Factors affecting the production of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) in Ladakh UT of India
Arshad Bhat1* Durgeshwary Kolhe2, Abid Sultan3 H.A. Malik4, Md Sarafraz Equabal5, M. Latief6, Parvaiz Rashid6 and Iqra Qureshi7
1Institute of Liberal Arts, Amity University Mumbai. 2Institute of Behavioural and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Mumbai. 3School of Agricultural Economics and Hort-Business Management, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar. 4KVK, Bandipora. 5Depatrment of Economics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar. 6Department of Commerce and Management, Gandhi Memorial College, Srinagar.7Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Rangreth, Srinagar, India. Corresponding e-mail: bhatarshad09@gmail.com
Abstract: The goal of the current study was to identify the factors influencing apricot production in India’s Ladakh region. Data was collected from 200 respondents in the Ladakh region using a pre-tested interview schedule. The data was analyzed using multiple regression modeling, along with frequency and percentage calculations, to derive the results. A significant portion of apricot growers (27.5%) were obtaining 50–60 kg of yield per tree, while the majority (60.5%) farmed apricots on just one kanal of land. Additionally, 56% of apricot growers applied farmyard manure (FYM), and 45.5% of growers used chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, reports of aphids and scale on the apricot crop accounted for over 77% and 94.5% of the cases, respectively. In addition, apricot growers reported brown rot and scab in over 88% and 94.5% of cases, respectively. In terms of dormant practices, 89% of the respondents were hoeing, while 68.5% applied Horticultural mineral oils (HMO) and 74.5% Bordeaux mixture. The results of the regression analysis showed that brown rot was found to be inversely but significantly related to apricot production, while the application of chemical fertilizers, FYM, HMO, and Bordeaux mixture was found to be positively and significantly related to apricot production. The study suggests paying extra attention to enhancing stone fruit production by establishing more connections with research and agricultural extension centers and organizations. By implementing intercropping, appropriate land division, and allocation for cash crops such as vegetables, stone fruits, and grains, farms can provide access to microcredit at the microlevel.
