Characteristics and cultivation of the Guara almond tree

guara almond tree cultivation

In recent years, almond trees have become a sanctuary for new investors, given the new, more profitable varieties, their hardiness and the new hyper-intensive plantation frameworks. However, despite this, varieties such as the Guara almond tree they continue to be leaders in cultivated area, and present a very high grain yield, hardiness and rapid entry into production. The almond tree of the Guara variety, which has been developed over the years and some are still predicted, has great characteristics and is cultivating crops that give a productive advantage in many countries such as the United States (the king of almond trees) and Spain, where the surface of this crop is increasing.

For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you everything you need to know about the guara almond tree, its characteristics and cultivation.

Key features

quality almonds

The history of the Guara almond tree goes back to the good years in which this variety of cultivation was obtained. CITA in Aragón was the developer of the variety in 1983 and It is currently one of the most planted and productive varieties.

The guara almond from Asia spread throughout Spain in the 80s and 90s and is one of the most cultivated plants in the region due to its resistance to drought and its abundant almond production. Its positioning in Spain has been successful because it is a factory that does not require much care and only produces what is needed. The Guara almond has a pleasant sweetness that qualifies it as an iconic dessert and pastry in Spain and other countries.

In this breed, 2 very important things are sought:

  • Resistance to water stress and good adaptation to drought
  • High productivity, slug yield and fast start-up

In fact, point 1 means that more than 50% of the rainfed area in Spain is currently occupied by this guara almond tree. In areas without water, productivity is greatly reduced compared to the area with water supply, but many areas of Spain do not have water or irrigation facilities, but thanks to this crop they can be cultivated.

Advantages and disadvantages of the guara almond tree

pruning the almond tree

Advantages:

  • Variety it is very drought tolerant and suitable for rainfed agriculture.
  • Inbred species that do not require pollinators
  • Very high fruit quality, yield and specific gravity.
  • Quick start of production in the first years
  • Homogenization of production during all events.

Disadvantages:

  • Varieties that branch a lot and complicate pruning
  • Sensitive to ocher stain
  • Monilia susceptibility

Productivity of the guara almond tree

guara almond tree

Flowering is determined by the area and the accumulated cold weather. Guara almond trees generally bloom from late February to mid-March. these dates are considered agronomically late.

The almond harvest takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September, depending on the warmth and temperature of the summer harvest. If we compare the main varieties of late flowering almond trees, we find that Guara is one of the varieties with the highest percentage (%) of shell/kernel yield.

Despite promising new varieties, Guara remains in the lead, with an average yield of between 35% and 40%. On the other hand, in terms of the average weight of the nugget, it is in the middle of the pack, with an average of 1,3 g, but the quality is very good.

On the other hand, the new varieties obtained focus on minimizing the yield of double seeds, in this case the Guara almond tree being the variety with the highest yield. Productivity is a function of the parameter that has the greatest impact on any crop, namely access to water. In the case of an almond tree from Guara, a minimum of 3.000-3.500 m3/ha of water can produce an average of 2 tons of nuts.

This crop is sensitive to water availability and its yield increases exponentially with availability. In fact, in some areas of Castilla-La Mancha its supply exceeds 8.000 m3/ha, with unprecedented record yields. On the other hand, the average yield of guara almond trees is 1500 kg or less. due to insufficient water supply with less than 2000 m3/ha. Keep in mind that it is a late bloomer, so it is usually planted in indoor areas that are susceptible to late frosts, since the flower is the part that is very sensitive to changes in temperature and cold.

Farming

The Guara almond tree It does not stand out for having a planting framework or cultivation conditions that are different from other varieties. In irrigated plantations, the diameter of its branches can be quite large and must be taken into account, especially when there is a tendency to open branches more aggressively than other options.

The most vigorous varieties have plantation frames of 7×6 (238 trees/ha) or 7×7 (204 trees/ha). However, we classify the Guara varieties (as well as Tarraco, Marinada or Lauranne) with a slightly smaller planting frame with a spacing of 6×6 (277 trees/ha) or 6×5 (333 trees/ha).

One of the biggest problems of the guara almond tree is that it is a very branched tree. That means true pruning experts are needed to achieve decent yields. For this reason, training pruning in guara is very important and necessary from the early stages of growth.

One of the most important considerations when pruning is to keep the buds indoors, so the trend is the width of the branches, although it will affect the frame of the planter. In this way, when the branches are full of fruit, the chances of cracking or splitting are greatly reduced.

With training pruning, the length of these branches can also be controlled during the first 3 years of growth, since guara almond trees tend to lengthen these branches considerably. Through pruning we reduce its volume and control production in the lower part of the tree.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the guara almond tree and its characteristics.


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