نشریه علوم و فناوری پسته
پیاپی 12 (بهار و تابستان 1401)

Pistachio is one of the important export products, strategic and compatible with dry environments in Iran. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil quality index of pistachio orchards at different geomorphic surface (no-saline clay flat, saline clay flat, intermediate alluvial fan- non-saline clay flat, intermediate pediment- saline clay flat) in two layers of soil surface (horizon A) and soil profile (0-150 cm), and its effect on pistachio yield in Bajestan playa. For this purpose, 12 soil profiles were investigated in different geomorphic surfaces. The soil physical and chemical properties of the soils were measured. The minimum data set (MDS) was determined by principal component analysis (PCA) method and the soil quality index was calculated by additive and weighted methods. The results showed that in good orchards, the weighted soil quality index was higher than the additive soil quality index both in surface and soil profile in all geomorphic surfaces. The soil quality index had the lowest value in saline clay flat geomorphic surface, both in surface soil and soil profile, due to the accumulation of soluble salts, high groundwater level and being in the margin of the salt crust. The weighted soil quality index showed a strong correlation with tree yield both in surface soil especially soil profile. Based on the results, it is necessary to improve the soil quality not only in the surface soil, but also in the deep layers, to achieve the desired and sustainable yield of pistachi in the region.

Pistachio is one of the local products of our country with high economic and nutritional value. Meanwhile, the transformation industries of this product have not seen significant progress. These nuts can be transferred to the production cycle by applying technical knowledge and create economic efficiency. This study carried out in raw pistachios with less desirable (levels of 10 and 15%) in production of a functional beverage. In order to create texture, appropriate emulsion system and good mouth feel, carrageenan and xanthan gum were used in three levels of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9%. The results showed that by increasing the amount of gums, pH of pistachio beverage decreased significantly, however; brix and acidity were increased. Also, the image processing results showed that the samples containing carrageenan gum and high amount of pistachio paste (15%) had the higher amount of L* and a* values in compare to xanthan gum. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in the amount of b* value. Finally, the panelists assigned the highest overall acceptance score to the sample containing 15% pistachio paste and 0.3% carrageenan gum due to the favorability of color, mouthfeel and texture.

The high degree of heterozygosity has caused a great deal of genetic diversity in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) This research was carried out on pistachio genotypes in the collection of pistachio cultivars of Khorasan Razavi province, (2016 and 2017). The most important traits evaluated were vegetative and reproductive growth in the terminal and lateral shoots, flowering date, fruit ripening time, yield (kg tree-1), percentage of blank fruit, and fresh and dry single fruit weight. The results showed that genotypes number 1 (B2-R35-T13) and 16 (B2-R46-T18) had the highest number of flower buds in the terminal shoots with an average of 4.4 and 4, respectively (p≤0.01). The highest yield of fresh pistachios with 14.7, 14 and 12 kg belonged to genotypes numbers 20 (B4-R10-T1), 16 and 2 (B2-R38-T2) respectively. Among these three genotypes with high yield, the least blank fruit (14.7%) belonged to genotype 2. Genotypes number 14 (P-R1-T2) and 9 (B1-R25-T20) with 1.22 and 0.6 g. had the highest and lowest dry fruit weight, respectively. A Positive correlation was also found between the length of the terminal shoots and the number of flower buds (r=0.63**). Genotypes were divided into three main groups by cluster analysis. According to the Mahalanobis distance, the shortest distance was observed between the second and third groups. In general, genotypes number 20, 16 and 2 were selected as promising genotypes according to yield traits, percentage of blank fruit, and dry weight of fruit, and will enter the next stages of breeding programs for new pistachio cultivars.

The present study aimed to investigate the efficiency of silicate solubilizing bacteria in the release of elements of sepiolite. The greenhouse test was performed as factorial with completely randomized design with three repetitions. This experiment consisted of three bacterial strains (B7, B8, and D1) and pistachio (two cultivars Badami Riz Zarand and Qazvini) and four drought levels (including 90% (control), 75%, 60% and 45% of FC). The seedlings were fed with Hoagland's magnesium-free nutrient solution over a five-month growth period. The vegetative and biochemical traits of the seedlings were studied. The results showed that at the highest level of drought stress, application of strains B1 and B2 increased the rate of root Si uptake in Qazvini seedlings by 77% and 97%, respectively, and in seedlings of Badami Riz Zarand by an average of 2.75 times compared to non-drought stress conditions. Application of B7 strain increased Mg uptake in Qazvini seedlings from 6.91 mg per pot under non-drought stress conditions to 13.9 mg per pot at the highest level of drought stress. In Badami Riz Zarand, the application of the mentioned strain increased the uptake of Mg in the shoot at three stress levels of 75%, 60% and 45% of the field capacity by 74%, 67% and 66%, respectively, compared to non-drought stress conditions. Presence of these bacterial strains in symbiosis with plants will have a significant effect on the release of elements from minerals and its absorption by the plant and thus improve plant nutrition and change the mineral structure.

The present study was carried out in order to compare the effect of four types of conventional pistachio drying systems including diesel- and gas-fueled wagon and carriage dryers on the pistachio shell opening rate, shell damage, drying uniformity, storage shelf-life, pistachio quality, fuel consumption, energy efficiency, and economic efficiency. Two well-known pistachios types including elongated and round types were chosen for this study. The obtained results showed that: A) The rate of pistachios shell opening using a diesel-fueled wagon dryer was profoundly higher than those of the other systems due to its high drying air temperature (90 oc) and the thin layer of the moist product (20 cm) within the dryer. B) The wagon dryers led to less damage (around 39 percent) to pistachio nuts because of the absence of agitation. C) Generally, the energy consumption of wagon drying systems was lower compared with the carriage systems (around 50 percent). D) Higher drying uniformity was obtained using the gas-fueled carriage dryer due to an appropriate agitation. E) Dryer type and storage time up to 6 months, had no significant effect on the oil percentage, peroxide number, and pistachios quality. F) The gas-fueled wagon dryer had the highest economic profitability among the systems studied. G) The gas-fueled wagon dryer had the highest energy efficiency compared (around 15 percent) with the other systems. H) The pistachio types did not have a significant effect on the investigated parameters.

Pistachios are one of the most important garden products of the country. The pistachio green stink-bug, Acrosternum millieri Mulsant & Rey (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the important and key pests of pistachio in Iran. The adults of the pest collected from the pistachio orchards of Rafsanjan in 2017 and reared on fresh kernels of pistachio head ram species in the growth chamber at 27 ± 1 ˚C, 65 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod 16: 8 h (L: D) and the parameters of age-stage, two sex life table of the insect were determined. The net reproduction rate (R0) was equal to 26.29±4.11 (offspring/individual), the gross reproduction rate (GRR) was equal to 54.28±5.91 (offspring/individual), intrinsic rate of natural increase of population (rm) was equal to 0.061±0.0031 (female/female/day), the mean generation time (T) and the finite rate of population increase (λ) were 53.44±0.50 (days) and 1.063±0.0033 (subject/substance/day), respectively. The obtained results have been discussed in terms of developing appropriate integrated pest management (IPM) programs against the pest by forecasting population growth rate.