Observaciones sobre comportamiento frente a heladas tardías en almendro

Abstract

Both researchers and growers have been looking for late blooming almond cul ti vars to reduce los ses produced by late frosts. However, late frosts take place in many almond growing areas later than the blooming period of the existing cul tivars. Only frost resistant cultivars can bear a crop in these conditions. Data from the almond collection of Zaragoza from 1975 onwards is presented in order to consider the frosts registered during and after the almond blooming period and the losses observed. Though these data cannot be thoroughly analysed, they are agronomically interesting and arise the possibili ty of conducting frost studies in regulated temperature chambers . Differences among cul ti vars ha ve been observed, and in a first approach three groups of cultivars can be distinguished: l: Cul ti vars suffering heavy losses wi th temperatures of -2,52C. 2: Cul tivars enduring temperatures of - 2, 52C but suffering losses at -3,52C, 3 : Cultivars able to produce a certain crop even at temperatures of -3,5-42C