Pistachio Nut

Booklet No.187 Nuts Production NPS - 4

Contents Preface I. Introduction II. Climate III. Soil IV. Varieties V. Propagation VI. Planting VII. Manures and Fertilizers VIII. Irrigation IX. Training and Pruning X. Flowering and Fruiting XI. Alternate Bearing XII. Insect Pests and Diseases XIII. Harvesting and Yield XIV. Dehulling and Storage XV. Uses and Composition XVI. Economics of Cultivation Preface Pistachio nut is an extremely delicious and valuable nut fruit. Area under pistachio cultivation is fast increasing in many parts of the world. The major impediment in expanding its cultivation to new areas is its exacting nature of climatic conditions. However, it can withstand drought and adverse soil conditions comparatively well and can be grown in areas having shallow soils. This booklet describes the scientific cultivation of pistachio nut. Dr. K.T. Chandy, Agricultural & Environmental Education I. Introduction Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera) is a highly delicious and valuable nut fruit which belongs to the family Anacardiaceae to which mango and cashew nut belong. It is supposed to have come to India from Syria and a region eastward as far as Turkistan. It is grown commercially in Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, the USA, the USSR, Syria, and Italy. In India, pistachio nut is imported in considerable quantity from Afghanistan and Iran. The nut is smaller in size than other temperate nuts yet it is largely demanded due to its rich flavour and nutritive value. Nuts and kernels have precious odour which is the inherited character of genus Pistacia. II. Climate Pistachio is a deciduous tree which can stand a very wide range of temperature from 3 C in winter to 42.2C in summer without being damaged. It thrives well in hot valleys and desert climate where winters are cold. enough to fulfil the chilling requirements for proper breaking of bud dormancy. However, it requires long, hot and dry summer which is essential for the development and maturation of nut Pistachio is believed to survive drought and other rough soil and climatic conditions better than walnut and almond, but it cannot withstand prolonged
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droughts during summer. It requires adequate soil moisture for proper plant and nut development. High humidity is unfavourable for fruit set and its development and may also increase the incidence of pests and diseases. III. Soil Pistachio requires relatively deep light or dry sandy loam soils with high lime contents. Loamy or sandy-loam soils rich in gypsum and carbonates with well drained slopy sites are also suitable for its cultivation. It prefers 65 to 75 cm of top soil with perfect drainage and is unable to withstand excess water. However, high nut yield can be obtained by cultivating pistachio on deep, light, well drained and fertile soils having a minimum depth of 80-95 cm. IV. Varieties The cultivars of pistachio nut are known in the market by the country of their origin such as Afghan, Iranian, Sicilian, Syrian and Turkish. Descriptions of some important cultivars are given here. 1. Kerman It produces large and high quality nuts and is an important cultivar of California pistchio industry. The tree is vigorous, upright, late bloomer and high yielding. The few drawbacks of this variety ar~ nut splitting, blank nuts and tendency towards biennial bearing. Epicarb lesion is the most serious defect which causes crop losses up to 30 per cent. 2. Joley It originated as an open-pollinated (natural pollination) seedling. It blooms and matures earlier than Kerman. The nuts are of smaller size but shell splitting is superior and blank nut production is less. 3. Sfax It is the earliest maturing cultivar which produces nuts smaller than Kerman but the percentage of split shells is higher and nut quality is better. 4. Lassen It originated in California as a seedling selection from the seeds introduced from Iran. The nut size is above average, shell splits well and is easily opened by hand. Roasted quality is good. 5. Sirora It originated from an open pollinated seedling of Red Aleppo. The plant is of spreading type and more vigorous than Kerman. The nut is intermediate in shape and slightly flattened at the suture. It bears comparatively regularly, showing uniform bud break. 6. Pontikis It originated as a chance seedling of the cultivar Aegenes. The tree is of medium size and semi-erect. The fruits are large and the kernels are good in flavour and crisp with deep green cotyledons. 7. Peters

It is considered as a universal pollinizer. The tree produces pollen in abundance and blooms at the same time with that of Kerman as well as some of the earlier blooming pistillate cultivars. 8. Chico It originated as a seedling selection of P. vera in California. The tree is a prolific pollen producer, blooms early and is a suitable pollinizer for Bronte, Red Aleppo and Trabonella. Varieties, Chico and Peters are effective complementary pollinizers for most of the pistachio cultivars which are either early or late blooming. V. Propagation Pistachio tree can be propagated both by seed as well as vegetative methods. These methods are described here. A. Seed propagation Pistachio seedlings are raised in polythene containers as the roots are poorly adapted to the planting site if used as bare root seedlings. The seeds should be collected on turning of the hull colour from blue or green. The hulls are removed from the kernels as these will hinder germination due to the inhibitors present in them. Before sowing in containers, pistachio seeds require stratification and, therefore, they should be placed in moist sand for about 4-5 weeks at a low temperature (5oC). One seed should be sown in each container. Seed sown in JanuaryFebruary becomes large enough for budding in September. Pistachio seedlings attain sufficient height and stem thickness in 15 -18 months and can be planted at their permanent growing sites. While transplanting care should be taken that roots of seedlings are not damaged. g. Vegetative propagation The most common method of vegetative propagation is by budding into seedling rootstock. T-budding on seedling rootstock is more successful in August than in May, when sap flow is abundant. Seedlings of Pistacia terebinthus and P. atlantica are extensively used as rootstock in California. A new method of grafting, known as micro-grafting, has been developed in Israel which is characterized by establishment of plant material in two successive stages viz basket and ridge stages followed by various ; grafting methods. In basket stage, seeds are sown in shallow baskets which are supported on plastic pipes or stones in order to obtain early lateral rooting. When lateral roots have developed well, plants are transferred to the ridge stage. Ridges are made on the contour of a 45 cm hill side underlaid with thick black polyethylene sheeting. This causes the roots to grow down at a slant and on reaching the base of the ridge they burn off by exposure to seed and air accelerating the lateral fibrous root growth. Micrografting in pistachio is best carried out in the autumn. Spring-grafting can be done in anyseason when the bark slips. Wedge grafting has also been found successful. The wedge of the scion is cut long, leaving only a small part near the terminal bud. This wedge is inserted deep into a slit at the apical end of the stock leaving the terminal bud exposed. The tie should be extended to cover the scion up to the terminal bud. Cuttings also have given good results in Pistachio. Softwood cuttings taken from juvenile shoots of one year old seedling and treated with indole butyric acid (IBA) @ 300, 10,000 and 20,000 ppm solutions have given good rooting. VI. Planting

Rectangular system of planting (refer to booklet No.10 on "Systems of Orchard Planting") is adopted in pistachio nut. The seedlings or budded plants may be planted at a distance of 6 x 6 m. Transplanting can be done to their permanent site any time during the dormant season. Watering should be done immediately after transplanting to reduce seedling mortality. Being a dioecious plant, male trees are spaced throughout the orchard for ensuring good pollination and setting of fruits. One male (staminate) tree should be planted for every six female (pistillate) trees to ensure adequate pollination and high nut yield. VII. Manures and Fertilizers Pistacho tree has deep roots and, therefore, does not respond well to soil applied fertilizers but responds well to foliar application. Foliar spray of Bayfolar (NPK), Heksal, Wuxal-3 (NK), Wuxal-5 (NPK) and Ureax increases leaf N,P,K, Fe and Zn contents. To fulfill the needs of trace elements, foliar spray (Multiplex at the rate of 0.3% concentration should be done during April-May. Mature bearing trees should be given 50 kg of well decomposed and 3 kg of NPK mixture (15:15:15). VIII. Irrigation Pistachio trees are drought resistant arid are capable of withstanding low soil moisture conditions because of their deep root system. However, two irrigations are recommended during summer in areas having lower rainfall than 40 cm during winter season. Sufficient rain in winter season provides enough soil moisture for growing pistachio during summer months in many regions. IX. Training and Pruning Pistachio trees arc trained to modified leader system with three or more primary scaffold branches at a spacing of 30 cm on the trunk. The height of the lower branch is kept at 90 cm from ground level. The scaffold limbs are trained at an angle of 45 to avoid splitting of limbs during strong winds. The centre of the tree is kept one to allow and expose the tree to maximum sunlight which helps in adequate flower bud formation and subsequent fruiting. After training the tree in a desired shape, very light pruning is done in the adult bearing trees to make them productive for a longer period. If pruning is not done regularly, the bearing area extends farther and farther away from the centre of the tree, as pistachio produces its flower buds laterally on the shoots. Therefore, regular light pruning is essential to stimulate new lateral growth. Heavy pruning should be avoided as healing is very slow in pistachio. X. Flowering and Fruiting Pistachio is a dioecious plant i.e. the pistillate and staminate flowers are borne on separate plants. Both pistillate and staminate inflorescence generally bloom in the first fortnight of April. The buds in the axil of leaves are vegetative for 4 -5 years which subsequently develop into floral buds as the plant passes into productive phase. Pistachio is wind pollinated i.e. the transfer of pollens to the pistillate flowers is brought about by wind. Opening of both staminate and pistillate flowers should coincide to ensure adequate pollination. One pollinizing tree is generally planted for every six pistillate trees. The ratio may, however, go up to 1:10 or even 1:12. Unsatisfactory pollination in pistachio has been attributed to varying flowering periods in female trees, inadequate number of staminate trees with different flowering times, particularly late flowering cultivars. This problem can be overcome by spraying pistil late trees with the

mineral oil dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC) during rest period which advances their blooming dates by about three weeks thus coinciding with the flowering date of staminate trees. Blank (seedless) fruit production is common in all the species of pistacio in all the regions wherever pistachio is grown. The extent of the problem varies with the cultivar, year and rootstock used. XI. Alternate Bearing Alternate bearing is a widespread phenomenon occurring in fruit species and is also found in pistachio. Biennial bearing in other fruit species is usually the result of greatly reduced flower bud formation during the year of a heavy crop. Whereas in pistachio, bienniality is caused by the abscission of floral buds during a heavy crop year rather than due to lack of bud formation. In pistachio, abundant floral buds are initiated every year which abscise in large numbers during the summer of a heavy crop. Alar at 7500 ppm has been found to be effective in reducing shoot growth and increasing flower induction in the following season. Also, 2,4-D applied as single, double or triple sprays has been found effective in inflorescence bud retention. XII. Insect Pests and Diseases The important insect pests and diseases attacking pistachio are described here. A. Insect pests 1. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) It attacks pistachio and other nut plantations. When egg masses of the pest are coated with virus-masses of the pest are coated with virus preparation Virin-ENS at 0.llitre/ ha , effective control of the pest in early spring or late autumn is achieved. 2. Pistachio seed eater (Megastimus pistaciae) Among the insect pests, the most injurious insect is the seed chalcid or pistachio seed eater which feeds on the kernels reducing the yield by about 16-20 per cent. No control measures is available for this pest. 3. Navel orange worm (Amyetois transiteIla) It feeds on the kernel of pistachio nuts and the damage is difficult to detect prior to marketing. The larval infestation can be reduced by spraying Carbaryl or Azinphosmethyl during the early stage of hull splitting. 4. Birds Birds also create havoc in pistachio orchards. American crow has been identified as the most common bird pest, followed by Brewer's blackbird and European starling. Most of the damage is caused in the 6 -8 weeks period between maturation of first nuts and harvest. 5.Nematodes Root knot nematode are found attacking the pistachio roots. As a rcsult, the growth of the tree is restricted consequently reducing the nut yield. Use P. atlantica and terebinthus rootstocks which are immune to root-knot nematode. B. Diseases 1. Vertcillium wilt. (Velticillium dahliae)

This is a serious disease of pistachio tree and is soil borne in nature. It affects the newly planted trees. In the areas, which are prone to this wilt, Pistachio ultegerrima seedlings (which are resistant to this disease) should be used as rootstock. The soil should be sterilized before planting. Pre-planting fumigation with 1 : 1 mixture of chloropicrin and methyl bromide also reduces the inoculum. 2. Crown rot (Phytophthora parasitica) It is another disease which causes high mortality in pistachio. P. terebinthus is supposed to be immune to the fungus and should, therefore, be used as rootstock. Poor drainage condition is also favourable to the incidence of crown rot. 3. Shoot blight (Botrytis cinerea) Shoot blight is caused by the initial infection of catkin, racemes and stems. Shriveled leaves showing necrosis due to water stress occurs from the partial girdling of shoots or twigs. The disease is common on male trees because of the high, susceptibility of catkins. Prolonged rainfall and relatively low temperature favours the occurrence of the disease. Application of fungicide especially Benomyl during full bloom of male flowers reduces the number of blighted shoots. 4. Fungal parasites There are several fungus parasites which cause severe injuries to pistachio. Phomopis attacks the female flowers in the spring. It enters through insect punctures. Control measures consist of burning the infested plant parts. Application of oil sprays in January destroys the over wintering insects. Septoria species t , causes leaf spotting and defoliation which can be effectively controlled by sraying copper sulphate. XIII. Harvesting and Yield Harvesting of nuts at optimum maturity is necessary because early or late harvesting results in inferior quality of the produce. The maturity indices of pistachio nuts are the easier separation of the hull from the shell and changing of skin (epicarp) from translucent to opaque. The nuts can be harvested manually as well as mechanically. For mechanical harvesting, the trees are kept low and vase-shaped. The mechanical harvester consists of a tree-shaker and a catching frame with a conveyor belt. On the loosening of the shell the nuts are harvested. After harvesting the nuts are placed in bags. Outer husks of a small percentage of the over mature or immature nuts adhere to the shell but can be easily removed if they are water soaked for 30 minutes. Blank nuts should be removed. A full grown mature pistachio tree yields about 15 -20 kg of marketable nuts, annually. XIV. Dehulling and Storage The hulls (outer covering) of the nuts can be removed easily by hand or machines either in the fresh state immediately after harvest or after drying. The hulls of dried nuts are removed after soaking them in water for a short period. Immediately after harvesting, pistachio nuts are properly dried to avoid spoilage during storage. The freshly harvested nuts should be dried up to a moisture level of five per cent.

The dried nuts can be kept for one year at room temperature (20oC) without significant losses in quality. XV. Uses and Composition Pistachio is used in several forms for various products like ice crcam, confectionery, meat dishes, sweetmeat, bakery goods, etc. It is relished very much as dessert after roasting and salting. The nut is known for its excellent nutty flavour and digestive, sedative and tonic values. Marmalade is also made from the fruit husks. The kernel is used in confectionery and pharmacy. The nuts used for snacks are salted and roasted before they reach the consumer. For salting, the nuts are passed rapidly through a saturated brine solution and then dried in a rotary screen drier at 710 C for 30 minutes till they are free from the moisture absorbed by the nuts during the salting process. These moisture- free salted pistachio nuts are then exposed to 120oC for 10 minutes. Nutritive value of pistachio nut is given in the table-1. Table-I: Composition of pistachio nut Sl.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Economics of Cultivation A format of economics involved in pistachio nut cultivation is given below. With the help of this format, cost of cultivation can be calculated depending on the variety and area. A. Fixed cost 1. Cost of the land Rs 2. Cost of farm building, storage structure, etc Rs 3. Cost of fencing Rs 4. Cost of windbreaks Rs 5. Cost of clearing, leveling and bunding of land Rs 6. Cost of layout Rs 7. Cost of digging and filling pits Rs Composition Water Protein Fat Fibre Carbohydrates Minerals Calcium Phosphorus Iron Carotene Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Energy Potassium Magnesium Ascorbic acid Quantity (per 100 g) 5.6 g 19.8 g 53.5 g 2.1 g 16.2 g 2.8 g 140 mg 430 mg 7.7 mg 144 mg 0.67 mg 0.28 mg 2.3 mg 626 kcal 972 mg 150 mg 30 mg

8. Cost of machines, instruments, etc Rs 9. Cost of roads and paths Rs 10. Cost of permanent irrigation system Rs B. Recurring cost 1. Cost of manures and fertilizers Rs 2. Cost of insecticides, fungicides, etc. Rs 3. Cost of orchard power Rs 4. Transportation charges Rs 5. Cost of orchard labour (paid and unpaid) a. land preparation Rs b. Training and pruning Rs c. Irrigation Rs d. Weeding Rs e. Application of insecticides and fungicides Rs f. Harvesting Rs g. Processing Rs h. Storage and marketing Rs 6. Interest on fixed cost (@ 10%) Rs, 7. Rent or revenue paid for land Rs 8. Depreciation Rs a. Farm structure Rs b. Farm implements Rs 9. Repairs and maintenance charges Rs C. Income Yield of nuts Rs Gross income Rs Net profit = Gross income -Total recurring cost Purchase value -Junk value Depreciation = -----------------------------------------Life span Remark: Junk value is calculated only on those articles which can be resold after their life span. The life span of building and machinery is 15 and 10 years, respectively. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%