CROP SETTING

CROP SETTING

FACTORS AFFECTING

During the period 15 to 20 March, the growth period starts. The fruit and leaf buds start swelling and then burst to grow, the leaf buds earlier than fruit buds. The following takes place in 3 stages. The lower then the middle and finally the top portion of the tree gets the leaf and fruit buds. The pattern of flowering gives an indication of the crop. If the flowers dominate the leaves then a good/bumper crop can be expected. And a thin crop if the leaves are more prominent than the flowers.The flowering process continues for about a fortnight. Mid April is the peak time. The crop setting mainly depends upon favourable season and temperature. In case a cold wave starts followed (generally) by hail storm and clear nights, the fruit setting will be affect adversely. Similarly, if there is high temperature and drought during flowering period, the fruit setting will be adversely affected. Favourable weather/temperature plays the key role in crop setting. Pruning and proper manuring too play an important role in crop setting. Also if the previous year it was a bumper crop then the fruit setting in the current year is likely to be thin.The following practices can help improve the fruit setting:1. To fight cold wave, the smoke by burning small heaps of grass evenly spread in the orchard helps in reducing the adverse effects of low temperature.2. Spraying TSO during end February or first week April, in high altitudes, will delay the flowering by about a week may take you past the cold wave. But, this may adversely affect in case there is drought during delayed flowering.3. Application of CAN (1 Kilogram per plant) during July or immediately after fruit plucking, ie, during September generally results in normal crop each year except for the extreme weather conditions. This is due to the fact that the fruit buds become strong/healthy for fruit production the following year.4. Grass mulching of the tree basin (taulia) during winter is also helpful in fighting the cold wave/high temperature effect during crop setting.5. Avoiding heavy crop by crop thinning in case of heavy crop setting also results in getting normal crop each year.6. During the lean crop year which the orchadist knows by alternate Cropping theory, the application of hormones in green bud burst stage and pink bud stage helps in more fruit setting, It is also suggested that such spray is not suggested during normal good crop year according to alternate cropping theory.7. Application of Nitrogen in small quantities (500 grams per plant) or Urea spray before crop setting may also result in good crop setting.8. Raising wind breaks around the orchard can help in fruit setting by reducing the cold winds/wave effect to some extent.9. During drought period irrigation can be helpful as it will provide humidity for favourable fruit setting. However, it may be mentioned here that the author experimented by irrigating 3 – 4 trees heavily when they were in full bloom during extreme dry weather ad the result was no crop at all.10. Avoid over manuring as it results in more vegetation and less fruit. It has been observed that heavy crop is seen in less manured orchards in case weather is favourable during the flowering period.11. Full control over Scab, Woolly Aphid, Powdery Mildew, root rot, Scale, Canker .... by proper treatment /sprays, will also result in getting good crop each year.12. Use of anti hailing nets is very helpful in saving the flowers during crop setting and further protecting the set fruit from hail. Now the HP government has decided to install anti hail guns in areas prone to hail storms. This will go a long way. 13. Planting of cold wave/drought resistant varieties can also be helpful in giving fruit production each year.14. Thrips Control for good crop setting is another important item. When the weather is cold, as is the result of late snow fall during winter, there are practically no thrips or much less as can be seen in flowers but in dry weather there are plenty. So, at the green/pink bud stage insecticide material at the rate of 100 – 200 grams per 200 liters is very favourable for good crop setting. This spray should not be applied in flowering stage as this is extremely harmful to the bees and butterflies.15. Bees, Insects and Butterflies do a lot of good work towards cross pollination of the flowers and thus help good crop setting. In orchards surrounded by forests, this work is done by wild bees and insects. In orchards away from the forests, house bees art a good crop each year. Insecticide sprays are to be avoided during the flowering period. 16. Pollinators. There should be a reasonably good proportion of pollinating trees in the orchard. Golden Delicious, Red Gold, Worcester Pearman, Rome Beauty are the used pollinating plants in Himachal Pradesh. Early flowering and late flowering varieties should be planted. It has been observed that during lean crop year or adverse weather effect year, there is good crop on trees adjacent to or surrounded by pollinators. For more information click here.17. Effect of Pruning on Crop Setting. It is not necessary that heavy pruning will result in good crop setting. Observation reveals that there is more fruit set in unpruned plants than in pruned ones during thin year. The effect of cutting back, however, does occur in the terminal buds. Heavy pruning in general reduces the crop but increases the size and quality of the fruit. Alternate year heavy cutting is advised by dividing the orchard in two parts to keep the balance of fruit production. It is also observed that regular normal pruning with heading back of branches – long laterals results in fruit setting every year if the trees are properly manured and the weather is favourable.