(228)`Golden Hills' Pistachio—A Replacement for `Kerman'

Abstract

`Golden Hills' is a new female pistachio cultivar with improved performance characteristics compared to the standard female cultivar Kerman. `Golden Hills' produces a greater yield and higher percentage of split, edible nuts than `Kerman' while maintaining a similar low percentage of loose shells and kernels. Harvest date is 2–4 weeks earlier than `Kerman', which will permit growers to extend their harvest period and better utilize their harvesting equipment and personnel. Earlier harvest may reduce disease in the northern production areas of California by permitting an earlier harvest before fall rains, as well as reducing navel orangeworm infestations. The cultivar requires less chilling than `Kerman', which improves uniformity of foliation, bloom, nut set, nut fill, and uniformity of nut maturity at harvest in years with insufficient chilling for `Kerman'. Based on all of our evaluations, this cultivar appears to be an exceptional producer and has the potential to increase grower profits by more than 40%.