Plant health in the Khasi mandarin orchards depends on the plant health management measures adopted. Clean cultivation, balanced and proper fertilizer and nutrient application, prophylactic measures like painting Bordeaux paste, etc. contribute to maintaining healthy plant stand in the orchards. To appraise the Khasi mandarin growers of Sohkhwai village, a field day on “Demonstration of plant health management measures for citrus” was conducted on 27.02.2024 under the collaborative project of Demonstration of rejuvenation technology of citrus orchards of ICAR Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra and ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya. Seventy numbers (70) of the citrus growers’ from Sohkhwai village and nearby areas Nongtrylaw and Umdenla-ang actively participated in the field demonstration programme. The Co-PIs of the project, Dr. Tasvina R. Borah, Senior Scientist, and Dr. A. Balusamy, Scientist from ICAR RC NEHR, Umiam and Dr. Eveningstone Marboh, Scientist from ICAR-CCRI, RRCC, Biswanath Charali along with Dr. T. Ramesh, Principal Scientist of ICAR RC NEHR coordinated the programme. The participants were motivated to carry out clean cultivation and take proper care of their orchards
      Citrus growing farmers shared their experiences after adopting the recommended citrus rejuvenation techniques of the ICAR in their field. As farmers said, fruit drop was reduced, fruit size was increased and the overall yield was also increased due to these ICAR citrus rejuvenation technologies. Distribution of inputs to the participants such as foot sprayers (5 nos.), neemoil cake (250 kg), bio-fertilizers, and bio-pesticides (250 kg each) was done at the end of the programme. The foot sprayers were provided for community use in three villages. The citrus growers of Sohkhwai expressed their gratitude to the Directors of both the institute and the PI of the project for implementing the project in this part of Meghalaya.