Continuous rainfall over the past two weeks has triggered an outbreak of secondary apple scab in several orchards across south Kashmir’s Shopian district, raising concerns among growers over the health and quality of this year’s crop amid an unusually wet spell across J&K.
According to weather data, J&K recorded 35% surplus rainfall in July, while Ladakh received 122% above-normal rainfall, making it one of the wettest Julys in recent years.
The disease has been reported from Devpora, Nagabal, Moolu, Mohanpora, Trenz, Sugu and several other apple-growing villages, where farmers said prolonged wet weather has created ideal conditions for the fungal infection to spread.
Tariq Ahmad Mir, an apple grower in Shopian’s Aliyalpora village, said the disease has affected orchards in both the lower and higher reaches of the district. “Continuous rains are beneficial for fruit colour and help improve the overall size of apples. However, excessive rainfall creates favourable conditions for secondary scab, which can spread rapidly if the wet spell continues,” Mir said.
He said waterlogging has emerged as another concern, warning that it could lead to root rot and weaken apple trees. “Many orchards have standing water because the soil has remained saturated for days. If the situation persists, growers may have to deal with root diseases in addition to scab,” he said.
Mir added that the incessant rainfall has also caused cracking in high-density apple varieties, particularly Gala, affecting fruit quality and potentially reducing market returns.
Ghulam Mohammad, another grower from the district, said his orchard had also developed necrotic leaf blotch following the prolonged wet weather. “Besides secondary scab, we are now seeing necrotic leaf blotch in the orchard. The continuous moisture is leading to multiple disease problems this season,” he said.
Apple scab is among the most destructive fungal diseases affecting apple cultivation in Kashmir. Secondary scab develops when fresh infections occur during the growing season after the primary infection, particularly during prolonged periods of rain and high humidity. The disease causes dark, velvety lesions on leaves and fruit, reducing fruit quality and increasing orchard management costs.
