THE HAZELNUT INDUSTRY IN OREGON, USA

Oregon's Willimatte Valley produces 99% of the U.S. hazelnut crop. Although this presents a mere 3–5 % of the world crop, Oregon's importance on the world scene is increasing. Orchards are of single-trunk trees planted at a spacign of 6 x 6 m to facilitate mechanical harvest and other orchard practices. Harvest is generally the first week of October, and the nuts are dried shortly after harvest. Oregon has historically empasized nuts for the in-shell market and the leading cultivars ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Ennis’ are well suited to this purpose. In recent years, growers have been planting ‘Casina’ for the kernel market. Eastern filbert blight is the major disease problem, while filbertworm., filbert aphid, and obliquebanded and filbert leafrollers are the major insect pests. The Nut Growers Society hosts an annual meeting each winter and an orchard tour each summer. The Hazelnut Marketing Boards administters the federal marketing order for hazelnuts and promotes sales of Oregon hazelnut products. The Hazelnut Growers Bargaining Association annually negotiates the minimum price paid to growers for nuts. The Extension Service transmits information to growers through a newsletter, a shortcourse, and other meetings and publications. Research, funded by growers through the Oregon Hazelnut Commission, is conducted at Oregon State University on breeding, floral biology, post - harvest quality, mineral nutrition, and management of disaeses and pests. Research on propagation was conducted in years past.