The breeding research on of walnut and hazelnut is begun in the NСRRIH&V in 1958 by A.A. Petrosyan and G.A. Antonenko.
A.A. Petrosyan (1910-1982) was the organizer of extensive theoretical and experimental works on the walnut and hazelnut breeding in the North Caucasus. He is considered to be the founder of the scientific school of introduction and breeding of these species. He is the author of more than 110 scientific papers and "Programs and methods of breeding and variety study of nut crops" (1966, 1973, 1980). During of 24 years of work A.A. Petrosyan together with G.A. Antonenko created and studied a hybrid fund of walnut, numbering about 5000 plants. They allocated and transferred to State testing 17 varieties of walnut, 10 of them are included in the State Register. G.A. Antonenko collected and studied the hazelnut gene pool (about 85 varieties) of domestic and foreign breeding, 7 varieties are approved for use in the production. The ways of their vegetative reproduction are developed.
Currently, the research on breeding and variety study of nut crops is headed by Cand. Agr. Sci. A.P. Lugovskoy, coauthor of 5 walnut varieties. The direction of breeding on the basis of intervarietal hybridization in the combination with individual mutagenesis is developed. The breeding work for creation of low growing, locally adapted varieties of walnut, providing the high yields of fruit is expanded. The fund of perspective and elite forms is created and it is in the primary variety testing. The perspective clones are selected. The technology of their vegetative reproduction is offered, the scientific basis of ecologically balanced technology of nut cultivation under the conditions of the South of Russia are developed.