Thursday, March 18, 2010

Pollination problems

This post is in continuation of our earlier post on Management Practices part of our series on Low Productivity in Apple: Contributing factors in Himachal Pradesh

Pollination Problems

Lack of Pollinizers: The low proportion of pollinizing varieties and non-synchronization of their flowering with the main Delicious varieties is yet another factor that has adversely affected fruit setting in major apple growing areas of the state. The horticulture census data (1989-90) reveal that in most of the orchards the pollinizing variety comprises only nine to ten percent against the 33 percent required for ensuring optimum pollination. Moreover in most of the orchards, Golden delicious has been planted as the major pollinizing variety, the flowering of which sometimes does not synchronize with the main Delicious varieties.

The orchardists must plant two or three varieties of pollinizers, properly spaced in entire orchard for ensuring adequate pollination. Varieties like Red Gold, Tydeman’s Early Worcester, Granny Smith, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Yellow Newton and Jonathan, besides carb apples like Golden Hornet, Snow Drift and Manchurian, can be planted as pollinizers for successful pollination.

Lack of pollinators: Pollination in apple is mainly done by the honey bees and other wild insect pollinators. It has been estimated that at least three beehives per hectare must be placed in orchard during flowering period to ensure pollination and fruit set.


This post is part of our series on Low Productivity in Apple: Contributing factors in Himachal Pradesh. Entire series is coverted through following topics


Keep following for the further posts.

No comments:

Post a Comment