Interview with Federico Dicenta, scientist at CEBAS-CSIC
Discover the main characteristics of Spanish almonds from an industry expert.
Interview with Federico Dicenta, scientist at CEBAS-CSIC
We continue to discover the almond industry from the inside, guided by experts in the sector.
We continue with this series of interviews in which we talk to several scientists from the CEBAS-CISC research center who specialize in different areas related to almond production. Today it is Federico Dicenta‘s turn, who specializes in scientific improvement of almond trees. He has spoken to us in depth about the factors that affect obtaining certificates and guarantees in almond tree planting.
What do you consider to be the main characteristics or values of almonds from Spain?
The main characteristics of almonds from Spain are that numerous local varieties have traditionally been grown, some of which are particularly important due to their specific uses and for which a higher price was paid, but most of which are grouped together under what we know as common almonds. These common almonds had a problem that has fortunately been practically resolved, which was the problem of them being mixed with bitter almonds.
Among all these Spanish varieties, Desmayo Largueta and Marcona have always stood out for their quality and production volume. Unfortunately, and surely due to their floral incompatibility, their production has been declining in recent years and these two varieties are becoming increasingly scarce, leading some producers to mix them with their pollinators, which tend to be similar in morphology.
Among the varieties that have been available in recent years, the Guara variety stands out. This variety is actually the Italian Tuono variety, which was renamed. Due to its late flowering and self-compatibility, it has become widespread in Spain and is still very important.
Finally, in the Spanish varietal landscape, we have new varieties created by breeding programs that are self-compatible and late-producing, which are the ones that have spread the most in the last ten years. Among them, due to their greater success, we can highlight the French variety Lauranne and the Penta variety, obtained at CEBAS.
Spanish varieties have also always been characterized by traditional, dry farming methods and, more recently, by high prices in organic farming. Irrigation systems are currently being implemented, which are much more profitable, and in the future, new, much more productive systems will surely be implemented: intensive, with reduced production costs and higher yields.
I believe that Spanish almonds have many advantages over large-scale production in Australia and the United States. First of all, there is the rapid availability of this product in Spain, as some varieties ripen and are available to industry and consumers as early as late July or early August. This also means lower transportation costs and, of course, environmental benefits for everyone.
In addition, the Spanish variety has a higher fat content and, above all, a higher oleic acid content, which is a very healthy fatty acid and therefore very important for a healthy diet. I also believe that Spanish varieties are generally much tastier than American or Australian varieties from an organoleptic point of view. Among them, we can highlight the Penta variety, which in our opinion is surely the best-tasting variety currently on the market.
How has the production of this almond developed historically, and what clues do we have about how it will continue to develop in the future?
Historically, almond cultivation in Spain has always been a marginal crop, consisting of self-incompatible, early-flowering varieties grown mainly in the warmer parts of the country. These varieties often had low yields and were frequently damaged by frost; in general, it can be said that it was not a profitable crop.
More recently, with the introduction of new late-flowering and self-compatible varieties, cultivation has spread to inland areas of the country, and today almond trees can be grown virtually anywhere in Spain with a low risk of frost.
These varieties are already grown using irrigation, although not to the same extent as in Australia, but they require significant amounts of water and yields of up to 2,000 kilograms per hectare can be achieved. Under these conditions, almond cultivation has become very profitable.
What might happen in the future? What is the trend? I believe that the trend will be to develop production models that reduce production costs in order to increase the profitability of the plantation. In this regard, there are proposals for super-intensive models that greatly reduce labor and result in very high yields.
Are there almond varieties that are more suitable for each production area?
Obviously, each variety is designed to be grown in a specific environment. Variety selection is a rather complex issue involving numerous factors, many of which are unrelated to the final yield of the plantation, but rather to commercial interests that should not be involved.
When choosing the variety for each area, the first thing we need to consider is the most important limiting factors, and frost has usually been one of them. In cold areas, the choice of variety is conditioned by these frosts and, therefore, only late or extra-late flowering varieties have been planted there.
There are also other very important factors, such as susceptibility to diseases in certain areas where there is a high incidence. In this regard, farmers and producers must choose varieties that are resistant to these diseases.
Cold requirements are also important, as some late-flowering varieties are being planted in warm areas of southeastern Spain with significant water supplies. These are very interesting areas, but they lack the cold conditions necessary for these late-flowering varieties, so we would have to consider early-flowering varieties that are more suited to these areas.
And finally, we also have to consider the type of cultivation that will be carried out for each variety. In other words, a variety grown in dry conditions is not the same as a variety grown under irrigation: there are varieties that work better in one system than another, and of course there are also varieties that are better suited to the new high-density systems. In this sense, they must be low-vigor varieties with higher branching that can produce large volumes of almonds in the quantities handled by these plantations.
What new varieties of almonds are emerging?
Genetic improvement of almond varieties has been very productive in recent years. There was a need for this, and Spain has certainly been an important example in this regard, as many varieties have been obtained and many of them are being cultivated, truly changing the varietal landscape.
To date, varietal improvement has been very much geared towards producers, and I believe that this was necessary because the first task at hand in Spain was to increase production. These varieties have truly succeeded in increasing production on each plantation and, consequently, in our country.
It has been a very successful project for the three research centers in Spain, and now there are still some issues to be addressed. For example, the issue of disease resistance: there are many fungal diseases, such as ochre spot or ternary, or more recently foamy canker, which are significant problems affecting almond production, and it would be interesting to obtain resistant varieties, which is quite complicated, but certainly not impossible.
The same is true of pests: currently, pests such as the sawfly and the big-headed worm are causing a lot of damage to production, and it would also be very interesting to obtain resistant varieties. On the other hand, there is also unfinished business in terms of the need to obtain varieties focused on industry and consumers. While it is true that, once the issue of production has been overcome, we are capable of doing so with the new varieties, we need varieties that are adapted to the needs of industry.
For example, one major problem at present is that of halves. When the almond is shelled, the two cotyledons open up, and this product is much less valuable than the whole almond. So, this issue of halves is a fairly common problem in the new Spanish varieties and needs to be addressed.
There are also other organoleptic or chemical aspects that would be interesting to include in improvement programs. For example, the issue of flavor; we have already mentioned the exquisite flavor of the Penta variety, but also almonds that have more or less fat, or more or less sugar, or almonds with more protein. The aim is for the industry to be able to develop more specific products and achieve greater added value for almonds.
Video of the interview
If you prefer to watch the interview in video format, you can find it on our YouTube channel:
