Almonds varieties Tarraco

• Breeders’ reference: IRTAMB-A21-169.
• Breeding number (IRTAalmond cultivar breeding programme): “21-169”.
• Origin: seedling derived from the cross “FLTU18” x “Anxaneta”, made in 1991 at Mas de Bover (Constantí, Tarragona).
• Protected cultivar: Plant Variety Rights pending from OEVV and CPVO. Temporary protection granted.

Pomological traits

• Tree vigour: medium. Its vigour is enough to maintain a good balance between production and vegetative growth.
• Foliage density: dense.
• Growth habit: medium-upright.
• Branching density: medium-scarce.
• Training and pruning: very easy.
• Nuts location: mainly on spurs.
• Blooming time: very late (after “Ferragnès”). At Mas de Bover 35 days after “Desmayo Largueta” (average of 12 years of observations).
• S compatibility genotipe: S1S9.
• Pollination: cross-pollination needed.
• Pollinators: “Marinada”, having a similar blooming date.
• Blooming density: very high.
• Length of blooming: medium.
• Bearing precocity: extremely precocious.
• Cropping capacity: very high.
• Cropping regularity: good. Low alternate bearing.
• “Fusicoccum” (Phomopsis amygdali Del.) tolerance: very tolerant.
• “Red leaf blotch” (Polystigma ochraceum Whal.) tolerance: susceptible.
• Harvesting season: medium-late.
• Harvesting ease: good. At maturity nuts keep attached to their branches and, when shaking, they drop easily.
• Husking ease: good. The husk is separated easily from the shell.

Commercial traits

• Nut shape: oblong.
• Kernel size: big (1,7 g).
• Shelling percentage: 32 %.
• Shell texture: hard.
• Double kernels: without doubles(0,1 %).
• Kernel appearance: attractive Skin smooth and clear attractive. clear.
• Blanched kernel composition: oil: 53,4 %; protein: 24,6 %; soluble sugars: 2,9 %; total fiber: 9,3 %; water: 4,7 %.

Global assessment

“Tarraco” shows some outstanding traits. It is highly productive and very precocious. It flowers very late. It is very easy to train and prune. Good kernel, big-sized. It is tolerant to “fusicoccum” and susceptible to “red leaf blotch”. It is self-incompatible and thus needs cross-pollination. It can be associated with “Marinada” as their blooming time overlap. The combination of “Tarraco” and “Marinada”, both very early bearing and showing medium vigour, can be considerated for establishing semi-intensive orchards at close spacing.