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Essay on Apple
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Origin and History of Apple
- Essay on the Area and Production of Apple
- Essay on the Importance and Uses of Apple
- Essay on the Choice of Varieties of Apple
- Essay on the Insect-Pests of Apple
- Essay on the Alternate Bearing of Apple
- Essay on the Disorders of Apple
Essay # 1. Origin and History of Apple:
Apple (Malus domestica Borkh) is the premier table fruit of the world. It is the typical temperate tree fruit, about 48 per cent of the world’s supply being produced in China. The States like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand has achieved distinction in the cultivation of apples.
The cultivated apple (Malus domestica) is reported to have originated in south-western Asia, in the Caucasus region near Gilan in Turkestan. It has existed in Europe, both in wild and cultivated forms since prehistoric times and has been well developed there at the beginning of Christian era. Records of apple cultivars are available as early as 100 BC.
Apple cultivation by Greeks and Romans seems to have been started from a few centuries BC in the Middle-East and South-Eastern Europe as a result of their travels and invasions. It was introduced in America after it has been cultivated for more than 2000 years in Europe.
It is not known when the apple was introduced in the cooler parts of India but evidence showed its presence in Agra in 1632. Baring variety Ambri which is indigenous to Kashmir, all other varieties was introduced first by the European Settlers, missionaries and later on by elite growers, nurserymen and Research Introduction Centres. Emperor Jahangir praised Kashmir apples in his book Turk-e- Jahangir which gives proof of their cultivation during 16 century.
The first apple orchard in Himachal Pradesh was established at Bandrole in Kullu Valley by Captain A.A. Lee, an Englishman around 1870. Besides, many apple varieties were introduced by Alexander Coutt’s in his orchard called ‘Hillock Head’ at Mashobra during 1887. The famous Delicious varieties were introduced by Samuel Nicholar Stokes, a resident of Philadelphia, USA, in 1918 at Kotgarh in Shimla Hills. In Kumaon and Garhwal apple was introduced by Britishers in the latter half of 19th century.
Mr. Allen and Mr. Smith introduced apple in Kumaon hills at Chaubattia around 1872. The first apple orchard was established in Ramgarh area of Nainital district. Apple was also introduced in Bangalore and Nilgiris, but it was destroyed by wooly aphids in 1897.
Apple cultivation is a new introduction to a few isolated hilly tracts of Bihar, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Assam hills. Scattered orchards are also found in Ooty – Nilgiri hills which were planted during 1850. The major apple producing countries in the world are China, USA, India, Poland, Italy, France, Iran, Brazil and Russian Federation.
Essay #
2. Area and Production of Apple:
The total production of apple in the world is 74.95 million metric tonnes. China is the largest producer of apple in the world producing 48 per cent of the total world production. Total area under apple cultivation in the world is 4.8 million hectares. The average productivity of apple fruits in 15.6 mt/hectare.
Apple is the fourth most important fruit crop in India. This fruit grown in 3.22 lakh hectares having annual productions of 22.03 lakh tonnes accounting for 4.8 per cent of total area under fruits and 2.9 per cent of total fruit productions in the country, respectively.
It is largely grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh accounting for 53.0, 32.19, 10.47, 4.13 per cent of area, respectively. Area under apple in Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu, Nagaland and Sikkim is negligible. The average productivity of apple in India is 6.8 tonnes per hectare in comparison to 35.2 and 31.9 mt/per hectare in Brazil and USA, respectively.
The production of apple is the highest in Jammu and Kashmir which is 80.6 per cent of total production in India. The average production in the state is 10.4 mt/ha against the average productivity of 6.8 mt/ha in India. In India apple occupies 4.8 per cent of the total area under fruits constituting 2.9 per cent of fruit production. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand occupy major share of apple production (98.61%).
The low average yields are on account of poor setting of the largely grown delicious varieties due to low pollinizer ratio and the prevailing low temperature at the time of flowering and fruit setting coupled with irregular bearing tendency and low yield potential.
Export Potential:
The future prospects of apple cultivation in India are bright on account of introduction of advance technologies and export potential. India has exported 30060 mt apples to Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo, Maldives, Pakistan, UAE, Singapore and Liberia during, 2011-12 and earned value of Rs. 91.45 crores. The share of export of apple from India was 84.15 per cent to Bangladesh alone.
Essay #
3. Importance and Uses of Apple:
Apple is a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, sugars, potassium, thiamine and vitamin B6. Carbohydrates found in apple consist of sugars, dextrin, starch, hemicellulose, cellulose and pectic substances. The apple fruits have been found to contain appreciable amount of sorbital and various sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose). In cv. Mcintosh, the sorbital, sucrose, glucose and fructose contents were recorded 8.4, 6.5, 18.4 and 48.9 mg per g fresh weight, respectively.
The major acids in apple are recorded maleic and citric. Apple contains 86% moisture, 14.5% carbohydrates, 0.3% protein, 110 mg potassium, 10 mg phosphorus, 6 mg calcium, 90-120 I.U. vitamin A, 5-40 mg vitamin C, 10 g thiamine and 0.3 mg iron per 100 g fruit.
Apple is believed to reduce the incidence of dental caries, helps to control obesity and supply extra energy for heavy exercise. Apple is chiefly used as table fruit. The various products like jam, jelly, preserve, slices, saucer, apple butter, apple chips, apple rings, wine, juice, concentrated juice, cider and powder are prepared from apple.
Essay #
4. Choice of Varieties of Apple:
The following are the important varieties of apple grown in different regions:
i. Commercial Varieties- Red Delicious, Starking Delicious (Royal Delicious), Richared, Mollie’s Delicious, Vance Delicious, Topred, Granny Smith.
ii. Colour Strains– Top Red, Vance Delicious, Hardeman, Red Gold, Skyline Supreme.
iii. Spur Types- Red Spur, Red Chief, Starkrimson, Oregon Spur II, Gold spur, Silver Spur, Well Spur, Scarlet Spur-2
iv. Low Chilling Varieties- Tamar, Vered, Tropical Beauty, Maayan, Michal, Schlomit.
v. Scab Resistant Varieties- Sir Price, Priscilla, Prima, Liberty, Redfree, Coop12, Freedom, Macfree
vi. Maturity Basis Varieties:
The varieties are categorised on the basis of their maturity i.e. early, mid and late season:
(a) Early Season Varieties:
Mollie’s Delicious, Michal, Maayan, Schlomit, Anna, Chaubattia Anupam.
(b) Mid-Season Varieties:
Red Delicious, Vance Delicious, Richared, Royal Delicious, Starkrimson, Red Cheif, Well Spur, Oregon Spur, Red Spur, Gala Selection, Hardeman, Skyline Supreme Delicious, Bright-N-Early, Cooper-4, Golden Spur, Silver Spur.
(c) Late Season Varieties:
Lal Ambri, Firdous, Topred, Sunhari, Golden Delicious, Ambri, Fuji, Red Gold, Yellow Newton.
Brief description of some commercially important apple cultivars are presented below:
1. Red Delicious:
The cultivar was evolved as a chance seedling in Iowa, USA. The fruits are large, oblong conical with five knobs like protrusions at the calyx. Skin smooth, covered with red streaks on a pale background. Flesh creamy white, tender, crisp, fine grained, sweet, and highly aromatic. It requires 133-139 days from full bloom to maturity. Ripens during end of August.
2. Golden Delicious:
Tree is moderately vigorous. Fruit medium to large, oblong, skin golden yellow with russetted prominent small dots scattered all over. Flesh creamy white, fine, crisp, sweet with a blend of acidity. It is a good pollinizer for the entire Delicious group. It requires 148-154 days from full bloom to maturity. Ripening time is second week of September.
3. Mclntosh:
Tree is vigorous. Fruit is medium, oblate round, skin smooth, shinning carmine colour on a pale green background. Flesh white, develops red shade after storage, tender, crisp, sweet with a good acid blend, juicy and mild flavoured. It is susceptible to scab.
4. Jonathan:
Tree medium sized. Fruit round to conical, medium to small and reddish in colour with good quality. Fruits are susceptible to black Jonathan spots.
5. Starking Delicious:
Fruits are oblong conic with red stripes, juicy and sweet in taste. Require 115-120 days from full bloom to maturity. It ripens during the first fortnight of August.
6. Starkrimson:
Fruits are conical, red wash, hard but sweet and juicy. It ripens within 100 days after full bloom i.e. third week of July. It gets dark when harvesting is delayed.
7. Yellow Newton:
Fruits are oblate in shape with green colour, sub-acidic and juicy. It is a late variety, ripens during first week of October and requires 172-178 days from full bloom to maturity. It has good shelf life. The variety is susceptible to stem end russet, bitter pit and internal browning on storage.
8. Granny Smith:
Fruits are round in shape having green colour, light yellowish on ripening. Flesh very firm, crisp, greenish yellow to whitish and sub-acidic in taste. It ripens late during second week of October and requires 176-182 days from full bloom to maturity. The variety has good shelf life.
9. Ambri:
It is indigeneous variety grown in India. The fruit is medium to large in size and oblong in shape. It has red streaks over a greenish yellow background. It is a late ripening variety and ripens in September-October.
10. Richared:
It is a budsport of Red Delicious. The fruits are large sized and oblong conical in shape. The yellowish ground colour is overlaid with a bright red wash. Lenticels are conspicuous. It ripens in third week of August.
11. Red Gold:
It is a regular bearer variety. Fruits are round to slightly oblong. Skin highly red blushed, waxy, glossy. Flesh white with pinkish tinge near the surface, firm. Ripens in third week of August.
12. Red Chief:
Tree is spur type, highly productive. Fruit is red striped and large. Flesh creamy, crisp. Ripens is second week of August.
13. Red Spur:
Tree is spur type. Fruit conical, solid red skinned. Tree with small internodes resulting in a tree about two third of size of standard one. Ripens in second week of August.
14. Mollie’s Delicious:
A seedling from the cross [Golden Delicious x Edgewood] x [Gravenstein x Close], Fruit is large conical with 50 – 75% red colour. Quality is moderate. Ripens in third week of July. Susceptible to powdery mildew.
15. Vance Delicious:
It is bud mutant of Delicious. Fruits conical, Skin solid red with deep red stripes, colouring two weeks earlier to Red Delicious. Ripens in second week of August. It is a high yielding variety.
16. Gala Selection:
Fruits are medium in size, conical, red in colour with yellow background. Flesh yellow white, crisp and juicy. Texture is smooth and spicy sweet flavour.
17. Red Free:
Fruit with red broken inconspicuous stripes, slightly oblate. Flesh light yellow to cream coloured, firm, crisp, juicy, sweet with sub acid taste and pleasant flavour. Good dessert quality. Resistant to scab, cedar apple rust. Moderatly resistant to powdery mildew. It is highly productive variety.
18. Mclntosh:
A chance seedling, popular variety. Fruit is medium to large, flat round in shape. Ground colour is pale greenish yellow, flushed with deep purplish red. Flesh white, soft, fine textured, juicy and sweet. Fruit mature before the appearance of colour. It is a hardy and very productive variety.
19. Anna:
A variety for low hills upto 5000 ft. Fruits are large, oblong conical, skin yellowish overlaid by red blush on cheeks about 30-40 percent. Flesh creamish white, juicy, sub-acid to sweet, mild flavoured. Ripens in end June to early July. It is regular bearer variety.
20. Top Red:
Fruits are large, conical, skin striped. Fruit colour up earlier than starking delicious. Flesh yellowish, firm, tender, juicy, aromatic, sub acid. Ripens in second week of August. It is a high yielding variety.
Essay #
5. Insect-Pests of Apple:
1. Wooly Apple Aphid (Eriosoma Lanigerum Hausmann):
The aphid lives in colonies and suck plant sap from the young shoots, cut-ends, cracks of main limbs and trunks and roots of apple plant resulting in the formation of galls and the plants become weak and prone to the attack of cankers. They remain active from March to December. In the winter season, they migrate from the aerial parts to the roots and in the reverse direction in the summer.
Spray with 0.03 per cent dimethoate during March-April and again in June (summer). Apply dimethoate at 15 g (a.i.) per metre at 8-10 cm deep in trenches during spring and summer to control aphids on the roots. Raise the plants on aphid resistant rootstocks such as Morton 778, 779, 789, 793.
2. San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus Perniciosus Comstock):
The pest is active from March to December. These scales are very small in size and greyish in colour. The poplars and willows are the host plants of this pest. Heavily infested trees appear as if they are covered with wood ash. If not checked timely, the plants may die within 2-3 years. The pests are also spread by crow, maina and bulbul birds. The pest may carry from plant to plant at the time of fruit picking and nymphs may crawl along the ground and infest new plants.
Remove all the infested wild plants from the apple orchard. Fumigate nursery stock before planting. In winter spray the dormant trees with 3 per cent miscible oil impregnated with methyl parathion 0.05%. Spray 0.03% dimethoate 10-15 days after petal fall or in the second week of May. Combination of tree spray oil (2%) with chlorpyriphos @ 0.04 % at tight cluster stage has been found effective in checking the population build-up of scale and mite during the reason.
3. Apple Root Borer (Dorysthenes Hugelii Redt):
The grubs feeds on the roots and confines to one root about 10-20 cm deep. Leaves show reduction in size and typical yellowing and withering symptoms. Adults become active at night plantation in sandy soils should be discouraged. Drench basin area of the plants with chlorpyriphos or triazophos 0.04% during July and October. Once the infestation has occurred, treat tree basin with phorate granules @ 100 g a.i per tree.
4. Codling Moth (Cydia Pomonella L.):
Caterpillar feeds on the pulp in a small cavity and makes transverse tunnels into the core region and feeds as immature seed. For its control, give two sprays of 2 kg sevin in 500 l of water in the second half of June and another 2-3 weeks later.
5. Blossom Thrips (Taeniothrips Sp., Thrips Carthami and Thrips Flavus):
Thrips suck the sap from leaves, flowers and young fruits and reduce the production. The maximum population of thrips is noted during spring (February-April). The population declines from May onward and make steady revival in October-December. Follow clean cultivation practice. Spray fenitrothion at 0.05 per cent.
6. Indian Gypsy Moth Hairy Caterpillar (Lymantria Obfuscata Wlk):
Caterpillar feed on the leaves and all tender twigs. It lays eggs in clusters on the lower surface of the leaves. Collect egg clusters and destroy them between August-March. Spray Rogor at 0.03 per cent for the control of this pest.
7. Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma Indica Walker):
It is a pest of apple in North Western India and more serious in Shimla hills. It is active from March to May. Pupation takes place in stem, between leaves and among dry debrish in ground. The entire plant may be defoliated in severe infestation. Prune the twigs containing egg mass in December – January and burnt them. Use pole tied with rag and dip in kerosene to destroy the pest. Spray 0.05 per cent nimbecidine to control the pest.
8. European Red Mite (Panonychus Ulmi Koch):
Mite feeds on leaves and injury produces browning and loss of colour in the leaves. A dormant spray with oil emulsion should be given for killing eggs. Spray the plant with fungicide 0.02% clofentezine or fenazaquin for control of mite population at motile and egg stages.
9. Apple Stem Borer (Apriona Cinerra Cheverlot):
The grubs and adult cause damage by making a tunnel and reaches close to trunk of tree. The vitality and productivity of plant is greatly impaired. Adult feed on bark and cause damage. Prune and burn the affected shoots and branches during winter. Insert a cotton wick soaked in carbon disulphite and seal the tunnels with mud. Place paradichlorbenzene 0.5 g inside the holes and plug them.
10. Leaf-Rollers (Archips Termias Meyrick):
It feeds on young leaves from April to September. The insect also scraps the skin of the fruit from July onwards. Attack on fruits is pronounced in storage. Spray endosulfan 0.05 per cent in the last week of May and Malathion 0.05 per cent in early July or at least three weeks before harvest.
Essay #
6. Alternate Bearing of Apple:
The apple cultivars Royal Delicious, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious have the tendency to bear heavy crop in a year followed by poor cropping season, setting a rhythm of irregular bearing. Once, this pattern of irregular bearing sets in, the fluctuating rhythm of yield continues year after year.
The alternate bearing can be checked to certain extent by adopting following practices:
(i) Thinning of fruit in one year often increases the return blooms in the following year. In a heavy cropping year, thinning is particularly essential for return bloom as the trees become exhausted due to heavy crop.
(ii) Nitrogen application early in the ‘off’ year has a slight tendency to promote annual bearing in trees having low-nitrogen level.
(iii) Judicious pruning of spurs in winters preceding ‘on year’ to reduce crop load.
(iv) Application of growth retardant like SADH 2000 ppm or paclobutrazol 1500 ppm in June-July before the flower bud differentiation should be given in an ‘on year’.
Essay #
7. Disorders of Apple:
1. Bitter Pit:
The symptoms appear as small, dry, brown pockets usually spherical in shape below the skin and also in cortex. The cultivars like Northern Spy and Delicious are more prone to this disorder. Large fruits and immature are more susceptible than others. Heavy doses of nitrogenous fertilizers, excessive shedding and heavy pruning are reported to favour bitter pit. Storage at 32-34°F under high humidity (85-95%) controls pitting.
2. Scald:
It first appears as light mottling on the greener surface of fruit. Darkening becomes more severe with the elapsed time and ultimately extends to red surface also. Scald usually affects the skin only but in severe cases it may extend to fruit flesh. The immature fruits are most susceptible to scald which is aggravated by warmer temperature. Light scald fruit in storage may be severely affected during marketing.
3. Internal Browning:
It is characterised by brownish streaks radiating into flesh from the core. It can be controlled by storage at 36°F. Controlled atmospheric storage with higher temperature can also be helpful in the control of this disorder. It is mainly associated with Yellow Newton apples.