JAMMU: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu organized one day training programme on “Rejuvenation of old senile orchards in apple and almond” at its Regional Horticulture Research Sub-station, Bhaderwah, wherein more than twenty farmers participated. Dr. Mahital Jamwal, Principal Investigator of the Network Project apprised the participants about the scope of rejuvenating the old and senile orchards of apple and almond for improving their yield potential in shortest possible time. He told the farmers that the existing old orchards of apple and almond have their productivity much below their potential and rejuvenation and top working are the promising horticultural techniques for converting old and un-reproductive trees into reproductive ones since these techniques require less time as compared to fresh plantation in reaching commercial production using already well established plant systems.
Dr. Neeraj Kotwal elaborated the participants about different plant protection measures to be taken care of against insect-pests and diseases in rejuvenating apple and almond trees. Dr. Rohit Sharma recommended timely application of manures and fertilizers to obtain optimum production from rejuvenating apple and almond trees and to keep them healthy for longer time. Dr. D.K. Chauhan emphasized upon the use of improved varieties of apple and almond on their old existing systems to improve productivity and quality. Bilal Ahmad Padder, Senior Research Fellow in the Network Project told the participants that converting low yielding and inferior quality old trees into superior and high yielding trees through rejuvenation technique increases tree vigor and economic age of old trees of apples and almonds and helps in maintaining their good health and higher productivity through required light interception into the tree and the orchard.
The training was conducted in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) sponsored Network Project on Outreach of Technologies for Temperate Fruit Crops under the guidance of Dr. J.P. Sharma, Director Research of SKUAST-Jammu and Prof. (Dr.) Nazeer Ahmad, Director, Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar. Altaf Hussain, Rajesh Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Sabiha Taranum and Shabir Ahmad contributed in organizing the training successfully.