Altitude effects on fruit morphology and flour composition of two chestnut cultivars

Environmental conditions may significantly affect both the chemical composition and the morphological parameters of chestnuts. The aim of this work was the evaluation of altitude effects on flour chemical composition and on fruit morphological parameters of different chestnut cultivars (Luetta e Leccardina), grown at two different altitude levels (700 and 1000 m.a.s.l.). In particular, crude protein, crude fat, amino acid and essential fatty acid content were determined on flours. The two genotypes were also studied from a morphological standpoint, by a biometric and descriptive evaluation of fruits at the different altitudes. Compositional and morphological data were statistically evaluated by ANOVA. The altitude influence on chestnut fruit and flour was ascertained; besides significant differences between the two cultivars, equally significant were the differences within each cultivar when plants grown at different altitudes were compared.