Cereals and vegetables are short duration crops but fruit plants have got long life, where normal life span of fruit plants like Apple, Mango, Walnut, Pear etc is 70-100 years or even more, there cereals survive for 6-7 months. So plants have lengthier life spans and during their long life they get infected with lot of pests and diseases, just like humans and if management practices are not properly followed then their fruit bearing capacities are reduced considerably and thus making the fruit growing unprofitable for its growers. Neglected plantations are the major cause of concern, they harbor pests and diseases and whenever we go for fresh plantations in these areas where such neglected plantations exist there we are bound to meet failures, as the small plants are more vulnerable to these pests and diseases. Let’s assume that there is a village, which is quite far off, and most of the people in the village are leprosy patients and if some healthy person goes there then there is great chance that he too will be affected. To save that man from that disease we adopt two way approach, first we give medication to that man and second we treat other persons as well in the village so that the innoculum level decreases and we also try to increase the nutrition level and uplift hygiene of the villagers so that the further multiplication of the disease is curbed. I wonder why we think differently when we have to cure plants. Whenever we have to plant a orchard we should first motivate the farmer and then release incentives. It is always better to cut a neglected orchard or start management practices than to leave him neglected for many more years. Such type of orchards actually spoils the other healthy orchards. I am sure that planting pomegranate orchards in gool area will meet utter failure because there are thousands of neglected pome granate trees . If there had been no wild plants in this area then menace of anar butterfly would have been lesser. Similarly if we plant a citrus hedge in citrus orchard then infestation of citrus butterfly increases many folds, it is also equally harmful if you have neglected citrus plantations in the close vicinity of your well managed orchard. Most of the plantations made by horticulture dept are made after doing proper homework’s. In the beginning camps are held then interested individuals are selected, then their lands are seen and are evaluated that whether these lands are fit for fruit production are not, then these beneficiaries are some time taken outside state and some time with in district so that they can meet other progressive orchardists and if felt that they motivated only then incentives are released and plantations are made. But if we simply distribute fruit plants as other departments are doing. It will harm more than benefit. These trees will soon become neglected trees and harbor diseases and thus affect the other healthy plantations and lower their incomes, which is a national loss. These departments don’t posses any trained staff and for the after care management and feedback .It is always better to involve Horticulture department when ever any type of fruit plantations are to be made. In each District we posses trained staff and experts for the proper management of plantations.
