Shalimar
A Kashmir variety with a spreading-to-drooping growth habit, notable for a high reported shelling percentage of about 50%, suited to export-quality kernel production.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Almond (Badam)
- Type
- Grafted planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First bearing in 3 years (grafted)
- Expected yield
- Good, with a high proportion of usable kernel per nut
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained temperate orchard loam
- Release
- SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar campus, Srinagar; exact notification year not confirmed in this pass
About this variety
Shalimar is one of the main Kashmir-region almond varieties, named for the Shalimar campus of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Kashmir) in Srinagar, where much of Kashmir's temperate fruit research is based. It has a distinctive spreading-to-drooping growth habit rather than the more upright form of some other selections, and is particularly noted for a high shelling percentage of roughly 50% — meaning about half of the raw nut's weight is usable kernel, a genuinely strong recovery rate that makes it well suited to export-quality kernel production where kernel weight, not shell bulk, is what buyers pay for.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Spacing6–7 m; its spreading-to-drooping habit may benefit from slightly wider spacing than more upright selections
- 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, with a high proportion of usable kernel per nut
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 genuinely high shelling percentage (~50%), a real quality edge for export-oriented kernel sale.
- A named, university-linked Kashmir release with a distinct, well-documented growth habit.
Things to consider
- Its spreading-to-drooping habit may need slightly different pruning and spacing management than more upright almond selections.
- Formal disease-resistance data was not confirmed in this pass — apply the crop's standard brown rot spray programme regardless.
Suitable regions
A Kashmir valley variety, named for the Shalimar campus of SKUAST-Kashmir in Srinagar.
- Jammu and Kashmir
Frequently asked questions
What makes Shalimar's high shelling percentage useful?
A ~50% shelling percentage means half the raw nut's weight ends up as usable kernel rather than shell — since buyers pay for kernel, not shell bulk, this genuinely improves the return per kilogram of raw nut harvested, especially for export-oriented sale.
Sourced from: Genetic Diversity in Rosaceous Fruits of J&K: Apple, Apricot, and Almond, Top Almond Varieties Cultivated in India — TractorKarvan. editorial policy.
