The abnormal weather patterns triggered by El Nino are a cause for concern for horticulture crops especially fruit and plantations crops, said Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Sciences), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

While the Southern parts of the country are witnessing above normal temperatures, the northern belt has seen an extended winter hurting the prospects of various horticultural crops such as mango, cashew, citrus and apricots among others.

The sudden increase in temperatures is resulting in pests such as thrips and hoppers and diseases, physiological disorders and flower dropping in various crops. “These are the conditions where the pest will flourish. As a result, there will be a negative impact on the crops,” Singh said. “It is a concern because every year this pattern is changing and giving us new challenge every year,” he said.

Big advantage via new areas

In the South, the abnormal rise in temperatures has impacted flowering in mango and growers are facing a higher incidence of the fungal disease powdery mildew and thrips in several pockets. This could impact the crop by about 10-15 per cent, Singh told businessline on the sidelines of the National Horticulture Fair 2024, organised by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) at Hessarghatta on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

“Though new areas have come up and that’s a big advantage for us, the crop loss will be in pockets, in certain areas where ever there was early bloom and these shifting weather pattens have caused this problem. Otherwise most of the major areas we don’t have this affect,” Singh said.

Similarly, in the coastal belts, which is witnessing rise in temperatures and higher humidity, there will be a higher incidence of tea mosquito bug in cashew plantations, Singh said. “It is an extended winter in North India. For apples it is fine, but for crops like apricots and others it is such a loss because all the flowers have been lost because of the late snowfall,” Singh said.

Earlier, addressing the NHF 2024, Singh said the horticulture output has surpassed the foodgrain output and per the third advanced estimates the production is seen at 355 million tonnes. Singh emphasised on the development and adoption of next generation technologies in horticulture, considered a sunrise sector. Singh said horticulture has an important role in addressing the nutritional security, enhancing farmers’ income creating employment opportunities and entrepreneurship, he said.

Showcasing tech advancement

The three-day NHF 2024 is showcasing the recent advancement in the production and processing technologies for various horticultural crops developed by various ICAR institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. Farmers from about 20 States are participating in the event where some 238 technologies are being demonstrated. Several FPOs and start-ups are also displaying their innovation at the event.

Bhanu Prakash Srivastava, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Ltd, appreciated the efforts of IIHR in meeting the needs of farmers, entrepreneurs and students through exhibitions like NHF and several capacity-building programmes. He also emphasised on the collaborative programmes for the benefit of various end users in horticulture.

V Venkatasubramanian, Director, ICAR-ATARI Zone-11, Bengaluru, appreciated the role of IIHR technologies that are contributing immensely to the development of horticulture sector, especially in the remote areas of the country including Lakshadweep Islands and also in doubling the farmers’ income and generating women employment.

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