EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WALNUT SEEDLINES, SELECTIONS, CULTIVARS AND INTRODUCTIONS R. Snyder, G. McGranahan, D. Ramos and H. Forde ABSTRACT Evaluation of seedlings and selections derived from controlled pollina~ tion by Harold Forde were continued with special emphasis on selection of specific pollenizers. Over the last seven years only ‘Scharsch Franquette' and selection 66-178 have consistently had a staminate bloom period which overlapped the pistillate bloom of ‘Chandler', ‘Hartley’ and 'Howard'. This year 22 seedlings previously rejected for inferior traits exhibited superior pollen shedding characteristics. Their precocity and quality attributes are being reevaluated. Twelve ‘introductions from China were released from quarantine in 1987 and have been incorporated in a collection for further evaluation. Thirty-one introductions from France and Poland are undergoing quarantine for scheduled release for evaluation in 1988. A total of 75 Seedlings germinated from the 1986 crosses. These will be evaluated beginning jn 1988 as potential protogynous pollenizers for ‘Chandler’, ‘Hartley' and ‘Howard'. In addition, controlled crosses using U.C. selection 63-378 as the female parent with XXX Mayette as the male parent, and Pedro and XXX Mayette as the female parents with 56-224 as the male parent were undertaken to expand the numbers of potential protogynous pollenizers. Twelve selections and seedlings have been released under test agreement for grower evaluation. Application for permission for public release of selection 66-178 has been submitted, and the process will be initiated for release of U.C. selections 67-11 and 67-13. OBJECTIVES The general objective of the project is to release new cultivars which will serve the needs of the walnut industry. The specific objectives are: a. To continue evaluations of superior seedlings, selections and cultivars in the University of California walnut collections; b. To develop pollenizers for ‘Chandler’, ‘Hartley’, and ‘Howard’ by evalu- ating existing collections and by mating selected parents; To introduce germplesm which will broaden the genetic base available for breeding. The high density planting and management system report is submitted separately. PROCEDURES Data was collected on the following traits for seedlings, selections and cultivars: date of initial leafing; dates of first, peak and last female receptivity; dates of first and last anther dehiscense; percent lateral fruitfulness; blight incidence; tree vigor; harvest date and yield; shell characteristics and seal; nut and kernel weight; kernel color and frequency ofblanks. A panel reviewed the data and recommended action (i.e. save, select or reject) on each seedling or selection. Again, specific attention was focused on potential pollenizers. The entire collection at U.C. Davis was reevaluated for timing and quantity of pollen shedding. The period from peak to last female bloom for ‘Chandler’, ‘Hartley’, and ‘Howard’ was the perameter used to identify possible pollenizers. Controlled crosses employing 'Pedro', "XXX Mayette', U.C. Selection 56-224 and U.C. Selection 63-378 were made to produce protogynous, high quality and high yielding seedlings with potential to serve as pollenizers for the above mentioned cultivars. The resulting seedlings will be evaluated for phenological traits and nut and kernel quality characteristics. Evaluations of previous selections continued and new introductions were established. RESULTS Table 1 presents a comparison of established and new walnut selections and cultivars at U.C. Davis. The summary contains data compiled from the U.C. Davis crackout of walnuts produced during the 1986 season. Table 2 provides data resulting from the 1987 growing season. Table 3 presents data generated from the crackout conducted at U.C. Davis of cultivars and selections harvested in 1987. Table 4 provides data resulting from the crackout conducted by Sun Diamond, Inc. of the same cultivars presented in Table 3. The 1987 evaluations of U.C. selection 66-178 continues to demonstrate its potential as a pollenizer for the ‘Chandler’, ‘Hartley’ and ‘Howard’ cultivars. But the lateness of the pistillate bloom and resulting lack of pollen for 66-178 do not recommend the selection for consideration as a nut production cultivar. Efforts are underway to obtain permission for release of U.C, 66-178 as a pollenizer. Similar efforts are planned to initiate release procedures for selections U.C. 67-11 and U.C. 67-13. The search for potential pollenizers among previously rejected seedlings yielded 31 candidates with a pollen shedding period extending from the peak to last female bloom of ‘Chandler’, ‘Hartley’ and 'Howard'. Twenty-two of these had sufficient catkin and nut yield to be recomended for further evaluation. These will be examined for precocity and nut and kernel quality. The list describing the current status of germplasm for cultivar improve- ment is presented in Table 5. The Chinese clones introduced in 1985 have been removed from quarantine and established in the U.C. Davis collection. Four clones are shedding pollen and three are flowering in the third leaf. Those flowering are between 50% and 100% laterally fruitful. All the Chinese introductions continue to demonstrate early leafing characteristics ranging from 5 days before ‘Payne’ to 9 days after. Introductions from Poland (4) and France (24) will clear quarantine and be established in the U.C. Davis collection for further evaluation. A total of 75 seedlings germinated from the 1986 crosses and will be evaluated beginning in 1988. The controlled pollinations in 1987 using the germplasm of 'Pedro', ‘XXX Mayette', ‘Conway Mayette', U.C, 56-224, U.C. 63-378 and U.C. 85-8 (China) produced 398 seeds which will be germinated in 1988 and begin evaluation in 1989.eons 1986: Harvest Hernel Shrivel Kernel Color ays after Shell Shell + ernel [10 Random Wits) [10 Randon Wu Cultivar date Payne Seal” Strength? thickness ernet_ F111 Grade! Ota Guleivars Payne 27 ° 2 3s 55 48.2 2 oo 0 6 3 4 Wortley 9/15 a 2 4 aaa bs o 9 8 8 2 0 Sen. Franquette 9/26 19 us 3 sip ta? 2 © 6 0 ww 6 6 ow cuteivars Serr ” 2 82.7 o 0 09 8 2 © ishiey 36 2 5 51.0 rr) 7 3 6 Chico 9 is 5 Bn © 0 0 § § 6 Sunlané 9/18 us 3 sb. sss onsesl Hessen urOnEEaD Vina 972 2 25 2s oa oo 9 § § 0 Tehama 3/6 3 23 3 60.3 1 0 9 3 1 oO anise at is 2 3 58.0 oo 0 wm o 0 Pedro a7 2 2s 2s 0.1 1 2 0 8 2 o Howard 38 2 2 3 os oo 0 wm 4G 0 Chandler 8/16 H bs 3 eit cfeeeel eseelo eee (atte cbegaic Selections en 1 2 25 3 51.8 3 o 1 0 9 1 6 573 2 ices! is ae is o 5 9 ww 9 6 a8 2 2825 2 0:8 25 1 ot 8 é 3 4 g(-5) 2 3 35 0.1 3 6 too 8 1 4 3/8 t 2 1 3 8010 : oo 0 Bo 2 0 gris 2 2 2 8 3 1 0 9 Ww 0 8 on ° 2 as 2 a3 3 oo 9 a 0 729 2 v5 % 2 oo 9 69 61 8 eB) 3 2 1083 3 o 8 8 a9 4 Strength: Thlekness: 1. T= very well to 5 = very poor trong to 4 very week 1s very thin to 5 = very thick very well to 5 = very poorTable 2. Cultivar Evaluations (Spring 1987): Leafing Pollen Shedding Pistitate Bloom Days Fruitful After catkin Laterals a o cultivar Cross Date Payne Ist Density Last ist Peak Last & Yield* slight! Old Cultivars Payne - 3903/30 3/96 4/290 3 Hartley - 476 384/225 427 ayiB 4/25 5/5 35 0 Sch, Franquette - anz mane 5/2 AB 4/26 5/8 8 0 New Cultivars Serr (Payne x P.1. 159568) ye 5 ayn 43 ao ays 75 3.5 Ashley - yl 3 aya ait 4/23 ws Chico (Sharkey x Marchetti 45 44/23 3/28 4/6 4/18 Sunland (Lompoc x.P.1.. 15956! 37 5 a/15 4/8 alo 4/18 = 90 Vina (Payne x Sch.” Franquette) ae 4 ays aM 4/18 4/2575 315 Tehana (Payne x Waterloo 4/2 4.54/26 4/10 aft? 427388 Aniga (Sharkey x Marchetti) 48 4 4/25 a6 gia 728 6 Pedro (Payne x Coney Hayette) 4/6 3.5 4/18/12 «4/20 5/2 75 3.5 Howara (Pedro x 56-224) 46 8 ayaa ans ay21 5/4 9 as. Chandler (Pedro x 56-228) 46 4 Aft ath 4722 5/4 90 4 Selections (Pedro x Meylan) ae 2% ayn 3 ayer ays 430 5/12 a0 3 o (Vina x Serr) 3/30 1 4/245 ala aie aris. 5/1 50 a 2 {Tehama x Ser a 13 a2, aye ayn aie ay2a go 1 (Tehama x Serr) 21 23/26 54/25 4/5 AAS 4725 100 2 Howard x 61-25) 4a 204/16 24/25 aye 4/13 5/3, 94 1 China) 3/7 (-2) 4/345 4/93/28 4/1 as 00g 1 (ehama x 53-39) ane 30 4/23 48/8422 4/30 5/1190 4 0 “Yield (Crop Estimate): 0 = no nuts to 5 = heavy set: ®e1ight Infection: 0 = no infection to = severeTable 3. Cultivar Evaluations 1987 at U.C. Davis, ___ Harvest Weight Kernel Shrivel Kernel Color Days after Sh Shel) Shel? _{[10 Sound tuts] Kernel [10 Random Nuts] [10 Random Nuts} Cultivar Date Payne Seal Strength Thickness In Shell Kernels Kernel F111 Grade? (gn) (ge) E a Sanremo nis] Old cultivars Payne 9/2 ° LS 15 25 12.7 58.1 48.0 2.5 gees esses Obsees 9 fntte seen) Hartley 9/26 (28 uss 355 144.7 69:1 47.8 3 o 59 0 8 2 0 Sch. Franquette 10/12 40 1 15 2.5 99.8 © 47.9 48.0 2 frees fetes OtEes c veeeeeetni New Cul tivers Serr 9/8 152 2.5 59.5 1s 2 09 0 7 3 0 Ashiey afl 2 2.8 35 47.8 3 o 1 0 6 &@ oO Chico 9/5 1s 1 35 a0 1 ® 0 0 8 2 0 Sunland 9/23 4 25 57.8 1 0 9 0 w@ 0 Oo Tehama 9/18 35 (25 2 48.5 3.5 301 0 3 7 0 Vina 9/10 2 2 2.5 49.5 3 0 5 9 w oO Amigo 9/4 2 2.5 3 51.0 25 0 09 GO 8 2 0 Pedro sf 2 25 2 46:5 a5 2 0 6 8 2 9 Howard 9/13 2 2 3.5 46.6 3 2 0 0 7 3 9 Chandler 9/22 2 2 3 45.5 3 o 6 0 w 6 6 Selections 66-178 19/9 37 2 2 2.5 2 o 0 © 7 3 0 68-104 9130 3 25 2 3.5 4.2 1 2 7 2 67-11 ne 2 25 15 1s 3:5 203 1 5 3 2 67-13 9/3 1 3 2 2 15 o 9 oO 0 o oO N12 9/5 3 2 1s 45 ls 0 Go oO 1 o 0 85-8 ons al 3 25 1 355 o 0 6 3 7 0 “shell Seal Grading: 1 = very well to § = very poor shell Thickness: 1= very thin to 5 = very thick shell Strength: 1 = strong to 4 = very weak kernel FINI: 1 = very well to 5 = very poorTable 4. 1987 Cultivar Evaluations by Sun Diamond Inc. Diamond Growers Crack Test Nuts Kernel Yield (percent in-shel] wt Internal in Large Damage Sample Size y Light Total Off- Total (number) cultivar (gms) (%)—ORLLT.® Light Amber Amber Edible Grade Yield Sirivey gther® Old Cultivars Payne 504 90 47.6 348 6 45 2 47 4 0 Hartley 505 100 51.5 308 6 44 2 46 1 2 Scharsch 503, 3149.8 308 2 43 1 44 5 0 Franquette New Cultivars Serr 501 98 51.8 Sopa 3 60 0 60 1 0 Ashley 501 ae 47.1 220 14 7 43 3 46 7 1 Chico 505 69 51.7 35004 4 43 1 44 1 1 Sunland 505 100 49.1 533 2 58 0 58 0 0 Vina 500 8451.5 4a 1 46 0 46 1 0 Tehama 504 100 48.1 210022 od 44 4 48 6 1 Amigo 501 100 51.3 40 4 5 49 1 50 2 1 Pedro 500 98 48.1 21002 ok 44 1 45 4 0 Howard 505 98 OBL. 2 2 18 45 1 46 3 0 Chandler 504 100 53.0 a) 0 48 0 48 0 0 Numbered Selections 66-178 501 93 51.7 3510 49 0 49 1 0 68-104 500 91 50.3 apes 8 47 4 51 3 0 67-11 504 98 4B.2 3300«7 4 44 5 49 uv 0 67-13 502 94 49.2 a2 3 5 50 1 51 2 0 77-12 503 100 52.2 401 0 41 3 44 4 1 Relative light intensity bother damage = mold, insects, blackTable 5, Current Status of Germplasm for Cultivar Improvement Seedlings under evaluation Selections under evaluation Selections releasted to growers Genotypes released to National Clonal Germplams Repos. Davis Clonal introductions under eval. (China, France, Poland, USA) Seed introductions (sources) Seedlings under special evaluation [Pollenizers for Chandler, Howard, and Hartley] Seedlings from 1986 crosses XXX Mayette x Sunland XXX Mayette x Chandler Seed produced from 1987 crosses 63-378 x XXX Mayette (eryogenically stored) Pedro x 56-224 XXX Mayette x 56-224 Conway Mayette x 85-8 (China) 1985 22 7 7 19 26 1986 60 23 unchanged 19 143 1987 55 12 12 36 43 29 31 15 60 131 159 62 46