Adoption of New High-Density Apple Rootstocks in Kashmir | 19 Feb 2026

Why in News? 

Scientists and horticulture experts have introduced new high-density apple rootstocks in Kashmir Valley, promising early fruiting, higher productivity, and better farm incomes, especially for small and marginal orchardists. 

Key Points: 

• Apple Economy of Kashmir: Jammu & Kashmir is one of India’s leading apple-producing regions. 
  • Apple cultivation contributes ~8–9% to J&K’s GSDP and supports over 3.5 lakh families 
• Traditional Method: Traditional orchards in the region, which often rely on older seedling rootstocks, typically take up to 10 years to produce their first fruits.  
  • In contrast, new systems using dwarf rootstocks like M9 can yield fruit as early as the second year.  
• Rootstock: The root part of a grafted plant onto which a desired apple variety (scion) is grafted. 
  • It determines tree size, yield efficiency, disease resistance and adaptability to soil and climate 
• New Apple Rootstocks: It includes Dwarf and Semi-Dwarf Rootstocks which include M9, M26 and MM series. 
• Benefits:  Enable high-density plantation (HDP) 
  • Yield Increase: High-density orchards can produce 50–70 metric tonnes per hectare, compared to only 10–12 tonnes in conventional systems. 
  • Quality & Price: Fruit grown on these rootstocks often has better color, firmness, and size.  
    • These apples can fetch market prices of ₹100–140 per kg, nearly double the rate of traditional varieties. 
  • Labor Efficiency: Smaller trees simplify labor-intensive tasks like pruning and thinning. 
• Government Support: The Jammu and Kashmir Horticulture Department is actively supporting this shift through the High Density Apple Plantation Scheme, which offers a 50% subsidy to farmers switching to these modern systems.