NEW ZEALAND WALNUT VARIETY TRIALS 1985-1999

Walnuts have been present in New Zealand since the arrival of the earliest permanent European settlers at the start of the 19th Century. However, local production is low and imports accounted for most consumption in New Zealand in 1997 and were equivalent to 700 t of NIS. While this is a low per capita value it has been rising steadily at about 6% per year for the last decade. However, it has only been since the late 1970’s that comparative evaluations of varieties have been performed in New Zealand. At that time The New Zealand Tree Crops Association imported a range of European and US lines as well as selecting among the locally grown seedling trees lines considered to have potential. The consequences were two replicated variety trials planted at Lincoln University in 1985 and 1987 respectively. These trials contain 22 varieties consisting of 11 local selections plus 7 US and 4 European selections as well as additional lines as buffer trees. Nut in shell yields, nut quality, phenology and vegetative growth have been recorded annually. The maximum yield recorded to date was 5.5 t/ha from a local release “Meyric”. The highest average yield across the preceding 5 years was from the US cultivar “Vina” at 3.2 t/ha. “Rex” another local release has averaged 2.2 t/ha across the preceding 5 years. Four local selections have been named and released as well as several European and US cultivars which have shown promise. Vegetative growth is relatively slow in the region reaching 13 to 25 cm stem diameters after 11 years (measured at 30cm above ground level). Lines recommended from these trials have formed the bulk of the varieties being planted commercially in New Zealand (presently at the rate of approximately 4,000 grafted trees p.a.). These orchards now being planted will form the basis of multi-site evaluations.

IV International Walnut Symposium

D.L. McNeil, G.P. Savage

yields, quality, walnut, varieties

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.544.22