SOME LATE FLOWERING AND EARLY MATURING ALMONDS (PRUNUS AMYGDALUS BATSCH) GERMPLASM
Main Article Content
Abstract
Almond cultivation in the north-western Himalayas is greatly hampered by extremely
low temperature during flowering and onset of the monsoons at the time of
fruit ripening. This necessitates selection of late blooming and early maturing
almonds for the region. As many as eight exotic cultivars including Non Pareil
and six indigenous seedling selections were observed for time of bud break,
flowering (full bloom) and fruit maturation for three consecutive years (1990 to
1992). Both the time of flowering and fruit maturation exhibited a great deal of
variation indicating a part of it being due to genotypic variation. Five cultivars
namely Nikitskyi, Prianyi, Tree No.2, Tree No.125 and White Brandis flowered
11 to 27 days late but matured 12 to 21 days earlier than the most popular
cultivar Non Pareil. The utilization of these selections in commercial production
and breeding programme is suggested.