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Walnut (Akhrot)All seasonsGrafted plantUpdated 6 September 2026

Hamdan

A semi-dwarf, terminal-and-lateral-bearing SKUAST-Kashmir release with medium nut weight and a good kernel recovery of about 54%.

SeasonAll seasons
Maturity periodFirst bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
Expected yieldHigh — around 5 kg dry in-shell nut/mature tree by SKUAST-Kashmir's own evaluation figures
Suitable soilDeep, well-drained temperate orchard loam; genuinely intolerant of waterlogging

Quick facts

Crop
Walnut (Akhrot)
Type
Grafted plant
Season
All seasons
Maturity period
First bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
Expected yield
High — around 5 kg dry in-shell nut/mature tree by SKUAST-Kashmir's own evaluation figures
Suitable soil
Deep, well-drained temperate orchard loam; genuinely intolerant of waterlogging
Release
SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar — released 2001

About this variety

Hamdan is one of two walnut selections released by SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar in 2001 (alongside its companion release Sulaiman), and it remains one of the more widely recommended grafted walnut cultivars for commercial planting in the Kashmir valley today. The tree has a semi-dwarf growth habit compared with typical seedling walnut trees, and bears on both terminal and lateral shoots — a genuinely useful trait, since many older seedling walnut trees bear mainly at the branch tips, which limits the bearing surface as the tree ages. Hamdan's nuts run medium in size (published evaluation figures put average nut weight around 14 g and kernel weight around 7.6 g), with a kernel recovery (shelling percentage) of about 54% — a solid, commercially useful figure for the kernel trade. In published variety-trial comparisons across SKUAST-Kashmir's released and evaluated selections, Hamdan is reported with a mean yield in the range of roughly 5 kg of dry in-shell nut per mature tree, though actual orchard yield varies with tree age, site and management. As a grafted selection, Hamdan bears considerably sooner than a seedling tree and reproduces its own nut quality true-to-type, rather than the variable outcome a seedling walnut would give.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeGrafted plant
    MaturityFirst bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
    Yield potentialHigh — around 5 kg dry in-shell nut/mature tree by SKUAST-Kashmir's own evaluation figures
    Disease resistanceNot specifically documented
    SoilDeep, well-drained temperate orchard loam; genuinely intolerant of waterlogging
    SeasonAll seasons

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

High — around 5 kg dry in-shell nut/mature tree by SKUAST-Kashmir's own evaluation figures

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

  • Bears on both terminal and lateral shoots, unlike seedling trees that bear mainly at the branch tips — a genuinely wider bearing surface as the tree matures.
  • A semi-dwarf habit that suits closer, more manageable orchard spacing than a vigorous seedling tree.
  • Reproduces its own nut size, kernel colour and shelling percentage true-to-type, since it is grafted rather than raised from seed.

Things to consider

  • No India-specific documented resistance to walnut blight or other diseases has been confirmed for Hamdan specifically — manage it with the same preventive copper-spray programme as any other walnut planting.
  • As with any walnut variety, confirm current nursery availability and genuine trueness-to-type with SKUAST-Kashmir or a linked nursery before planting at scale.

Suitable regions

Released by SKUAST-Kashmir for the Kashmir valley's established walnut belt; grown commercially across the valley's temperate orchard districts.

  • Jammu and Kashmir

Frequently asked questions

How is Hamdan different from an ordinary seedling walnut tree?

Hamdan is a grafted, named SKUAST-Kashmir selection: it bears in 4–5 years instead of the 10–12 years a seedling tree takes, reproduces its own nut quality true-to-type, and bears on both terminal and lateral shoots rather than mainly at the branch tips the way many seedling trees do.

Sourced from: MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF WALNUT REFERENCE VARIETIES — A PRE-REQUISITE FOR DUS TESTING — ResearchGate, New Walnut Varieties Released-II — Indian Journal of Horticulture. editorial policy.