CITH Walnut-8
An ICAR-CITH Srinagar release bearing a notably large nut and kernel with a good kernel recovery of about 54% and an export-friendly light kernel colour.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Walnut (Akhrot)
- Type
- Grafted plant
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
- Expected yield
- Good, with an emphasis on large nut and kernel size
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained temperate orchard loam; genuinely intolerant of waterlogging
- Release
- ICAR-CITH, Srinagar
About this variety
CITH Walnut-8 is another of the walnut selections released by ICAR-CITH (Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture), Srinagar, and is documented for a notably large nut (around 20.4 g average nut weight) and kernel (around 11.0 g average kernel weight) — well above the medium-sized nuts typical of SKUAST-Kashmir's Hamdan and Sulaiman. It carries a good kernel recovery of about 54%, and its kernel colour is reported as light, an important commercial trait since large, light-coloured kernels are exactly what commands the best price in the graded, premium walnut kernel export trade Kashmir is known for. As a grafted release, CITH Walnut-8 bears in the same 4–5 year window as other named cultivars and reproduces its nut size, kernel colour and shelling percentage true-to-type, which matters more here than for most varieties given how much of its commercial appeal rests on those exact traits.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Spacing8 × 8 m under traditional planting; closer high-density spacing (6 × 6 m) is used with intensive management
- FertilizerA balanced NPK dose while young, moving to a higher, pre-spring-growth-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 roughly 6.0–7.5; genuinely intolerant of waterlogged or heavy ground
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
Expected yield
Good, with an emphasis on large nut and kernel size
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
- Walnut aphid
- Codling moth
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A notably large nut (~20.4 g) and kernel (~11.0 g), well above the medium nuts typical of most named walnut varieties.
- A light kernel colour, an important commercial trait for the graded, premium export kernel trade.
- A good kernel recovery of about 54%, on top of the size advantage.
Things to consider
- No India-specific documented disease-resistance data has been confirmed for CITH Walnut-8 specifically — manage it with the same preventive copper-spray programme against walnut blight as any other walnut planting.
- Confirm current nursery availability through ICAR-CITH Srinagar before planning a large planting.
Suitable regions
An ICAR-CITH Srinagar release evaluated for the Kashmir valley's temperate orchard belt, with a large, light-coloured kernel suited to the premium export trade.
- Jammu and Kashmir
Frequently asked questions
Why does kernel colour matter for CITH Walnut-8?
Because Kashmir's walnut kernel export trade grades kernels heavily by size and colour, and large, light-coloured kernels consistently command the best price — a genuinely important commercial fact given that a significant share of Kashmiri walnut kernel is otherwise downgraded on colour and uniformity. CITH Walnut-8's combination of large size and light colour is specifically what makes it attractive for growers targeting the premium export market rather than bulk local sale.
Sourced from: Released Varieties — ICAR-CITH, Quality Planting Material Production in Walnut — ICAR-CITH, Srinagar. editorial policy.