Relationship between Frost Injury and Ion Leakage as an Indicator of Cold Hardiness in 60 Almond Selections

Frost damage to the flowers and early developing fruits is one of the most limiting factors in almond cultivation regions of the world. This study was undertaken to understand almond response to frost damage concerning ion leakage in order to develop a criterion for the selection of frost-resistant cultivars in field experiments. In this work, 60 almond cultivars and genotypes on the basis frosts damage and ion leakage was studied. Results showed that the severity of frost damage was influenced by genotype. Genotypes that had the more resistant to frost damage had less ion leakage. It is suggested that ion leakage may serve as indicator of frost tolerance in almond breeding material.