NUCIS NEWSLETTER Information Bulletin of the Research Network on Nuts (FAO-CIHEAM) Number 6 December 1997 CIHEAM IRTA - Mas Bové ● Coordination Centre of the Research Network on Nuts EDITORIAL FAO CIHEAM Following the First Nut Network Technical Consul- tation of the Inter- regional Cooperati- ve Research Net- work on Nuts held in Meknes (Moroc- co) 1996 and the reelection of the Coordination Board, 1997 served to settle ideas and to start a programme of activities planned for (1997-2002). The Coordination Board Meeting held in Rome in October 1997, was useful in order to assess the work, set priorities, see the strength of the ma- naging group and to inform on the scarce budget available. The two-day Coordination Board Meeting held at the Istituto Sperimentale per la Fruitticoltura (ISF), Rome, last October and locally organized by the late F. Mo- nastra, was focused on the future of the Nut Network. A progress report of the work carried out since the establishment of the Network (1990-97) but concentra- Heavy cropper, late flowering ‘Masbovera’ almond released by IRTA-Mas Bové ting mainly on the future work, was pre- sented by the Coordinator. In addition, each liaison officer presented a short re- port on the activities and future plans of deaux (France), the Eleventh GREMPA blished as REU Technical Series No.51. their respective subnetworks. Useful dis- Meeting on Almond and Pistachio will be This was the final and useful contribution cussions and joint assessment of impor- held in September 1999 in Sanliurfa (Tur- of F. Monastra to our Network and to tant issues were carried out. key); and a Meeting of the Economics whom a tribute is paid in this issue. The Subnetwork is planned. catalogue on Walnut Germplasm, Re- A number of activities are planned: The search and References will follow soon. Second International Course on Nut Pro- An important issue since the start of the Other catalogues on hazelnut, pistachio, duction and Economics, May 1998, Ada- Nut Network has been the production of chestnut and pecan, are in preparation. na (Turkey) organized by CIHEAM-IAMZ the Genetic Resources catalogues and FAO’s REU and AGPS and CIHEAM jointly with the Faculty of Agriculture of R&D inventories for the species included IAMZ are funding these catalogues. Çucurova University and FAO, the Se- in the Network with the support of the Ge- cond Chestnut Congress, October 1998 netic Resources Subnetwork. The first Regarding genetic resources, it was also and the Fourth Walnut Congress will both ‘Inventory on almond research, germ- discussed and agreed to develop species take place in September 1999 in Bor- plasm and references’ has now been pu- descriptor lists in collaboration with FAO - Nucis-Newsletter, Number 6 December 1997 1 IPGRI. The two species descriptor lists As in past NUCIS editorials, we again planned are hazelnut and chestnut. For stress that this Newsletter must be an both crops there are already UPOV des- effective vehicle of communication criptors for the characterisation of new among the Network members. The pages varieties but not the more agronomical of this bulletin are open to all readers who IPGRI descriptors. Work is going ahead would like to express their opinions about and there is already a hazelnut descrip- the work developed by the Network (acti- tors draft. The development of a descrip- vities made and planned) or to publish tor list for carob is also much needed. short articles and reports on relevant hor- There is full backing to their development ticultural subjects of general interest. We from IPGRI. However due to earlier priori- receive a sufficient number of contributio- ties, no budget is yet available for their ns from the Mediterranean basin and production. overseas for the section on articles and reports. However, the sections on news After close consideration of the Carob and notes and also congresses and mee- Report (a revision of which is included in tings are usually difficult to cover due to the ‘Articles and Reports Section’), pre- the scarce number of accounts received sented by I. Batlle, which recommended and thus contributions are most welco- the inclusion of this crop in the Network med. Also the place for ‘grey’ bibliogra- and lively exchange of views and opinio- phy (references and documents which ns on its convenience and suitability, it are difficult to find) is scarcely filled. was decided, on the grounds of not being a nut tree and neither a close market related The exchange of information between species, not to include the carob tree in our Network members through the pages of Network. However, as this crop is neglec- this Newsletter is the basis for developing ted from most R&D programmes and as collaboration. We are asking contributors germplasm collection and evaluation is one who send articles, news, notes, bibliogra- of the main needs identified, it will be close- phic references, etc. to the different sec- ly followed. Support to coordinate efforts tions, to provide them on diskette and will be received from the Genetic Resour- also in printed format. The alternative is The first inventory on almond research, ces Subnetwork. In addition, it will still be germplasm and references developed by the to send contributions through Internet included in the Bibliography Section of this Subnetwork on Almond in collaboration with the using the Editor’s Email, which is also bulletin and articles and news on this crop Subnetwork on Genetic Resources welcomed. Information should be sent ‘in will continue to appear. English’. This bulletin is reproduced in black and white only, including slides and We, members of the FAO/CIHEAM Inter- in spite of some possible criticism, is now photographs. We thank all who have con- regional Cooperative Research Network less difficult following the Global Plan of tributed to this issue. Please send your on Nuts, firmly believe that international Action for the Conservation and Sustaina- contributions for the next issue 7 (Decem- cooperation is the only way to make pro- ble Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources ber 1998) by the end of November 1998. gress. International R&D cooperation for Food and Agriculture (GPA), adopted Finally we wish all Nut Network members should play an important role in issues of during the Plant Genetic Resources Con- a creative and happy 1998. common interest for developing and de- ference held in Leipzig in 1996. veloped countries. Although within the The Editor European countries, experience shows In the last NUCIS issue (December that it is easier to cooperate in basic re- 1996), a Nut Network logo contest was The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publica- search than in near market research, de- launched. As no new entrants were recei- tion do not imply the expression of any veloping countries are usually far more ved, we decided to adopt the logo pre- opinion whatsoever on the part of the interested in applied research. Collabora- sented by the Nut Network Secretary du- Food and Agriculture Organization of tion between developing and developed ring the Coordination Board Meeting held the United Nations concerning the legal countries is very much fostered inside the status of any country, territory, city or in Meknes in 1996, as the Nut Network area or of its authorities, or concerning Nut Network and is one of our main tasks. logo (a nut tree enclosed in an inverted the delimitation of its frontiers or boun- However, difficulties arise to find suitable triangle). This logo will help to identify our daries. sources of funding. Nut Network. This publication contains the collective views of an international group of ex- In Europe, R&D in agriculture and the en- An important event for the NUCIS News- perts and does not necessarily repre- vironment have clearly moved from a do- letter, from this issue onwards, is its in- sent the decisions or the stated policy mestic level to an international level (in- clusion in the Internet Web pages of both of the Food and Agriculture Organiza- ter-country projects). In spite of recent FAO (http://www.fao.org/regional/Europe/ tion of the United Nations nor of the In- views to shift back towards domestic (in- ternational Centre for Advanced Medite- public-e/nucis.htm) and CIHEAM (http:// rranean Agronomic Studies of the Orga- tra-country projects) and shortage of fun- www.iamz.ciheam.org/ingles/nucis6.htm). nization for the Economic Cooperation ding, we believe that international colla- Now the contents of this Newsletter can and Development. boration must be fostered with the active be browsed through these pages and participation of developing countries. also copied and printed. This will futher Contributions should be written conci- sely in English. Please send contributio- help to spread your information. In addi- ns on paper and diskette (Microsoft‚ It seems that an important issue, like tion, general information on the Research Word or Word Perfect‚). Authors are cooperation on collection and assess- Nut Network activities can be found in En- responsible for the content of their pa- ment of genetic resources, which used to glish at (http://www.iamz.ciheam.org/in- pers. Reproduction of the articles is au- thorized, provided that the original sour- be conflicting due to contrasting interest gles/nuts.htm) or in French at (http:// ce is clearly stated. between provider and user countries, and www.iamz.ciheam.org/frances/nuts.htm). 2 FAO - Nucis-Newsletter, Number 6 December 1997 was 1.9, and that with the price of a group different kinds of almond producing far- ARTICLES AND of varieties produced in Sicily was a little ms, characterised by different sizes, level REPORTS over 22. of expertise, production technologies, quality of product, production costs and Hazelnut production in Italy is carried out positioning on the market.