VEGETATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE EVALUATION OF 19 WALNUT CULTIVARS IN PIEMONTE (ITALY)

A walnut variety collection was established in 1981–1983 in Piemonte, northern Italy, with the purpose of verifying the productive adaptability in this environment of seventeen foreign cultivars: ‘Amigo’, ‘Chase D9’, ‘Chico’, ‘Corne’, ‘Eureka’, ‘Franquette’, ‘Grandjean’, ‘Hartley’, ‘Marbot’, ‘Mayette’, ‘Parisienne’, ‘Payne’, ‘Pedro’, ‘Serr’, ‘Tehama’, ‘Trinta’, ‘Vina’, and of seedlings of the Italian cultivars ‘Feltrina’ and ‘Sorrento’.

This survey has considered:

• tree vigour and canopy shape;

• leafing date;

• bloom period of staminate and pistillate flowers;

• placement of flowers along branches;

• productivity;

• fruit characteristics.

The results of the observations indicate a good adaptability to the climatic conditions of Piemonte for the cultivars with medium to late leafing and blooming periods: ‘Pedro’, ‘Hartley’, ‘Corne’, ‘Parisienne’, ‘Marbot’, ‘Mayette’, ‘Grandjean’, and ‘Franquette’. High productivity was seen in the American cultivars, especially ‘Trinta’ and ‘Vina’. Good nut quality was found in ‘Chase D9’, ‘Franquette’, ‘Grandjean’, ‘Hartley’, ‘Mayette’, ‘Payne’, ‘Parisienne’, ‘Pedro’, and ‘Serr’.

Among the seedlings of ‘Feltrina’ and ‘Sorrento’ two plants have been identified with extremely late leafing dates (around mid-May). These plants which have not yet produced nuts may nonetheless be of genetic interest.

I International Symposium on Walnut Production

L. Radicati, G. Vergano, P. Zannini

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.284.18