Kullu: Ever thought what would be the impact if the next apple tree you plant destroys your entire orchard? What would happen if a sapling from another state or country brings along a virus, a fungus, or a tiny insect which can make irreparable damage to years of labour you have put in the orchard or fields? Well, In Himachal Pradesh, where apple orchards provide livelihood to most families, this is a constant fear and a looming threat.
In the present day world, when plant varieties - apple, plum, or pear — are imported across borders they are kept in isolation, not for 14 days but up to two years, before being given space on local soil.
Reason is they might be carriers of viruses, fungi, mites, or insects that the local soil is not prepared to handle. Once such infections reach the soil, they have potential to wipe out native crops. Keeping the crops quarantined serves as a firewall, making time for the scientists to keep a tab on the plant’s behaviour, inspect for abnormal growth, and destroy infected elements from the roots before it spreads.
Himachal Pradesh is not only a state synonymous with apple cultivation, its entire horticulture landscape supports lakhs of families. Many farmers in a bid to improve yield and quality, fetch root stocks from other places without realising that these specimen could put their crop fields in danger.
The state has thus made quarantine protocols compulsory for imported plants. After arrival, such stocks are nurtured in Himachal Regional Centre in Mohal, Kullu district where a team of experts continuously monitors them for a year or at times more. Only after clearing the quality tests, these plants are distributed.
According to horticulture experts, the year-long quarantine helps detect harmful viruses and pests, if any. A committee formed by the Horticulture Department and university researchers notices the growth patterns and problems cropping up. If any plant shows abnormalities, these are destroyed.
Dr. Uttam Parashar, a scientist in the Horticulture Department said, an Italian company will be sending a stock of 50,000 apple rootstocks, all of which will have to undergo quarantine before reaching the farmers.
Besides, a committee of field officers is formed every year by the Horticulture Department to stop the entry and sale root stock brought illegally and to inspect all the nurseries operating in the state. The constituted committee issues necessary guidelines by inspecting nurseries from time to time under the Himachal Pradesh Fruit Nursery Registration and Regulation Act, 2015 and Rules 2020. Along with this, it inspects the plants being brought through vehicles and examines the related documents.
The root stocks are first usually planted in the quarantine centres set up by the Horticulture Department exactly the way they are planted in the gardens. Necessary medicines are also sprayed. These stock plants are kept away from the normal saplings so that if any virus or disease is found, it does not spread to other plants.
Responding to the issue during the assembly session this year, the state's Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi said, "In 2023-24, the government has launched a campaign against apple plants coming into the state without quarantine. During the campaign about 25 vehicles were seized and 2.95 lakh plants destroyed. Similarly, in 2024-25, four vehicles were seized. From the stock, 68,000 plants have been destroyed." The department would issue strict quarantine guidelines so that those bringing saplings into the state illegally without being quarantined will be sternly dealt with, he added.
BJP leader Chetan Baragata from Rohru had also questioned the government on not ensuring quarantine rules before passing on the saplings to the farmers. "It is clearly written in the government's Plant Quarantine Rules 2003 that it is necessary to keep apple plants coming from abroad in quarantine for at least one year. So that no new disease or virus reaches our fields, but our orchards are under threat due to illegal import of apple plants," he had alleged. Responding to him Negi clarified that the plants coming from outside are all being quarantined as per the rules.
Meanwhile, the Horticulture Department has urged gardeners to buy plants only from nurseries registered with the Horticulture Department. Many times, gardeners bring plants from other states at cheaper prices but those are found infected. In the process, these infected plants affect the healthy crops in the same fields.
Progressive gardeners of Kullu district, Tekchand and Prem Sharma said, "In Kullu, the plants brought from other states either get spoiled or infect other healthy trees. It is wise on the part of gardeners to fetch plants from good nurseries registered by the Horticulture Department in Jammu Kashmir or Uttarakhand." With their experience they said gardeners should not be tempted to buy plants at cheaper rates and incur big loss due to infection.
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