Merced
An imported American cultivar long grown and evaluated in Kashmir valley orchards, used both for its own nut crop and as a compatible pollinizer variety.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Almond (Badam)
- Type
- Grafted planting material (imported cultivar)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First bearing in 3 years (grafted)
- Expected yield
- Good under Kashmir valley conditions
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained temperate orchard loam
- Release
- An imported American cultivar, long established in Kashmir valley orchards; exact introduction year not confirmed in this pass
About this variety
Merced is an American almond cultivar that, alongside Nonpareil, has been long grown and studied in Kashmir valley orchards, appearing repeatedly in local floral-biology and phenology comparison studies conducted under temperate Kashmir conditions. It is typically discussed in the region's almond literature as much for its role in the valley's cross-pollination system — its bloom-time overlap with other varieties matters directly for fruit set on nearby trees — as for its own nut characteristics. Detailed, India-specific figures for its own nut weight, shelling percentage or disease susceptibility were not independently confirmed to the same level of documentation as the region's named SKUAST-Kashmir releases in this research pass.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Spacing6–7 m, commonly planted as a pollinizer row alongside a main commercial variety
- FertilizerA balanced NPK dose while young, moving to a higher, bloom-and-post-harvest-split dose once bearing (see the crop guide for the full schedule)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained loam; pH 6.0–7.5
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First bearing in 3 years (grafted)
Expected yield
Good under Kashmir valley conditions
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A well-established, long-studied presence in Kashmir valley orchards, particularly valuable as a genuine cross-pollination partner.
- A proven imported cultivar with a real multi-decade track record under Kashmir conditions, not a recent or untested introduction.
Things to consider
- Detailed, India-specific nut weight, shelling-percentage and disease-susceptibility figures were not confirmed to the same level of detail as some other varieties in this pass.
- Confirm bloom-time overlap with your chosen main commercial variety before relying on it as a pollinizer — cross-compatibility depends on genuinely overlapping flowering, not just general suitability.
Suitable regions
An imported American cultivar long grown and evaluated in Kashmir valley orchards alongside Nonpareil.
- Jammu and Kashmir
Frequently asked questions
Is Merced grown mainly for its own nut crop or as a pollinizer?
Both — Kashmir orchards use it for its own nut crop as well as its compatible pollination role alongside Nonpareil and other varieties, since its bloom overlaps usefully with several established Kashmir valley almond selections.
Sourced from: Compatibility Studies in Exotic and Indigenous Almond Varieties — Kashmir Valley, Floral Biology of Exotic and Indigenous Almond Genotypes — Kashmir Valley. editorial policy.