Mahindra Patyal
Bharmour
Bharmour Subdivision’s horticulture expert, Dr. Manohar Lal of the Horticulture Department, has advised all local gardeners to exercise special care while planting apple and other fruit-bearing trees during the autumn season.
Dr. Lal emphasized that while planting, farmers should add 10–30 grams of mycorrhiza into the pit, ensuring it touches the root zone. Since mycorrhiza requires contact with living roots, covering it with soil and watering immediately helps strengthen and accelerate early root growth.
He explained that mycorrhiza is a beneficial fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots. It significantly expands the root system and makes essential nutrients—particularly phosphorus, zinc, iron, and copper—more easily available. This allows plants to thrive even in less fertile soils, reducing the need for chemical phosphorus fertilizers and lowering farmers’ costs.
Dr. Lal further noted that during dry periods, mycorrhiza helps plants retain water for longer durations. It also enhances disease resistance, improves soil structure, and activates microbiological processes in the soil. These benefits, he said, will ultimately contribute to higher yields in the future.
