Journal of Nuts
Volume:16 Issue: 1, Winter 2025

In recent years, global warming and unusually warm winters have caused many problems for pistachio production in Iran. The effects of the Dormex® application were studied in a randomized complete block design with three treatments and three replications on the Akbari commercial pistachio cultivar in Kerman province. Treatments included Dormex® 4%, Volk oil 4%, and control, all applied in mid-February. Flowering time, gum secretion, current branch length, and qualitative and quantitative yield characteristics were measured. Results showed that Volk oil and Dormex® spring treatments caused early flowering in the Akbari cultivar. The Dormex® 4% treatment significantly prolonged flowering time (8 days earlier than Volk oil 4%, and 12 days earlier than the control). Based on the results, Volk oil treatment increased gum secretion from buds and perennial shoots compared to the Dormex® treatment and control. The results of yield indices showed that the weight of clusters in the Dormex® 4% treatment was 2.3 times higher than the control and about 21% more than the Volk oil 4% treatment, showing a significant difference with the control. Dormex® and Volk oil treatments increased split nut percentage by 66 % and 88%, respectively, but there was no significant difference between them. Based on the results, the blank nut percentage in the Dormex® 4% treatment significantly increased compared to the control and Volk oil treatment by 33% and 41%, respectively. The length of current season growth in the Dormex® 4% treatment significantly increased by 68% compared to the control. The Volk oil 4% treatment had no significant effect on the length of current season growth compared to the control.

The woodlands in western Iran, especially the Zagros forests, are ecologically crucial for their ability to withstand environmental stresses and conserve water and soil. These ecosystems have suffered significant degradation, particularly in Ilam province, where Persian oak trees (Quercus brantii) have experienced widespread mortality. Understanding the impact of climatic factors on tree species dominance and forest composition is vital for ecosystem conservation. Despite some knowledge about oak species diversity, research on the influence of bioclimatic parameters on Q. brantii, a native Iranian species, is limited. This study aimed to explore how topographical and climatic factors have shaped the population structure and diversity of Q. brantii in western Iran. The study collected data from five habitats within three forested regions in the Ilam province, including 183 samples. A total of 20 phenotypic traits, three geographic, and 19 bioclimatic parameters were measured, and statistical analyses revealed distinct oak ecotypes based on leaf and seed characteristics. Based on the morphological characteristics, a clustering analysis identified two distinct groups among all ecotypes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that three bioclimatic factors namely annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, and altitude significantly influenced population diversity. Specifically, they had a significant impact on fruit formation and seed morphology and together accounted for 86.9% of the observed variability. The spatial distribution analysis based on PCNM indices revealed that the Sarmast, Kochali, and Sirvan locations had the highest morphotypic diversity. This study emphasizes how bioclimatic and geographic factors shape Iranian oak diversity, informing conservation and sustainable management in western Iran.

Cashew nuts are highly demandable due to their nutritional value and utility. However, yield is below the optimum level. Several strategies were deployed to overcome its low productivity, like artificial hybridization, hormone treatment and bee management. Here, for the first time, we assessed the impact of vitamin (e.g., folic acid) treatment and anthropophily pollination on cashew yield. We sprayed vitamins started before the blooming period and continued through the flowering period; recorded flowering patterns; performed hand-pollination; recorded fruit set and fruit quality parameters for different systems at the Vidyasagar University campus (in the Paschim Medinipur district, West Bengal, India), during 2021–2023. Vitamin treatment significantly increased the number of flowers (both hermaphrodite and male flowers) development. Anthropophily pollination enhanced fruit set and nut quality (e.g., weight, length and breadth). Combined with vitamin treatment and anthropophily, it increases nut yield approximately five times compared to a non-manipulated system. While an additional cost is needed for human pollinators, the benefit-to-cost ratio in anthropophily pollination was high (i.e., 1.84: 1). Therefore, non-traditional human pollinators (i.e. anthropophily pollination) in addition to growth promoters (e.g., vitamins) utilization will be an effective strategy to increase the nut yield of cashew trees.

This study investigated the effects of soil texture, tree cultivars, and seed-sowing techniques on pistachio cultivars crowns' growth. The main research question addressed the effect of these factors on various morphological traits of pistachio seedlings, including leaf number, leaf area, stem length, and the occurrence of spiral crowns. A factorial experiment with randomized design and 5 replications. Seeds were sown in the orientation of seeds: up tip, down tip, and horizontal. Four ratios of culture media treatments using sand, peat moss, perlite, and farm soil were used. The findings indicated that the morphology of pistachio seedlings was significantly influenced by the selection of the culture medium. Besides, different types of seeds, including P. vera cv. Badami, P. integerrima and P. mutica affected the growth parameters. The highest leaf area was due to medium 3 with P. vera cv. Badami seeds were grown with their up tips (84.9 cm2) and medium 1 with P. integerrima seeds were grown with their horizontal (67.5 cm2). The highest number of leaves was found in medium 2 containing P. vera cv. Badami seeds are grown with down tips (28.2). The highest seedling stem diameter and stem length were associated with media 2 and 3 with P. vera cv. Badami cultivation in the form of up and horizontal tips averaged 7.6 mm, 35.4 cm, and 38.8 cm respectively. For spiral crown, media 1 and 2 had the highest percentage. In these media, all seeds showed a high percentage of spiral crowns.

Pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) are known as one of the nuts with high nutritional value, and an important commercial product worldwide. Pistachio is a tree that is compatible with dry climate regions and has the largest cultivated area in Iran. Pistachio yields have declined in recent years due to the rise in soil salinity caused by climate change (Mohit Rabari et al., 2023; Behzadi Rad et al., 2021). Nevertheless, the presence of phenolic compounds and other secondary metabolites may impede the isolation of high-quality RNA from pistachio leaves in numerous instances. In the present study, several methods were used to purify the total RNA of Shahpasand variety. These methods included Trizol kit; mini kit and modified method (TRIzol & mini kit) were used. The obtained results showed the superiority of modified method (TRIzol & kit) compared to TRIzol and Kit methods. In this method, the A260/A280 ratio of RNA sample was 2.12. In the next step, cDNA was synthesized and used to analyze SOS1 gene expression via Real Time PCR. Gene-specific amplification was confirmed by a single peak in the melt-curve analysis. Furthermore, Ct values showed that SOS1 gene extracted by the (TRIZOLE & Kit) was the most abundant transcript with a mean Ct value of 20 whereas in two other ways was the least abundantly transcribed. In conclusion, the results of this investigation demonstrated that the optimized extraction method is capable of isolating high-quality RNA from pistachios. The extracted RNA can be used for further molecular studies, such as real-time PCR and other downstream applications.

Given the reported changes in the volume of cashew nut exports in the global market, including shifts in consumer demand, competition among producers, and changes in trade policies, it is crucial to understand the determinants influencing export volume, particularly for an exporting country like Ghana. This study examined the determinants and the price and income elasticities of cashew nut exports from Ghana. Utilizing secondary data from relevant databases over a thirty-year period (1992-2021), the study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model for analysis. The cointegration results confirmed a long-run relationship between the volume of cashew nuts exported and factors such as the real exchange rate, the real GDP per capita of major trading partners, the international price of cashew nuts, the international price of shea nuts, and Ghana's real GDP per capita. The error correction model indicated that any short-run disequilibrium was corrected at a speed of 91.39% in the long run. The ARDL regression results revealed that the volume of cashew nut exports experienced significant negative price effects due to both the international price of cashew nuts and the real exchange rate, while exhibiting positive income effects related to the real GDP per capita of trading partners and Ghana. The effects of these macroeconomic variables were found to be elastic in nature, suggesting that cashew nuts are considered a luxury food item. These findings have important implications for enhancing export trade for products from developing economies like Ghana's cashew nuts. Recommendations include implementing mechanisms to stabilize exchange rates, conducting regular market research to understand price sensitivities across target markets, and tailoring pricing strategies to diverse consumer preferences and purchasing power. Additionally, measures to stimulate and sustain economic growth are crucial for enhancing export trade.

Chocolate is made from roasted and ground cocoa seeds and used on its own or as a flavoring to prepare various desserts. The high price of cocoa butter and the need for tempering operations have reduced the desire of chocolate manufacturers to use this product. As a result, high-quality, lower-priced substitutes for cocoa butter are increasingly being used in the preparation of chocolate. Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is one of the most commonly used nuts as an additive in the preparation of sweets and chocolates, and its cultivation has increased in recent decades. In the present study, the paste of two varieties (Round de Peymon and Segrob hazelnuts) and two genotypes (Eshkevar 1 and Eshkevar 3 hazelnuts) of hazelnut was used instead of cocoa cream to prepare chocolate cream. After the preparation of this cream, its physicochemical (fat, protein, peroxide, sugar, moisture, acidity, ash, and viscosity) and sensory (color, taste, odor, texture, and overall acceptability) properties were evaluated. The results showed that the highest protein content, the lowest moisture content, and the highest overall acceptability were associated with Eshkevar 3 hazelnut. In conclusion, this variety is a promising approach for producing chocolate cream with reasonable quality and price. The cultivation of this hazelnut genotype is recommended to gardeners and growers.