The influence of drying conditions on browning in hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) has been studied by means of color measurement. Samples of unshelled and shelled hazelnuts were dried under six air temperatures (30. 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80°C). The drying experiments were done with forced air circulation, and two varieties of hazelnut were investigated, Negret and Pauetet. CiELab system was used to evaluate changes in total color (δE^∗), lightness (L^∗), chroma (C^∗) and hue angle (H^∗) on dried hazelnuts. Browning of hazelnut was observed to occur a1 all temperatures studied. The rate of pigment formation was determined from the δE' values with zero-order kinetic model, and temperature dependence was described by the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy (E_a) varying from 28 to 39 kJlmol. Negret variety showed the highest rate of browning.

Loss of genetic variability is an increasing challenge in tree breeding programs due to the repeated use of a reduced number of founder genotypes. However, in almond, little is known about the genetic variability in current breeding stocks, although several cases of inbreeding depression have been reported. To gain insights into the genetic structure in modern breeding programs worldwide, marker-verified pedigree data of 220 almond cultivars and breeding selections were analyzed. Inbreeding coefficients, pairwise relatedness, and genetic contribution were calculated for these genotypes. The results reveal two mainstream breeding lines based on three cultivars: “Tuono”, “Cristomorto”, and “Nonpareil”. Descendants from “Tuono” or “Cristomorto” number 76 (sharing 34 descendants), while “Nonpareil” has 71 descendants. The mean inbreeding coefficient of the analyzed genotypes was 0.041, with 14 genotypes presenting a high inbreeding coefficient, over 0.250. Breeding programs from France, the USA, and Spain showed inbreeding coefficients of 0.075, 0.070, and 0.037, respectively. According to their genetic contribution, modern cultivars from Israel, France, the USA, Spain, and Australia trace back to a maximum of six main founding genotypes. Among the group of 65 genotypes carrying theS_fallele for self-compatibility, the mean relatedness coefficient was 0.125, with “Tuono” as the main founding genotype (24.7% of total genetic contribution). The results broaden our understanding about the tendencies followed in almond breeding over the last 50 years and will have a large impact into breeding decision-making process worldwide. Increasing current genetic variability is required in almond breeding programs to assure genetic gain and continuing breeding progress.