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Erratic flowering of kinnow no cause for panic, farmers told

Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) horticulturists have advised orchard farmers "not to panic" due to `erratic' flowering of kinnow, saying the unusual phenomenon has occurred due to abrupt increases in temperature, which went up to 30 degrees Celsius by the end of February.

A university release quoting the Head of the Horticulture Department, Yog Raj Chanana, said that in response to fruit growers' demand on erratic flowering, a survey and surveillance study of 40-odd orchards in Ferozepur-Fazilka and Hoshiarpur-Nawanshahr belt has revealed that general flowering was 10 to 15 per cent higher in Hoshiarpur than in the Ferozepur belt.

The change in temperatures had induced excessive vegetable growth leading to low flowering, while some fruit growers had reported additional flowering. In the same fields, the survey revealed some plants had profuse flowering with no flowering on some adjoining plants.

This is attributed to "alternate bearing tendency" of particular kinnow plants.

Dr. Chanana advised the kinnow growers to thin the flowering in the current month and settle for moderate kinnow yield rather than expecting a bumper crop. This was desirable for sustainable production over a period of time and to give necessary rest to the plants, he added. In Punjab, fruits occupy about 47,000 hectares, of which kinnow alone stands tall on approximately 20,000 hectares. Of this area, almost 50 per cent is in Ferozepur district of which 90 per cent is in Abohar sub division, while Hoshiarpur accounted for nearly 4,000 hectares under the crop.

Where farmers have been advised not to take heavy crop like in the last season, Dr. Chanana said in case of low temperature in May and June, the practice of checking fruit drop may be discontinued. In case there is still heavy cropping, this may be reduced manually or by stopping irrigation. Late harvesting may be avoided as far as possible as the ideal time for picking the fruit was between January 15 and February 15.

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