ASSESSMENT OF FRUIT CROP DIVERSITY IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS IN LOW HILLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Abstract

The climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh are favorable for cultivation of various fruit crops. A thorough study was conducted in the Nadaun block of Hamirpur district which majorly falls in the low hills of the state. The study aimed to assess fruit crop diversity, to investigate the impact of meteorological parameters on the yield of predominant fruit crops, to generate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) maps of the area. It was observed that mango and citrus were the predominant fruit crops being cultivated in the study area. A negative correlation was observed between the fruit production and the rainfall change pattern data whereas no discernible correlations were obtained for minimum and maximum temperatures with the fruit crop production data of the study area for the years 2002-2021. The NDVI of the study area indicated that a significant portion of the Nadaun block had dense vegetation cover, suggesting favorable agricultural conditions. Similarly, LULC mapping revealed that the predominant land use class of Nadaun is agriculture class, highlighting the region's agricultural significance. These findings provide valuable insights into the fruit crop diversity, agricultural dynamics and environmental characteristics of the Nadaun block in Himachal Pradesh, supporting informed decision-making for agricultural management and land use planning.