India, April 4 -- Army scientists helped Ladakhi farmers use mulching and changing climate to grow a hotweather fruit in a cold desert

The residents of the village of Phey near Leh in Ladakh are cultivating a crop that is usually not grown in the fragile, water-scarce cold desert region. Using a technique known as mulching, the village in Leh district has emerged as the hub of organic watermelon cultivation.

People in Phey, 14 kilometres from Leh town, are earning a handsome profit by cultivating the melons. They are being helped by scientists from the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) and changing climate in Ladakh.

Dorje Angchuk, Scientist (Agri Extension) DIHAR said, "Ladakh is a cold desert and watermelon is a hot...