Advances in cultivation of chestnuts

Publication date: 28/07/2019
Extent: 40 pages

Contributions by: Ümit Serdar, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey; Toshihiro Saito, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, Japan; Beatriz Cuenca, Empresa de Transformacion Agraria S.A (TRAGSA) Maceda, Spain; Burak Akyüz, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey; José Gomes Laranjo, University of Tras-Os-Montes (UTAD) CITAB, Portugal; Gabriele Beccaro and Giancarlo Bounous, University of Turin, Italy; Rita Lourenço Costa and Patrícia Fernandes, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Portugal; Maria Gabriella Mellano, University of Turin, Italy; and Pereira Lorenzo Santiago, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Chapter synopsis: Chestnut (Castanea), within the family Fagaceae, is a multipurpose tree that produces nuts and timber, as well as holds an important place in landscape and culture. The aim of this chapter is to present the current state of global cultivation of the Castanea species, in terms of its ecological characterization, propagation methods and multifunctionality. The chapter will examine chestnut’s economic profitability and the importance of wood and fruit production for promoting the resilience and sustainability of chestnut cultivation. The chapter describes specific regional characteristics of chestnut cultivation around the world. The authors include sections on the ecological conditions affecting the growth of chestnuts, chestnut management as coppice forest or orchards, propagation methods (including grafting, layering, cutting and micropropagation) and orchard establishment and management (including training, pruning, fertilization and irrigation). The harvest and storage of chestnuts and pest management in chestnut orchards are also covered.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2018.0042.22