Crop Category
Description
Apple is an important temperate fruit and mostly consumed fresh but a small part of the production is processed in to juices, jellies, canned slices and other items.
Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus.
The apple tree is deciduous, generally 6 to 15 ft tall and 30 ft in width.
Apples are grown commercially in 32 states in USA. The 10 top apple-producing states are: Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, Idaho. California being the leading state followed by New York and Michigan.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Rosaceae
- Genus: Malus
- Species: pumila
Economically Important Part of Apple
- Fruit is the most economic part of apple tree.
- Apple tree wood to make your own apple wood chips for the barbecue, using the limbs, twigs or stump.
Conditions for Cultivation
It can be grown at an altitude of 1,500-2,700 mt. above mean sea level in the Himalayan range which experience 1,000-1,500 hours of chilling.
The average summer temperature should be around 21-24°C during active growth period.
Well-distributed rainfall of 1000-1250 mm throughout the growing season is most favorable for optimum growth and fruitfulness of apple trees.
In general, a cool climate with low winter temperature and little rainfall in summer is most suitable for apple cultivation.
Apple is grown on a wide range of soils. However, a well drained slightly acidic (about 6.5 -6.7 pH) loam soil with good depth (more than 45 cm) is ideal for apple cultivation.
Apple can't tolerate wet field, and water logging may cause collar rot and death of trees.
Dry temperate areas are suitable for apple cultivation.
Major Challenges
- The major challenges involve: Biotic causes and Abiotic causes.
- Biotic causes involves
- Major pest: Sanjose scale, Apple aphid, Woolly aphid, Totricid moth and Apple leaf minor.
- Major Diseases: Apple Scab, Powdery mildew, Collar rot, White root rot and Canker.
- Abiotic Causes
- June drop, Pre-harvest drop, Bitter pit, Water core and Rosetting.
