Early leaf fall virus hits Himachal apple orchards

The spread of the dreaded premature leaf-fall disease has set panic among apple farmers in the hills of Himachal Pradesh where the harvest is at its peak.

The disease has spread rapidly in the past couple of weeks, adversely affecting the quality of the fruit. It is reducing the shine, colour and size of the fruit .

The premature defoliation of the leaves is also causing black spots and blemishes to appear on the fruit skin .

The fruit ripens late in higher elevations , but due to the spread of the disease, farmers have been picking it up early causing a glut in the market .

The premature leaf fall disease is caused by fungi and mite which flourishes in wet conditions .

Farmers are puzzled that despite carrying out eight to ten sprays of their orchards in the span of a couple of months, the disease has not been contained. It has been raising its head in the monsoon for the last decade or so .

Farmers suspect the fungicides and insecticides available in the market could be spurious .The disease is more widespread in orchards where the soil captures moisture

Currently over 1,100 truck loads of apple are leaving the state on a daily basis. The harvest began in mid-July and will end in mid-October .

After two years of poor produce, the state is expecting a normal crop season. Himachal Pradesh accounts for a third of the apple production of the country The remaining is produced by neighbouring state, Jammu and Kashmir .