The California almond industry has funded multiple, multi-site almond variety evaluation trials over the last several decades. These field trials have previously evaluated many of the varieties that are now the most widely planted in California. Although, field evaluation trials are helpful for revealing which varieties are promising, they are, perhaps, most valuable to the industry for revealing which varieties/selection have serious flaws and should not be planted by growers. Thirty named cultivars and numbered breeder selections were planted in three replicated commercial orchards across California’s Central Valley in 2014. Of these 30, as of April 2024, one numbered selection Y116-161-99 from the USDA has been commercially released as ‘Yorizane’. However, nine of the 30 varieties/selections were dropped from further evaluation in the trial in 2022 for a variety of reasons: low yield (five), lack of interest by the breeder (two), extremely early bloom timing (one), and poor harvestability (one). Of the 21 still being evaluated in 2024, many have one of these major flaws, or additional flaws, that will likely prevent commercial adoption, including a high percentage of double kernels, susceptibility to bacterial blast (Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae), Botryosphaeria canker disease susceptibility, hull rot susceptibility, and a high percentage of kernel creases or twins, just to name some of the additional flaws. Even if a variety/selection has high yield, good kernel quality, and none of these major flaws documented after ten years of evaluation (e.g. Y117-91-03 from USDA), further observation in the UC trial sites or in the orchards of early adopters may reveal important flaws that prevent sustained and widespread variety adoption. This long-term challenge is why some believe it takes decades to prove a new scion variety. The wide diversity of potentially fatal flaws underscores the need for cultivar evaluation to take place by a third-party like UC Cooperative Extension in long-term replicated trials to reduce substantial financial risk to the grower to the greatest extent possible. Keywords: Prunus dulcis, almond, variety evaluation, breeding, nut crop
