HAZEL.trial.ILVO: dataset of a long term variety trial with hazelnut trees at ILVO.

Nuts, including hazelnuts, are a popular and healthy substitute for animal based proteins, the production of which is known to put pressure on ecosystems around the world. Besides, there is an increasing interest in local food production to reduce food kilometers. Nowadays hazelnuts in Flanders and other West European regions are mainly imported from Turkey, producing almost 65% of the total world production (FAO). Local production of hazelnuts is limited, and research and knowledge on productive cultivars in a more temperate climate compared to Mediterranean regions is scarce.

In 2017, 168 hazel trees (Corylus avellana cvs.) of eight different varieties, were planted in a randomized design on an experimental plot at ILVO (coordinates: 50.976816, 3.778914). The eight cultivars selected were ‘Emoa 1’, ‘Hall's Giant’, ‘Corabel’, ‘Gunslebert’, ‘Kentish cob’, ‘Gustav’s Zeller’, ‘Cosford’ and ‘Tonda di Giffoni’. They were planted in such a way that each cultivar was represented equally. The distance in the row (3 m) ensures an optimal light and water supply; the distance between the rows (7.5 m) allows machine mowing. This results in a planting density of 476 trees/hectare.

This hazelnut variety trial is incorporated within a silvopastoral experimental site, within which furthermore also short rotation coppice (with willows) is planted, and where impact of presence of chickens is also assessed.

The initial trial (with SRC and chickens) was installed, and several trials have been organized at the site since then. The measurements that took place include the monitoring of chicken presence (with tracking systems), chicken welfare (e.g. feather pecking, leg health, breastbone fractures,...), weather conditions (wind, temperature, rain), production of SRC (willow) and hazelnuts in relation to chicken pressure, monitoring of carbon, nitrogen (mineral and organic), phosphorus, potassium in the soil, …

As for the hazelnut trial specifically, properties of the different hazelnut varieties (production, size, flavour, cracking yield, susceptibility to the hazelnut weevil, quality parameters, ...) have been assessed.