(229) `Lost Hills' Pistachio—A New and Improved Cultivar

Abstract

`Lost Hills' is a new female pistachio cultivar that is being released as a potential replacement for `Kerman', the industry standard female cultivar. `Lost Hills' produced substantially higher percentages of split, edible nuts than `Kerman' in 2003 when split percentages for `Kerman' were very poor due to reduced winter chilling, a condition that is likely to be more frequent in the future. Nut size for `Lost Hills' is larger than for `Kerman'. 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'. This cultivar could increase grower profits by more than 20% above that received for `Kerman'.