This fall I have been taking a closer look at the performance of Hark as it compares to Kanza. Earlier this Fall I collected a nut sample from a Hark tree and an adjacent Kanza tree. I weighed out these samples and cracked the nuts to determine percent kernel.
As you can see in the photo above, Hark produces a nut that is slightly larger than Kanza. The shell markings on the Hark nut are very similar to its Major parent. Both Major and Hark shells are covered with many small black speckles. In contrast, the Kanza nut shell is light colored and has few black markings. Even though Kanza has Major parentage the shell of Kanza is more reminisent of its other parent, Shoshoni.
This year my Hark nuts yielded more percent kernel than my Kanza nuts (photo above). Hark kernels also appeared larger. However, Kanza kernels were lighter in color and appeared more attractive than the Hark kernels. For the first time, I noticed that the dorsal grooves on Hark kernels are narrow and can trap packing material. In fact, if you look closely at the left dorsal groove of the left Hark kernel you'll see some trapped packing material.
Even though Kanza still remains my favorite cultivar, I plan to graft more Hark into my orchard. Hark is scab resistant and a good pollinator for Kanza.
