Andhra apples will be in the market by 2016. An experiment of growing apples in the Visakha Agency area where the temperature is low has proved a success.
Sixteen apple saplings were planted on the premises of Regional Agriculture Research Station of Dr. N.G. Ranga AP Agriculture University at Chintapalli and 10 at Lambasingi, 15 km away (which records 0 degree temperature on some days during winter) on January 24 last year to examine if the chilly weather of the Agency, which encompasses tall hill ranges covered with forests, is suitable to grow apples.
Director of CCMB Dr. Ch. Mohana Rao took the initiative in the experiment.
Chief Professor of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Ramesh Agarwal and Senior Principal Scientist A. Veerabhadra Rao examined the apples plants at Chintapalli and Lambasingi on Saturday along with Scientist of RARS D. Sekhar and Extension Officer Babu Rao and found that the plants were growing in a healthy way.
“They also started flowering, which means that they will bear fruit. It is a 100 per cent success and by 2016 we can have Andhra apples in the market”, Dr. Ramesh Agarwal said. The climate here is similar to Florida’s conditions and even though the sun is bright during day time, the chilly condition during the night is helping the apple plants grow, he said.
CCMB on its own had started growing apples in a small way and the cultivation could be extended to a large scale like coffee crop, by going for 5,000 plants to 10,000 plants and for this the support of State Government is needed, he said.
Kiwi also a success
Chintapalli and Lambasingi have also been introduced to kiwi fruit cultivation on an experimental basis and these plants are also showing good growth, the CCMB scientists found after an examination of the plants.
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