Modern and intensive plants are needed for the Italian walnut grove

The trade in shelled walnuts is constantly growing and is close to one million tons. This trend is due to the increase in consumers worldwide and to the health characteristics of walnuts and dried fruit in general. The value of shelled and shelled walnuts imported annually is close to 200 million euros. In recent years, therefore, the cultivation of walnut has been attracting interest from fruit growers, with supply chain projects in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Piedmont, but also in Campania and in Southern Italy in general. In many areas, once dedicated to the cultivation of peach, apricot and plum trees, and which today, due to the widespread presence of sharka (stone fruit pitting virus), no longer allow profitable fruit growing, walnut represents an interesting alternative. Another phenomenon that is common to observe in southern areas is the re-grafting of walnut groves or adult plants from the seeds of the Sorrento walnut, with cv Chandler. These are grafts performed on the ...