APPLE CULTIVATION (Malus pumila)

(Synonyms: Malus communis, Pyrus malus; Family: Rosaceae)

Introduction

Apple is one of the most important commercial fruit crops grown in temperate regions worldwide. It is highly nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals, and widely consumed in fresh and processed forms such as juice, jam, jelly, cider, and vinegar.

Nutritional Value (per 100g of apple fruit)

• Carbohydrates: 13.4%
• Calcium: 10 mg
• Phosphorus: 14 mg
• Potassium: 120 mg
• Vitamins: B and C

Health Benefits

• Improves digestion and metabolism.
• Helps in reducing cholesterol and maintaining heart health.
• Rich in antioxidants, aiding in disease prevention.
• Boosts immunity and strengthens bones.

Global Apple Production

• Europe contributes more than 80% of the total world production.
• Major producing countries are Italy, France, Germany, USA, China, Russia, India, Spain, Iran, Switzerland, South America.

Climatic and Soil Requirements

Climate

• Apple is a temperate fruit that requires cold winters and moderate summers.
• It can be grown in subtropical regions at an altitude of 1600 – 2500 meters above mean sea level (MSL).
• Chilling Requirement:
  • Most apple varieties need 1000–1600 hours below 7°C for proper bud dormancy and flowering.
• Temperature Requirements:
  • Optimum temperature for growth:
    • Warm days: 12–15°C
    • Cool nights: 7–8°C
  • Frost damage: Severe freezing temperatures can kill young apple plants.

Soil Requirements

• Well-drained loamy soil with high organic matter is ideal.
• Soil pH: 6.0 – 6.8
• Depth: Minimum 45 cm or more for proper root development.

Propagation Methods

Propagation Techniques

• Whip and Tongue Grafting: The most commonly used method for propagation.
• Budding (T-Budding, Chip Budding): Used for dwarf varieties and rootstock production.

Selection of Rootstocks

Rootstocks influence tree size, productivity, disease resistance, and adaptation to soil and climatic conditions.

Important Apple Varieties

Major Apple Growing States in India

• Himachal Pradesh
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Uttarakhand
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Nagaland

Popular Apple Varieties

Himachal Pradesh

• King of Pippins
• McIntosh
• Golden Delicious
• Red Gold
• Starking Delicious
• Granny Smith

Jammu and Kashmir

• Ambri
• Red Delicious
• Golden Delicious
• Lal Ambri
• Razakwar
• Lal Cider

Uttarakhand

• Fanny
• Cortland
• Buckingham
• Early Shanburry
• Red Delicious

Low Chilling (Tropical) Varieties

• Parlin’s Beauty
• Tropical Beauty

High-Density and Medium-Density Planting

Planting Spacing

Advantages of HDP & MDP

• Increased yield per hectare.
• Easier pruning and harvesting.
• Better fruit quality and uniform size.
• MDP is more profitable than HDP due to better fruit quality.

Training and Pruning

Training Systems

• Central Leader (traditional method)
• Modified Leader (most preferred)
• Espalier (suitable for high-density planting)
• Tatura Trellis (widely used in commercial farming)

Pruning

• Apple trees bear fruit on spurs (short branches formed on older wood).
• Pruning objectives:
  • Heading back: Encourages branching and spur formation.
  • Thinning out: Removes weak and non-productive shoots.

Nutrient and Irrigation Management

Fertilizer Requirements

Deficiency Symptoms

• Calcium Deficiency: Leads to physiological disorders like bitter pit.

Irrigation

• Drip irrigation is most effective.
• Critical irrigation stages:
  1. Flowering
  2. Fruit set
  3. Fruit development

Pollination and Fruit Set

• Most apple varieties are self-incompatible, requiring cross-pollination.
• Pollinizer varieties:
  • Golden Delicious
  • Red Delicious
  • Crab Apple
• Pollination agents:
  • Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are the best pollinators.

Pest and Disease Management

Major Pests

• Wooly Aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)
• Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella)
• San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)

Common Diseases

Harvesting and Storage

Harvesting Time

• Apple fruits mature 120–150 days after flowering.
• Harvested at TSS (Total Soluble Solids) 12-14% for best quality.

Storage Methods

Special Cultural Operations

Irrigation and Mulching:

• • Drip or Trickle Irrigation: This method ensures high water-use efficiency and is well-suited for hilly slopes.
  • Mulching: Organic mulches like straw, hay, sawdust, or other organic matter help retain soil moisture and suppress weed growth.
  • Weed Control: Application of herbicide Pitezin (Atrazine + Simazine + Propazine) @ 8–10 kg/ha after weed emergence in a 1.5-meter band along tree rows.
  • Earthworm Conservation: Littering straw near the root zone is advised to maintain soil organic matter and encourage earthworm activity. However, herbicides may reduce earthworm populations.

Bud Break and Flowering Management:

• • Chilling Deficiency Management: If chilling requirements are unmet, bud break is poor. To induce bud break: Apply Sandolin-A (Dinitro Ortho Cresol) @ 0.5% in a 2% mineral oil emulsion during January.
  • Flowering Duration Enhancement: After bud break, at the flowering and petal fall stage, apply Alar @ 3000 ppm to prolong the flowering duration.

Fruit Set and Drop Management: To prevent fruit drop and enhance fruit set, spray AVG (Amino Ethoxy Vinyl Glycine) 200 ppm between the pink bud stage and petal fall stage, which can increase fruit set up to 10-fold.

Plant Protection

Major Pests Affecting Apples

Aphids (Eriosoma lanigerum and Aphis pomi)

• • Symptoms:
    • Aphids feed on new wood and roots, forming galls.
    • Infestations are severe in cold and wet conditions.
  • Management:
    • Destroy eggs before hatching by spraying tar oil or DNOC-petroleum oil, ensuring thorough coverage of the bark.
    • Chemical Control: Spraying organophosphates (Malathion 0.2%, Phosphomidon 0.2%, or Dimethoate 0.2%) at the green cluster stage.
    • Resistant Rootstocks: Use woolly aphid-resistant rootstocks like Northern Spy and Robusta-5.
    • Biological Control: The parasitoid Aphelinus mali is an effective natural enemy.

Blossom Thrips (Thrips flavus)

• • Symptoms:
    • Flowers show withering, leading to fruit abortion.
    • Infested blooms open partially or become distorted.
    • Excreta deposits near feeding sites promote fungal infections.
  • Management:
    • Biological Control: Use natural predators like Chrysopa sp. and Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata).
    • Chemical Control: Spray Fenetrothion @ 0.05% at the green tip stage (pre-bloom).

Red Spider Mites (Panonychus ulmi)

• • Symptoms: Suck sap from leaves, causing them to turn bronze. Severe infestations stunt plant growth.
  • Management: Integrated pest management (IPM) involves conservation of predatory mites such as Typhlodromus pyri and Amblyseius andersoni.

Major Diseases Affecting Apples

Apple Scab (Venturia inaequalis)

• • Symptoms:
    • Velvety brown to olive-green lesions on leaves, turning mousy black over time.
    • Causes premature leaf yellowing, defoliation, and fruit drop.
    • Fruits develop scabby, knotty lesions with deep cracks, leading to fruit rot.
  • Management:
    • Fungicide Spray Schedule:

Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha)

• • Symptoms:
    • Whitish powdery growth appears on both sides of leaves and twigs.
    • Infected leaves become distorted, small, hard, and brittle.
    • Severely infected plants show leaf fall and premature fruit drop.
    • Infected fruits develop rusty patches.
  • Management:
    • Pruning infected shoots to reduce inoculum.
    • Chemical Control: Spray Triadimefon (0.05%) or Pyrazophos (0.021%).

Harvesting and Yield

• Harvesting Stage: Apples are harvested at full maturity, indicated by color development.
• Expected Yield: In medium-density plantations, the normal yield ranges between 100–150 tonnes/ha.