The physical properties of almond nuts and kernels (cv. Guara) were evaluated as functions of irrigation regime (non-irrigated and irrigated soil), fertilizer treatment (inorganic and organic), and culture cycle (years 2002 and 2003). The physical properties were influenced by the irrigation regime: non-irrigation produced nuts of greater mass (M), width (W), and geometric mean diameter (D-p) and kernels of greater mass (M), length (L), and width (W), whilst irrigation gave rise to longer and more spherical nuts and thicker and more spherical kernels. In both water regimes, physical properties of almond nuts did not show significant differences among fertilizer treatments, but almond kernels showed significant differences among fertilizer treatments. Under non-irrigation, longer kernels were obtained in both organic treatments. With irrigation, kernels of lower mass and D-p were obtained in the inorganic treatment (C). The physical properties of almond showed significant differences among culture cycles. These differences were the result of the particular environmental and growth conditions in each year of cultivation. The values of the co-ordinates and attributes of the CIELab color system varied as a function of the climatic conditions in each culture cycle, but not as a function of the irrigation regime or fertilizer treatment. The application of irrigation increased the production of almonds in shell (6.16 and 8.88 kg tree(-1) without and with irrigation, respectively) and the percentage of total almond weight as kernel (29.22 and 32.07%, respectively). With organic fertilizers, production was similar to that for inorganic fertilizers: in the absence of irrigation, values were 5.44, 5.68, and 5.77 kg tree(-1) for the inorganic treatment and the organic treatments T1 and T2, respectively, whilst with irrigation the corresponding values were 7.31, 7.44, and 7.00 kg tree(-1). Thus, the organic fertilizers represent a viable alternative to inorganic fertilization and a step towards a sustainable agriculture. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.