Sulaiman
SKUAST-Kashmir's 2001 companion release to Hamdan, evaluated for strong yield and kernel quality under Kashmir valley conditions.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Walnut (Akhrot)
- Type
- Grafted plant
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First bearing in 4–5 years (grafted)
- Expected yield
- High — around 5–6 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
Sulaiman was released by SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar in 2001 as a companion selection alongside Hamdan, and both remain among the more widely recommended grafted walnut cultivars for the Kashmir valley today. Like Hamdan, Sulaiman was evaluated specifically for orchard performance under local temperate conditions rather than adapted from an imported cultivar, and published variety-trial comparisons report it among the higher-yielding SKUAST-Kashmir selections, with figures in the range of roughly 5–6 kg of dry in-shell nut per mature tree. As with every named walnut variety on this site, actual orchard yield still depends heavily on tree age, site chilling, pollination and how well walnut blight and other seasonal stresses were managed. Sulaiman is a grafted selection, so it bears considerably sooner than a seedling tree (typically in 4–5 years versus 10–12) and reproduces its own nut and kernel characteristics true-to-type rather than the variable outcome a seedling tree would give.
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
High — around 5–6 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
- Walnut aphid
- Codling moth
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Among the higher-yielding SKUAST-Kashmir walnut selections in published variety-trial comparisons.
- A grafted, named variety that reproduces its own nut and kernel quality true-to-type rather than the variable outcome a seedling tree gives.
- Evaluated specifically for Kashmir valley conditions rather than adapted from an unproven imported cultivar.
Things to consider
- No India-specific documented resistance to walnut blight or other diseases has been confirmed for Sulaiman specifically — manage it with the same preventive copper-spray programme as any other walnut planting.
- 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 alongside its companion release Hamdan.
- Jammu and Kashmir
Frequently asked questions
Is Sulaiman better than Hamdan?
Both are 2001 SKUAST-Kashmir releases evaluated for similarly strong performance under Kashmir valley conditions, and published figures put Sulaiman's yield slightly higher on average — but the right choice for your orchard depends on local nursery availability and site conditions, so confirm current recommendations with SKUAST-Kashmir or your local KVK rather than assuming one is a universal upgrade over the other.
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.