Zero Energy Overwinter Storage of Apple Nursery Plants in trans-Himalayan Ladakh, India

Phunchok Angmo; Joginder S Chandel; Anand Kumar Katiyar; Konchok Targais; O P Chaurasia; Tsering Stobdan

doi:10.14429/dlsj.3.12178

Phunchok Angmo Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
Joginder S Chandel Department of Fruit Science, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan- 173230, India
Anand Kumar Katiyar Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
Konchok Targais Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
O P Chaurasia Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
Tsering Stobdan Defence Institute of High Altitude Research http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7859-3868

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.3.12178

Keywords: Cellar, Electrolyte leakage, Freeze injury, Greenhouse, Malus

Abstract

Studies were conducted during 2015 and 2016 to assess the effects of storage conditions on survival of nursery plants in trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. Apple nursery plants raised under warm climatic conditions of Solan (Himachal) were lifted from nurseries in first week of January and stored upto March in cold Ladakh region. Underground cellar-stored plants showed significantly higher plant survival (92 to 94%) than greenhouse-stored plants (37 to 56% survival). Low and constant temperature (-1.5±4.1 to 10.0±1.4ºC) and absence of light inside the cellar were favorable factors for storage of nursery plants. Lower survival rates of greenhouse-stored plants could be attributed to lower and greater fluctuations in temperature (-9.3±1.7to 25.1±1.9ºC) inside the greenhouse. Cellar-stored plants were less subjected to freezing injury as reflected from shoot electrolyte leakage studies. The underground cellar was found effective for overwinter storage of apple nursery plants for 3 to 4 months. The method described is easy and cost-effective, and can be a satisfactory alternative to refrigerated cold storage in trans-Himalayan region with severe winters.

Author Biographies

Phunchok Angmo, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Ms Phunchok Angmo is Senior Research Fellow and Ph.D candidate in the Plant Science Division, DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. She currently works on a project entitled ‘Quality and yield of vegetables under different greenhouse structures in trans-HimalayanLadakh,India’. She holds M.Sc in Botany fromPanjabUniversity.

Joginder S Chandel, Department of Fruit Science, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan- 173230, India

Dr. Joginder S Chandel received Ph.D in Horticulture from Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry with specialization in plant propagation and orchard management. Currently working as Principal Scientist in the department of Fruit Science, Univ. of Hort & Forestry. He has over 27 years of research experience in plant propagation and orchard management. He has published over 78 research papers in reputed national and international journals

Anand Kumar Katiyar, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Dr. Anand K Katiyar obtained M.Sc from Banaras Hindu University and PhD (Agricultural Extension) from CSAUAT Kanpur. Currently working as Scientist ‘D’ at DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has over 10 years of experience in agriculture extension in Ladakh region

Konchok Targais, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Shri Konchok Targais is Technical Officer in Plant Science Division at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR). He received his B.Sc in Agriculture from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science & Technology, Jammu in 2003.

O P Chaurasia, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Dr O.P. Chaurasia obtained his PhD (Botany) from Magadh University Bodh Gaya, Bihar, in 1992. Currently working as Scientist ‘F’ and Director, DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has extensively surveyed trans-Himalayan belts of Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti and documented the fragile plant biodiversity and its ethnobotanical wealth.

Tsering Stobdan, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research

Dr. Tsering Stobdan received his PhD in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Currently working as Scientist ‘E’ and Head, Plant Science Division at DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh. He has 5 patents including one in USA, over 50 publications in reputed national and international journals, two monogram and 20 book chapters to his credit.