Developing hazelnuts as a sustainable and industrial crop

Description

European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is a major species of interest for food use and one of the few economically valuable commercial tree nut crops within the Betulaceae. Cultivated mainly in Turkey and Italy, this nut crop has been introduced into cultivation around the world, and global production shows an increasing trend due to demand predominantly from the confectionery industry. This chapter reviews the development of European hazelnut as an industrial nut crop, highlighting the environmental needs for suitable cultivation of the species which has not been domesticated for as long as other major crops. Propagation and orchard management strategies are discussed focussing on the recent innovations in research including the exploitation of hazelnut biomass and the application of the precision farming strategies in the new large hazelnut orchards. There also features a section on integrated pest management. The chapter concludes with a look to future trends in research.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Propagation 3 Orchard site selection, cultivar choice and plantation 4 Orchard management: irrigation, nutrition and pruning 5 Integrated pest management 6 Exploitation of biomass 7 Summary and future trends 8 Acknowledgements 9 Where to look for further information 10 References