Apples are grown in Kashmir at a variety of altitudes, each of which shapes the way the crop blooms, sets fruit and yields. Yet, despite being one of the largest apple producing regions in the country, productivity in the valley remains modest. As traditional orchards face rising costs, delayed returns and increasing climate stress, researchers and growers are turning to new rootstock technologies and high-density systems to make apple farming more efficient and resilient.
Apple is a major fruit crop in Kashmir which is cultivated in 1.08 lakh hectares and produced in 11 lakh tonsProviding livelihood to about 27 lakh people. The performance of apples is determined by the varying altitudes of the valley. They range from More than 1,500 meters to 2,600 meters Above sea level, creating specific microclimates. Trees require a certain amount of cold (chilling hours) in winter, they are sensitive to frost, and require sufficient heat (heat accumulation) in summer. So, altitude affects how much cold or heat the trees get, which directly affects how well apples grow, flower, and produce fruit.
high density orchards
However, despite being one of the largest areas of apple cultivation in India, productivity in the Kashmir Valley is much lower than that of developed apple growing areas.
Dr. Wasim Hasan Raja says, “A major reason is that for decades, orchards have been dominated by seedling-based trees that are tall, vigorous, low-density and extremely slow to bear fruit. These trees take 6-8 years to produce commercial crops and yield only 10-12 tonnes per hectare, making them unviable for small lands.”
Dr. Raja is a scientist in the Fruit Science Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Srinagar, who has developed two new technologies for apple rootstock multiplication and grafting, both of which are now licensed to 25 nursery growers and adopted by more than 100 gardeners across India.
Modern rootstock technologies, on the other hand, offer a solution, he says. Rootstock refers to the roots and lower stem of a specially selected apple plant on which the desired variety is planted. It forms the entire root system and lower trunk of the tree, essentially acting as its foundation.
“This base determines the mature size of the tree (dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard), how early it begins to bear fruit, and its resistance to pests and diseases such as root rot, collar rot, and woolly aphid,” he says.
High density gardens are based on clonal rootstocks. Clonal rootstocks are rootstocks that are propagated by cuttings or layering so that each plant is identical.
Clonal Rootstocks. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Dwarf clonal rootstocks like M-9, MM-106, and MM-111 can increase productivity up to 40 tonnes per hectare and give marketable fruits within 2-4 years. Studies show that M-9 based systems offer significantly higher gross margins due to early production, better fruit color and uniformity,” explains Dr. Raja.
“They reduce tree size, increase earliness (how soon they start bearing fruit), improve uniformity, and increase yield efficiency.”
Traditional trees require heavy pruning, ladders and labour, which have now become increasingly expensive.
According to Dr. Raja, “Dense canopies make uniform spraying of insecticides and fungicides difficult, leading to increased pest and disease pressure. For small-scale farmers, wide spacing is not possible due to land limitations, and low-density systems use land inefficiently. These challenges have pushed Kashmir into a global trend: the shift from seedlings to clonal rootstocks.”
“As winters are getting warmer and snowfall is decreasing, the region may struggle to accumulate the necessary chill hours, which could impact apple production. Dwarf clonal rootstocks help trees cope with erratic rainfall, heat stress and soil-borne diseases while enabling better canopy management and efficient irrigation. Systematic studies on altitude-specific rootstock performance are still lacking, but are urgently needed due to changing climatic zones in the valley.”
quality, high cost
Although clonal rootstocks were introduced In the valley in 1989-90, Modern high-density orchards are still limited.
“The biggest hurdle remains the availability of quality clonal rootstocks and the high capital cost of setting up trellised orchards,” says Javed Iqbal Mir, principal scientist, fruit science division, ICAR-CITH. “Tellied orchards are fruit orchards where trees are trained to grow along a supporting structure, usually wire, poles or frames, such as when grapes are grown on a trellis. This supports high density apple orchards as it makes pruning, spraying and harvesting easier.”
He points out that government schemes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and the Overall Agricultural Development Program have been helpful in supporting farmers through subsidies, improving access to high-quality rootstocks and varieties, strengthening nursery infrastructure and promoting high-density plantation systems. “These initiatives have significantly increased orchard productivity, increased farmers’ income and improved the overall competitiveness of the apple industry in Kashmir,” says Dr Mir.
According to official data, about 836 hectares of land in Jammu and Kashmir has been brought under the High Density Plantation Scheme. High density orchards also require high precision. Farmers need training in pruning, canopy management, fertigation, leader training, pest monitoring and shoot positioning. “If these systems are mismanaged, productivity declines rapidly,” says Dr. Mir.
ICAR-CITH has also been conducting regular training programmes, field demos and exposure visits. “In addition, the Institute is now working on developing indigenous rootstocks adapted to Himalayan climate change, tolerant to drought, root rot and extreme temperature fluctuations. Some of these are already in advanced stages of evaluation and may be released within a few years. “These rootstocks will help expand apple cultivation in marginal areas – karevas, rocky slopes and replanting sites – and ensure long-term sustainability,” says Dr Raja.
High density apple orchards efficiently provide uniform, high quality fruit. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
adopt new system
For Tantre Manzoor, a farmer from Panchpora Marhama in Anantnag district, the shift to higher-density systems is driven by both economic need and changing agro-climatic conditions. After two decades in traditional apple cultivation on his 1.52 hectare land, he recently converted 0.2 hectare of his orchard to high-density planting, planting 700 dwarf apple trees on M9 rootstock.
Manzoor says rootstock technology has transformed apple cultivation by controlling the excessive height of trees and reducing the unproductive woody growth of traditional orchards. “Its precocious nature has completely transformed the grower’s experience, reducing the waiting period for the first fruit from almost 10 years to only the second year. Yields have also improved significantly. Traditional orchards produce about 1 tonne per kanal (1 kanal 0.05 hectare), while high density orchards can yield up to 4 tonne per kanal at maturity. The varieties are characterized by improved colour, crispness, firmness and freshness. “Fruit quality is also significantly improved because the shallow-rooted M9 system absorbs and stores nutrients more efficiently.”
He adds that the economic value of Gala apple variety in the Indian market is another major motivation. “Gala apples often lose the quality of traditional trees because thinning is labor intensive – something that makes dwarfing trees on M9 much simpler. “Rootstocks such as M7, MM106 or MM111 are preferred by growers who want to avoid the high initial investment required for M9, which requires staking and trellising. However, these non-staking rootstocks do not match M9 in terms of early fruiting or growth control,” says Manzoor.
According to Manzoor, the initial investment of around Rs 1.75 lakh per kanal seemed heavy for him, but it eventually stabilized and became a reliable source of income. “Although departmental and private sector preparedness such as availability of planting material and support services was initially limited, the government has supported farmers through subsidies, flagship programs and easy bank financing,” he says.
As a result, their income from high density orchards has increased significantly. “By the third year, an M9 tree can produce about 2.5 boxes of high-quality apples, which means a profit of about Rs 1.5 lakh per kanal, excluding expenses. Gala apples generally fetch Rs 15-20 per piece, about Rs 900-1,000 per box and up to Rs 1,500 per box if the quality is exceptional,” he says.
Moreover, rootstocks like M9 also show good adaptability to weather and climate variations. “However, higher density orchards require better management, including trickle irrigation, pruning branches, careful fertilizer use, limited breeding, professional pruning and training trees to international standards such as modified central leader systems. They demand more expertise and higher initial investment, but the long-term returns are far higher,” he explains.
Similarly, another farmer, Zafar Mehdi Dar, has been engaged in apple cultivation for five years. His orchard at Wahab Pora in Budgam district is spread over about 0.2 hectare and has about 350 apple trees in a semi-high-density system established on M-106 rootstock. “I shifted from traditional spacing to semi-high-density planting because it provides faster canopy growth, early fruiting and better overall productivity,” he says.
Hirrah Azmat is a Kashmir-based journalist who writes on science, health and environment.
