple in India has been estimated at about 7.0 tonnes per hectare which is far below the level of 30 tonnes per hectare in most of advanced countries. The productivity has also not kept pace with the expansion in area under temperate fruits due to various biotic and abiotic problems faced by the farmers in the Himalayas. This has caused a serious concern not only to the hill farmer community but also to researchers, development agencies and policy planners. With the global warming, the decline in productivity is being mainly attributed to changing climatic scenario. It is clearly reflected that standard apple cultivar Starking Delicious and Red Delicious would not flower and fruit when chilling units are not adequately fulfill. Hence there is an urgent need to select appropriate low chill cultivars for plantation at low elevation location so that consistent yields are obtained and crop failures avoided. To meet the bulk requirements of the processing units and horticultural diversification, apple cultivation can be extended to mid hills by planting suitable low chilling cultivars. The low productivity of apple has become a serious concern for the farmers, research workers and development agencies at national and state level for the last two decades. Several factors can be attributed to the declining trend in productivity like expansion of apple cultivation to marginal areas, monoculture of Delicious varieties, declining standards of orchard management, improper chilling requirements and the fluctuating abnormal climatic conditions.