Mustang, — The Cold Horticulture Development Centre in Marpha, ward no. 2 of Gharapjhong Rural Municipality, Mustang, has started producing hybrid ‘M-9 rootstock’ apple saplings using high-density farming technology.

The saplings are being developed through tissue culture laboratory technology, marking the first time such hybrid apple rootstock plants have been produced in Nepal using this method.

According to Ashok Limbu, Bio-technology Officer at the centre, the initiative aims to test and develop M-9 rootstock saplings suitable for high-density apple farming. The centre plans to produce around 6,000 saplings this year on its land in Ghasa and Marpha.

He said that although similar attempts were made at other tissue culture laboratories in Nepal, they failed to achieve successful propagation and development compared to the Marpha centre.

The tissue culture laboratory was established at the centre in 2021, and over the past three years, continuous research and protocol development have been carried out to support hybrid apple production.

High-density apple farming has been expanding in Mustang since 2013 due to its ability to deliver higher yields in less time and on smaller land areas. Previously, hybrid apple saplings imported from Italy were distributed to farmers with government subsidies, but their high cost limited wider access.

The centre believes that domestic production of hybrid apple saplings will significantly reduce costs for farmers, as imported M-9 rootstock saplings can cost over NPR 1,000 per plant.

Currently, apple orchards cover 837 hectares in Mustang, of which 572 hectares are in production. In the last season, hybrid apples were cultivated on 62 hectares across five local units, producing around 250 metric tonnes.