DAY ONE

A year ago, a Ukrainian-French nut conference was held at the base of the nut garden of LLC "VOL-NAT" (Izmail, Odesa region) with the participation of Sébastien Linard - the owner of one of the most famous nut companies "LINARD FRANCE" (France), who for the first time in Ukraine technologically accompanies the garden of the Ukrainian company "VOL-NAT".

"VOL-NAT" LLC is a member of the Ukrainian Nut Association, and therefore, the delegation of the Nut Association, as the organizer of the last conference, on the eve of the nut season, decided to see how things are going in the intensive orchard a year after the conference.

The head of LLC "VOL-NAT" Huk Andriy, having kindly met us at the threshold of the garden, as always frankly talks about his garden: "The area of the garden is 91 hectares and the planting of the garden took place in 3 stages: in 2013, 18 hectares were planted, in 2014 - 20 hectares, the main walnut massif in 2015 - 53 hectares.

The garden was planted using modern intensive technology with saplings of the French varieties "Lara" and "Fernor". These are industrial varieties - of the lateral type of fruiting and today 17,743 trees bear fruit (3,596 "Lara" varieties and 14,147 "Fernor" varieties).

There are 5 types of pollinators, their composition is within 3% of the total number of trees. Planting scheme "Fernor" - 6x8m, "Lara" - 4x8m.

Soils are highly carbonated southern chernozems, structured. Watering and fertilizing are carried out through an underground drip irrigation system, drip tapes are located at a depth of 30 cm on both sides of the row at a distance of 90 cm from the trees. Preventive measures are being taken to protect the garden from diseases and pests. Since its creation, the garden has been technologically supported by the French nut grower Sebastian Linard. Every year, soil and foliar diagnostics of the garden are carried out in the French laboratory, on the basis of which the scheme of "nutrition" is correlated annually - says Andrii Huk, laughing.

We enjoyed walking through the garden, looking at the trees full of nut crops.

I am quoting verbatim the words of the association's expert advisor, Oleksiy Anatoliyovych Zelenko: "The overall impression of visiting and inspecting the garden is extremely positive!

The garden has a healthy appearance, there are no fungal diseases, the leaves have a bright dark green color, sufficient growth of branches of all orders. The most important feature of the fruiting of nuts this year is that the potential yield of the garden is almost 100% realized in its actual yield. There are nuts on ALL of this year's growths, their formation is also of high quality. It is a very big achievement in the proper operation of the garden when the potential yield corresponds to the actual one. High-quality pollination and a system of care preserved the entire ovary on the nuts.

I have already seen many gardens at my age, I also saw this garden a year ago, on the eve of the conference, but today, "putting my hand on my heart", I can say without exaggeration that this garden is a MODEL!!! "

In the nut orchard, we were joined by the well-known innovator-breeder Oleksandr Ponomarenko from Izmail, and a lively discussion began on the issue of intensification of fruiting.

Currently, the garden is in the period of growth and fruiting, the trees still have a strong growth of the main branches, the branches of the second orders are developing well, especially in the lower tiers. The harvest is increasing every year. But according to Oleksiy Zelenko's suggestion, the potential of the garden can be further increased if we continue to form branches of different orders throughout the crown. With such professional approaches, the planned design yield of the garden of 4 tons per hectare will not only be fulfilled, but will also occur in an earlier period.

Despite the fact that the garden grows within the framework of the design yield, the experts agreed that in order to understand the reaction of varieties to new pruning options, Andriy Huk plans to start these experiments. Also, in the future, it is planned to carry out contour pruning of trees in the garden by technical means. Summarizing the issues of tree care, experts absolutely agree that it is important to carry out appropriate crown care measures in each age period of a walnut tree.

Additional experiments are already being conducted in the nut garden: along with the well-known French varieties, Andrii Huk together with Oleksandr Ponomarenko planted a number of large-fruited nuts of the "INTR" variety (the author of the variety O. Ponomarenko) in order to investigate how the large-fruited nuts of this new variety will grow and bear fruit in conditions of intensive technological maintenance. We will definitely tell later about the results of industrial cultivation of this variety.

This year, Andrii Huk, still having some space to expand the garden, brought 800 seedlings from France and planted them.

Already on the example of this confidently growing garden, it is possible to draw a conclusion: Today, for everyone who is engaged in nut gardening, it should be an absolute truth that modern agronomic solutions, innovative feeding schemes and high-tech production culture are integrally important components of SUCCESS in growing PROFITABLE industrial gardens .

A huge role in this is the consciously correct selection of varieties, taking into account future demand.

In this regard, Andrii Huk, after numerous consultations with the nut grower Sebastian Linard, analysis of sales and demand, made a decision for himself - the French varieties "Lara" and "Fernor". But, unfortunately, a successful example of the cultivation of these varieties, after the survey of the climatic conditions of Ukraine by Sebastian Linard, is possible only in the southern regions of Ukraine.

Being part of the Ukrainian Walnut Association at the famous international exhibition ANUGA-2021 (Cologne, Germany), which took place in October last year, Andriy Huk sold all his walnuts at the highest prices in Ukraine!!!

This once again confirms that high-quality walnut batches from commercial orchards will be in constant demand.

Currently, the Ukrainian Nut Association is preparing a package of nut offers for the following well-known international exhibitions, such as Specialty & Fine Food Fair (London, England), Fruit Attraction (Madrid, Spain), SIAL Paris 2022 (Paris, France). In the package of nut offers of Ukraine, we include not only walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, but also products of their processing and joint production (confectionery and other products).

Therefore, ATTENTION ALL nut growers and processors - if you want to find a buyer for your own products on the world market - contact the Ukrainian Nut Association.

Currently, Andrei Huk's nut garden is gaining momentum.

"We already see our opportunities for the further export of walnut varieties - Andrii continues - we have a fully equipped plant for processing and calibration of walnuts with equipment from the company "BSI" (France), which, according to the designed capacity, will be able to serve all nut growers in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions who grow walnuts for mechanized harvesting of nuts - there is a shaker ("BSI", France) and a self-propelled nut harvester ("Monchiero", Italy).

They have already tasted our nut, convinced of its taste and varietal purity, and are waiting for a new harvest. In February, just before the war, Sébastien Linard visited us again with a proposal to plant walnut orchards with French varieties to the nut farmers of southern Ukraine."

In turn, the Ukrainian Nut Association plans to continue to highlight and popularize the best practices of the best orchards of Ukraine, the achievements of breeders and innovators. If you plan to be a successful nut farmer, join and participate in the work and activities of the nut association.

...At the same time, listening to Andrii Huk and Oleksandr Ponomarenko, I caught myself thinking more than once that when I think of the word ISMAIL, the defiant words of Sultan Mehmed Pasha "Sooner the Danube will flow back than Ishmael will appear" !" in response to commander Suvorov's offer to surrender the fortress. The brilliant storming of the Izmail fortress by the troops of Alexander Suvorov was the answer to these words and ended the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the south of Ukraine...

However, now, instead of ancient historical military victories, Izmail today, thanks to such talented specialists as Andrii Huk and Oleksandr Ponomarenko, is winning a brilliant victory in the development of nut farming in Ukraine.

DAY TWO

In my yesterday's report, I told about the visit to Andrii Huk's walnut orchard (VOL-NAT LLC, Izmail, Odesa region) on the basis of which a year ago a Ukrainian-French conference was held with the participation of the famous French nut specialist Sébastien Linard .

And the next day after this conference, on July 31 last year, we held a practical seminar called "Visiting the nursery of O.K. PONOMARENKO." from a review of breeding achievements and works of the famous breeder, gardener-innovator Oleksandr Kostyantynovich Ponomarenko.

That is why even now, a year later, the day after visiting Andrii Huk's nut garden, we gladly accepted Oleksandr Kostiantynovych's invitation to inspect his work in the nursery, which, without any exaggeration, today is a school of innovative experience and innovative skill in nut growing in Ukraine.

On the one hand, Ponomarenko is an accomplished breeder whose assets include walnut varieties "INTR" and "SIR MAJESTYK" registered in the State Register. On the other hand, it is especially instructive to learn from the nut innovator because Oleksandr Kostyantynovich uniquely and harmoniously combines the multi-vector nature of nut directions: the years-tested technology of grafting on the pine tree (lat. Pterocárya - a genus of plants of the Nut family), practically without analogues in the world, breeding successes in creating large-fruited varieties of walnuts and hazelnuts, improvement of various types of grafting (a fairly simple but very effective machine Oleksandr Kostiantynovych developed and made by himself), further study of the development of hazelnuts of various varieties grafted on bearwood (lat. sorylus colurna – tree-like hazel, belongs to the genus of hazels) Berezov family) and other developments.

During the past day, dedicated to walnut, we were primarily interested in the development of the topic, which the well-known breeder confidently deals with - the creation of large-fruited varieties of walnut.

And we clearly felt the progress in this, holding in our hands a real walnut giant, the size of which in the green nursery can be compared to an apple.

"Yablunevy" - this is his working name until registration - Oleksandr Kostiantynovych said with a laugh

Almost 7 centimeters, the size of this giant without an amniotic sac really makes an impression (see photo).

I will immediately explain the reason for our interest - today, on the world market, Ukrainian walnuts need REBRANDING - a comprehensive, strategic change of the existing outdated brand, which has developed over the years among foreign buyers as a result of nut exports from Ukraine of different calibers and varieties of walnuts, collected in backyards and roadside plantations.

Therefore, in order to fight with the existing brand of Ukrainian walnut, which has been formed over the years in foreign markets, "lower than the plinth", we need high-quality varietal batches of nuts from such industrial gardens as Andriy Huk and the ability to attract attention with such gigantic forms of nuts that will surprise every foreigner the buyer

In this regard, we agreed with Oleksandr Ponomarenko that we will demonstrate his giant forms of nuts "INTR" and "Yablunevoy" at the international exhibition "SIAL Paris 2022" and others, where the Ukrainian Nut Association plans to participate and is preparing a package of Ukrainian nuts proposals

It took 7 years of painstaking work of a tireless breeder to "conquer" and master the practice of grafting a nut on the stock of Lapina large-fruited. As a very long-lasting and moisture-loving rootstock, Lapina expands the possibilities of walnut cultivation on wet soils and swampy lowlands, and there are enough of such areas in Ukraine and they are practically not used.

In such a scion-graft combination, walnut can be used to plant riverbanks, reservoirs, and floodplains.

In addition, a year ago, as part of a joint project between the Ukrainian Nut Association, Odesa Agrarian University (S.Petrenko) and NEC "Living Chlorella" (Samvel Mkrtchyan), an experiment on the use of biological preparations was started in the Ponomarenko nursery, as well as in a number of other nut gardens based on chlorella. According to Oleksandr Ponomarenko, the use of biological preparations "Living Chlorella" gives good and encouraging results. Work with chlorella will be continued.

And then, for the fourth year in a row, we go to a unique hazelnut garden, which is grown in Spartan conditions and planted by Oleksandr Ponomarenko 5 years ago.

This is a low-cost hazelnut garden aimed at a small farmer or rural family with 1-2 hectares of land.

We came to this hazelnut garden with an area of 1 ha again, as we did a year ago, in the midst of summer, which is currently almost constantly dry in Bessarabia. The garden again, like last year and the year before last, impressed us with its "living" greenery of bushes with nuts, with the presence around the gloomy monotony of arid and, in many cities, dead remnants of grain and industrial crops.

The scheme of planting hazelnuts in a garden of 5×4 m, planted with hazelnuts of the Cherkesky 2 variety is contained in a bushy thin form, soil maintenance is based on the system of black steam. The soil in the garden is southern chernozem. The garden is located in rainy conditions, without irrigation and additional watering, almost without cultivation, except for the tractor's visit to the garden once a month. Two years ago, when the garden was 3 years old, Oleksandr Kostiantynovych collected the first harvest of 380 kg from 1 hectare (and this during an incredible drought!!!), last year - up to 1 ton.

Hazelnut variety Circassian 2 is an old Adyghe variety, early ripening, universal purpose, fairly winter-hardy and drought-resistant, resistant to disease. By the way, we observed in other hazelnut orchards that grow nearby, other varieties of hazelnuts do not have such yield and stability. This once again shows the importance of choosing a variety or a group of varieties in specific soil and climatic conditions of cultivation.

According to the testimony of our experts, the Circassian 2 variety, compared to other varieties of hazelnut, probably has a special anatomical structure of the leaf apparatus, which reduces and regulates within the necessary limits transpiration, evaporation, and a highly developed covering tissue of the leaf.

"The experience of Oleksandr Kostyantynovich Ponomarenko. - continues his conclusion, expert advisor of the association, Candidate of Sciences Oleksiy Anatoliyovych Zelenko - is of particular importance from the point of view of choosing an intensive or extensive hazelnut cultivation technology. With minimal costs for creating a hazelnut garden and care according to him, in the absence of the necessary investment funds, with the right approach to the selection of the hazelnut varietal base and the assessment of soil conditions, this technology is also quite profitable in terms of garden productivity and minimum costs for the "average" villager."

We called the model of this garden a SOCIAL PROJECT of a LOW-Cost (budget) HAZELNUT GARDEN. And this, in fact, social project works successfully.

In a relaxed atmosphere, an active and open conversation took place about the profitability of nut growing, its further development paths, selection, practical help of science for the development of industrial nut orchards.

Listening to Oleksandr Ponomarenko, I constantly remembered one of the necessary rules for achieving success of Winston Churchill, recognized as the most charismatic politician of the 20th century, who believed: "To improve means to change, to be perfect means to change often!". How aptly the words of the English politician coincide with the rhythm of life of the talented and tireless gardener-innovator - Oleksandr Kostyantynovich Ponomarenko.

President of the Ukrainian Nut Association G. Yudin