Evaluation of Phenological and Pomological Characteristics of Walnut Cultivars in the Ecology of Tavas (Denizli)

Abstract

This study seeks to assess aims to evaluate the performance of walnut cultivars namely; ‘Bilecik’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Pedro’, ‘Şebin’, and ‘Yalova-1’ under the ecological conditions of Tavas (Denizli) based on climate data by analyzing their phenological and pomological characteristics in detail. Phenological observations revealed that the ‘Bilecik’ cultivar is the earliest to leaf and flower, while the ‘Chandler’ cultivar is the latest. In terms of pomological characteristics, the ‘Yalova-1’ cultivar has the highest fruit weight at 18.64 g, whereas the ‘Chandler’ cultivar has the highest kernel ratio at 50.41%. Color analyses indicate that the ‘Chandler’ cultivar has the lightest (L*:56.48, a*:7.76) kernel color and performs best in terms of kernel blackening. PCA analysis provides a good summary of the data, with the first two components explaining 88.3% of the total variation. PC1 explains 61.4% of the variance and shows a strong association with size-related traits such as fruit weight, shell thickness, and kernel weight. PC2 explains 26.9% of the variance and is associated with color characteristics. Correlation analysis shows a strong positive relationship between fruit weight and kernel weight (r:0.94), and a negative relationship with kernel ratio (r:-0.41). In conclusion, the ‘Chandler’ is suggested for its superior kernel quality and high yield, ‘Yalova-1’ for its ability to produce large nuts, and ‘Bilecik’ for its early harvest potential and marketing benefits.