Professor Shamim A Simnani

Present day dominant commercial cultivation of apple fruits tracks its origin to southern parts of central Asia near Caspian Sea. In India apple fruit production is accomplished in limited states with major cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Kashmir is endowed with suitable agro-climate conditions and offers immense scope for apple cultivation. Kashmir fulfils all the necessary requirements in terms of climate and resources for apple production. Kashmir has a long tradition of apple growing and Ambri was the preferred apple variety. Ambri apple popularly known as the ‘king of Fruits’ is the only apple that originates in India and is indigenous to Kashmir.

The apple variety is appealing with a high keeping quality and is chosen for its sweet taste, crispness and fragrance. The apple variety had secured a safe position in the valley, as it was well suited to the agro-climatic conditions. Dodhi Ambri, Chari Ambri, Walayati Amberi and Mah Ambri were among the few Ambri cultivars that were common and commercially cultivated by the grower in the valley.

Background

The hotspot Ambri apple growing areas were located in the districts of Sopore, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama. Ambri apples used to be exported to the majority of the Gulf nations and were in tremendous demand in those areas.

Ambri was the dominant variety before the arrival of a delicious group of apples. With the advent of a delicious group of apples in the 1970s, the consumer preferences shifted to Red delicious for its beautiful red color, precocious and regular bearing habit compared to the long gestation span of Ambri apple. This resulted in the horizontal expansion of the delicious group corresponding to the decline in acreage under Ambri apple because of its long juvenile period and peculiar biennial gearing habit.

However, low productivity of our orchards witnessed during the last decade on account of mono-culture of delicious group of varieties which are self-unfruitful, self-incompatible and emergence of various diseases and pests led to the thinking of revival of our indigenous fruit varieties especially the Ambri apple.

The Ambri apple trees grown in Kashmir were of seedling origin. Seedling is vigorous, highly unstable, and their utilization of rootstock results in delayed cropping and a high degree of variability in the production of the cultivars grafted on them.

Undoubtedly, the Ambri cultivation continued here but the efforts were unorganized and thus need of the hour is to explore the existing potential of Kashmir for its mass scale cultivation , geo tagging and to popularize its unique characteristics like attractive pink cheeks, sweet taste, crispiness, fragrant flavor, aroma and excellent keeping quality so as to  enter into a sound business of supplying Ambri fruits not only to national but to International market as well.

Farmers have a huge scope of growing Ambri at commercial scale and in turn will generate revenue through this untapped venture. Money spinned out of this variety will be more than for other horticultural and agricultural products. Thus the effort of Ambri commercialization will be of great use to the farming and scientific community. Knowing the technicalities will help stakeholders in opting it at commercial scale.

Rationale for taking up Ambri commercialization

 The climatic conditions of Kashmir are suitable for Ambri cultivation. There is a great demand for unique Ambri  at local as well as at national level. Valley of Kashmir has different altitudes from 1500 to 2200 m above mean sea level in which there can be a great scope for Ambri cultivation. As we know that pest infestation has a huge burden as far as pesticide application is concerned, there are indicators that Ambri has a potential to minimize the use of pesticides and can be grown organically.

As we know organic produce has a demand at national as well as at international level. The inherent qualities  like crispiness, aroma, keeping quality and taste is another plus point with the Ambri apple and this gives it a special place in the market. Efforts have to be ensured for quality parameters of Ambri through scientific intervention for colour which will give it a special place as far as market demand is concerned.

But there is no data about the quantum of production and rate of success as far as this variety of apple is concerned. There are a lot of challenges that one has to face for popularization of this niche variety of apple at national level but it can be eased through GI tagging, quality, means of breeding in colour improvement and developing an end to end production, transportation, storage and marketing module.  

Kashmir at national level having temperate climatic conditions, excellent soil and water resources has a potential to mitigate the national demand and this needs a scientific intervention for elite production which can ensure qualitative and quantitative production. Kashmir has a potential to mitigate the increasing demand and commercialization of any crop requires basic information under a particular agro climatic zone.

What needs to be done

No comparative work seems to have been done on potential of Ambri production and evaluation under different altitudes of Kashmir Himalayas. Generation of information under different altitudes and pre and post harvest management under a particular agro climatic condition is another challenge. Evaluation and screening of different Ambri cultivars, mass multiplication of elite genetic stock for commercialization purposes, GI tagging are the means which can help in revival of Ambri.

Professor Shamim A Simnani is Head Division of Fruit Sciences at  SKUAST-K Shalimar, Srinagar