By studying this PPT you will learn and understand almond production in Afghanistan.

1. Almond Production In Afghanistan
Prepared By Hashmatullah Taand

2. Classification
Kingdom: Plantea
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Prunoideae
Genus: Prunus
Subgenus: Amygdalus
Species: P. dulsic

3. Almond History
Almonds are native to the Middle East and South Asia and
have a rich history in Afghan culture.
Believed, domesticated in South Asia, spreading through the
Middle East via the Silk Road into Europe and beyond.
Major Growing Countries: California, Spain, Italy, Greece,
Turkey, India.
California is the leading producer of almond in world with
48,987,976 ton.
India’s production : 1,179,34 ton

4. In Afghanistan:
Commercially almond grows in the below provinces:
Samangan, Kunduz, Balkh, Uruzgan, Zabul, Jawzjan, Ghazni
and Herat provinces.
Below Varieties are growing in Afghanistan:
Sattarbai, Majidi, Abdul Wahidi, Qambari, Khairodini,
Qaharbai, Qaghazi and Sangi. Recently, new exotic varieties
such as Nonpareils and Carmel have been introduced by
NGOs to improve yields and quality.
Generally, almonds are either soft-shelled or hard-shelled.

5. Nutritional Profile and Health benefits:
vitamin E, manganese, biotin, and copper.
Almonds are a good source of magnesium, molydenum,
riboflavin (vitamin B2), and phosphorus.
Lower LDL-Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Heart
Disease Provide Double-Barreled Protection against
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
Carbohydrates, Sugars, Dietary
Fibre, Fat, Protein, Calcium,
Fe, Magnesium, P, K and Zn.

6. Cultivation Guideline:
Plant only disease-resistant varieties that have proven high
yields.
Plant density of (5m x 5m) with north/south orientation.
Plant three to four varieties, with each variety as an
independent row to help facilitate cross-pollination.
Mulch around the tree.
Prune trees into an open centre canopy system for high
yield, quality product, ventilation and control of pest.
Fertilize trees with 0.5-2 lbs of urea twice during the spring
season and once in late for spring growth.
To avoid from frost maintain orchard soil moisture.

7. Suitable Climate for Almond Plantation:
700 – 1400 M from sea surface.
Long spring, summer and fall without rain.
Rain at the blooming stage cause some problems.
Need dormancy 300 – 600 hour.
Required temperature in cold area 18C in hot area 38-40C.
Sandy loam and drainage soil is suitable.
Required PH 6-7.
Plants near to lower mountain.
Almond need to 180-240 days for
maturity.

8. Almond Sapling Production:
Site preparation:
Selection of variety with suitability of growing zone, even
repining, good color, size, and have market demand.
Organic soil and daily have access to 6-8 hours sun.
Ploughing of site two or three time before seed plantation.
Removing of weed and level the soil with rotavator.
Stratification of seed.
Planting seed on ridges (50- 60cm and 10- 15cm).
Sapling Production in one hectare are 70,000-80,000.

9. Almond Sapling Production cont.
40-45 Kg seed is enough for one Jireb.
After two years of grafting the sapling should be transfer.
Orchards 5*5m or 5*6m its space defending……
Applying of 25-50 gr of urea to each transplanted sapling.
Propagation:
Almond propagates by seed but need to grafting.

10. Almond transplanting:
After two years of grafting the sapling should be transplant.
Digging of hole with 50 cm deep and 60cm wide.
The sign should be upper about 10cm from land surface.
Transplant in Feb and March.
Immediate irrigation after transplanting.

11. Irrigation:
Irrigation defending to weather, soil………
Irrigation for new root growth.
Irrigation of new transplanted sapling (3-5 days).
In warm weather water usage increasing.
Should done irrigation at the morning or evening.
Avoid irrigation during storm and wind.

12. Type of Irrigation:
There are four common method for almond’s orchard
irrigation:
Flood irrigation:
Furrow Irrigation:
Basin Irrigation:
Modified Basin Irrigation

13. Weed Control:
Absorb N and water.
Best host for pest.
Can be control by intercropping.
Mechanically and Chemical con.

14. Weed control benefits:
High yield.
Restraint from frost.
Restraint from competition.
Easily conduct of agricultural practices.
Easily harvesting.

15. Use of Fertilizer:
Use of animal manure and compost.
N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S are the macro nutrient for proper growth.
In first two years should be used 50gr N, 50gr P, and 50gr K.
One hectare orchard of almond require N 91Kg, P 34Kg and
K 114 Kg. Its should be used three time/year.
Need some micro nutrients as well like Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, B,
Mo.
The fertilizer should be mix with soil by 10 – 15cm deep.

17. Intercropping and its benefits:
Good soil structure.
Control of Weeds.
Increase of vertical production.
By planting of legumes the soil’s N will increase.
Ravage of some pest in the orchard.

18. Pruning Definition:
Pruning is a cutting process of 3D branch and cutting of on
close angles.
Pruning objectives:
Easily access of sun and air.
Increase resistance of the tree.
Increase its yield.
To easily harvest the fruit.

19. Training and Pruning:
A- Training:
There are two type of training:
1- Open Center system:
2- Center Leader System:

20. Open Center System:
Cutting of sapling about 80cm to 100 cm above the land
surface.
Second year train four or fives branches.
Keep space between each branch.

22. Central Leader System:
Train the main branch of the sapling.
Training of small branch on main branch on specific space.

23. Time of Pruning:
Could be conduct in the winter and summer.
The summer pruning only doing to control the past growth
of branches and limit it.

24. Almond lifecycle:

25. Pest and Diseases:
Bacterial Canker (Pseudomonas syringae).
Crown Gall.
Almond Leaf scorch.
Hull Rot.
Brown Rot.
Scab.
Navel Orange Worm.
Peach Twig Borer.
Ants
Aphids.
Mites.

26. Bacterial Canker (Pseudomonas syringae)
Commonly life on tree surface.
Infected trees die during the blooming or earlier stage.
Spreading by raining.
High humidity and low temperature in spring is suitable for
its expansion.
Control:
Good agricultural practices.
Treatment of soil before transplanting.
Irrigation based on orchard requirement.
From transplanting to eighth years use of some pesticides
in fall season.

27. Infected Photo:

28. Crown Gall (Bacterium Agrobacteruim):
Its symptoms commonly appears on top of the roots and in
radical section of stem.
Commonly sapling and young trees infect with these
pathogen.
22C and 60 humidity is suitable condition for pathogen.

29. Control:
Restraint from injury of sapling and tree.
Planting of free pathogens sapling.
Treatment of agricultural equipment with Sodium
hypochlorite.
Planting of resistance variety.
Treatment of soil with Agro bacterium Tamifacians-84.

30. Almond Leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa):
The pathogen spreading by locust and leaves.
Symptoms first appears at the end of spring.
Only infect the top branch.
Leaves become yellow then change to brown and left in
tree.
Control:
Timely pruning
Removing of infected tree.

31. Hull Rot (Molonilia Fructicola, Rhizopus Stolonizer)
Mostly infect Non Pareil variety.
Appears gray spot on the fruit.
Immediately change the fruit color to brown.
Cracking of fruit.
Control:
On time harvesting.
Removing of waste from trees.
Decreasing of N.
Pruning on open central system
Irrigating before orchard before harvesting.

32. Brown Rot (Monilinia Fructicola, Monilinia Laxa)
Life in small branch’s holes and on buds.
Spread spores to buds by wind.
Infect the stigma and anther of a flower.
Caused the rot of buds.
After buds spread to pedicel of flower.
Caused of death of small branches.

33. Control:
Use one of the below listed fungicides:
Azoxystrobin ،Benomy (Banlate) Captan ،Cyprodinil
(Vangard)

34. Scab (Cladosporium Carpophilum):
The fungal life on branches.
At the end of March the fungal produces spores.
During the spring and summer infects flower, leaves and
branches.
Symptoms appears in May and June.
The leaves will turn to yellow and drop down.
Decrease the yield.
Most susceptible varieties are Carme, Ne Plus Ultra, Butte,
Peerless.
Non Pareil variety is resistant to scab.

35. Control:
Decrease irrigation and moisture.
Flowering stage is economical for controlling.
Use of Azoxistrobin ( Abound).
Use of Captan mix with other fungicides.
Use of Maneb mix with other fungicides.
Use of Sulfur/ Lime Sulfur during the dormancy period.
Use of Trifloxystrobin (Flint).
Use of Ziram mix with other fungicides.

36. Navel Orange Worm:
The worm is feeding on almond’s fruit.
Attach on the fruit repining stage.
Control:
hard-shelled almond resistant to the worm.
Removing of the fruit’s waste from he trees.
Use of Bacillus Thuringiensis during infection.

37. Peach Twig Borer:
Leave on new developed branches.
Effect first and second year developed branches.
Stop the branches growth and finally die the branch.
Control: Use one of the following pesticides:
Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), Methidathion (Supracide),Phosmet
(Imidan), Esfenralerate, Permethrin (Ambush/Pounce)
Carbaryl, (Sevin ) Spinosad.

38. Ants:
Enormously negatively effect almond and pie nuts fruit on
different way.
Control:
Before harvesting need scouting.
Immediately collection and harvesting of fruit.
Use of Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) two weeks earlier.
Use of Abamectin (clinch) four or five weeks earlier.

39. Aphids:
Aphids are tiny sucking insects.
Able to produce many generation in a single season.
Aphids are seen on leaves, shoots and fruits.
Leaves are curled downward and sticky with honeydew.
Slow plant growth, affecting quality and yields.
Control:
Aphids have many natural enemies such as lady beetles,
lacewings, syrphid flies, predaceous midge larvae, and
predatory bugs.
liquid detergent sprays are effective.
Use of some insecticides.

40. European red mite:
These mites overwinter as eggs at the base of buds.
Red mites cause leaf stippling in the initial stages of
infestation.
In the case of persistent feeding, leaves will appear pale,
bronzed and burned at the tips and edges.
While temperature rise the mites population decreasing.

41. Control:
Can be control by natural predators.
In initial stage can be wash with high pressure water then
spray sulfur powder under trees.
Spraying of oil during dormant period.
Use of Difofol, Agrifol, Amitraz and Talstar as miticides.

42. Maturity Symptoms of Almond:
Shield cracking.
Cracking period 30 – 40 days.

43. Almond Harvesting:
95% of the almond shield should be cracked.
Harvesting period starting from July to end of Sep.
A big tarpaulin should be lay under the tree for harvesting.
Use of PPE during harvesting.
Before harvesting all the waste should be remove form
orchard.

44. Drying of Almond:
Drying of almond in open area.
Non cracked almond should be keep under plastic to crack
the almond fruit.
Restrain from direct sun during drying process.
Laying of the almond on the same thickness in cleaned
place.
After one week the fruit should be deliver to storage.

45. Storage:
Dried place and free of pest are important for almond shelf
live.
The store should be keep cleaned and need monitoring.
Almond should be stored away from any item which have
strong smell and odor.
All food stuff should be stacked away from walk.
The warehouse should be equip with different traps.
The warehouse temperature should be 2-7C with 65 RH.
If suitable condition take place the almond will be store up
to 24 months.

46. Market:
Pakistan (Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi, Lahor and Islamabad).
India.
UAE and Middle East.
Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.