HERITABILITY OF FRUIT CHARACTERS IN ALMOND

Seven nut and kernel almond traits were analyzed for 32 families and their 12 parents during the third and fourth year in the field. The heritability of characters were determined by two methods: regression and variance components analysis. Heritability was high for in-shell and kernel weight, intermediate for percentage of kernel and shrivelling, and low for pellicle colour intensity. Double kernel and empty nuts heritabilities were somewhat uncertain. All characters are inherited quantitatively and important nonadditive genetic effects are involved in double kernel inheritance.