ChileanJAR

The Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), at its Regional Research Center (CRI) Quilamapu at Chillán, as part of a nut fruit improvement program, introduced in the middle of 90’s eighteen of the most important commercial chestnut cultivars from Italy, France and Japan. Most of the introduced cultivars belong to the “marron type” and represent the first time that cultivars of high fruit quality of European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill), Japanese cultivars (C. crenata Siebold et Zucc.) and Eurojapanese hybrids (C. crenata x C. sativa) are introduced to Chile. After two years of quarantine period, the germplasm was released and grafted onto seedling rootstocks at CRI Quilamapu. Most of the cultivars started yielding after two years of planting, by year 2002, and their agronomic performance it was year round evaluated. Fruit quality in most of the evaluated cultivars was outstanding as they meet both French and Italian requirements to classify as marron type. The most promising cvs. were Marrone di Citta di Castello, Marrone di Marradi and Marrone di Val di Susa, that showed very high fruit quality. Earliness in the Eurojapanese cultivars was higher than local selections as they began its harvest by early March. Since year 2001 field evaluation trials are conducted from VII to X Region of the country, to determine the performance and agronomic adaptation of both species to the potential chestnut growing areas of Chile. This work is the first introduction of marron type of European, Eurojapanese hybrids and Japanese chestnut cultivars to Chile.