Impact of Storage Duration on Kernel Quality of Offspring of ‘Mamaei’ and ‘Marcona’ Almond Hybrids

The influence of storing almond kernel genotypes derived from reciprocal crosses of ‘Mamaei’ and ‘Marcona’ cultivars (referred to as ‘G1’, ‘G2’, ‘G3’, ‘G4’, ‘G5’ and ‘G6’) on diverse quality parameters, encompassing moisture, ash, protein, oil, carbohydrates, fiber, and total vitamin E was investigated. The kernels were stored for 0, 6, and 12 months at room temperature. The results showed that the highest fresh kernel weight was observed in the ‘Marcona’ parent and two progenies, ‘G5’ and ‘G3’, at harvest time. The highest amounts of soluble carbohydrates were found in the ‘G4’ genotype, while the highest amounts of insoluble carbohydrates were observed in the ‘Mamaei’ parent and ‘G5’ genotype. The highest protein content was found in the ‘Mamaei’ parent and ‘G4’ genotype, while the maximum oil content was observed in the ‘G5’ genotype. The ‘G6’ genotype had the highest amount of total vitamin E. All studied traits showed a decreasing trend during the storage period, with the lowest amounts observed in all selected offspring after one year of storage. The results highlighted variations in traits such as fresh kernel weight, soluble and insoluble carbohydrates, protein, oil, and total vitamin E among different genotypes. Moreover, all traits exhibited a decline in values during storage, emphasizing the importance of selecting high-quality genotypes like ‘G5’ for almond breeding programs.