Protein and mineral nutrient contents in kernels from 72 sweet almond cultivars and accessions grown in France, Greece and Italy

Abstract

Almond protein and potassium (K), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) contents were determined in 72 cultivars and accessions grown in France, Greece and Italy, as part of the networking of European SAFENUT AGRI GEN RES project, which aimed to explore and valorize the almond genetic resources in Europe. Great variation was found in the nutrient content and the amount of nutrient supplied when consuming the recommended daily amount of one serving of almond, among the different genotypes assayed. The variation among the different genotypes was greatest for Ca, followed by the protein content; the latter also exhibited the lowest variation considering the harvest year. Results from a principal component analysis showed that P and Mg were the most discriminant elements for categorizing samples. Cluster analysis showed groups of samples with interesting characteristics for breeding. There was no clear distinction among the different origins of samples. Correlation analyses between weather conditions and the nutrients assayed showed that the mean temperature recorded in the period between March and September was positively correlated with Ca and P only in France, a place where the greatest climatic difference between years was observed.

Keywords::

• environment
• genetic resources
• mineral nutrient
• protein
• sweet almond

Acknowledgements

P.D. and G.P. would like to thank P. Psoma for technical assistance.

Declaration of interest : This work was 50% funded by the European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, AGRI GEN RES Community Program (No. 870/2004) and 50% by the authors' institutions. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.