Breeding assessment of hazel productivity in the Chelyabinsk Region, Russia

This article examines the biometric features related to the productivity of hazelnut seedlings in the Southern Urals. In amateur growing regions, hazelnut productivity varies from 0.5 kg/bush to 3.5 kg/bush, occasionally reaching 5.3 kg/bush or less. While hazel is an introduced crop on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains and is successfully cultivated in household gardens, reliable data on its productivity under these specific conditions are lacking. This study aims to assess the productivity of a representative group of plants grown from seed. Under the conditions of Chelyabinsk, Russia, yield data from 2023–24 were obtained for 17-year-old plants, ranging from 9 g/plant to 4334 g/plant. Due to varying growing conditions resulting from their planting on a collection site near other fruit plants, productivity was assessed in relation to the biometric parameters of the crown. Assessing productivity per unit volume of the crown proved to be less variable and exhibited a reliable linear and curvilinear relationship with yield; therefore, it can be considered the most suitable method for assessing plant productivity. Furthermore, the productivity assessment indicator based on the sum of the stem’s crosssectional areas also showed a reliable linear and curvilinear relationship with yield. Finally, the forms Sev 1, Sev 2, Sev 7, and Urozhaynaya were identified as highly productive, suggesting their potential for selection as varieties and use in future hazelnut breeding programs in the Southern Urals.

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