Evaluation of 52 almond cultivars (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) from the Apulia region Southern Italy.

Research was carried out in 2002-2003 on the quantitative, carpological and qualitative characteristics of 52 almond cultivars (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) from the Apulia region of Italy. For each cultivar, the following parameters were taken into account: kernel yield, shelling percentage, number of double kernels, weight of almond nut and kernel, total lipid content, and alfa-tocopherol content. The most productive cultivar was found to be ‘Barlettana’, with just over 2 kg of kernels per tree, followed in order of productivity by ‘Cristomorto’, ‘Santoro’, ‘Catuccia’, ‘Filippo Ceo’, ‘Piangente’, and ‘Pidocchioso’. The almond cultivars studied here had high total lipid contents, ranging from 633 mg g–1 kernel fresh weight (FW) for ‘Filippo Ceo’, to 450 mg g–1 FW for ‘Cosimo di Bari’ and ‘Gioa’. The highest alfa-tocopherol contents were found in ‘Senz’arte’, ‘Pizzuta D’Avola’ and ‘Rachele’, which also had the lowest productivity in the period under study. ‘Santoro’ showed the best combined results across all factors under consideration. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis between the different parameters were performed.