Solan: With the onset of the monsoon season, apple orchards are increasingly vulnerable to various diseases and pest attacks that can compromise fruit quality. In view of this, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni will be conducting field visits and awareness campaigns across several areas of Shimla district on July 9 and 10. The initiative aims to alert farmers about prevalent diseases in apple and other stone fruits—particularly Alternaria leaf spot/blight and other foliar diseases. To provide timely and location-specific guidance, the university has constituted five expert teams comprising scientists from the main campus at Nauni, RHRTS Mashobra and Krishi Vigyan Kendras of Solan and Shimla.
Each team will include a plant pathologist, entomologist, fruit scientist along with other experts. They will carry out on-ground assessments of pest and disease conditions in apple orchards and provide scientific recommendations to growers.
Team Details and Visit Schedule:
- Team 1: Dr. Usha Sharma, Dr. Nagender Butail, Dr. Neena Chauhan, and Dr. Sumit Vashisht.The teams will visit Kalbog and Ratnari in Kotkhai block on July 9. Banuti/Devidhar and Sandasli in Chirgaon block will be covered on July 10
- Team 2: Dr. Dinesh Thakur, Dr. Upender Sharma, Dr. Sangeeta Sharma, and Dr. Ajay Bragta. The team will cover Tikkar and Pujarli in Rohru block on July 9 while Nandpur in Jubbal Block will be covered on July 10.
- Team 3: Dr. Shalini Verma, Dr. Ajay Sharma and Dr. Kiran Thakur. The team will visit Mahasu and Dharonk in Kotkhai block on July 9. Chajpur and Anti in Jubbal block will be covered on July 10.
- Team 4: Dr. Arti Shukla, Dr. Pramod Verma and Dr. Anurag Sharma. The team will visit Chaithla, Pandli and Khaneti in Kotkhai block while Madhol in Jubbal block will be covered on the second day of the visit.
- Team 5: Dr. Virender Rana, Dr. Vikas Sharma, and Dr. R.S. Jariyal. The team will visit Matiana and Mahog in Theog Block while Thanedhar and Madhawani of Narkanda block will be covered on the second day.
Along with this university scientists from RHRTS Bajaura (Kullu),KVK Chamba and KVK Kinnuar will also be conducting field visits and awareness drives in their respective areas on the above dates.
These field visits are being coordinated by the University’s Directorate of Research. A detailed advisory for orchardists will be issued after analysing the observations and findings from the visits.
This initiative underlines the university’s ongoing commitment to proactive farmer outreach and sustainable orchard management practices.
