Articles
Valorization of hazelnut shells as substrate component for nursery potted cultivation of GF 677 rootstock
Article number
1457_2
Pages
13 – 20
Language
English
Abstract
Italy, with 85,000 t (2021), is the second-largest hazelnut producer in the world.
In the Italian hazelnut industry, a large part of the production, being destined for confectionery, undergoes minimal processing in industrial shelling plants, even located in the main hazelnut production areas.
Currently, the main reuse of hazelnut shells at the local level is as domestic fuel.
Italian hazelnut cultivars have kernel yields of 40-46%; therefore, Italy can potentially produce 45,000 t of hazelnut shells per year.
A valorization of this by-product could make the hazelnut cultivation more sustainable, not only environmentally but also economically.
A possible alternative to combustion is the use of an inert material to prepare a substrate mix for the cultivation of potted plants at the nursery level.
In almost all substrates, a variable percentage of inert material is useful for ensuring proper drainage of irrigation water.
To this extent, the main spread material used in Italy for this purpose is pumice, a porous volcanic rock.
However, the availability of pumice is increasingly reduced, with raising costs.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of hazelnut shells as substitutes for pumice for the preparation of substrates suitable for the cultivation of potted plants in nurseries.
Given its relevance to the international market, the trial was conducted on GF677 rootstock, an almond-peach hybrid.
The test was conducted in 2023 in a cold greenhouse, in Caserta (Southern Italy), on GF677 plants.
Substrates containing 10, 20, and 30% by volume of hazelnut shells or pumice stone were compared with a substrate without any inert material, thereby lacking structural components for drainage and aeration.
In six months of pot cultivation, no evidence of differential effects was found between substrates with shells and with pumice at 10 and 20% concentrations.
On the contrary, plant vegetative growth was negatively affected under treatments without inert material and containing 30% of hazelnut shells.
In the Italian hazelnut industry, a large part of the production, being destined for confectionery, undergoes minimal processing in industrial shelling plants, even located in the main hazelnut production areas.
Currently, the main reuse of hazelnut shells at the local level is as domestic fuel.
Italian hazelnut cultivars have kernel yields of 40-46%; therefore, Italy can potentially produce 45,000 t of hazelnut shells per year.
A valorization of this by-product could make the hazelnut cultivation more sustainable, not only environmentally but also economically.
A possible alternative to combustion is the use of an inert material to prepare a substrate mix for the cultivation of potted plants at the nursery level.
In almost all substrates, a variable percentage of inert material is useful for ensuring proper drainage of irrigation water.
To this extent, the main spread material used in Italy for this purpose is pumice, a porous volcanic rock.
However, the availability of pumice is increasingly reduced, with raising costs.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of hazelnut shells as substitutes for pumice for the preparation of substrates suitable for the cultivation of potted plants in nurseries.
Given its relevance to the international market, the trial was conducted on GF677 rootstock, an almond-peach hybrid.
The test was conducted in 2023 in a cold greenhouse, in Caserta (Southern Italy), on GF677 plants.
Substrates containing 10, 20, and 30% by volume of hazelnut shells or pumice stone were compared with a substrate without any inert material, thereby lacking structural components for drainage and aeration.
In six months of pot cultivation, no evidence of differential effects was found between substrates with shells and with pumice at 10 and 20% concentrations.
On the contrary, plant vegetative growth was negatively affected under treatments without inert material and containing 30% of hazelnut shells.
Publication
Authors
M. Giaccone, E. Ferrara, D. Cice, G. Modarelli, L. Vanacore, A. Bonfante, P. Rega, A. Esposito, S. Pacifico, A. Basile, R. De Mascellis, R. Pace, I. Artimonov, C. Cirillo, M. Petriccione
Keywords
pumice, growing media, Corylus avellana L., hazelnut shells, plant propagation, rootstock, circular economy
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