New Early-Harvest Walnut Variety Released
January 23, 2021 University of California, Davis researchers have bred a new walnut variety — ‘UC Wolfskill’ — designed to provide growers a way to harvest earlier and boost the harvest efficiency of California’s $1.6 billion walnut industry.
The new walnut has yield, quality, and light color similar to ‘Chandler’, which is a late-harvesting walnut and the state’s leading variety. ‘UC Wolfskill’ was bred in 2003 from a cross of ‘Chandler’ with the ‘Solano’ walnut. It combines the color and shell traits of ‘Chandler’ with the earlier harvest date and kernel fill of ‘Solano’.
“The release of ‘UC Wolfskill’ means growers can spread out their harvest and still have a really high-quality nut that will fetch top-notch prices and provide similar yields,” says Pat J. Brown, breeder and Professor with the UC-Davis Department of Plant Sciences.
More than 99% of the nation’s walnuts are grown in California. More than half of the state’s bearing acres are the late-harvest ‘Chandler’ walnuts.
“The California walnut industry needs earlier harvesting walnut varieties to provide efficient use of harvesting, drying, and processing equipment,” says breeder Chuck Leslie, with the UC-Davis Walnut Improvement Program. “’UC Wolfskill’ can be harvested 12 to 14 days earlier than ‘Chandler’ and provides consistently light to extra light color.”
Handlers judge the value of a walnut based on its color and how well it halves while processing. In blind quality evaluations by commercial graders, the ‘UC Wolfskill’ was often not distinguished from Chandler.
‘UC Wolfskill’ was originally planted and evaluated at UC-Davis, and field trials with growers began in 2011.
“The commitment of our walnut growers, as collaborators, is the foundation that makes this release possible. The Board is extremely grateful for the long-term partnership of our growers and the UC, in finding innovative solutions that help us solve for critical needs,” says Michelle Connelly, Executive Director of the California Walnut Board.
The California Walnut Board funded the research. ‘UC Wolfskill’ is currently available to California nurseries for propagation in California and sales to growers throughout the U.S. Nurseries interested in propagating and selling this cultivar may obtain a license from UC-Davis InnovationAccess.
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