Evaluating Climatic Suitability for Various Almond Cultivars under Rainfed Conditions in semiarid regions of Iran.

Abstract

This study evaluated the climatic suitability of several almond cultivars that flower at different times: Sefied, which flowers early, Mamaei and Rabie, which flowers in the middle, and Shahroud 7 and 12, which flowers late. The phenological stages of almond trees were first identified using prior research and discussions with provincial horticultural experts. After gathering long-term climate data, the climate requirements of almond plants were compared with the regional climate factors. Subsequently, the climatic suitability classes were identified, and a corresponding map was created. The evaluation of climatic suitability for early-flowering cultivars revealed that the province's climate presents severe to very severe limitations for growing and cultivating this crop, with a large percentage of the province (roughly 53.3%) experiencing very severe limitations, meaning that the climate is unsuitable for these cultivars.The climate of the province for mid-flowering almond cultivars varies,with regions categorized into severe limitations, very severe limitations (correctable), and non-correctable very severe limitations. Nonetheless, the majority of the province's counties are classified as S3 suitability class (severe limitation) for cultivating and developing mid-flowering cultivars. For late-flowering cultivars, the climate of the province across all counties falls within the S3 suitability class. Therefore, the climatic suitability of a region varies not only for each plant but also for different cultivars of the same plant. Additionally, the most limiting climatic parameter is the average minimum temperature during the flowering stage. In order to maximize production and lessen climate-related constraints, the study emphasizes how crucial it is to choose suitable almond cultivars based on blooming timings and local climate conditions, especially the average minimum temperature during the flowering stage.