Hazelnut research in Piedmont (NW Italy): strategies for the improvement in yield and quality

The increasing interest for hazelnut in Piedmont and in other areas of the world requires immediate attention and new strategies to maintain the cultivation competitive and profitable in the Region. For this reason, the Regional Administration has funded a 3-years project aimed to provide tools and information to the developing sector. The objectives of the project are: to develop techniques of propagation, to evaluate the impact of irrigation on yield and quality of Tonda Gentile delle Langhe (TGdL), to study the susceptibility of cultivars to pests, to assess the influence of bug feeding on nut quality and processing, and to test the aptitude of cultivars and selections to storage, also using innovative methods of controlled atmosphere for increasing preservation time. The results of such a work are expected to influence the cultivation and the post-harvest management providing information and plant material for the improvement of the hazelnut industry in Piedmont.