Nuts provide an interesting nutritional supply. However, their high fatty content makes them unattractive for new consumers demanding “light”, low-fatty foods. Among nuts, almonds have a significant economical importance for the whole Mediterranean area. In the last years, high production and competition among productive zones have hardened the commercialisation of this product. On the other ha...

Late spring frosts can become one of the limiting factors for expansion cultivation area towards a harsher climate almond [Prunus amygdalus Batsch syn P. dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] crop as frost damage up to 90% harvest. In order identify key genes favoring cold tolerance in almonds, branches from three late-blooming genotypes: ‘Guara’, ‘Soleta’ and ‘Belona’ were exposed at −4 °C during 24 h con...

Consumption of almonds has been shown to be associated with a decreased risk of CHD, which may be related to their fatty acid (FA) composition. However, the effect of almond consumption on the serum FA composition is not known. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated whether almond consumption would alter the serum FA profile and risk of CHD, as calculated using Framingham's 10-year ri...

ABSTRACT Almond leaf scorch disease (ALSD) has recently reemerged in the San Joaquin Valley of California threatening almond production. ALSD is caused by Xylella fastidiosa, a nutritionally fastidious bacterium. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) of X. fastidiosa strains were identified to characterize the bacterial population in infected trees. Genotype-spe...

Almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) kernel composition is a basic aspect for almond quality evaluation, but, with the exception of kernel taste, only nut and kernel physical traits have been considered so far in almond evaluation. Kernel bitterness, due to the presence of amygdalin, has been thoroughly studied from the physiological and genetic points of view, but not the other chemical traits, wh...

Almond nuts were exposed to radiation doses of 1, 2 and 3 kGy of gamma irradiation covering the range for insect/pest disinfestations and for microbial load. Fatty acid composition, acidity value, peroxide value, iodine value specification number, TBA value and color of almond oil extracted from un-irradiated and irradiated sample were determined, immediately after irradiation and after 12 mont...

We developed a computer model for simulating the population dynamics of the almond moth, Cadra cautella (Walker). The model incorporates previously published life history data for the almondmothdeveloping on storedpeanuts, Arachis hypogaeaL., including stage-speciÞc immature developmental time and survival and adult longevity and fecundity. The model was modiÞed so that it also could be used to...

Almond leaf scorch (ALS) disease has emerged recently as a serious threat to almond production areas throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley (5,36). This disease is caused by the xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which also causes several plant diseases in California including Pierce’s disease (PD) of grape, oleander leaf scorch (OLS), and alfalfa dwarf (AD). X. fastidiosa bacteria...