Self Pollinating Almonds Bring Smiles To Almond Growers

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For almond growers, this is a good news as they face rising costs for insect pollination because of nationwide shortages of honeybees due to factors like Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other factors.

Self-pollinating almonds are not new. The Tuono variety, originally from Spain, has been around for centuries. But its traits are not attractive when compared to California"s most popular almond, Nonpareil.

Tuono"s seed coat has a hairy texture and it has a very thick shell, so only 32 per cent of the nut is edible, compared to 60 to 65 per cent for Nonpareil.

But Tuono"s thick shell gives it more resistance to the navel orange worm and other pests. An almond that has traits of both the varieties is ideal.

The scientists made a cross between the Tuono variety (as the male pollen parent) and Californian variety, Nonpareil. The nuts obtained from this cross were used as seedlings. To prevent pollination, the plant was surrounded with insect-proof nylon bags.

It was found that the seedlings bloomed and some produced fruits too. The original plantings in 1996 at first produced only small harvests, but by 2006 the harvest was excellent.

The Agricultural Research Service board was pleased with the skin colour, oil content and, most importantly, the flavour. And best of all, the new almonds have many of the same characteristics as Nonpareil, which sells for premium prices.