Pranyaj
An almond introduced from Ukraine and one of the three cultivars CITH Srinagar names as most promising for commercial planting in Kashmir, with Waris and Nonpareil. The best fruit setter as a mother tree of nine cultivars, with shelling of 57.52% and 51.06%.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Almond (Badam)
- Type
- Grafted planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found
- Expected yield
- No per-tree yield figure found. Open-pollinated fruit set averaged 30.96%, second of nine cultivars, and shelling was 57.52% and 51.06% (CITH Srinagar; SKUAST-Kashmir)
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained temperate orchard loam
- Release
- An introduction from Ukraine, evaluated at CITH Srinagar and SKUAST-Kashmir; introduction year not confirmed
About this variety
Pranyaj is an almond introduced from Ukraine and tested in Kashmir at CITH Srinagar and at the SKUAST-Kashmir Dryland Agriculture Research Station. CITH names it, with Waris and Nonpareil, among the three most promising cultivars for commercial planting in the major almond areas (Kumawat et al., Indian Horticulture, 2018). In the CITH pollination study of nine cultivars it set 30.96% fruit under open pollination, second only to Primorskij (32.37%), and as a mother tree it averaged 28.53%, the highest of all. It crossed especially well with Nonpareil (38.55% to 39.69% in both directions) and took Merced pollen (34.71%) and IXL pollen (34.47%) well. In the SKUAST-Kashmir nut trial it had a soft shell of dark colour, a kernel of intermediate colour, a kernel weight of 1.15 g and 1.20 g, and shelling of 57.52% and 51.06%. The taste panel scored it 7.0 and 8.0.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pranyaj if you want a cultivar that CITH Srinagar rates among its three most promising, and one that sets fruit reliably. It set 30.96% under open pollination and averaged 28.53% as a mother tree, the highest of nine cultivars in the CITH study. Its best partner is Nonpareil, 38.55% to 39.69% in both directions, and it also took Merced and IXL pollen well. Its shelling, 57.52% and 51.06%, is among the best in the SKUAST-Kashmir nut trial, but its taste scores, 7.0 and 8.0, trail Shalimar (9.5) and Makhdoom (9.0). If taste is your selling point, plant Shalimar beside it.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Spacing6–7 m, consistent with general Kashmir valley almond spacing, pending confirmation of any variety-specific guidance
- FertilizerGeneral temperate almond fertilizer guidance applies pending a variety-specific dose — 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
Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found
Expected yield
No per-tree yield figure found. Open-pollinated fruit set averaged 30.96%, second of nine cultivars, and shelling was 57.52% and 51.06% (CITH Srinagar; SKUAST-Kashmir)
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
- Named by CITH Srinagar as one of the three most promising cultivars for commercial planting in Kashmir.
- The best fruit setter as a mother tree of nine cultivars (28.53% on average), and the strongest partner for Nonpareil (38.55% to 39.69%).
- Shelling of 57.52% and 51.06% in the SKUAST-Kashmir nut trial.
Things to consider
- The taste panel scored Pranyaj 7.0 and 8.0, below Shalimar (9.5) and Makhdoom (9.0), and its shell colour was dark.
- It is self-incompatible and set no fruit on its own pollen, so it needs a compatible partner beside it.
- We found no per-tree yield, introduction year or disease figure for Pranyaj in Kashmir.
Suitable regions
An introduction from Ukraine evaluated at CITH Srinagar and the SKUAST-Kashmir Dryland Agriculture Research Station, at about 1,640 m. CITH names it among the three most promising cultivars for the major almond areas of Kashmir.
- Jammu and Kashmir
The Pranyaj pollination record at a glance
Pranyaj comes from Ukraine, and CITH Srinagar tested it in 2005 to 2007 beside IXL, Merced, Drake, Primorskij, Nonpareil and three Kashmir releases, in trees at 1,640 m. Its later long-term evaluation named Pranyaj, Waris and Nonpareil as the three most promising cultivars for commercial planting.
On fruit set, Pranyaj was strong. Open-pollinated fruit set was 30.96%, as a mother tree it averaged 28.53% (the highest of nine), and the best crosses were with Nonpareil pollen (38.55%), Merced pollen (34.71%) and IXL pollen (34.47%). On nuts, the SKUAST-Kashmir trial gave it a soft dark shell, a kernel of intermediate colour and shelling of 57.52% and 51.06%, though the taste panel scored it lower than Shalimar and Makhdoom.
Put these together and Pranyaj fits a mixed orchard well: Pranyaj and Nonpareil as the two main commercial blocks, Shalimar or Makhdoom beside them for taste and early pollen, and bee hives in the orchard at bloom. Snow in March 2007 hurt the early bloomers, so check your local bloom dates with CITH Srinagar before you finalise the layout.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This one is raised from planting material — suckers, grafts, cuttings or tubers — not from a seed packet. Take it from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Almond (Badam) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXL | Kashmir orchards that already have IXL and need to choose partners that actually pollinate it | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No Kashmir yield figure found. Open-pollinated fruit set averaged 26.27% over two years at CITH Srinagar (Sharma and Sharma, 2011) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Makhdoom | Kashmir farmers on frost-free, sheltered sites who want the best-tasting kernel and a strong pollen donor | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No yield figure found. Shelling was 39.59% and 45.07% in two years (SKUAST-Kashmir trial). Open-pollinated fruit set was low, 17.96% on average and 5.77% in 2007 after a frost and snow (CITH Srinagar) | Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh |
| Merced | Kashmir farmers who want a papery-shelled, light-kernel almond with high shelling and will plant Pranyaj beside it | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No Kashmir yield figure found. Shelling was 49.27% in the first year and 54.05% in the second, the highest of nine cultivars in the second year (SKUAST-Kashmir trial) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Nonpareil (California Paper Shell) | Kashmir farmers who want a CITH-recommended cultivar and will plant Pranyaj, Primorskij or Waris beside it | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No Kashmir yield figure found. Open-pollinated fruit set averaged 26.53% over two years at CITH Srinagar (Sharma and Sharma, 2011) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Pranyajthis page | Kashmir farmers who want a CITH-recommended cultivar with high fruit set and high shelling, planted beside Nonpareil | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No per-tree yield figure found. Open-pollinated fruit set averaged 30.96%, second of nine cultivars, and shelling was 57.52% and 51.06% (CITH Srinagar; SKUAST-Kashmir) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Primorskij | Kashmir farmers who sell kernel and want the highest shelling of the cultivars tested there, and who can plant a late-flowering partner beside it | Late flowering; the trial trees at Srinagar were planted in 1988, and no grafted first-bearing age for Kashmir has been published | No yield figure published for India. Shelling 57.58% and 52.05%, the highest of nine types in both years of the SKUAST-Kashmir nut trial | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Shalimar | Kashmir farmers who sell on eating quality and want a papery shell, on a sheltered slope with Waris nearby | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | No yield figure found. Shelling was 48.60% and 50.27% in two years, with the top taste score of nine cultivars (SKUAST-Kashmir trial); open-pollinated fruit set averaged 25.02% (CITH Srinagar) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Waris | Kashmir farmers who want a CITH-recommended main crop and will plant Shalimar, Primorskij or Pranyaj beside it | Trial trees at CITH Srinagar were fruiting at 5 to 6 years of age; no grafted first-bearing figure for Kashmir was found | 2.41 kg a tree in 2011 and 5.98 kg a tree in 2012 (2.67 and 6.64 t/ha at 3 x 3 m) under the best fertigation treatment at CITH Srinagar, on trees planted in 2002 (Kumar and Ahmed, 2014). Shelling 49.05% and 47.50% (SKUAST-Kashmir trial) | Jammu and Kashmir |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Almond (Badam) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Almond (Badam) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Almond (Badam) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Almond (Badam) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Almond (Badam) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Almond (Badam) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pranyaj the same as the Pramod that this site listed before?
We cannot be certain, but Pranyaj is the name that appears in the Kashmir almond research. We found no source that lists an almond called Pramod, so the old Pramod page now sits here under the name that the research uses. If a nursery sold you a plant as Pramod, ask it in writing which variety the grafts are and where the scion wood came from.
How well does Pranyaj set fruit?
In the CITH Srinagar pollination study, Pranyaj set 30.96% fruit under open pollination, second only to Primorskij (32.37%). As a mother tree it averaged 28.53%, the highest of nine cultivars. With Nonpareil pollen it set 38.55%, with Merced pollen 34.71%, with IXL pollen 34.47% and with Drake pollen 32.67%. It set no fruit on its own pollen, so it needs a partner. A commercial crop needs 25% to 40% of the flowers to set.
What are Pranyaj nuts like?
In the SKUAST-Kashmir nut trial, Pranyaj had a soft shell of dark colour, a kernel of intermediate colour and shelling of 57.52% in the first year and 51.06% in the second. The kernel weighed 1.15 g and 1.20 g, behind only Primorskij (1.29 g and 1.26 g), and the taste panel scored it 7.0 and 8.0.
Which varieties should I plant with Pranyaj?
Nonpareil is the strongest partner found: Pranyaj set 38.55% with Nonpareil pollen, and Nonpareil set 39.69% with Pranyaj pollen. Merced pollen gave 34.71% on Pranyaj and IXL pollen 34.47%. IXL is a fair partner on the Pranyaj side, though IXL was the weakest pollen donor overall. Check that bloom times overlap in your valley, and place bee hives in the orchard at bloom.
How do I make sure I am buying true Pranyaj grafts?
Ask the nursery three things in writing: the variety name on the invoice, the orchard or research station that supplied the scion wood, and the grafting date. Ask SKUAST-Kashmir or CITH Srinagar whether the name is on their list. Most Kashmir almond still comes from seedling trees with hard shells and small nuts, so a seedling sold as a named variety is a real risk.
When does Pranyaj flower, and how long does the bloom last?
Late, and briefly. In the two-year study of nine almond types at the Dryland Agriculture Research Station of SKUAST-Kashmir, Pranyaj was the last to reach advanced pink bud, on 24 and 23 March, and the last to start blooming, on 27 March in both years. Its bloom then lasted only four days in the first year, the shortest along with Makhdoom and KD-6. Its pollen was strong: 90% germinated in a laboratory test in the second year, the highest with Merced. So Pranyaj is a late variety with a narrow window. The late start is an advantage against mid-March frost, but a four-day bloom gives bees little time, so plant the pollinizer close, within 20 to 25 m, keep a hive or two in the orchard during those days, and avoid spraying anything on open flowers.
Sourced from: Majid et al., Floral biology of exotic and indigenous almond genotypes under temperate conditions of Kashmir valley, Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci. 10(1), 2021, 2807-2813 (DARS, SKUAST-Kashmir), Exploring promising almond cultivars for health and prosperity — Kumawat et al., Indian Horticulture 63(6), 2018 (CITH Srinagar), Pollen characteristics, pollination behaviour and pollinizer compatibility of some exotic and indigenous almond genotypes — Sharma and Sharma, Advances in Horticultural Science 25(1), 2011 (CITH Srinagar), Nut and kernel characteristics of exotic and indigenous almond genotypes under temperate conditions of Kashmir valley — Majid et al., Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci. 9(1), 2020 (SKUAST-Kashmir). editorial policy.