Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 14: With fruit tree buds appearing nearly 20 days ahead of usual, orchardists across north Kashmir have begun the season’s first round of spraying to protect the developing crop from pests and diseases.
Farmers said recent rainfall has improved soil moisture levels and created favourable conditions for spraying operations.
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The early emergence of buds, they said, has prompted growers to start pesticide application sooner than expected to safeguard the upcoming fruit crop.
According to growers, the stage currently being observed in orchards generally occurs during the first week of April.
However, relatively warmer temperatures earlier this month accelerated the budding process, forcing farmers to advance orchard management practices.
“The rain has given new life to orchards. What we are seeing today usually happens in early April. Because of the warmer temperatures earlier this month, the buds appeared nearly 20 days earlier,” said Shuhaib Muhammad Bhat, an orchardist from north Kashmir Janbazpora.
He said many farmers have already begun spraying, though some are late and a few even missed the oil-spraying stage.
The application of horticultural oil forms a thin coating on branches and buds, suffocating insect eggs and larvae by cutting off their oxygen supply.
“Insects lay eggs on the trees which later hatch and damage the crop. Oil spraying creates a protective layer that kills these pests before they multiply,” orchardists said.
Another orchardist, Ghulam Nabi Bhat, said the recent spell of rain has brought relief to farmers who were worried that prolonged warm weather could adversely affect the crop.
“Earlier the temperatures were unusually high and the buds appeared almost 20 days ahead of schedule. When such early budding happens, the risk of pest attacks and diseases increases if farmers do not act in time,” he said.
He added that temperatures have dropped slightly after the rainfall, slowing the pace of bud development and giving farmers a window to carry out oil spraying safely.
While farmers have begun protective measures, some orchardists expressed concern over what they described as limited on-ground presence of the Horticulture Department and their experts.
They said officials are rarely seen conducting field visits and mostly rely on issuing advisories through social media platforms.
“Advisories on social media are helpful, but farmers also need guidance in the field,” they added.
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