In summary: The cultivation of Spanish almond trees in the Balearic Islands receives a boost with the planting of new varieties.

The Balearic Islands Institute for Agri-Food and Fisheries Research and Training has planted a total of 187 almond trees of ten different varieties, in order to evaluate their adaptation to the agro-climatic conditions of Mallorca.

New varieties in Spain

The Institute for Agri-Food and Fisheries Research and Training of the Balearic Islands (IRFAP), of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has planted a total of 187 almond trees, corresponding to 10 different varieties, on the ‘Sa Granja’ farm. They come from three state research centers. Specifically, from the CEBAS-CSIC research center in Murcia, the registered variety Makako and the selections S-2332, S-4017 and D01-188 have been planted. From the CITA research center in Zaragoza, the registered varieties Felama and Vialfás were planted. And from the IRTA research center in Catalonia, the new selection MB-29148 and the registered varieties Marinada, Vairo and Masbovera, which will act as control varieties in the experiment, were planted.

This action is one of the commitments of the Nut Restructuring Plan, approved on March 19, 2021. The purpose of the trial is to evaluate, agronomically, the adaptation of new varieties that are not yet commercial, but that stand out in the state breeding programs, in the agro-climatic conditions of Mallorca. The composition and organoleptic profile of the fruits of each variety will also be evaluated.

The trial was presented to the sector in the framework of the Technical Day on almond trees, in which the results of the agronomic and productive trial of 12 late flowering varieties in the Xorrigo estate were also presented. It was also explained to the attendees the importance of conserving plant genetic resources and, in particular, the IRFAP’s almond germplasm bank at the Son Real estate, which contains more than 60 different local varieties. In this sense, at the Sa Granja estate, work is being carried out to implant a reservoir of local varieties of almond tree plants free of Xylella fastidiosa using the thermotherapy technique, under biosafety conditions.

IRFAP is the institute of the Ministry, specialized in research, development and training in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and food in the Balearic Islands.

 

Source: Infoagro.com