Assessment of Boron Application in Chestnuts: Nut Yield and Quality

A field trial was conducted between 2006 and 2009 in order to quantify the effect of boron (B) application on the yield and quality of chestnuts. The trial was established in an acid soil derived from siliceous schist and two levels of B were applied. Fruit abortion and nut yield per tree were measured, and nut quality parameters and chemical composition of the kernel were determined. Foliar B concentration was 8.6mg kg(-1) in the control trees and 48.4mg kg(-1) in fertilized chestnuts. Boron improved fruit setting and promoted nut production by 77%. In 2008, the occurrence of cold temperatures enhanced the effect of B on fruit setting, which was four-fold, whereas with the normal temperatures of 2009 the increase was lower. The drought of 2009 was responsible for the ruinous chestnut caliber and shell cracking. Boron induced a significant increase in the crude fat of chestnut kernel.