WALNUT

It is a temperate nut fruit which belongs to the family “Juglandaceae”. It is popularly known as akhroot or akhrot. China, USA, Ukrain, Mexico, turkey and Iran are the major walnut producing walnut countries. In India, Jammu and Kashmir are the major states producing walnuts otherwise it is produced in Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh, it is grown in north-west Himalayas and is grown at the height of 1200-2150m. Walnuts are mainly available in 4 categories i.e. paper-shelled, medium-shelled, hard-shelled and thin-shelled. It also has health benefits such as it helps in preventing cancer, controls diabetes, improves brain health and helps in boosting immune system.

It is grown in variety of soils ranging from deep silt loamy soil to clay loamy soil having good drainage system and rich in humus. pH ranging from 6.0-7.5 is best for walnut farming.

Gobind: Medium yield giving plant, suitable for Kinnaur region, ripens in end of September, medium size fruits, good quality nuts, good filled kernels, papery peel, very easy to remove nuts.

Eureka: Medium sized fruits, easy to pluck, light brown color nuts, good quality, gives 50% nut yield, good kernel is good which is fully filled with nuts.
Placentia: Medium sized fruits, gives 48% nut yield, white color, small plant size, early maturing variety.

Wilson Wonder: Fruit somewhat flattened, good quality, ripens in autumn month.

Franquette: Late maturing variety, light brown color kernel, good quality, and small to medium sized fruits, gives 48% nut yield, small sized tree.

Pratap: Selected variety from Kotkhai region, rectangular shaped fruit, approximately 24gm fruit weight, long fruit, clear peel and is light sky blue in color, slightly difficult to take out nut, light thin peel (16mm thick), good nuts (49.7%), big sized plant, more yield giving.

Soldering Selection: Medium sized (17gm), round shaped fruit, peel is medium hard and flat, light color nuts (40%) having 49% fat content and protein 21%, good quality and tasty nuts, good growth plants, medium yield giving variety.

Kotkhai Selection 1: Early maturing variety, medium sized fruits having 15.4gm weight, flat peel, thin (1.4mm thick), gives 58% nuts, light color and tasty.

Servery: For Kullu hills, nuts are medium size (15.0gm), egg shaped, pointed head, smooth peel which is light in color, medium hard, light color nuts, gives 65% nut yield.

K.N.-5: Moderately growing plant, long nuts having trapezoid shape, 18.33gm weight, egg shaped, peel is light in color which has soft layer, and nuts are light in color, gives 56.36% nuts yield.

K-12: Moderately growing plant, nut having 19.05gm which is round-long in shape, trapezoid shape, light color peel, nut is very light in color, gives 54.99% nuts yield.

S.H.-23: Moderately growing plant, 14.81gm nut weight, egg shaped, soft peel which is very light in color, nuts are very light in color which gives 52.67% nut yield.

S.H.-24: Moderately growing plant, light color, the outer layer of nut is soft; nut is light in color which gives 60.08% nut yield.

S.R.-11: Slow plant growth, 14.35 nut weight, big sized nuts, long-cylindrical in shape, peel light in color, soft, nuts are very light in color and gives 61.05% nut yield.
 

Time of sowing:
The optimum time for sowing walnut plants are sown in the month of December to March month.

Spacing:
Use seed spacing of 25cm and for plant spacing of 8-12m X 8-12m for seedling trees.

Sowing depth:
1.2inch depth is used for seed sowing.

Method of sowing:
Propagation method is used.
 

Seed rate:
Planting of 27-62 trees per acre is done.

Seed treatment:
Treatment of plant is done with Dithane Z-78 to protect the plant from collar rot.
 

Propagation is done through grafting or seeds or budding methods. Mainly the propagation is done through seeds. For rootstocks, use local walnut seedling for propagation.

In the initial years, small amount of phosphorus@100gm per plant and potassium@100gm per plant is applied. After 5 years phosphorus@18-35kg/acre and potassium@27-40kg/acre is applied. In the first year nitrogen@100gm/tree is given and is increased by 100gms every year.

After transplanting from nursery, irrigation is necessary. Subsequent irrigation is given depending upon the soil, climate and weather. In rainy season, no irrigation is required. Drip irrigation method is adopted for the proper use of water.

Spraying of chemical weedicides is done to make the land weed free. Mulching is also an effective way to control the weeds.

Training should be done after 1st year using modified central leader system and pruning is done in early spring.

• Pest and their control:
  

Walnut weevil: The caterpillar eats the fully developed kernel and changed it into black rotten element. Infected fruits ultimately drop off.
Treatment: Application of Quinalphos@300ml per 150ltr water is done to get rid of weevils.
 
 

• Disease and their control:
  

Blotch/spot disease: Spots are seen on the leaves and on fruit peel, circular spots are seen and premature fruit dropping starts. At the upper part of branches, canker spots are seen.
Treatment: Spraying of Bordeaux mixture is done at the time of leaves opening and then after 2 weeks and then spraying is done after full development of leaves.
 

When 10-15% fruit falls, then harvesting should be done. Harvesting is done by shaking method with the help of long stick and then the fruits are picked from the land.

After harvesting the peel is removed. To make the fruits attractive, fruits are dipped in sodium carbonate@8kg in 230ltr water for 5-10seconds. Sulphuric acid is also added in the mixture. Productivity will depend upon the variety, plants age and plant size. By keeping in mind the plant age and fruiting or non-fruiting years, it gives 40kg yield.