NUT QUALITY OF WILD EUROPEAN HAZELNUT IN ESTONIA AND ATTEMPTS AT HAZELNUT BREEDING

The European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a dominant vegetation in western Estonia and is distributed throughout the territory.
The specific character required for nut production is winter hardiness of plants and catkins.
The nuts of wild hazelnut gathered from Saaremaa Island are small.
Nut mass ranges from 1.0 – 1.2 g and kernel mass ranges from 0.21 – 0.44 g.
Percent kernel ranges from 26 – 44%. The average fat content of kernels is 53.5% and the protein content is 21.2%. The shape of nuts and involucres are exceedingly variable, but most nuts are round.
The most extensive breeding program was started in the 1960’s at the Polli Horticultural Institute by Prof.
A.Siimon with 554 seedlings planted in a selection orchard.
Crosses were made between his local wild selections and western European cultivars.
Their nuts were not much bigger than those of wild plants, but the protein content was lower.
Many selections lack winter hardiness.
A better selection ‘Alli’ was produced by ornamental breeder Alli Süvalepp.
This is an early ripening hazelnut with 2 g nut mass.

V International Congress on Hazelnut

K. Kask

Corylus avellana, filbert, cold-hardiness

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.556.4