Determination of Growth, Fruit Set, Yield and Some Nut Quality Characteristics of Local and Foreign Almond Cultivars in the Irrigated Conditions in GAP Region

This study was carried out to determine the adaptability of native and foreign almond cultivars in the irrigated conditions of GAP Region between the years of 1998 and 2007. Experiments were set up in three locations; twenty cultivars in Gaziantep and twenty-one cultivars in both Kahramanmaras and Sanliurfa provinces. In each experimental orchard, the following almond cultivars were tested: 101-9 (except Gaziantep location), Gulcan I (101-23), 17-4, Gulcan II (101-13), 48-1, Hacialibey (48-5), Akbadem (48-2), Nikitski, Cristomorto, Nonpareil, D. Largueta, Picantili, Dokuzoguz II (120 -1), Primorski, Drake, Texas, Ferraduel, Tuono, Ferragnes, Yaltinski, Garrigues. Cultivar evaluation was done using Weighted Ranking Method (WRM) with the criteria of tree vigor, blooming time, yield and fruit characteristics. In Gaziantep, Ferraduel (takes 790 points in WRM) and Ferragnes (740); in Kahramanmaras Ferragnes (870) and Yaltinski (850); in Sanliurfa, Ferragnes (820), Gulcan II (710) and Ferraduel (690) can be recommended for those ecology, because of their relatively higher ranks.