Apple Cultivation in Pakistan

The fruit apple is known as a symbol of health, beauty and love. It is cultivated and and consumed in many forms all over the world. Various forms of apple show diversity in size, shape, colour and taste. It is particularly grown at high elevations (About 1300 m) in the areas of Pakistan adjoining the border of Afghanistan, Iran and China. Most of its developed varieties were introduced during the British period. The total area, for its cultivation throughout Pakistan is about 45875 hectares with an annual production of 589281 tons.

It is a very nutritious, aromatic and delicious fruit. It is much enriched with Vitamin C, B and A. It contains about 11% sugar besides essential minerals in appreciable amounts. Its colour appeals, improves appetite and is most refreshing. It can be used in many different ways. It is cooked, made into preserves, Jellies, candied, canned, prepared as fresh apple juice and made into cider or vinegar. Its peel is used for making pectin. In spite of some serious pests and disease problem there is an increasing trend for bringing more area under apple because of better returns. Its growth in Pakistan requires a cooler climate than all other fruits. Apple thrives and fruits best under a relatively cool slow growing season, usually met with at higher altitudes. Therefore, proper selection of varieties is of major importance.  Varieties grown under such conditions are Amri, Kashmiri Amri, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Sky spur, Banki, Kulu etc.  Low chilling varieties such as Anna, Summer Gold and Golden Dorset have been identified giving encouraging results and hence can successfully be grown in lower elevations.

An important factor associated with fruit production especially for high chill varieties where no other source of irrigation is available is rainfall. An annual rainfall between 25 to 30 inches evenly distributed throughout the year is most desirable. In low rainfall areas best production can be achieved by supplementing irrigation water. Although apple tree grows and bears fruit in a wide range of soil, the most suitable appears to be deep rich, well drained fertile loam soil. The soils should be free from hard substrata and water logging conditions. Apple plants are raised on the seedlings/suckers rootstock which is more adaptable to the soil and climatic conditions. The rootstocks are grafted with desired scion variety during December-January. Usually tounge or cleft grafting gives a good success and is performed about 20-30 cms above ground level. T budding at the onset of monsoon rains is also practiced.

Before planting an apple orchard, proper decisions regarding selection of varieties, rootstocks, tree size and spacing, pollination and planting procedures must be made with understanding. Planting distance varies according to variety, vigour of rootstock, the fertility level of the soil and general climatic conditions of the area. Most often planting is done in square system. However, on slopes contour planting should be preferred. Application of manures and fertilizers start right from the planting of apple orchard and the first application is made at the time of filling of pits. In an orchard of average fertility, NP and K may be applied in the ratio of 70:35:70 grams per year age of the tree respectively and the dose may be stabilized after 10 years. These applications may be supplemented by FYM at 10 kg per year age of the tree. The increase or decrease in the fertilizer doses may be regulated on the basis of fertility status report of the soil and plants.

Apple fruit and tree growth mostly depends on rainfall irrigation system.  Apple orchards at high elevations are largely dependent on natural rainfall. A greater part of the apple growing season in high elevations region gets regular precipitation except in May-June. During these months some arrangements should be made for water irrigation because this period coincides with natural fruit drops that may reduce if trees are supplemented with irrigation. In Quetta region there is no rainfall during summer hence irrigation should be applied after 10 days to young plants and 15 days in case of mature and bearing trees.

Pruning of apple is often ignored, mainly because the growers are unaware of the objectives of this practice. Young non-bearing apple trees are pruned to train or shape them in such a way that a strong framework consisting of stout limbs is built to support maximum crop of fruit without breakage. Pruning of bearing trees is practiced to keep the tree tops low so as to facilitate thinning, spraying, picking, to make the trees well opened for penetration of sun light which in turn promotes better quality and colour of the fruit and to remove weak, diseased and undesirable branches. Best time of pruning is late dormant season because it eliminates the severe injury from extremely low winter temperature and heals up the cuts quickly.