Production Technology of Apple (Malus domestica)

Climate and soil requirements – varieties – propagation and use of rootstocks - planting density and systems of planting -High density and ultrahighdensity planting -cropping systems - after care - training and pruning - water, nutrient and weed management –fertigation - special horticultural techniques - plant growth regulation - important disorders – maturity indices and harvest and value addition.

1. Botanical Name : Malus domestica
Family : Rosaceae
Origin : Central Asia
Chromosome No. : 2n= 34, 51, 68 (x =17)
Production technology of Apple
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced
Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu -600117

2. Apple Fruit

3. Apple Field

4. Apple Field

5. •Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) is an important temperate fruit crop
•Winter is cold, spring is frost free and summer is mild – ideal for cultivation
•Genus Malus has 25 species
•Primary center of origin: South Western Asia
•In India, apple was introduced by Captain Lee in 1865 in Himachal Pradesh,
Later on, red coloured Delicious group varieties were introduced in Shimla, HP
•Apple fruit is rich in carbohydrate (15 %), protein (0.3 %) and nutrients like K,
P and Ca
•Malic acid is found in apples (Tartaric acid: Grapes)
Introduction

6. Area and Production
•Originated in the Caucasus mountains of South Western Asia
•In India, Apple is grown on commercial scale in Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
•It is also cultivated on limited scale in North-Eastern states like Assam,
Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur and
Nilgiri hills of Tamil Naidu
•In India, apple occupies an area of 2,82,940 hectares with a total
production of 17,77,230 MT

7. Climate and soil
•Apple is a typical temperate fruit and is generally grown in the temperate regions
•Apple require 1000-1600 chilling hours during winter to break the rest period
•Summer temperature should be around 21-24
0
C during active growth period
•Low temperature below 15
0
C, rains and cloudy weather during bloom restrict the
bee activity, which is completely inhibited below 5
0
C and adversely affect fruit set
•Temperature for pollination, pollen germination and fruit setting is 18 to 22
0
C
•Soil pH should be around 5.8 to 6.2
•Apple can be grown at an elevation of 1200 to 2000 m.

8. •Rainfall of about 100-125 cm throughout the season is considered
most favourable
•Long drought spells during fruit development and excessive rains and
foggy conditions at maturity hamper fruit size and quality
•Apple thrives best in loamy soils, which are rich in organic matter
•A soil pH between 6.0 to 6.5 with good drainage and aeration are
considered most suitable
•Soil should be deep, fertile and free from hard substrates and waterlogged
conditions
Climate and soil

9. Species
M. coronaria (American Crab apple)
•Tree are small, bushy and thorny
•Flower are large with persistent calyx
•Fruits are greenish yellow, fragrant and waxy
M. angustifolia (Narrow Leaved Crab Apple)
•It is distributed from Pennsylvania to Tennessee and Florida
•Leaves are small, narrow and lanceolate
•Flowers are pink in colour, fruit small

10. Species
M. floribunda (Flowering Crab)
•It is native of Japan
•These are small and thorny
•Flowering are highly ornamental, red colour
•Fruit are small and red in colour
M. baccata (Siberian crab)
•Grows wild from Siberia to Manchuria and the Himalayas
•Spreading tree, flowers white and showy
•Fruit yellow or red, firm and translucent

11. Early varieties
•These varieties bears yield during April – May.
•Irish Peach and Zouches Pipin are popular early varieties.
Mid season varieties
•These varieties bears yield during June – July.
•The popular mid season varieties are KKL 1, Carrington and Winterstein.
Late varieties
•These varieties bears yield during August – September.
•Rome Beauty and Parlin’s Beauty are late varieties.
Varieties

12. Varieties
•Spur types and colour sports: Red Chief, Oregon Spur-II, Silver Spur, Well Spur,
Red Spur, Super Chief, Starkrimson, Hardi Spur, Schelet Spur, Ace Spur
•Standard colour mutants: Vance Delicious, Top Red, Skyline Supreme, Hardiman,
Bright-N-Early.
•Standard varieties: Starking Delicious, Red Delicious, Rich-a-red
•Pollinizing varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Gold, Tydeman’s Early Worcester,
Summer Queen, Golden Spur, Granny Smith, Winter Banana, Mclntosh, Scarlet
Gala and flowering crabs like Manchurian, Snow Drift and Malus floribunda.

13. •Scab resistant varieties: Prima, Priscilla, Sir Prize, Florina, Flrdous,
Shireen, Macfree, Coop-12, Coop-13, Liberty and Freedom
•Low chilling varieties: Michal, Schlomit, Anna, Vered, Tamma, Tropical
Beauty and Parlins Beauty.
•Hybrid Varieties: Lal Ambri (Red Delicious x Ambri), Sunheri (Ambri x
Golden Delicious) Chaubattia Princess and Chaubattia Anupam (Early
Shanburry x Red Delicious), Ambred (Red Delicious x Ambri), Ambrich
(Richared x Ambri), Amroyal (Starking Delicious x Ambri).
Varieties

14. Red Delicious
•Originatedaschanceseedlinginthe
orchardsofJosseHiattnearParuin
USAHiatt.In1894)
•LaternamedasRedDeliciousbyStark
BrothersNurseries
•Fruitlargesizeandoblongconicalin
shape
•Groundcolourisgreenish-yellowwith
redstreaks
•FruitripensinthirdweekofAugust

15. Red Delicious

16. Starking Delicious
•AlsoknownasRoyalDelicious,isaLimbSportofRedDeliciousinMonsoville,
NewJersey,USA(1921)
•Treemoderatelyvigorous,fruitlarge,conicalinshapewithprominentcalyxlobes
•Skincolouryellowwithredstripesalloverthesurface,fleshfirm,sweet,juicy
•FruitmatureearlierthanRedDeliciousandreadytopickingin130-140daysfrom
fullbloom

17. Starking Delicious

18. Red Chief
•Bud sport of Starkrimson.
•Tree size small, compact and forms number of spurs, very productive and
regular in bearing.
•Fruit medium to large, conical in shape with prominent calyx lobes.
•Fruit colour dark red with prominent stripes.
•Colour development 10-15 days earlier than StarkingDelicious.
•Flesh creamy, crisp and juicy.

19. Red Chief

20. Top Red Delicious and Vance Delicious
TopRedDelicious:AbudmutationofShortWellDelicious.Standardtype.Fruits
conicalwithpredominantlobes.Fruitslarge,mediumwithdarkredstreaksoveryellow
background.Fleshyellowishcreamsweet,aromaticandjuicy,matures10-15days
earlierthantheStarking(Royal)Delicious
VanceDelicious:AlimbsportofDelicious.Standardtype.Fruitsmediumtolarge,
conicalwithprominentlobeswithdarkredstripesoveryellowbackground.Betterand
earlycolourandgiveshigheryieldthanRoyalDelicious.Fleshisyellowishcream
sweetandjuicy,matures15-20daysearlierthanStarkingDelicious

21. Black Diamond
•Black Diamond is a rare variety from the family of Huaniu apples that is
cultivated in the Tibetan region of Nyingchi
•Apple is a purple hue, with white pulp on the inside
•Its unique color is due to the region's high altitude of over 3,500 m.
•Temperature fluctuates wildly between day and night, with the apples being
exposed to a lot of ultraviolet light, which is conducive to the dark skin

22. Black Diamond

23. Kodaikanal-1
•A clonal selection made from Parlin’s Beauty at Horticultural Research
Station, Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu
•Adapted very well to warm winter conditions prevailing in South Indian
Hills
•Fruits is medium weighing 150g, global in shape with crisp flesh which is
moderately juice
•Fully rip fruits are attractive yellow in colour with crimson drop

24. Kodaikanal-1

25. FUJI
•Fuji is surely one of the most attractive modern apple varieties.
•Its main characteristic is the lovely pink speckled flush over a yellow-green background.
•It is also crisp and juicy, with dull white flesh which snaps cleanly.

26. Hardeman and Skyline Supreme Delicious
Hardeman:AwholetreemutationofDelicious.Standardtypeandvigorous.Fruits
mediumtolarge,conicalwithprominentlobes.Darkredstripesoveryellow
background.MaturesatthesametimeofStarkingDelicious
SkylineSupremeDelicious:AwholetreemutationofStarkingDelicious.Standard
type.Fruitsmediumtolarge,conicalinshapewithfiveprominentlobesandsurface
colourisredwash.Fruitsdevelopearlyandbettercolourandmatures10-15days
earlier

27. Bright-N-Early and Real Mecoy Red Delicious
Bright-N-Early:ItisasemispurtypesstrainofRedDeliciousalimbsport.Fruitsare
conicalinshapewithdeepbrightredstripes.Fruitfleshlightcreamsweetandjuicy.
Fruitsmature7-10earlyearlyStarkingDelicious.
RealMecoyRedDelicious:AmutationofRedDelicious.Standardtype.Fruitsare
conicalwithprominentlobes.Thefruitcolourisredwashoveryellowbackground.
Fruitmatures10daysearlythanStarkingDelicious,sweetandjuicy.

28. Well Spur and Silver Spur
WellSpur:AwholetreevariationofStarkingDelicious.Spurtypevarietyandfruits
aremoreconicalwithdeepredwash,coveringwholesurface.Fivelobesare
prominent.Fruitsmature15-20daysearlythanStarkingDelicious.Fleshisyellowish
cream,sweetandjuicy.
SilverSpur:AwholetreevariationofHiEarlyRed.Aspurtypecultivarandfruitsare
conicalwithdeepredsubmergingstreaks.Fruitsmature15daysearlythanStarking
Delicious.

29. Starkrimson Delicious and Red Spur
StarkrimsonDelicious:AwholetreemutationofStarkingDelicious.Fruitsaremore
conicalwithprominentlobeswithscarletredwash,coveringwholesurface.Fleshis
yellowishcream,sub-acidicandjuicy.Spurtype.Athigherelevationsfruitsizeremain
smallandovercoloured(black).Thiscultivarissuitableforlowerandvalleyareasin
thestate.
RedSpur:AwholetreemutationofStarkingDelicious.Treegrowthspurtype.Fruits
areconicalinshapewithprominentlobesatcalyxanddeepredwashwithconspicuous
dots(lenticels)overwholesurfaceandresembleRich-a-red.Fleshyellowishcream,
subacidicandjuicy,regularandprolificbearer.Fruitmatures10-15daysearlier.

30. Criterion and Black Ben Davis
Criterion:AhybridbetweenGoldenDeliciousandStarkingDeliciousandwasfound
tobesuperiortoGoldenDelicious.TheshaperesemblestoStarkingDeliciousand
colourisgoldenyellowwithredcheeks.Thetreeisstandardtype
Black Ben Davis: Popularly known as Kalidevi is Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh.
The trees are very vigorous and fruits are medium to large in size. The fruits are round
conical little flattened. The colour is striped dark red. Flesh is creamish white, firm
juicy, aromatic sweet and mildly acidic.

31. Mutsu
•OriginatedinAomoribytheAomoriAppleExperimentalStation,Japanfromthecross
betweenGoldenDeliciousandIndo.
•Heavyproducerandmoderatelybiennialbearer.
•Fruitismediumtolarge,roundtoovalinshapeandresemblestothatofGolden
Delicious.
•Fruitsaregreenwhichbecomesyellowlateron.
•Skinisthin.Thefleshisyellowish white fine and juicy.
•Fruits are medium to large in size.
•Ground colour of fruit is green, turns greenish yellow at maturity.
•Fruit shape is round conical.
•Flesh is greenish white, firm juicy, good of blend of sugar/ acidity.
•A very late variety, good pollinizer and regular bearer.

32. Mutsu

33. Golden Delicious and Red Gold
•Golden Delicious: It is partly self fruitfull. A chance seedling, heavy bearor and
used as pollinizer variety. Fruit round to conical oblong, greenish yellow which turn
golden yellow at ripening. Late maturing variety, takes 150-160 days from full
bloom to harvest.
•Red Gold: A pollinizer variety for Red Delicious and its sports. The fruits are small
to medium size of dark, dull red colour. The fresh is white, sub acidic and juicy. It is
a heavy and regular bearer but tends to develop biennial bearing habit if allowed to
over-crop. It suffers from a mosaic virus which tends to restrict fruit size. After the
initial years of cropping the free produces very small sized fruit.

34. Tydeman’s Early Worcester
Fruit is medium sized, greenish
yellow covered with bright red
colour.
The flesh is white, juicy, fairly
firm with a pleasant flavour.
It matures early in 80-90 days
from full bloom to maturity.

35. Red Flesh and Snow Drift
•Red Flesh: This variety tends to be more leggy in its growth habit unlike
Manchurian, which is compact and upright. The flowers are off red colour and
because of this bee activity is poor. It is also highly susceptible to powdery mildew
•Snow Drift: A very profuse bloomer on first or second year wood having five small
to medium sized, cupped, white flowers per cluster. If not trained, it attains bushy
oval shape, leaves are small and glossy.

36. Golden Hornet
Flowering is alternate or biennial
on spurs
5-6 medium sized cupped white
flowers per cluster

37. Granny smith

38. •Apple mainly propagated by whip and tongue grafting. The root-stocks are either related species
such as Malus sylvestris (crap apple), M. prunifolia, M. sikkimensis or their hybrid derivatives or
seedling progenies of cultivated varieties.
•East Malling Research Station in England developed Malling Stocks (M).
•John Innes Horticultural Institute, Jointly Merton and East Malling Research Station jointly
developed rootstocks (MM) which, are clonally propagated by either cutting or stooling.
•Some of the important rootstocks developed for specific purposes are as follows:
•M9, M – 27 : Dwarfing
•M7, MM-106 : Tolerant to below freezing (-40
o
C to – 35
o
C) resistant to wooly aphids.
•Northern spy : Resistant to wooly aphids (Eriosoma lanigera).
•Robusta-5 : Developed at Ottawa. Canada as a selection of Malus robusta – Resistant to
wooly aphid.
•Other rootstocks used are Merton 779, 793.
Propagation

39. Rootstocks
(1) Seedling rootstocks
•Seedling rootstocks are vigorous and not uniform in size.
•Seeds of crab apple (Malus baccata) or self pollinizing varieties like Golden
Delicious and Granny Smith are used for raising seedling rootstocks
(2) Clonal rootstocks
•Clonal rootstocks are precocious, uniform and resistant to insect pests and
diseases.
•In recent years size controlling clonal rootstocks are gaining popularity especially
for establishment of high density orchards.

40. •The promising clonal rootstocks of apple are:
oM9 or EMLA9 and M26 or EMLA26 (dwarf)
oM7 or EMLA7, MM106 or EMLA106 (semi dwarf)
oMM111 or EMLA111 (semi vigorous)
oMerton 793 ( vigorous)
•Malling series (M) rootstocks are size controlling but not resistant to woolly apple
aphid.
•Malling Merton series (MM) are size controlling and resistant to woolly apple aphid.
•EMLA series rootstocks are virus free
Rootstocks

41. Important clonal rootstocks with salient
characteristics
Rootstocks Salient features
EMLA 111/ MMIII Suit to drought prone areas
EMLA.7 Suit to sloppy, virgin lands, semi vigorous
EMLA.106/MM.106 Suit to sloppy, and less clay soils, semi vigorous
EMLA 9/M9
For high density planting with assured irrigation and
deep fertile soils, very dwarf
M 779 For hilly areas

42. Planting and manuring
•Pits of size 60 x 60 x 60 cm are dug at a spacing of 5 M x 5M.
•For effective fruit set (since self incompatibility exists in most cultivars) pollinating
varieties are interplanted.
•Usually 1 in 6 or 1 in 9 plants is used as pollenizer in self-unfruitful varieties.
•In intensive system, planting is done at 4M X 2.5 M or less.
•A complete row of pollenizer is used for every two rows of main variety.
•Planting spreads from June to December
•One year old grafts used for planting
•For a bearing tree apply FYM 25 Kg, N 500 g and each one Kg of P and K per
bearing tree

43. Spacing and planting density for different scion
stock combinations
Rootstock Tree size Spacing (m)
Density
(trees/ha)
Seedling Vigorous 7.5 x 7.5 178
MM111 and Merton 793Semi vigorous6.0 x 6.0 278
MM106, M7 Semi dwarf 4.5 x 4.5 494
M9 and M26 Dwarf 1.5 x 1.5 4444
Seedling Semi vigorous5.0 x 5.0 400
MM111, Merton 793 Semi dwarf 3.5 x 3.5 816
MM106, M7 Dwarf 3.0 x 3.0 1111

44. •Dwarfing rootstocks like M9,M4,MM106 and M26
•Grafts are planted at a close spacing of 2M X 1M, so that 5000 plants/ha
•But in comparison with MDP where in the total number of plants accommodated
was 1666 trees/ha (3 M X 2 M), the HDP did not give much yield
•An additional yield of 50% more than HDP can be obtained from MDP
•Fruit colour and quality also better in MDP than HDP.
High Density Planting (HDP)

45. High density orcharding systems in apple

46. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

47. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

48. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

49. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

50. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

51. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

52. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

53. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

54. High Density Planting (HDP) and Medium Density Planting (MDP)

55. Training and pruning
•Training is done to give a desired shape as well as to get a canopy for maximum sunlight
•Trees are trained as central leader, open centre, modified leader, cordon, dwarf pyramid,
espalier, tatura trellis
•Apple bear fruit buds in a past season growth called spur.
•In the established spur system, permanent fruit spurs are obtained on laterals by heading
back the leader every year.
•Strong erect laterals near the central leader are removed leaving wide angled vigorous
laterals for formation of spurs.
•In regulated syatems, the crowed weak and shaded branches are removed leaving leader
and strong laterals are grow

56. Two-leader apple production systems

57. Multileader apple production systems

58. •Apple trees require all the mineral elements. Depending on the soil type, rootstock, a quantity
of 500g of N, 250g of P, 750g of K/ tree can be applied.
•Deficiency of calcium will lead to physiological disorder in apple fruit called ‘bitter pit’ or
‘cork spot’.
•Bitter pits: spraying 0.5 % calcium chloride during the later development of the fruit. 4 times
at 14 days interval will help to reduce the deficiency symptom.
•Boron deficiency also causes internal browning of fruit and corking spots on the flesh
(internal cork) and sometimes as cork tissue in the skin (external cork). Sparying sodium
borate @ 10g/ lit. 3 times during flowering and fruit set will help to correct the disorder.
Manures and manuring

59. Pollination management
•In apple self incompatibility necessitates the assured pollination by bees. Even,
self- compatible varieties are more productive in presence of assured pollinators.
A range of pollinizers cultivars are available:
•Early Bloomer: Tydeman’s Early Worcester, Manchurian, Everest, Malus
floribunda.
•Mid Bloomer: Snow Drift, Gloster, Red Gold, Chestnut, Spartan, Cox Organe
Pippin, Yellow Transparent, York Imperial.
•Late Bloomer: Golden Delicious, Golden Spur, Rome Beauty, Granny Smith,
Worcester Pearmain, Golden Hornet, Stark spur Golden.
•Besides pollinizers, placement of honey bee hives in orchards as pollinators not
only increases pollination, fruit set and fruit yield but also provides additional
income through honey. For orchards with <15% pollinizers, 8 hives; orchards with
>30% pollinizers, 2-3 hives and for high density orchards, because of more plant
density per unit and higher bloom density of spur type cultivars 5-8 hives are
recommended.

60. Canopy management
•Canopy management determines the yield and quality of apple fruit which is a
resultant of ease of execution of efficient orchard management practices, better
light interception and distribution at tree as well as orchard scale.
•In general, 70% light is intercepted by tree canopy and rest 30% strikes
orchard floor.
•Observations revealed that more than 30% full radiation is beneficial for spur
development and flower initiation.
•Overall, an orchard with less than 30% light interception is low in productivity
in comparison to an orchard with 50-70% light interception.
•Traditionally modified and open centre training systems are practiced.
•High density plantation systems involves skill and therefore specialized
training system has to be adopted by the orchardist to maximize the available
land use efficiency as well as potential of any recommended cultivars for close
planting. Such approaches not only enhances the tree efficiency and precocity
but also easily manageable with very good fruit quality.

61. Fruit set and chemical thinning
Fruit thinning is a important management practice that reduces yield in the
current season but improves fruit size and also increase return bloom and yield
in the next season

62. Crop regulation and pre-harvest management
•Improving fruit set: Use 3% Dormex (hydrogen cyanamide) 40 days before bud break Boric acid
(1%) at the time of bloom can help in better pollen tube growth. Spray of Miraculan (0.75 ml/L
water) or Paras (0.6 ml/L water) or Biozyme or Protozyme (2 ml/L water) at bud swell and petal fall
stages has been recommended for better fruit set
•Thinning: Hand thinning of flower cluster after every 3-4 cluster or retaining only 2-3 fruitlets per
cluster is practiced. At petal fall stage NAA 10ppm (1ml planofix/4.5L water) 7- 15 days after petal
fall or at fruit length around 15 mm is most effective. Carbaryl @0.075% (Sevine 50WP/L water) 7-
10 days after petal fall and Ethephon (100-200ppm) at full bloom to petal fall is also effective

•Fruit drop: The application of 10 ppm NAA (Planofix 1ml/4.5L water) a week before the expected
fruit drop or 20-25 days before harvest can check the fruit drop effectively. Fruit colour and
maturity: Application of 250-500ppm 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid (Ethrel, CEPA or Ethephon)
about 20 days before harvest improves colour of fruit substantially but impairs shelf-life.

63. •Apple is a climacteric fruit in which the maturity of fruit does not coincide with ripening
•Fruits do not attain ripe edible quality on the tree at harvest
•If the fruits are picked immature, these fruits lack flavour and taste, which shrivel in storage
•Harvesting of over mature fruit develops soft scald and internal breakdown and has poor shelf life
•Maturity indices/harvesting stage determine the quality of fruits and its shelf life
•Maturity standards have been calculated and standardized based on days to harvest from full
bloom and TSS in apple
•Royal Delicious, Red Gold, Rich a Red, Red Delicious and McIntosh are ready to harvest after
120-135 days from the date of full bloom with TSS ranging from 12-14
o
Brix
Maturity indices & harvesting

64. Maturity indices & harvesting

65. Grading
The fruits are graded according to fruit size and fruit appearance like colour
and shape. On the basis of size, the apple fruits are graded manually or by
mechanical grades as:
Size grades of apple
Grade Fruit diameter (mm)
Super Large 85 +/- 2.5
Extra Large 80 +/- 2.5
Large 75 +/- 2.5
Medium 70 +/- 2.5
Small 65 +/- 2.5
Extra small 60 +/- 2.5
Pittoo 55 +/- 2.5

66. •On the bases of fruit colour shape, quality and appearance fruits are graded as
AAA, AA, and A
•Quality of fruits during transportation, storage and marketing are influenced
by the packing
•Usually, apples are packed in telescopic corrugated fibre board (CFB) cartons
•Usual dimensions of telescopic CFB carton with trays are 50.4 x 30.3 x 28.2 cm
(outer jacket) 50 x 30 x 28.2 cm (inner case)
•Each layer of fruit in carton is separated by a fruit trays which are different for
different size grades
Grading

67. Storage
•Apple fruit has long storage life and shelf life of fruits can be prolonged by
providing optimal storage conditions
•Cold storage retards fruit deterioration and reduce decay from pathogen and to
prevent shrivel ness resulting from water loss
•Apple fruits can be stored for 4-6 months after harvest in cold storage at a
temperature of -1.1 to 0
o
C with 80-90 per cent relative humidity

68. San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)
•It is polyphagus pests which feeds on apple plants. The insect is covered with deep
grey armature.
•By lifting armature, a yellow coloured insect underneath is seen. The nymph and
adults suck sap from aerial parts.
•Heavily infested trees have bark covered with deep grey overlapping scales. The
plant vigour is reduced which result in poor fruit setting and quality.
Control
•Spray 2 per cent dormant oil ( Servo orchard spray oil/ Hindustan petroleum spray
oil ) or 1.5 per cent summer oil like orchaks 796/ IPOL/shelter909 at half leaf to
tight cluster stage.
•If oil spray is not applied then spray with 0.04 % chlorpyriphos ( 200ml durmet in
100 L water) after petal fall to kill the crawlers and newly settled scale.

69. San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)

70. Woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)
•Woolly apple aphid feeds on apple and lives in colonies on the aerial parts and roots of plant.
•On the aerial parts, it is seen as white woolly mass.
•Damage is caused by sucking of sap from stem, twigs and roots resulting in gall formation,
plant remain stunted.
•Fruit set and quality also reduced under severe infestation.
Control
•Spray infested trees with 0.04% chorpyriphos( 200ml durmet in 100 L water) during May-
June and again in October.
•Aphid infestation on roots can be reduced by drenching the collar region of tree with
chlorpyriphos (0.1%) in October- November using 10-15 litre solution per tree.
•Use Malling Merton (MM) series clonal rootstocks for raising nursery plants, which are
resistant to woolly aphid.

71. Woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)

72. European red mite (Panonychus ulmi)
•This is a serious pest in apple and cause damage by feeding on green matter of
leaves. The leaves turn bronze in colour and upward cupping, followed by leaf drop
and weakening of fruit bud.
•The maximum population is observed during May-July. The mite complete 5-7
generation in a year.
Control:
•Spray 2 per cent dormant oil ( Servo orchard spray oil/ Hindustan petroleum spray
oil ) at half leaf to tight cluster stage. Dormant oil spray as suggested for scale is
effective against mites.
•Spray of 1 per cent summer oils like orchaks 796/ IPOL/shelter909@ 1 % at petal
fall and again at walnut stage of fruit.
•If population is high, spray with fenazaquin ( 25 ml Magister 10 EC/100 L) or
propargite (100 ml Omite/ 100 L water) twice at 20 days interval in June- July.

73. Apple scab (Venturia inaequalis)
•Light brown or olive green spots which soon turn musty black appear on either or both
sides of the young leaves in spring
•Young lesions are velvety brown to olive green becoming more distant with age, leading
to curling of leaves
•On the fruits, small lesions develop and slowly increase leading to misshapening and
cracking of fruits
Control
•Follow the spray schedule of dodine (0.1%) or mancozeb (0.3%) at silver tip to green tip,
mancozeb (0.3%) + carbendazim (0.05%) at pink bud, benmyl/ carbandazim (0.05%) at
petal fall, zineb (0.3%) or dodine (0.075%) at pea sizefruit, mancozeb + carbandazim in
June-July and urea 5% spray after fruit harvest to control the disease.

74. Apple scab

75. Powdery mildew
•Disease is caused by fungus Podosphaera leucotricha, which survive as
mycelium on dormant buds
•Young leaves show white mildew growth on its surface and also on twigs and
look silvery white
Control:
•Prune off affected twigs
•Wettable sulphur (200-300 g/100 L) or contaf (50 g / 100 L) or Baycor (50 g/
100 L).

76. Canker
•Many fungi have been reported to be involved in canker complex
•Symptoms appear on trunk and branches, resulting in the production of wounds which
develop length wise more rapidly.
•These are normally elliptical and the wound may increase up to a meter in length.
•Bark beneath the rough exterior becomes hard, dry and tough.
Control:
•Cut and burns the badly cankered portion of the tree.
•Scarify the cankered portions up to healthy portions and paint with Chaubattia paint.
•Immediately after pruning, apply chaubattia paste or copper oxychloride paint on cut portions
of the shoot.
•Spray copper oxychloride (300 g) or captan (200 g) in 100 L of water after fruit harvest

77. White root rot (Dematophora necatrix )
•Affected trees shows sparse foliage, slow growth, bronzing or yellowing of
leaves. Such trees ultimately die. Root turns brown and remain covered with
white cottony mycelial of fungi in rainy season.
Control
•Improve the drainage of an orchard.
•After leaf fall, remove the infected roots and apply Chaubattia paste ( Red lead,
copper carbonate and linseed oil (1:1:1.25) or copper oxychloride (300
g/100L) in Nov- December on cut ends of the roots.
•Give at least four drenching of Carbendazim (100 g) along with mancozeb (300
g) in 100 L of water during April, June, July and September in infected trees.

78. •Apple tree starts bearing from 4 year onwards
•Depending on variety and season, a well managed apple orchard yields on an
average 10-20 kg/tree/year
Yield