Subtropical and Temperate Fruit Production
HORMA 201 - M.Sc. (Ag.) Horticulture
UNIT IV: Nuts- Walnut, Almond, Pistachio, Pecan
Table of Contents
Commercial varieties of regional, national and international importance,
Ecophysiological requirements, recent trends in propagation, rootstock influence,
planting systems, cropping systems, root zone and canopy management, nutrient
management, water management, fertigation, bioregulation, abiotic factors limiting fruit
production, physiology of flowering, fruit set and development, abiotic factors limiting
production, physiological disorders-causes and remedies, quality improvement by
management practices; maturity indices, harvesting, grading, packing, precooling,
storage, transportation and ripening techniques; industrial and export potential, Agri Export Zones(AEZ) and industrial support.
Chapter 16 -
🌰 ALMOND (Prunus dulcis / Prunus amygdalus)
Family: Rosaceae
Chromosome Number: 2n = 16
Origin: Central and Southwest Asia (Iran to the Mediterranean)
India’s key production areas: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
🔹 1. Commercial Varieties of Regional, National & International Importance
India:
- Mukhdoom: Local variety of J&K
- Waris, Shalimar: Regional types
Introduced/Improved Varieties:
- Nonpareil: Leading California variety, thin shell, high-quality kernel
- Drake: Soft shell, self-compatible
- Ne Plus Ultra: Good kernel yield
- Tuono, Ferragnes, Ferraduel (Italy/France): Late flowering, frost tolerant
- ICAR Introductions: Katha, Pranyaj, Shrestha, Kesar
🔹 2. Ecophysiological Requirements
- Climate:
- Temperate with chilling requirement: 250–600 hours (variety dependent)
- Sensitive to spring frost
- Temperature:
- Flowering: 15–20°C
- Growing: 25–30°C
- Altitude: 800–2,000 m above sea level
- Soil:
- Well-drained sandy loam, pH 6.0–7.5
- Intolerant to waterlogging and salinity
🔹 3. Recent Trends in Propagation
- Traditional: Seedling propagation
- Current methods:
- Tongue grafting on peach or plum rootstocks
- T-budding, chip budding
- Clonal rootstocks (like GF 677) gaining popularity
- Micropropagation under trial for elite cultivars
🔹 4. Rootstock Influence
Rootstocks affect tree size, yield, precocity, tolerance to soil pH and diseases
🔹 5. Planting Systems
- Spacing:
- Standard: 6 × 6 m or 5 × 5 m
- High-density: 3 × 5 m (for smaller varieties)
- System: Square or hexagonal
- Training: Open center or modified leader system
- Standard: 6 × 6 m or 5 × 5 m
- High-density: 3 × 5 m (for smaller varieties)
🔹 6. Cropping Systems
- Mono-cropping is standard for almonds
- Intercropping: Suitable in early years with legumes, vegetables
- Alley cropping in hilly terrain
🔹 7. Root Zone and Canopy Management
- Pruning: Crucial in early years for proper canopy structure
- Avoid dense canopies → reduces air and light penetration
- Sucker removal needed periodically
🔹 8. Nutrient Management
- Micronutrients: Zn, B, Fe important
- Foliar sprays of boron and zinc improve flowering and nut ser
🔹 9. Water Managemen
- Irrigation is critical during:
- Flowering
- Fruit set
- Nut filling
- Methods: Drip irrigation preferred; avoid over-irrigation
- Mulching helps in moisture conservation
🔹 10. Fertigation
- NPK fertilisers are applied via drip in split doses
- Improves efficiency, especially in high-density orchards
- Reduces nutrient losses
🔹 11. Bioregulation
🔹 12. Abiotic Factors Limiting Fruit Production
- Spring frost: Damages blossoms and young fruits
- Drought: Poor nut fill
- High humidity: Favors fungal diseases
- Alkaline soil: Causes chlorosis
🔹 13. Physiology of Flowering, Fruit Set & Development
- Self-incompatible (most varieties)
- Cross-pollination necessary → plant pollinizer cultivars
- Pollinated by bees (entomophilous)
- Dichogamy present
- Fruit is a drupe, edible part = kernel (seed)
- Cross-pollination necessary → plant pollinizer cultivars
🔹 14. Physiological Disorders – Causes & Remedies
🔹 15. Quality Improvement by Management Practices
- Use of pollinizer cultivars for cross-pollination
- Apply balanced fertilizers
- Install bee colonies (2–3 hives/ha)
- Spray boron and zinc at pre-flowering
🔹 16. Maturity Indices
- Outer hull splits naturally
- Inner shell turns brown
- Kernel becomes firm and white
- Time: 180–200 days after full bloom
🔹 17. Harvesting, Grading, Packing
- Harvest by shaking trees or manual collection
- De-hulling and sun-drying (to <8% moisture)
- Grading: Based on shell type, kernel size, shape
- Packing: In vacuum-sealed or dry containers
🔹 18. Precooling, Storage & Transportation
- Storage conditions:
- Temp: 0–4°C
- RH: 50–60%
- Proper drying critical to prevent fungal growth
- Vacuum packing or use of oxygen absorbers increases shelf life
- Temp: 0–4°C
- RH: 50–60%
- Proper drying critical to prevent fungal growth
🔹 19. Ripening Techniques
- Almonds ripen on the tree
- No artificial ripening needed
- Timely harvesting ensures quality
🔹 20. Industrial & Export Potential
- Uses:
- Direct consumption, sweets, bakery
- Almond oil (cosmetic & edible)
- Almond milk, flour
- By-products: Shells used for fuel or activated carbon
- India imports >80% of its almonds (mostly from USA)
- Domestic production potential high in hills
- Direct consumption, sweets, bakery
- Almond oil (cosmetic & edible)
- Almond milk, flour
🔹 21. Agri Export Zones (AEZ) & Industrial Support
- No AEZ dedicated solely to almonds, but Kashmir AEZ supports nuts
- Industrial Support:
- APEDA, NHB, MIDH
- Cold chain development
- Promotion of almond-based processing units
- Need for:
- Market linkage
- Value addition
- Farmer training on IPM and GAP
- APEDA, NHB, MIDH
- Cold chain development
- Promotion of almond-based processing units
- Market linkage
- Value addition
- Farmer training on IPM and GAP
Subtropical and Temperate Fruit Production- Click here for all unit notes
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