With global warming causing temperatures to rise and snowfall to decrease, the apple you eat might never be the same again as new varieties of the fruit find favour with cultivators looking to adapt to the change in weather patterns.
New low-chilling and early maturing varieties of the fruit are being introduced in the lower-altitude areas of states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as cultivation of the traditional types is gradually shifting to the higher altitudes.
"It is getting difficult to grow traditional varieties in lower altitudes up to the height of 4,000-ft because of global warming and unpredictable weather conditions. So, we have been adopting new varieties in the last 1-2 years," Rakesh Singh, president of Sev Utpadak Sangh (Apple Growers Association) of Himachal, told PTI.
Singh, who owns orchards in Shimla's Kotgarh, said the new varieties, developed using rootstock and clones, taste different but are good enough to suit Indian consumers' palate.
Scientists also agree that the low-chilling varieties of apple like 'Michael', 'Tropical Beauty', 'Schoolmate', etc. are the best bet for farmers.
"As the cultivation of apples is gradually shifting upwards to higher altitudes, we need these new varieties which mature early and have a lower requirement of chilling hours. They can help us mitigate the impact of climate change on apple," said Dr Nazeer Ahmad, director of Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar.
Weather records show that snowfall has decreased as the winters are now warmer than two-three decades back in the Himalayas.
