Assortment of Prospective Cultivars for Hazelnut Culture in Romania

Abstract

Hazelnut growing is becoming more and more important in the last years in Romania. Area harvested increased from 14 ha of hazelnut orchards in 2011 up to 634 ha in 2016 and the hazelnut in-shell production increased from 51 t to 602 t recorded in 2016 (FAOSTAT Database, 2018). There is a visible trend to plant at least several hundred hectares with this nut crop in the next years. For having better results, favorable areas for planting new orchards and adapted and good quality cultivars should be used. The most favorable areas for intensive hazelnut culture in Romania are those where the lowest temperatures in the winter do not drop below-20…-22°C, such areas can be found mainly in Oltenia, Muntenia, Dobrogea, Crişana, Maramureş and Banat regions, but there are also suitable micro-areas in the other regions of the country. In order to recommend a suitable cultivar assortment for the given ecological conditions, UCv-SCDP Vâlcea has evaluated over 60 foreign hazelnut cultivars and 9 Romanian ones during the last 20 years. Cultivars were evaluated depending the in-shell nut yield recorded at 5 by 3 m planting distances (667 plants/ha), precocity, adaptability to the environmental conditions, tolerance to diseases and pests, nut and kernel quality. Trials were organized under no-irrigation conditions in Râmnicu-Vâlcea area. The cultivars have been grouped function on their nut sizes in table varieties (nut weight over 3.0 grams and nut size index over 18 mm) and varieties for industry (nut weight below 3.0 grams and nut size index between 16 to 18 mm). The table cultivars that have been emphasized are: 'Ennis' (3.3 t/ha yield and nuts of 4.0 grams in average), 'Vâlcea 22' (3.0 t/ha yield and nut weight of 3.8 g), 'Cozia' (2.4 t/ha and nut weight of 3.8 g), 'Uriaşe de Vâlcea' (2.6 t/ha and nut weight of 4.0 g), 'Butler' (2.5 t/ha and nut weight of 3.8 g) 'Hall's Giant' (2.3 t/ha and nut weight of 3.8 g) and 'Fertile de Coutard' (2.1 t/ha and nut weight of 3.6 g). Among the cultivars for industry, the following had the best results in the given environmental conditions and suitable nut quality: ''T.G.D.L.'' (3.0 t/ha yield), 'Romavel' (3.0 t/ha), 'Arutela' (3.0 t/ha), 'Clark' (2.9 t/ha), 'Lewis' (2.7 t/ha), 'Primval' (2.3 t/ha) and 'Tonda di Giffoni' (2.1 t/ha). Data collected showed that fruit yield of the cultivars studied is determined in a proportion of 48.2% by the genotype while 16.2% is determined by the environment x genotype interaction. The phenological data emphasized that dichogamy degree varies from cultivar to cultivar. The assortment of cultivars that can be planted by the farmers depends on the adaptability to the environmental conditions and type of varieties, table or industry use. Ratio between cultivars to be planted in the farm varies on pollination schemes, market demands but also on the commercial capacity of the farmer to sell the hazelnut production. Cuvinte cheie: nucifere, Corylus avellana, alun.