New rootstocks promise faster, higher apple yields for Kashmir farms

Kashmir grows apples across a wide range of altitudes, each shaping how the crop flowers, sets fruit, and yields. Yet, even with one of the largest apple-growing areas in the country, productivity in the valley remains modest. As traditional orchards face rising costs, delayed returns, and increasing climate stress, researchers and growers are turning to new rootstock technologies and high-density systems to make apple cultivation more efficient and resilient.

Apple is a major fruit crop in Kashmir cultivated on 1.08 lakh ha with a production of 11 lakh tonnes, providing livelihoods to around 27 lakh people. The performance of apples is determined by the valley’s diverse altitudes. They range from 1,500 m to more than 2,600 m above sea level, creating distinct microclimates. The trees need a certain amount of winter cold (chilling hours), they are sensitive to frost, and need enough warmth in summer (heat accumulation). So, the altitude influences how much cold or heat the trees get, which directly affects how well apples grow, flower, and produce fruit.

High-density orchards

However, despite having one of the largest areas under apple cultivation in India, productivity in the Kashmir Valley remains far below that of developed apple-growing regions.

“One major reason is that for decades, orchards have been dominated by seedling-based trees that produce tall, vigorous, low-density, and extremely slow to bear fruit. These trees take 6-8 years to produce a commercial crop and yield just 10-12 tonnes per hectare, making them unviable for small landholdings,” Dr. Wasim Hassan Raja says.

Dr. Raja is a scientist at Fruit science division, ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Srinagar, who has developed two novel technologies for apple rootstock multiplication and feathering, both now licensed to 25 nursery growers and adopted by over 100 orchardists across India.

He adds that the modern rootstock techniques on the other hand offer a solution. Rootstock refers to the roots and lower stem of a specially selected apple plant onto which the desired variety is grafted. It forms the entire root system and the lower trunk of the tree, essentially acting as its foundation.

“This foundation determines the tree’s mature size (dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard), how early it begins to bear fruit, and its resistance to pests and diseases such as root rot, collar rot, and Woolly aphid,” he says. 

High-density orchards are based on clonal rootstocks. Clonal rootstocks are rootstocks that are propagated from cuttings or layering so that every plant is identical.

Clonal rootstocks.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

“Dwarf clonal rootstocks like M-9, MM-106, and MM-111 can raise productivity to 40 tonnes per hectare and yield marketable fruit within 2-4 years. Studies show that M-9 based systems provide significantly higher gross margins due to early production, better fruit colour, and uniformity, Dr Raja points out. 

“They reduce tree size, increase precocity (how quickly it starts to bear fruit), improve uniformity, and enhance yield efficiency.”

Traditional trees require heavy pruning, ladders, and labour, which are now increasingly expensive.

“Dense canopies make uniform spraying of pesticides and fungicides difficult, worsening pest and disease pressure. For small-scale farmers, wide spacing is not feasible due to land limitations, and low-density systems use land inefficiently. These challenges have pushed Kashmir into a global trend: a shift from seedling to clonal rootstocks,” per Dr. Raja.

“As winter is getting warm and snowfall is decreasing, the region may struggle to accumulate the required chill hours, which could affect apple production. The dwarf clonal rootstocks further help trees cope with erratic rainfall, heat stress, and soil-borne diseases, while enabling better canopy management and efficient irrigation. Systematic studies on altitude-specific rootstock performance are still lacking, but urgently needed as climate zones shift across the valley.”

Quality, high costs

Although clonal rootstocks were introduced in the valley in 1989-90, the modern high-density orchards still remain limited.

“The biggest barrier remains the availability of quality clonal rootstocks and the high capital cost of setting up trellised orchards,” Javed Iqbal Mir, Principal Scientist at Fruit science division, ICAR-CITH says. “Trellised orchards are fruit orchards where trees are trained to grow along a supporting structure, usually wires, posts, or frames, similar to how grapes are grown on trellises. It supports high-density apple orchards as it makes pruning, spraying, and harvesting easier, etc.”

He points out government schemes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and the Holistic Agriculture Development Program have been instrumental in supporting farmers through subsidies, improving access to high-quality rootstocks and varieties, strengthening nursery infrastructure, and promoting high-density plantation systems. “These initiatives have significantly boosted orchard productivity, enhanced farmer income, and improved the overall competitiveness of the apple industry in Kashmir,” Dr. Mir says. 

According to official figures, around 836 hectares have been brought under the High-Density Plantation scheme in Jammu & Kashmir. The high-density orchards further demand high precision. Farmers need training in pruning, canopy management, fertigation, leader training, pest surveillance, and shoot positioning. “Productivity declines sharply if these systems are mismanaged,” Dr. Mir says. 

ICAR-CITH has also been conducting regular training programmes, field demos, and exposure visits. “Besides, the institute is now working on developing indigenous rootstocks suited to Himalayan climate change, tolerant to drought, root rot, and extreme temperature fluctuations. Some of these are already in advanced stages of evaluation and may be released within a few years. “These rootstocks will help expand apple cultivation into marginal areas — Karewas, rocky slopes, and replant sites — and ensure long-term sustainability,” Dr. Raja notes. 

High-density apple orchards deliver uniform, high-quality fruit efficiently.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Adopting a new system

For Tantray Manzoor, a farmer from Panchpora Marhama in Anantnag district, the shift to high-density systems is driven by both economic need and changing agro-climatic conditions. After two decades in conventional apple farming on his 1.52 ha of land, he recently converted 0.2 ha of his orchard to high-density planting, introducing 700 dwarf apple trees on M9 rootstock.

Manzoor adds the rootstock technology has transformed apple cultivation by controlling excessive tree height and reducing unproductive woody growth typical of conventional orchards. “Its precocious nature has changed the grower’s experience entirely, bringing down the waiting period for first fruits from nearly 10 years to just the second year. Yields have improved drastically as well. Conventional orchards produce about 1 tonne per kanal (1 kanal is 0.05 ha) while high-density orchards can yield up to 4 tonnes per kanal at maturity. Fruit quality has also improved significantly in terms of better colour, crunch, firmness, and freshness because the shallow-rooted M9 system absorbs and mobilises nutrients much more efficiently.”

He explains the economic value of Gala apple variety in the Indian market is another major motivation. “Gala apples often lose quality on conventional trees because thinning is labour-intensive — something that dwarf trees on M9 greatly simplify. “Rootstocks like M7, MM106 or MM111 are preferred by growers who want to avoid the higher initial investment required for M9, which needs staking and trellising. However, these non-staking rootstocks do not match M9 in terms of early fruiting or growth control,” Manzoor says. 

According to Manzoor, the initial investment of around 1.75 rupees lakh per kanal seemed heavy for him, but it eventually stabilised and became a reliable source of income. “Although departmental and private-sector preparation like availability of planting material and support services was initially limited, the government has supported farmers through subsidies, flagship programmes, and easier bank financing,” he says. 

With the result, his income from high-density orchards has increased substantially. “By the third year, a single M9 tree can produce around 2.5 boxes of high-quality apples, translating to roughly 1.5 lakh rupees profit per kanal, excluding expenses. Gala apples generally fetch 15-20 rupees per piece, about 900-1,000 rupees per box, and up to 1,500 rupees per box when quality is exceptional,” he says. 

Further, rootstocks like M9 also show good adaptability to weather and climatic variations. “However, high-density orchards require smarter management, including trickle irrigation, branch bending, careful fertiliser use, limited fertigation, professional pruning, and training trees to international standards such as the modified central leader system. They demand more expertise and higher initial investment, but the long-term returns are far greater,” he points out. 

Likewise, another farmer, Zaffar Mehdi Dar, has been engaged in apple farming for five years. His orchard in Wahab Pora, Budgam district spans about 0.2 ha and has around 350 apple trees in a semi-high-density system established on M-106 rootstock. “I shifted from traditional spacing to semi-high-density planting because it offers faster canopy development, earlier fruiting, and better overall productivity,” he says.

Hirra Azmat is a Kashmir-based journalist who writes on science, health, and environment.