Rejuvenation of Senile Horticultural Plantations for Improved Productivity and Quality

Abstract

India is a vast country gifted with varied horticultural crops. There is a tremendous increase in the production of horticultural crops especially fruits which is due to specialized new interventions and use of latest research technological tools the country is now among the top fruit producing country ranking second next to china. Despite congenial agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the country the productivity of quality fruits is substantially low in recent years. The old and senile orchards are now reverting towards a declining trend of production because of age factor, non-compatible varieties, poor orchard management practices and incidence of pest and diseases. To increase the production of fruit crops through area expansion is almost impossible due to unavailability of vacant land for new plantations. In the present scenario, the only strategy could be improving the management of existing plantations for sustainable fruit production and to optimize the fruit potential of our country.