Wet soils lead to poor aeration and increased incidence of crown rot in Apple trees. Soils with heavy clay soil or compact subsoil are to be avoided. Apples grow best on well-drained, loam soils having a depth of about 45 cm and a pH level of pH 5.5-6.5.Soil Requirement for High Density Apple Farming
The planting distance mainly depends upon the nature/vigor of the variety and the rootstock used. The high density Apple planting cannot be adopted in steep, unfertile, shallow, and drought-prone areas. High density Apple planting are precocious, easily manageable, has higher yield potential, with better quality fruits and higher returns/unit area. With the advent of spur type cultivars and vigor controlling rootstocks, this system of planting is becoming popular in the case of Apple. Excessive Fruit Load-Large crop yields, Small Apples, Weak trees.Excessive vigor- Small crop yield, larger fruit, poor fruit color development.
The control of excessive vegetative growth in the tree for increased productivity is the main principle of high density production. Since Apple trees will be bearing fruit early, a permanent tree support system is also required. To maximize the production of a high density planting, it is also necessary to modify the training system and training and pruning techniques from traditional methods. Besides having an increased number of trees per acre, a high density planting must come into bearing within 2-3 years after planting. There are several characteristics in addition to tree number that is included in a high density system.
Though many highly productive commercial orchards today have 150 to 180 trees per acre and higher density can be anything over 180 trees per acre. Principles of High Density Apple Production (Image source: Pixabay)Ī high density orchard is defined as an orchard with more than 150 to 180 trees per acre. High density Apples consume 70% less fertilizer and 80% less pesticide spray, adding that these Apple trees produce about 50 to 70 tons of fruit per hectare by the third year of plantation while traditional varieties produce about 10 to 15 tons. Under high density plantation, about 4000 plants can be planted per hectare which is 250 trees under traditional farming. Proper irrigation is vital for raising this type of plantation and may need a bore well facility and contrary to traditional plantations this setup needs a drip pattern of irrigation, proper sanitation, and frequent checkups. The government promotes high density plantations, phasing out old plantations that have completed their economic life, giving farmers a subsidy of 50% on this re-plantation. Imported Apple varieties that yield more fruit, consume less fertilizer and pesticide is in greater demand in southern Kashmir. The demand for high density Apple plantation has increased in Southern districts. The several Apple varieties in high-density planting are Jeromine, Red Velox, Red Cap Valtod, Scarlet Spur-II, Super Chief, Gale Gala, Redlum Gala, and Auvil Early Fuji. Also, high density orchards can be developed on flat and fertile lands too the technology helps utilize land, provide ease in orchard inter-culture operations, plant protection, harvesting, and obtaining export quality of the produce. The average productivity of these orchards is about 6 to 8 metric tonnes per hectare, which is much below the productivity obtained in high-density orchards 40 to 60 MT per hectare. Conventionally, standard Apple plants raised on seedling rootstocks are planted at a spacing of about 7.5 X 7.5 meters with a planting density of 178 trees per hectare and spur varieties on seedling rootstocks are planted at a spacing of about 5 X 5 m with a planting density of 400 plants per hectare. High density farming refers to the planting of a higher number of plants per unit area than usual.