A prolonged dry spell, marked by the absence of snowfall and unusually warm winter temperatures, has begun to worry apple growers across Kashmir, many of whom say the season no longer behaves the way it once did.

Apple cultivation in the Valley depends heavily on winter cold. The trees need sustained low temperatures to enter dormancy, a resting phase that allows them to reset before spring. When winters are warmer and snowfall is scant, that cycle is disturbed. Trees remain dormant for a shorter period, buds can break earlier than expected, and orchards become vulnerable to sudden cold snaps later in the season.

Growers say this growing........

© Greater Kashmir