As Himachal Pradesh is experiencing an unusually warm winter, farmers and fruit growers in the hill state are occupied with worries of a prolonged dry spell, which may deal heavy damages to the rabi crop.
While the night temperature in the state hovers around the normal mark, the day temperatures have risen, at times five to six degrees above normal. This has left fruit growers worried, given the warmer temperatures can affect the dormancy cycle that determines the timing and quality of bud break. Insufficient chilling can reduce and delay bud break, cause non-uniform flowering and, as a consequence result in small and abnormal production. The dry spell, in short, has delayed the winter cycle for the owners of apple orchards.
Source: hindustantimes.com