The productive capacity and quality of several walnut cultivars (Juglans regia L.) grown in North Oltenia, Romania

Abstract

Romania has tradition in walnut culture and favorable climatic conditions. In order to establish the suitable cultivars for growing into the Northern Oltenia area several walnut cultivars of different origin were evaluated for productivity and fruits quality. Twelve Romanian cultivars and two foreign ones with terminal bearing and 10 cultivars with lateral bearing from France and U.S.A. were studied during 18 years of yielding with no irrigation. The group of lateral bearing cultivars proved to be more productive in the environmental conditions of the study area, the highest average yields were recorded for 'Vina' (3.64 t ha -1 ), 'Hartley' (3.59 t ha -1 ), 'Ferjean' (3.52 t ha -1 ), 'Payne' (3.45 t ha -1 ), 'Pedro' (3.39 t ha -1 ), etc. The most productive terminal bearing cultivars were: 'Jupâneşti' (2.88 t ha -1 ), 'Valcor' (2.77 t ha -1 ), 'Franquette' (2.71 t ha -1 ), 'Valcris' (2.62 t ha -1 ), etc. Although the lateral bearing cultivars emphasized good yields, their extensive culture into the areas with continental type of climatic conditions should be further analysed. The walnut kernel and oil content show that the cultivars are very similar regarding chemical composition when growing under same conditions in Northern Oltenia.