Pear production trends and characteristics of important pests in India

Abstract

Pear is one of the most important commercial crops of India. It is grown in northwestern states and hills of the country. India is the 9th largest pear producer in the world. Its cultivation area increased from about 19000 ha in 1991 to 42000 ha in 2019, with 2.2 times of increase over 28 years. In India, pears cultivated from foothills to high hills experience about five hundred to thousand five hundred chilling hours throughout the year. In India, pear occupies the third place for temperate fruits by area of cultivation and production quantity. The area with pear cultivated is steadily increasing in India. It is mainly grown in northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and in south India (Tamilnadu state). The region of north-eastern hills, comprising of states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, also grows pear on a limited scale. Although northwestern and eastern hills of India provide a favorable climatic condition for growing a wide range of pears, cultivation and production of pears remain challenging due to pests and diseases. In this article, we discussed the current status of pear production and major common insects and pests in pear-growing regions of India.