PISTACHIO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Year:2018 | Volume:3 | Issue:5 |Papers Count:7

The need for changes in extension organizational structure to promote developing countries, including Iran, is noteworthy from expert’ s opinion and this is considered by scholars in this field. Agricultural extension is one of the agricultural development tools, that rely on human capital. This survey is conducted to investigate preference and approaches in privatization strategies of pistachio growers in Kerman province. Questionnaire was used as research tools for data collection. Face validity of questionnaire was verified by three experts and Cronbach's alpha computation showed that reliability of the questionnaire was between 0. 8 and 0. 89. The study ran among pistachio farmers of five cities. Random cluster sampling method, with a sampling size of 382 responders was determined as the method and size of the investigation. Finally collected data was analyzed using SPSS software. Results revealed that among the types of privatization services methods, private and extension consultant company and contract with agricultural experts constituted in the first and second priority of pistachio growers. Preferences issues related to receiving services from the perspective of pistachio growers include "all issues of pistachio orchards" and pests and diseases of Pistachio". Two model contract among the number of pistachio growers with a private company and consultancy extension contract with an agricultural expert from the perspective of these farmers were the best privatization options. According to the priorities identified by the pistachio farmers it is proposed that contract with the extension private company will be the first and contract with agricultural experts the second priority. The majority of respondents verify agricultural organization as special accident and reference to the proposed. So, it is proposed that experts /private companies approved and introduced by the director of agricultural organization.

To investigate seed physical traits and its relation with drought tolerance of several pistachio genotypes at seedling growth stage, an experiment was achieved based on completely randomized design (CRD) as factorial with two factors of drought stress at four levels (0,-0. 5,-1 and-2 Mpa) and genotypes at four levels (Abareqi, Badami-Riz-zarand, Qazvini, and Sarakhs). After seeds collection, seed weight, kernel weight and seed length and diameter were measured. Results showed some differences in seeds dimension between the genotypes since Abareqi and Badami-Riz-Zarand had the highest Weight while sarakhs had the lowest. Correlation coefficients between seed physical traits and growth parameters (height, stem diameter, leaf number, dry weight, … ) showed a high correlation between seed weigh and leaf number in Abareqi genotype (R2= 0. 93) and between kernel weight and shoot dry weight in Badami-Rize-zarand (R2 = 0. 95). There was no significant correlation between seed physical traits and growth parameters in sarakhs genotype. The results indicated that difference in genotypes growth at seedling stage could be due to seeds size since Abareqi and Badami-Riz-zarand with bigger seed size had more growth in comparison with Sarakhs. The results showed that drought stress caused a reduced seedlings dry weight since at drought level of-2 Mpa. Sarakhs genotype had the most growth reduction of 68% and Badami-Rize-zarand had the lowest growth reduction of 54% in comparison with control. Since Badami-Rize-zarand obtained the highest dry weight and growth parameters at drought level of-2 Mpa., It is introduced as the most drought tolerant genotype.

Quantity-intensity parameters provide practical information about potassium availability. Limited information about quantity-intensity relationships in Rafsanjan and Anar regions under pistachio orchards is available. So that this research was conducted to study the status and chemical forms of potassium using common extractants and also study the quantity-intensity relationships. For this purpose in 20 soil samples that were taken from Rafsanjan, Anar, Nough and Kabootarkhan, soil potassium was extracted using ammonium acetate, sodium acetate, 0. 01M calcium chloride, 0. 1 M nitric acid, 2M sodium chloride, water and boiling nitric acid extractants and chemical forms of potassium and their correlation with leaf potassium concentration were determined. Results showed that amount of soluble potassium in these soils is between 33. 9-193. 6, exchangeable potassium was in the range of 71. 8-683. 6 and nonexchangeable potassium was in the range of 250. 1-1112. 6 mg kg-1. None of these extractants had significant correlation with leaf potassium concentration of pistachio trees. Mineralogical analysis indicated that montmorilonite, illite, chlorite, kaolinite and paligorskite are dominant minerals in this region. Quantity-intensity relationships revealed that the potential buffering capacity (PBC) is in the range of 30. 685-78. 758, the rang of activity ratio in equilibrium (ARke) is 0. 002-0. 022 and the readily exchangeable potassium (DK) is in the range of 0. 0885-1. 66 in studied soils. DK parameter showed a significant correlation with soluble, exchangeable and nonexchangeable forms of potassium. ARke parameterwas correlated with soluble and exchangeable forms significantly but PBC parameter had no correlation with chemical forms of potassium and soil characteristics.

In order to evaluate the effect of zinc, benzyladenine and salinity on some morphological and physiological parameters of pistachio seedlings, a greenhouse experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design as factorial with three treatments of salinity (0, 1200, 2400 mg NaCl per kg soil), zinc (0, 5, 10 mg N kg-1 soil) and benzyladenine (0, 50, 100 mg l-1) with three replicates on Cultivar Badami-Riz-Zarand. The results showed that, salinity stress significantly decreased the Shoot and root dry weight, root system length, stem height, leaf area, chlorophyll and carotenoids content. Also salinity stress decreased the chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), Photosynthesis Index (PI) and SPAD value. But combined application of 100 mg. l-1 benzyladenine and 10 mg. kg-1 zinc increased these parameters, so that increased the shoot dry weight, root dry weight and root system length 39, 43 and 31 percent respectively compared to control. Generally, the results of this experiment showed that in saline conditions, the alone or combined application of benzyladenine and zinc by improving the growth and photosynthetic parameters improved yield of pistachio.

The global warming in recent years and chilling requirement deficiency of pistachio trees caused a considerable reduction in quantity and quality of the pistachio nut. To evaluate the role of chemical on overcoming on chilling requirement deficiency of pistachio (Akbari cultivar), this research was carried out in Anar and Koshkooeieh regions, Rafsanjan, Kerman, during two years using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental treatments included volk oil 4 and 6%, soybean oil 4 and 6%, potassium nitrate 4 and 8 per thousand, volk oil 4% + sodium benzoate 4 per thousand, volk oil 3% + sodium benzoate 1 per thousand, volk oil 4% + sodium benzoate 1 per thousand, volk oil 2% + soybean oil 2% + potassium nitrate 5 per thousand + sodium benzoate 0. 5 per thousand, volk oil 3% + soybean oil 3%, volk oil 4% + potassium nitrate 5 per thousand, soybean oil 5% + potassium nitrate 5 per thousand + sodium benzoate 1 per thousand, volk oil 5% + potassium nitrate 5 per thousand + sodium benzoate 1 per thousand as well as control. The amount of sodium and potassium (in the flower buds and open flower), nutrients in leaves tissue (iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and manganese), weight of 100 nuts, splitting nut percentage, blank nut percentage, ounce rate and fresh crop weight per tree were measured. The results showed that the maximum of splitting nut percentage and the minimum of blank nut percentage were observed in treatments of volk oil 4%, volk oil 6% and volk oil 3% + sodium benzoate 1 per thousand. There was not significant different between experimental treatment in the amount of iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and manganese in pistachio leaves. The final results showed that soybean oil 6% and sodium benzoate 0. 1% + potassium nitrate 0. 5% + volk oil 5% decreased ounce rate 1. 38 and 1. 01, blank nut percentage 3. 5 and 2. 28 and increased weight of 100 nuts 7. 1 and 5. 6 gr, fresh crop weight per tree 2. 8 and 7 kg in comparison with control respectively.

Chilling is an environmental factor that limits the growth and yield of agricultural productions. This research was conducted to investigate the impacts of chilling on physiological and biochemical indices in rootstocks and interspecific hybrids of pistachio and screening of tolerant rootstocks. The factors included six rootstocks (Badami-Riz-e-Zarand, Ghazvini, Sarakhs and interspecific hybrids Integerrima × Badami-Riz-e-Zarand, Integerrima × Ghazvini and Integerrima × Sarakhs) and four temperature regimes (4, 0,-2 and-4 ° C) With three repetitions. Seedlings were placed in cold temperatures at the 6th to 8th stage of foliation, and cold treatments were applied to them for two hours. According to results showed the least protein content and the most ionic leakage, MDA, soluble carbohydrate, proline, total phenol, antioxidant capacity and protease activity were obtained under-4 ° C. The most soluble carbohydrate, proline, total phenol, antioxidant capacity and total protein content were observed in Integerrima × Ghazvini hybrid, Ghazvini, Integerrima × Sarakhs hybrid and Sarakhs. Furthermore, the high ionic leakage and MDA in Integerrima × Badami-Riz-e-Zarand hybrid were an indicate of damage severity. In addition, Integerrima × Ghazvini, Ghazvini, Integerrima × Sarakhs and Sarakhs were identified as the most tolerant rootstocks and Integerrima × Badami-Riz-e-Zarand hybrid as the most sensitive rootstock.