Haunted by 2018 early snowfall, orchardists resort to prior pruning
Srinagar, Oct 19: Abdul Rashid is supervising three men pruning his orchard in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. The leaves are still green and cling to the branches. The trees have yet to shed them. Pruning usually begins after the leaves turn golden and start to fall. This year, however, growers have begun the process weeks earlier than usual.
The rush reflects a deep-seated fear among Kashmir’s apple farmers -- fear of an early snowfall like the one that struck the Valley in 2018, wreaking havoc on thousands of orchards. That November, a heavy, unexpected snowfall flattened trees still laden with foliage and fruit, leaving growers with crippling losses. The memory of that disaster continues to haunt orchardists every autumn.
“I don’t want to take any risks,” said Rashid, 52, as he watched his workers lop off branches. “In 2018, snow came suddenly and destroyed many of my trees. We’re starting early this time so that even if snow falls, our orchards are prepared.”
In apple-rich districts such as Shopian, Baramulla, Pulwama and Kulgam and Anantnag, pruning an essential step in preparing orchards for the next season, ideally begins in late November or early December, when trees enter dormancy. This year, many farmers have begun as early as mid-October.
Experts warn the practice could backfire.
“Early pruning is not advisable,” said Dr. Tariq Rasool, Associate Professor at SKUAST, Kashmir.
“By early pruning, the nutrients presented in leaves are lost”, Rasool said. He said that the trees are still in their growth phase, and pruning at this stage can cause them to lose sap.
“ Farmers do prune in summer, but it is usually light; early heavy pruning like the way they are doing it this season is not advisable”, Rasool added. The pruning process helps control the shape and productivity of apple trees by removing excess and diseased branches. When done prematurely, however, it can reduce fruit yield and expose the tree to environmental stress. “Farmers are acting out of fear, but in the long term, they may be harming their orchards,” said another expert.
Still, many growers say they have little faith in weather patterns anymore. “The climate has become unpredictable,” said Bashir Ahmad, an orchardist from Keller.
“In recent years, we have seen early snow, late rain, and warmer winters. No one can guess what will happen next.”, Ahmad added.
Mitha Gatoo, a concerned orchardist and civil society member said that the horticulture department must educate farmers.
"Farmers, particularly, in far-off areas lack awareness about farming techniques", Gatoo added.
An official from the Horticulture Department ,however, said that the department issue time to time advisors for farmers.
"Different programs and workshops are conducted regularly by the department and SKUAST to educate and generate awareness among farmers about scientific methods of farming", added the official.
