Cultivation of Apple

Apple (Malus domestica)

• Botanical Name: Malus domestica
• Chromosome Number: 2n = 34
• Family: Rosaceae
• Origin: Eastern Europe and Western Asia
• Common Name: King of Temperate Fruits
• Type: Climacteric fruit
• Pollination: Cross-pollinated (primarily by bees)
• Popular Saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

• Importance:
  • Commercially the most important temperate fruit.
  • 4th most widely produced fruit globally after banana, orange, and grape.
  • Leading Producer: China

Importance

• Known as the “King of Temperate Fruits”
• A popular proverb: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away“
• Apple is the 4th most widely produced fruit in the world, after banana, orange, and grape.
• China is the largest producer of apples in the world.
• In India, major apple-producing states are Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Agro-Climatic Requirements

• Altitude: 1,500–2,700 meters above mean sea level
• Chilling Requirement: 1,000–1,500 chilling hours (temperature ≤ 7°C)
• Ideal Temperature:
  • Winter: 0°C to 7°C (dormant stage)
  • Growing season: 21°C to 24°C

Soil Requirements

• Type: Well-drained loamy soils
• pH:5 to 6.5
• Rich in: Organic matter
• Essential: Good drainage and aeration

Varieties Cultivated in India

• Common Varieties: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Bramley Seedling, Jona Gold (Triploid), New Jona Gold, Kent, Chaubattia Anupam

Propagation and Planting Material

• Propagation Method: Whip and tongue grafting
• Planting Season: January and February
• Planting Systems:
  • Square or Hexagonal: Used in valleys
  • Contour Method: Used on slopes

Rootstocks

• Dwarfing Rootstocks: M9, M27
• Cold Tolerant and Wooly Aphid Resistant Rootstocks: M7, MM106, M779, 793
• Resistant Variety: Robusta-5 (Developed in Ottawa, Canada from Malus robusta)

High Density Planting (HDP)

• Dwarf Rootstocks Used: M9, M4, MM106, M26
• Spacing: 2 m × 1 m
• Plant Population:
  • High density: 5,000 plants/ha
  • Medium density: 1,666 plants/ha

Fruit Drop Management

• AVG (Amino Ethoxy Vinyl Glycine): Sprayed at 200 ppm between pink and petal fall stage, Increases fruit set up to 10-fold
• NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid): Controls Pre-harvest drop. Apply @ 10 ppm (1 ml Planofix in 4.5 L water) a week before expected drop

Planting System

• High-Density Planting (HDP):
  • Uses dwarfing rootstocks like M9, M26
  • Spacing: 2 m × 1 m (≈ 5000 plants/ha)
• Medium Density: 1666 plants/ha
• Season: January–February
• Methods: Square or hexagonal system in valleys; contour method on slopes

Types of Fruit Drop

1. Early Drop: Due to unpollinated/unfertilized blossoms
2. June Drop: Caused by moisture stress and fruit competition
3. Pre-Harvest Drop: Controlled by NAA spray

Insect Pests

• San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)
• White Scale (Pseudoulacaspis sp.)
• Wooly Apple Aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)
• Blossom Thrips (Thrips rhopalantennalis)

Diseases

• Collar Rot: Phytophthora cactorum
• Apple Scab: Venturia inaequalis
• Sclerotious Blight: Sclerotium rolfsii
• Crown Gall: Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Management:

• Use disease-resistant varieties
• Destroy infected plant parts
• Apply fungicides: Copper oxychloride, Carbendazim, Mancozeb

Physiological Disorders

• Fruit Drops:
  1. Early Drop (due to poor pollination)
  2. June Drop (due to moisture stress)
  3. Pre-Harvest Drop (controlled by NAA @ 10 ppm)
• Fruit Set Enhancer: AVG (Aminoethoxy Vinyl Glycine) 200 ppm sprayed between pink bud and petal fall stage

Grading of Apples

• Size-Based Grading: 6 manual grades
• Quality-Based Grades:
  • AAA, AA, A
  • A, B, C
  • Extra Fancy, Fancy Class I, Fancy Class II

Yield: Medium Density Planting: 100–150 tonnes/ha

Storage

• Storage Duration: 4–8 months
• Cold Storage Conditions:
  • Temperature: –1.1°C to 0°C
  • Relative Humidity: 85–90%