Fruits of Himanchal
Himachal Pradesh, which is endowed with enormous natural beauty and resources has a total geographical area of 55,675 kms. It is rich in natural resources and has varied agro-climatic conditions suitable for the development of horticulture. The State has a vast potential of horticulture and has taken a leap forward to produce different varieties of fruits from tropical to temperate, which has made it the fruit bowl of the country. It has also helped in the economic upliftment of rural population and has also generated employment. The total area under fruit in HP is about 2.07 Lac hectares with a production of about 5.00 Lac MTs of all kinds of fruits. Apple is the major fruit accounting for more than 40% of total area under fruits and about 88% of total fruit production.
The agro-climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh are extremely suitable for growing different varieties of Fruits. The state is successfully growing fruits such as apple, pear, peach plum, almond, walnut, citrus, mango, raisin grapes etc. There has been tremendous progress in fruit growing during the last three decades. Commercially, apple is the most important of all the fresh fruits grown. It has a rich collection of as many as 450 cultivars of apples collected from all over the World. The main varieties of commercial importance grown predominantly, however, are Royal Delicious, Rich-A-Red, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Himachal Pradesh currently accounts for over 4 lac tones of apple production annually.
It has been recognized as the Apple State of India for being adjudged as the best producer of Quality Apples. Here farmers are encouraged to grow the world's finest varieties of apple. The State Department of Horticulture helps them by making available the most modern orchard technology and expertise and the hpmc looks after the marketing and processing requirements of it.
APRICOT (Prunus armeniaca ) is an important fruit crop of midhill and dry temperate regions of India. Cultivated apricot has its origin in North-Eastern China, whereas wild apricot, popularly known as zardalu, appears to be indigenous to India. It grows wild in hills of Shimla and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. Fruit is delicious. It is rich in vitamin A and contains more carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorous and niacin than many other common fruits. Besides its use as dessert, it is also canned and dried. Fruit is processed into jam, nectar and squash. The kernels are either sweet or bitter, depending upon the variety. The sweet kernels are used as a cheap substitute for almonds in pastries and confectionery. The bitter kernels are used for oil extraction.
In India, apricot is grown commercially in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and to a limited extent in north eastern hills. Some drying type apricots are being grown in the dry temperate areas of Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
Climate and soil
Apricot can be successfully grown at an altitude between 900 and 2,000m above mean sea level. White-fleshed, sweet kernelled apricots require cooler climate and are grown in dry temperate region up to 3,000 m above mean sea level, whereas yellow fleshed, bitter-kernelled ones thrive better under the warmer climate of mid hills (900-1,500 m) the long cool winter (300-900 chilling hours below 7`C), and frost free and warm
spring are favourable for fruiting. Average summer temperature (16.6`-32.2`C) is suitable for better growth
and quality fruit production. The sites located in north eastern India at lower elevations and on South- Western at higher elevations are suitable for its cultivation. Spring frost causes extensive damage to the blossoms which are killed when temperature falls below 4`C. apricots thrive better under low humidity as high humid conditions in summer increase the incidence of brown rot. An annual rainfall of about 100 cm well distributed throughout the season is good fruits normal growth and fruiting.
Being hardy, it can grow in most of the soils, but deep fertile and well drained loamy soils are more suitable for its growth and development. The pH of the soil should be 6.0 -6.8. However, in Ladakh and Kinnaur, large wild apricots grow in sandy, well drained and less fertile soils.
Varieties
In India, apricot is grown in midhills to high hills having variable climatic condition. Varieties which are suitable for midhills are not suitable for high hills or dry temperature region. About 100 varieties of cultivated apricot are available in India. Most of them are of exotic origin.