Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 1: Two books on “Maturity indices of Guava” and “Apple Scab (Venturia inaequalis): understanding and treatment for better management” were released by Raman Bhalla, Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture and Youth Services and Sports, today.
Raman Bhalla in his address emphasized that Apple is the most important temperate fruit crop of the North-western Indian Himalayan region. These areas do not fall in the temperate zone of the world, yet the prevailing temperate climate of the region is primarily due to high altitude snowfall, which helps to meet the chilling requirements of the crop.
The contents of this booklet have been written in a simple and understandable, lucid manner covering important aspects of latest production technology developed for apple scab management and is praise worthy. These books will prove a useful reference material for all those engaged in guava and apple production and will fulfill the long felt need in the field of guava and apple cultivation.
On the occasion, Dr Parshant Bakshi was congratulated for all the efforts for these publications.
In India, commercial cultivation of apple is confined to J&K, HP and Uttaranchal. In J&K, total area under apple is 1,57,280 hectares with production of 13,48,149 MT during 2012-13. Apple scab occurs in most areas of the world where apples are grown and is one of the most serious diseases of apple and ornamental crabapple.
The timely management of the disease which will help the apple growers of the State in general and country in particular to get more income so as to raise their economic condition.
In 2013, this disease struck in a big way the apple crop in Kashmir valley where as it suffered a loss of around Rs 500 crores.
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