Indian Agricultural Research Bulletin

Kashmiri Cherries: The Sweet Red Gold with Untapped Potential Every year between May and July, something beautiful happens in the high-altitude orchards of Kashmir. Amid cool breezes and snow-fed streams, the Valley’s cherry trees come alive—offering up bright, juicy fruit known locally as Gilaas . These cherries aren’t just a summer snack—they’re a symbol of Kashmir’s agricultural heritage and an economic lifeline for many families. But while the cherries are world-class, the systems that support their journey from tree to table are far from it. Let’s explore why this crop matters, and what we need to do to unlock its full potential. 🍒 A Tiny Fruit with a Huge Impact Kashmir produces about 95% of India’s cherries , with roughly 12,000 metric tonnes harvested each year. Major cherry-growing zones include: Ganderbal (Lar, Gutlibagh, Kangan) Srinagar outskirts (Nishat, Harwan, Dhaara) Shopian, Baramulla, Tangmarg The cherry season begins just after strawberries ...

F arming may be one of the oldest human professions, but it's currently experiencing one of its most futuristic upgrades—thanks to agricultural robotics. Once confined to research labs and sci-fi scenarios, robots are now rolling through fields, flying over crops, and doing the dirty work with precision, speed, and intelligence. In this post, we’ll dive into how agricultural robotics is reshaping the way we grow food and why it’s becoming a game-changer in the tech world. Why Agriculture Needs Innovation—Now More Than Ever Global population growth is placing enormous pressure on agriculture to produce more food, more efficiently, and with less environmental damage. At the same time, labor shortages are making it harder to maintain large-scale farms. Enter robotics: an answer to both the productivity and sustainability challenges facing modern farming. 1. Precision Is the New Norm Agricultural robots are equipped with GPS, sensors, and AI algorithms that enable them to p...