Fruits are essential part of human diet, supplements, carbohydrate, fructose and several essential nutrients required for general health. Apple occupies nearly 12,141 ha area mostly in the temperate regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir and to small extent in Nilgiris. There are 12 well written chapters namely, botanical information about apple, chemistry, various insects and pests and diseases like bacterial, nematodes, viral and viroid causing great damage to apple crop. Besides these, detailed account on phytoplasmal and spiroplasmal diseases have been discussed. Miscellaneous diseases and disorders of apples were accounted in this volume. In the last chapter various pests were mentioned and their losses, symptoms and control measures are mentioned in detail. This volume is beneficial to all researchers/cultivators and scientists farming the apple orchards.

Dr. G.N. Bhat, retired as Professor & Head, Division of Plant Pathology, SKUAST-Kashmir. Earlier Dr. Bhat has been worked as Associate Director Research, Regional Rice Research Station, Khudwani for a period of 5 years. Dr. Bhat has rendered 37 years in Agriculture Production Deptt./ SKUAST-Kashmir. He has published more than 75 publications in various International /national journals. He worked in various fields in University viz. ICAR projects in maize, apple scab and walnut & almond diseases. He has contributed in the evolution of 3 scab resistant varieties in apple, 3 blast resists in rice. He guided 6 Ph.D. students and 12 M.Sc. students as major advisor. Dr. Shahid Ahamad, presently working as Chief Scientist (Plant Pathology) at Directorate of Research in Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu (Chatha)-180009, J.&K., India. Earlier he served as Jr. Scientist (Plant Pathology), Sr. Scientist/ Programme Coordinator in KVKs and Dy. Director Research. He is also working as Nodal Officer, PME Cell. His research interests are plant diseases management, maize pathology, organic farming and research management. He is working as Reviewers, Editorial members in different society of national and international repute Research in Environment & Life Science (Lucknow), Food Journal of Agriculture & Environment (Finland), Current Plant Biology, Elsevior etc. He served many Scientific Societies in different capacity viz. Councilor (2012-15) SPPS, IARI, New Delhi; Zonal President of IPS (NZ) in 2017. He Conferred Fellow, Society of Plant Protection Sciences (2005) IARI, New Delhi & Fellow, Indian Phytopathological Society in 2015. He is working as Organizing Committee Members and delivered invited lectures in different International Conference/Symposia/Seminars viz. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, U.K. etc. He wins many national and international awards viz. Young Achiever Awards-2011; Distinguished Service Awards (2012); Scientist of the Year Award (2013) and Eminence Scientist Award (2018), PP Singhal Memorial Award (2018) for his outstanding contributions in the field of Plant Pathology. As an academician, he has published more than 200 publications in national and international reputed journals/ magazines /Newspapers/Souvenir Chapters etc. including 10 books in different aspects of agriculture/Plant Pathology. He is having 21 years of experience in research, extension and teaching activities in the field of Plant Pathology in general and agriculture in particular. Dr. B.S. Jamwal, Chief Scientist-cum-Professor (Plant Breeding & Genetics) & In-charge Pulses Research Sub-Station, Samba, SKUAST-Jammu. He did his M.Sc .(Agriculture) from SKUAST, Srinagar & Ph.D. in Plant Breeding & Genetics from SKUASTJammu. He has vast research experience of 40 years in different cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruit crops especially temperate fruits apple, walnut etc. He has associated with seed production activities and is presently working as Nodal Officer, Pulses Seed Hub Project of SKUAST-Jammu and actively engaged in research of Chickpea and other MULLaRP crops. He has been Councilor from North Zone for Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata & ISPRD, I.I.P.R, Kanpur. He has published 50 research publications in his credit and write 5 books in the field of Plant breeding and Genetics.