International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Research Volume 3, Issue 5, ISSN (Online) 2319-1473 Manuscript Processing Details (dd/mm/yyyy) : Received : 13/02/2015 | Accepted on : 2 1/02/2015 | Published : 07/03/2015 The Cultivation of Chestnut, in Dibra , Kukes and Tropoje District in Albania Nazmi Ajazi Vath Tabaku Dajti Expres shpk, email: [email protected] Faculty of Forestry Sciences AUT Abstract: Chestnut (Castanea sativa L.) is a species that ikes not the heavy earth with alkaline reaction. vegetates and produces almost in all the territory of Albania. Concerning temperature and moist, the chestnut is It can be found in large surfaces in mountainsides and hills typical mezofile specie It doesn't like the dry, cold and in Kolgecaj and Lekbibaj of Tropoja, in Shenmeri of Kukes, with misty stations. It doesn't need also many light. Dukagjin, Mes and Shllak of Shkodra, Kashnjet of Lezha, It reproduces with seeds or vegetatively. The Shupal of Tirana, in Pogradec, in Lefterhori and Muzina of Delvina, in Dhrovjani and Leshnice of Saranda . frutification begins for the trees with seed origin at the With scarcity it can be fo und in Berati, Skrapar, Pwrmet, age of 20-25 years, but for the trees with shoots origin at Gramsh, Tepelenw and Kolonjw on a total surface of 8000 the age of 8-10years. The seeds , if are deposited in places ha. But, inside these surfaces with chestnut, there are with moist and cold, have a very high germinative hundreds of hectares suitable to be cultivated with chestnut, capacity- up to 80-90 %. increasing, in such a way the number of existed o nes. The planting with seedlings is the most usu al way. To Such free surfaces, created by degradation or deforestation create chestnut forests for wood production , normally are must be planted with chestnut trees. They are more suitable, used seedlings of two years old transferred seedlings 3 not only for their agro-pedological quality , but also that are years old with the scheme 2 -4 m. far away from inhabited places . The chestnut trees can be cultiv ated and administered from everyone that makes his To create coppice for fruit , normally are used seedlings weekends or holydays in these surfaces. transferred and grafted, almost 5-6 years old. In this case This massives, although without any care, could give round the holes must have the dimensions 1x1x1 and with a 50-70 kg fruits /tree. distance between them 8-10 m If they will be treated properly, their productivity and To produce the grafted seedlings, normally must quality will be increased. transfer the new saplings, 1 -2 years old in the place prepared for this scope, cutting their rots and pl aced 50-80 Keywords: Treatment, Cultivation, Agro Technique, Qual - cm , in row and 70-100 cm between rows. ity, Chemical, Adaption, Biotechnology. In the third year the stalk must be cutted and , after a year the new sapling, the best one , must be let in the I. INTRODUCTION transferring place 2-4 years; After 5-6 years in this place, must be done the grafting;. The chestnut fruit is one of Albanian agricultural Af ter the grafting the seedlings mast be let in nursery for product that has dominated our export, and covers 9 % 18 months and after that they can be planted. of European import. Therefore we are obliged to develop a The grafting can be made also in the place of planting. policy and a strategy for producing conform EU For over grafting must be used the best, and the baggiest standards. In such a way we can increase the economic piece of the chestnut. effective of the export and the incomes of our farmers. Chestnut must be extended in a large scale in all the Chestnut in our Country has a great economical lower and average mountain zone of our country to create importance , not only for the wood value , but also for its in such a way the simple coppice for fruit production, and fruit. An other characteristic that makes it more valuable also coppice combined with other species for wood is that, in comparison with the other leafy trees, is the fast production. The chestnut tree suffer s from two dangerous growth and its productive capacity to regenerate diseases: The disease of colour (phytoftora cambivora) vegetatively and to put out new sh oots also at an advanced and the bark cancer (Endothia parastica). To protect the age . An other characteristic of chesnut is its capacity to tree must be taken measures . ameliorate the earth . Castanea sativa Mill , reches a height up to 20 -35 m In the zone of this study, the chesnut exstends on a total with u trunk up to 2m. superface of 12500 ha, mainly in Tropoja, Shllak, Mes The leafs have a reform with deep furrwus or spiral and Shosh, Kukes, Peshkopi, Duka gjin, Derjan, Kashnjet, fissures – 16-28 cm long and 5 -9 cm large. Shupal, Pogradec, Lefterhor, Muzine, Dhrovjan, Leshnice, Bisexual flowers are born in 10 -20 cm, and, the male etc. are set in the upper part, the female in the lower part. From the ecological point of view, chestnut growths in The chestnut flowers appear by the end of Une , in July , low and average mountainous Zones, in coffee -brown and up to autumn . The female flowers contain 3 -7 pieces earths, exclusing the carbonatic earths. Chesnut like the in brown colour. They fell during October. earths with acid reaksion and reach with phosphor and The female flowers, to be protected from the rapacious potassium with volcanic origin. are covered by a sheathe. [4]. It develops also in the decaltificated brown e arths, but l- The farmer, some time produce only a big piece for cup- Copyright © 2015 IJAIR, All right reserved 1301 International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Research Volume 3, Issue 5, ISSN (Online) 2319-1473 ule, but normally 2-4 eatable pieces, nevertheless they between the home p roduct of seedlings and the imported could be smaller. ones, and for the production variant according the modern The chestnut tree needs a moderate and moist climate methods that are aplicated in the world. for the good development of the pieces. It feels the cold of autumn and the freezing of the spring. It tolerates the III. THE RESULTS AND THE DISCUSSION calcareous formations. The development in condition of forest, it tolerates the shadows. The leafs of chestnut tree From the elaboration of all obtained data during 4 years, are a good food for animals, including Lepidoptera and it is evaluated and determined the surface covered with Coleophora anatipennella. chestnut trees. The chestnut forests in Tropoja district have an large II. THE MATERIAL AND THE METHOD extension. It is the phyto -climatic zone of chestnut at the foot of the Albanian northeast Alps (Shkelzen, Maja e The process of realization of this study has past some Hekurave, Korore e Nikaj Merturit ) phases, having in consideration the actual situation of The terrain is mainly undulating , with a general chestnut species and the needs of the future; the new southeast direction , with an average slope 20 -25 gr. The plantings, the characteristics and produce capacities; the massive intersected from Valbona river, Gashi river and study o f nurseries and the possibility of producing the some villages with agricultural and fruit plantations. The seedlings. main massive are : the massiv e in the upper part of Bajram The first study’s objective has been the determination of Curri town and the massive of Kernaja. Normally the the actual situation of chestnut trees: the group -ages, forest massive the chestnut is in 360 -1000 m sea level, but sanitary situation, topographical extension, surfaces that it can be found in separated trees or small groups from 200 could be rehabilitated , the costs of this rehabilitation to 1100 m. sea level according to different levels. In Tropoja district this species is in his natural area l, the In conclusion we obtained data for the surfaces covered groups of trees have the character of a forest that have a with chestnut, possibilities for rehabilitation and for all its good natural development , despite the fact that are sub-objectives. Has been registered identification elements historically valuated mainly for fruit production. The trees (the district, commune, village, the codes, ortophotos, have the seed or coppice origin with an average age from forest economy and parcels), total surface (hectares or 90 to 150 years. The sea level varies from 300 to 700 -750 number of trees), average age according to classes of age m. and, rarely up to 800-1000 m (in places with an east (0-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 and 81-100 years), the average direction ) number of trees per hectare, the average yield for the latest The most appropriate expositions for the chestnut 10 years (kv/ha or kg/one tree), health situation of the trees forests are east, north -east, north and south-east (good, average, and not good, in ha/tree), the infection expositions.. from the bacterial diseas es, cancer, worms (light, average, The bigger massive has a surface of about 2000 heavy in ha/tree, data for the earth (mechanical content, hectares, concentrated in 7 Communes: the slope, the system of terraces, deforestation, the s ea- In Bujani commune round 600 ha, in Markgegaj level and relative height (m), and notes about the problem. commune with 500 ha, in commune of Tropoja with 500 In the study were included also the optimal zones in ha, in Lekbibaj commune with 270 ha, in commune of which the chestnut trees have had a good development, the Paçi with 15 ha, in commu ne of Fierza with 15 ha and in forms of cultivation in regional level, and the evaluation of Municipality of Bajram Curri with 100 ha.