Chief Horticulture Officer, (CHO) Ramban, has issued an advisory to farmers regarding upkeep of orchards amid heavy snowfall.
The orchardists have been advised to drain out excess water from the orchards by making channels and drains, besides shaking trees gently to remove snow immediately from the branches and crotches.
In the advisory, various other measures were suggested to farmers for avoiding any damage and loss of plantation including cutting and removing the broken and damaged branches, reducing the canopy load by pruning and proper support. The Farmers have been asked to slowly pull back the trees to the original position after heavy pruning and provide proper support/staking to the main trunk to prevent further fall, if the trees are partially uprooted. If the top portion of the tree is broken, slantingly cut the damaged branch 2-3 inches below the broken point and apply Bordeaux/ Chaubatia paste on the cut surface. If any scaffold branch is broken and bark is still intact, bring the branch to the original position by tying with a rope or using stainless steel nails. Ensure that the union remains tight and apply Bordeaux or Chaubatia paste on the cut surface. If the main trunk is split into two or three parts it can be treated the same way as aforementioned. If the roots have become exposed, immediately cover the roots with soil to avoid further damage, it was advised.