Dear all, I was in Indonesia for two weeks and also visited some places in Java island of that country. I had a VERY BIG SURPRISE of my life there. In Batu area of Java I saw apples being cultivated. This are is around 3000 ft above the seaas level, at 6 degrees south of equator. The minimum temperature of this area is above 45 F meaning that the trees do not receive any chilling. Most farmers even take two crops a year by regulating the flowering with pruning or hand defoliation. The fruit quality is good and these fruits are bought by consumers at supermarkets at a price higher than that for Fuji apples.
I would not have believed it had I not seen these orchards personally. Could any of you explain how these apple trees are able to grow and bear fruits even without meeting their chilling requirements? Dr. Chiranjit Parmar www.fruitipedia.com
