Workshop on Orchard Management of Temperate Fruits

The Department of Fruit Science at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, successfully hosted a two-day workshop on ‘Orchard Management in Temperate Fruits’ on June 8-9 at the university’s main campus. Around 100 farmers participated in this workshop.

The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Inder Dev, Director of Extension Education. Other notable attendees included Madan Himachali, Nauni Panchayat Pradhan, and office bearers of the All India Himachal Social Federation. In his address, the Chief Guest emphasized the importance of high-density plantation in boosting productivity and farmers’ income. He also highlighted the university’s ongoing research and extension activities.

The first day featured a Farmers-Scientists interaction session focused on natural farming. Dr. Subhash Verma, Dr. Upender Singh, and Dr. Pramod Kumar from the university’s natural farming team shared insights into this eco-friendly farming method and explained how to create various inputs using readily available resources. The farmers also visited the university’s kiwifruit orchards and natural farming-managed farms.

On Sunday, lectures covered topics such as orchard management in high-density plantations, integrated disease management, and integrated pest management practices for temperate fruits. Dr. Naveen Sharma, Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Dr. Neelam Kumari, and Dr. Meena Thakur served as resource personnel. The significance of bees for pollination services and topics related to beekeeping were also discussed. The valedictory session was chaired by Dr. Manish Sharma, Dean of the College of Horticulture. He noted that horticulture has become a significant source of income for the farming community and encouraged farmers to adopt innovative scientific techniques to enhance production and profitability.