The current spell of rainfall and snow in the upper and middle hills of Himachal Pradesh may translate into some respite for farmers and orchardists who are grappling with the impact of five long months of dry winter.

The last rain in the region was recorded at 10.4 mm in January while a total of only 57.2 mm rain was recorded between September last year and January this year.

Snowfall in the upper reaches, including Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu, would not only moderate the day and night temperatures but would provide the much-needed chilling conditions to apple, cherry, pear and peach orchards.

With a consequent dip in the temperatures, the threat of pre-mature blooming and erratic flowering in the orchards, particularly in the apple growing belt of the region, too, has somewhat lessened.

“The rains and snowfall would certainly help in meeting the chilling conditions required by apple orchards and hopefully lessen the chances of early flowering in the apple-growing belts of the state,” said Dr K R Dhiman, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.

He said the region did not experience heavy snowfall during the current winter thereby preventing exposure of deciduous fruit orchards to chill.

Dhiman hoped that if rain and snowfall occurred repeatedly up to mid-April, it would help in checking erratic flowering in the orchards. Further, it would also help fruit to set in the orchards and would meet the water requirements of stone fruit and apple orchards.

... contd.