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Ovčar


The type singled out by clonal selection from the native population in the village of Pakovraće, situate on the slopes of mountain Ovčar after which it was named. It was selected in 1969 and the breeders were prof. Dr. Staniša A. Paunović and Dr. Milisav Gavrilović.


The tree is upright, vigorous and strong. It belongs in a group of vigorous walnut cultivars. Dry twigs may be found inside the crown, which points to freezing induced by low temperatures. The bark is smooth all over the trunk and branches, light ash-grey. The shoots are straight, strong and brown, more lightly colored compared to the scaffold branches. Tiny, immature, straw-like branch tips prone to freezing may be noticed inside the crown. Leaflets and wood buds are rounded, borne on entire shoots. Flower buds are large, rounded, prominent, borne at the shoot tip. The leaf is compound, odd-pinnate, the rachis bearing few (3−5) leaflets. The leaf is rather large, oval at the tip, smooth, light green, with prominent venation. The flower is monoecious, protandrous. Catkins are rather long, flowering earlier than the pistillate flowers. The grafted tree fruits early, giving large, attractive fruits and excellent crops. The leaf is susceptible to Gnomonia juglandis (DC) Trov.f.c Marssonia juglandis (Lib) Magn.) and moderately resistant to Xanthomonas campestris (Pierce) Drows.).


Nuts are large, attractive, long-elliptical in clusters of 2-3 on shoot tips (rarely 1). Dimensions: fruit weight 13.24 g on average, length - 46.9 mm, width - 32.5 mm, thickness - 31.5 mm, shape index - 0.85). The shell is light brown, slightly wrinkled, lightly elongated at the top, with 2.5 mm average thickness. It has good shelling quality, suitable for mechanized finishing. The suture is even and tightly sealed. It breaks on cracking, leaving the kernel undamaged. The kernel fills the shell moderately, easily separating from the shell with an average ratio 44.7%. It is of excellent aroma and taste. Oil content - 66.6%, proteins - 14.4%. Kernel is yellow.


It ripens in the first decade of October. Fruits should be properly dried upon harvesting as to obtain long shelf life.


By its economic and biological properties this selection belongs in a group of early flushing cultivars and is not recommended for growing in frost occurring regions as it may bring about frost damages.

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