Abstract:
Results of a three-year comparative study on 22 almond cultivars of various origins (ITALY, FRANCE, USA and C.I.S.) were analyzed.
The study was carried out on the Tuscan coastal area, at the climatic limits of this crop.
Research began by examining the broad calendar range of the flowering period.
It thus became possible to assess adaptability of different cultivars to a climatic environment that may be affected by low temperatures (frosts) in spring, thereby preventing the normal fertilization process.
Most of the cultivars showed low productivity, which was variable from year to year but was more pronounced in years of high rainfall and frequent spring frosts.
In these conditions only certain late-blooming cultivars showed good adaptability and constant production.
Moreover, among these, only self-compatible varieties with a good fertility index always expressed the most satisfactory percent fruitset and correspondingly good production.
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