The variety is the result of sustained efforts by late progressive orchardist Joginder Singh Kanwar of Majholi village in Shimla district, in collaboration with scientists from the Regional Horticulture Research and Training Station (RHRTS), Mashobra, under Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni.
According to Dr Dinesh Singh Thakur, Associate Director at RHRTS-Mashobra, the discovery dates back to 2016 when Kanwar observed unusual early-maturing, dark-coloured fruits on a lower branch of a 47-year-old Red Delicious apple tree in his orchard. These fruits were markedly different from others on the same tree, prompting scientific examination.
In 2017, a team of scientists, including Dr Thakur and Dr Neena Chauhan, surveyed the orchard and identified the variation as a whole-branch mutation. Budwood from the mutated limb was isolated and grafted onto dwarfing M9 rootstock to evaluate the stability of its desirable traits and fruit quality. The variety was subsequently studied over four to five years at Mashobra, located at an elevation of 2,286 metres above mean sea level.
Dr Devina Vaidya, Director of Research at UHF, said the university initiated the process to protect the variety as a farmer-developed cultivar and submitted an application to PPV&FRA. Scientists at RHRTS-Mashobra compiled the required data and documentation, remaining closely involved in its evaluation since 2016. Their efforts culminated in the official registration of the variety.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel congratulated the farmer’s family and the scientific team. He said the achievement reflected the university’s commitment to recognising and supporting farmers in developing and registering unique crop varieties. He noted that ‘Kanwar Majholi Selection-1’ retains the desirable qualities of Red Delicious, with the added advantage of early maturity and enhanced dark coloration.
He highlighted its potential suitability for cultivation in fog-prone regions, where achieving optimal fruit colour is often a challenge, making it a promising option for growers.
Prof Chandel added that, with the consent of the farmer’s family, the variety is currently undergoing multi-location performance trials under the name ‘Kanwar Red’.
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n n n n n n n n n n n n n ‘,e.addEventListener(“click”,(function(){gtag(“event”,”go_premium_banner_click”,{cta_text:”Go Premium Banner”})})),A.appendChild(e),C.insertAdjacentElement(“afterend”,A)}})):setTimeout(i,300)}function A(C){C.matches?setTimeout(i,500):document.querySelectorAll(“.goPremiumWrapper”).forEach((C=>C.remove()))}A(C),C.addEventListener(“change”,A)}()var isLiveBlog=!1,slug=”grower-developed-apple-variety-gets-approval-from-farmers-rights-authority”,post_title=”Grower-developed apple variety gets approval from Farmers’ Rights Authority”,enable_highlighter=!1,pwa_infinitescroll_enabled=!1,analytics_id=””,app_name=”The Tribune”,gallery=””,widgets_inbtw=!0,widgets_related=!0,widgets_trnding=!1,widgets_wp_webstories=!1,postId=”2538945″,post_image_medium=”https://www.tribuneindia.com/sortd-service/imaginary/v22-01/jpg/medium/high?url=dGhldHJpYnVuZS1zb3J0ZC1wcm8tcHJvZC1zb3J0ZC9tZWRpYTA0NjQzNTAwLTNlNWUtMTFmMS1hMjhiLThiZWUzODg3Y2VjMC5qcGc=”,audio_content=” The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) has officially registered a new farmer-developed apple variety, ‘Kanwar Majholi Selection-1’, marking a significant advancement in participatory crop improvement. The variety is the result of sustained efforts by late progressive orchardist Joginder Singh Kanwar of Majholi village in Shimla district, in collaboration with scientists from the Regional Horticulture Research and Training Station (RHRTS), Mashobra, under Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni. According to Dr Dinesh Singh Thakur, Associate Director at RHRTS-Mashobra, the discovery dates back to 2016 when Kanwar observed unusual early-maturing, dark-coloured fruits on a lower branch of a 47-year-old Red Delicious apple tree in his orchard. These fruits were markedly different from others on the same tree, prompting scientific examination. In 2017, a team of scientists, including Dr Thakur and Dr Neena Chauhan, surveyed the orchard and identified the variation as a whole-branch mutation. Budwood from the mutated limb was isolated and grafted onto dwarfing M9 rootstock to evaluate the stability of its desirable traits and fruit quality. The variety was subsequently studied over four to five years at Mashobra, located at an elevation of 2,286 metres above mean sea level. Dr Devina Vaidya, Director of Research at UHF, said the university initiated the process to protect the variety as a farmer-developed cultivar and submitted an application to PPV&FRA. Scientists at RHRTS-Mashobra compiled the required data and documentation, remaining closely involved in its evaluation since 2016. Their efforts culminated in the official registration of the variety. Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel congratulated the farmer’s family and the scientific team. He said the achievement reflected the university’s commitment to recognising and supporting farmers in developing and registering unique crop varieties. He noted that ‘Kanwar Majholi Selection-1’ retains the desirable qualities of Red Delicious, with the added advantage of early maturity and enhanced dark coloration. He highlighted its potential suitability for cultivation in fog-prone regions, where achieving optimal fruit colour is often a challenge, making it a promising option for growers. Prof Chandel added that, with the consent of the farmer’s family, the variety is currently undergoing multi-location performance trials under the name ‘Kanwar Red’. “,article_price=0,theme_color=”#0d1c3d”,is_article_paid=!1,is_paid_article_enabled=!1;if(widgets_inbtw)var inbtw_count=1,category_id=48,inbtw_label=”Read More”,inbtw_color=””,inbtw_layout=”inBtwPostsCarousal”;if(widgets_trnding)var trnd_layout=””,trnd_cardName=””,trnd_count=5;if(widgets_wp_webstories)var wp_ws_layout=””,wp_ws_cardName=””,wp_ws_text_color=””,wp_ws_background=””,wp_ws_custom_css=””;if(widgets_trnding){theme_color=”#0d1c3d”;var article_color=””,status=!0;function getTrendingArticles(e,t,a,i=!1){a||(a=”Trending Now”);let r=””;r+=`${a}`,r+=”;let n=e.length>t?t:e.length;for(let t=0;t