2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Since 1989, we have been breeding and selecting new pistachio cultivars for California. We have focused on improved yield and earlier harvest while maintaining quality characteristics found in the standard California cultivar ‘Kerman’. New challenges will confront the industry in the coming decades due to a changing climate. Future cultivars will need to be able to flower and fruit in a lower chilling environment. Some climate models have predicted more rainfall, while others have predicted more extended drought. More spring and summer rainfall would require cultivars with better resistance to foliar diseases, while drought could require rootstocks with better performance under less water or greater salt stress. Access to new germplasm to address these issues is becoming a greater challenge. Several approaches to address these problems will be discussed, including alternative approaches to phenotyping, possible uses and limitations for molecular genetic genotype selection, and suggestions for using existing germplasm.