CHESTNUT IN BRAZIL: RESEARCHES AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Among fruit crops that can be seen as having potential in Brazilian farms, is the Portuguese chestnut or European chestnut. First chestnut trees were introduced in Brazil brought by Portuguese colonizers around 1530. Nevertheless, due to its climatic requirements, very few survived, if any, except those taken to higher lands or to the South of the country, places with mild temperatures. In the beginning of the 1970's, introductions were realized through the Instituto Agronomico, a government research agency, mainly from C. crenata species and its hybrids (C. crenata × C. sativa), that was less demanding for chill temperatures during winter season. Other informal introductions occurred through the action of immigrants coming from Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Japan. In Brazil, chestnut adapted well in highland altitude and in mountain regions of South and Southeast climates. Since its introduction in Brazil, chestnut plants were propagated through seeds, increasing population variability due to its highly heterozygous status. At Sao Bento do Sapucai (22°41'S, 45°41'W, 886 m), by the end of the 1960's, about a thousand chestnut plants were cultivated and half of these plants were composed of early productive trees that can be harvested from the middle of November. Present efforts with this crop include activities aiming to produce quality nursery plants and to develop technology adapted for chestnut crop under Brazilian conditions for growers from Southeast and South regions of Brazil. As a result, grafted hybrid chestnut plants of cultivars 'KM2', 'Tamatsukuri' and 'Taisho-wase' with high adaptation to tropical and subtropical conditions, and medium to large size nuts of various flavors are distributed. Depending on the hybrid, harvest can extend from November to May.