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High Density Plantation (HDP) in Apple

Solution Overview

  • It is a modern orchard management system aimed at maximizing productivity and fruit quality by planting trees closer together than in traditional systems. 
  • HDP plantation aims to transform traditional orchards into modern, profit driven enterprise thereby positioning HDP as a sustainable future for apple economy.
What We Do

Key Features & Benefits

Key Components and Features of HDP in Apple: 

Key components:  

  • Closer Spacing: HDP spacing: as close as 3 x 1.5 m or 3 x 1.0 m, depending on the rootstock and training system. 
  • Support system: Trees require support structures to grow upright due to weaker root systems.  Galvanized steel poles and wires are used for staking and training. 
  • Drip Irrigation and Fertigation System: Precise water and nutrient delivery directly to the root zone. Essential for M9-type rootstocks which have shallow roots and enhances growth and fruit quality while reducing input waste. 
  • Use of Dwarf Rootstocks: Dwarfing rootstocks like M9, are used to control tree size and allow closer spacing. 
  • Training Systems: Tall spindle with trellis systems is used to manage tree architecture in HDP. 
  • Hail nets/fencing: Protection in hail/frost-prone areas (Optional) 

Key features:  

  • Improved Quality: Better fruit color, size, and uniformity due to improved light distribution and canopy control. Improved yield ensures higher consumer acceptability and market (domestic and global) demand.  
  • Higher Yields: HDP allows for earlier and higher yields per hectare (50-60 t/ha) due to a greater number of plants, better light interception and canopy management. 
  • Ease of Management: Easier to prune, train, spray, and harvest due to smaller tree size and two-dimensional canopy system. 
  • Optimized Land Use: Accommodating more number of plants (2222 0r 3333 per ha of land.  
  • Resource Efficiency: Reduce water (40-50% saving through drip irrigation), labour, fertilizer, pesticide etc cost through modern techniques.  

Benefits: 

  • Early bearing (as early as 2–3 years after planting). 
  • More efficient use of land, water, and nutrients. 
  • Increased profitability per unit area. 
  • Higher number of grade A fruits (>90%) with higher yield 

Where It Works and Where It Can Work

 

It works under following regions and systems:  

  • Temperate climatic conditions, with chilling hours >800–1200 hours (depending on variety) 
  • Already HDP in apple is successfully operational in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. 
  • Preferable terrain for HDP is flat land or land with gentle slope.

 

Evidence & Impact

 

  • SKUAST-Kashmir and ICAR--Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Srinagar and HDP demonstrations under HDP mission by Department of Horticulture, Kashmir has shown following outcome 
  • Early bearing (Year 2–3) 
  • Fruit yield of 50-60 tons/ha by Year 5
  • Higher labour efficiency (>30%) 
  • Lower chemical use due to better pest/disease control in uniform canopy. 
  • Higher proportion of grade A fruits (>90%) 

 

Scalability & Adoption Support

 

It can be scaled up due to following reasons:  

  • Proven Models: Successful pilots in India (J&K, Himachal) and global apple-producing regions have validated HDP. 
  • Modular Adoption: Can be scaled from small 0.5-acre farms to large commercial orchards. 
  • Standardization: Rootstocks, trellis designs, irrigation systems are now standardized and available in India.
  • Policy Support: Government subsidies, training programs, and convergence with horticulture missions support uptake. 

Need to adopt it due to its: 

  • Early and higher returns Short (3–4 years): Early market entry: where fruits come under commercial bearing in 2–3 years vs 6–8 years under traditional orcharding. 
  • Higher productivity (50-60 t/ha): 4–6 times more yield per hectare with maximum (>90%) grade A fruits having uniform color, size. 
  • Higher market rates (>Rs 70 -100 per Kg) 
  • Lower input use due to higher precision: More fruit per unit water, fertilize and labour. 
  • Higher revenue (>12 lakh/year) after 5th year of establishment against 2-3 lakh per year in traditional orcharding

 

Contact Information & Partners

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ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar (Director email: dircithsgr@icar.org.in; Phone: 01942305044)

SKUAST-K, Srinagar (Vice Chancellor email: provc@skuastkashmir.ac.in; Phone: 0194-2461258 

Directorate of Horticulture, Kashmir, Rajbagh, Srinagar (Email: kashmirhorticulture@gmail.com; Phone: 0194-2311484

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