Asian Journal of Plant and Soil Sciences

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is traditionally cultivated in temperate regions where adequate winter chilling supports dormancy release, flowering, and fruit development. The development of low-chilling cultivars has created opportunities to investigate apple cultivation in warmer and subtropical environments. The present study assessed the preliminary potential of selected forest-fringe and agricultural environments of Adilabad District, Telangana, India, for low-chilling apple cultivation. The assessment considered climatic conditions, winter chilling, soil characteristics, water availability, and topographic factors. Five representative locations were considered for a preliminary environmental suitability assessment, with emphasis on temperature regime, estimated chilling accumulation, rainfall, soil pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nutrients, soil texture, and irrigation potential. Candidate cultivars included HRMN-99, Anna, Dorsett Golden, and Tropical Beauty. A weighted suitability framework integrating climatic, chilling, soil, water, and topographic parameters was used to identify comparatively favourable locations. The preliminary assessment indicated that higher-elevation sites may provide relatively favourable winter conditions and greater estimated chilling accumulation than lower-elevation locations, while seasonal water availability and summer heat remain important constraints. HRMN-99 was identified as a particularly relevant candidate for further investigation because of its reported adaptation to warm and subtropical Indian environments. The assessment is preliminary because the site-level values used in the analysis are simulated within the documented environmental range of the region and therefore require validation through field observations. However, the assessment represents preliminary environmental suitability rather than demonstrated commercial production potential. Multi-season field experiments are therefore required to validate bud break, flowering, fruit set, yield, fruit quality, plant survival, and pest and disease responses. Future studies should prioritise legally available agricultural and non-forest lands while maintaining the ecological integrity of natural forest ecosystems.