Low temperature delays apple pollination in Himachal

SHIMLA: The low temperatures in the higher reaches of the state and inclement weather this month has become a matter of concern to the apple growers in the higher reaches of the state, specially the tribal district of Kinnaur from where apples are in great demand and Lahaul and Spiti the residents of which have only recently taken to apples as a cash crop as temperatures there have become conducive for growing the fruit.
A major reason for this is the fact that the colonies of bees which are taken up by the state horticulture department and also by private bee colony owners to these two districts so that they can help in the pollination process, have not been able to reach there and the few bee colonies that have reached the district are not much of a help as the bees are not active due to the low temperatures.
Kinnaur deputy director horticulture D P Bangalia said that the arrival of the bees from Bhurewala in Haryana, where the department takes them during the winter months was delayed this year because of the snow, rain and low temperatures. “However, we have managed to bring about 100 colonies of bees to Datt Nagar near Rampur and if the skies are clear and there is no rain and snow, we will transport them to different places in the district from there’’, he added. Admitting that the arrival of the bees had been delayed this year, which could hamper the production of fruit at least in the lower areas of the district as the flowering process had started, he said that apple is grown in about 9,500 hectares in Kinnaur and pollination in the lower reaches could be adversely affected. “However, in the higher reaches of the district the flowering is in the pink bud and green tip stages and the flowers are yet to bloom, so if we can manage to get the bees there, part of the crop will be saved’’, he claimed.
Bangalia said that bringing the bees in inclement weather was a tedious process as the transportation had to be done at night, whereas the bees had to be left in the open during the day so that they can move about and return to their hives at night. “But due to snow and hail traveling in the night has been a problem and also the low temperatures are preventing the bees from venturing out during the day also. This has also affected the movement of the bees of private owners also”, he pointed out.
Likewise, a spokesman of the horticulture office in Lahaul and Spiti said that the low temperatures had not only affected the arrival of the bees, but the little colonies that were available were also not much of a help. “However, as the orchards in Lahaul and Spiti, are in a nascent stage as the locals have only recently taken to apples as a cash crop the production would not be very badly hit’’, he maintained.
He said that so far only 80 hectares of land had been brought under apples in the district as the locals were adopting a wait and watch attitude on how production is, how are the vagaries of nature affecting the crop and whether movement of the fruit to the markets would be adversely affected in case of early and heavy snow. Meanwhile, VK Mattu of the department of bio-sciences, Himachal Pradesh University, said that orchardists of the state were almost 75% dependant upon bees for pollination.
“Birds, bees, bats and other species that pollinate plants life are declining at an alarming rate, which has threatened the existence of plant life,” he added.