The productivity of almond trees "depends on the behavior of the tree, not on its origin"
In the Balearic Islands, foreign varieties are planted that have a more stable production.
Dryland almond trees no longer colonize the Balearic landscape as they did years ago. The islands' standard crop, once cultivated because it withstood drought, the Mediterranean climate, and had low maintenance costs, is disappearing due to climate change and... XylellaFaced with this situation, farmers in the Balearic Islands are opting to plant irrigated almond trees and are also introducing foreign hybrid varieties that offer greater production stability. However, Jaume Fornés, a doctoral candidate in Biology, believes that productivity "is not a matter of origin, but rather of how the trees perform under new conditions." In this regard, he explains that in the Balearic Islands "we have traditional varieties such as Guarin, Joan Toni's, Martona, and Cacahuete, which are quite old and, to date, perform well under certain conditions." On the other hand, he clarifies that "there are others, such as Vivot, Verdereta, Pou, and Manento, which are very sensitive and cannot be cultivated."
Regarding foreign varieties, he specifies that "some come from genetic improvement centers like Masbovera and Glorieta, whose impact is not so severe in the current context and which have been in Mallorca for more than 30 years." Others "have a high productive capacity, like Vairo, which is very affected by fungal diseases and was widely implemented a few years ago but is now declining, and others come from other countries, like Cristomorto, of Italian origin, which is quite tolerant and moderately productive," he adds.
Accelerated Changes
However, Fornés points out that changes in climate and other factors are occurring so rapidly that what may seem like a good variety today might not be viable tomorrow. Therefore, he emphasizes that studies are needed to evaluate the behavior and potential of different local varieties so that farmers can benefit from them and cultivate them with some degree of certainty. Similarly, he believes it is important to listen to experienced farmers who can contribute valuable data to finding solutions for a crop that is in decline.