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Pistachio performance in the southern Mediterranean: towards optimal use of genetic resources to increase productivity of rainfed agriculture

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Abstract

Rainfed agriculture in Mediterranean countries is tending to become less productive under an increasingly warming climate. To improve this productivity, optimal use of available resources is of strategic concern. The cultivation of the pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), a species well adapted to arid areas in Tunisia, is, however, a low-productive crop. Little information is currently available on the the high genetic diversity that constitutes the main barrier to the optimal cultivation of this crop. The aim of this study was to improve current knowledge on the behaviour of eight local (“Mateur”, “El Guettar”, “Meknassy”, “LG1” and “LG2”) and foreign (“Ohadi”, “Amiri” and “Jawad”) pistachio accessions currently grown under rainfed conditions in northeastern Tunisia. Phenological events, average nut yield per tree, yield efficiency and nut characteristics were determined during the 2015–2017 crop periods. The results showed variable impacts of warm climate and rainfed growing conditions on the studied accessions. Flower setting occurred ealier in local accessions than in Iranian cultivars that require a higher chill amount. Tree fruit yield varied between 2.8 and 11.1 kg. The “LG2”, “El Guettar” and “Mateur” accessions were the most productive of those tested (10.4–11.1 kg/tree), while accessions “Meknassy”, “Amiri” and “Jawad” accessions performed the least (2.8–3.7 kg/tree). The vigorous “El Guettar” and the low vigorous “Amiri” cultivars showed a higher yield efficiency than did cvs. “Jawad” and “Meknassy” cultivars with high and middle vigour, respectively. “LG2”, “El Guettar” and “Mateur” accessions exhibited better adaptation. “Jawad” cultivar produced the largest nuts while “El Guettar” and “LG1” accessions the smallest. Specific technical practices are suggested to improve yield performances of the studied accessions, including moving pistachio orchards to most favourable climate regions.

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Acknowledgments

This paper has been selected from the Tunisia–Japan Symposium on Science, Society and Technology (TJASSST) held on November 29–December 02, 2019 in Sousse, Tunisia. The authors thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fishery of Tunisia, IRESA (Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education) as well as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia for their financial support.

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  1. Laboratory of Horticulture, National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT), University of Carthage, Avenue Hédi Karray, 2049, Ariana, Tunisia

    Azza Chelli-Chaabouni, Mehdi Trad, Moez Mkadmi, Imen Ouerghui, Olfa Mlayah & Hana Jemaii

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  1. Azza Chelli-Chaabouni
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  2. Mehdi Trad
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Correspondence to Azza Chelli-Chaabouni.

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Communicated by Dr. Olfa Hentati, Associate Editor.

This paper was selected from the Tunisia-Japan Symposium on Science, Society and Technology (TJASSST 2019), Sousse, Tunisia.

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Chelli-Chaabouni, A., Trad, M., Mkadmi, M. et al. Pistachio performance in the southern Mediterranean: towards optimal use of genetic resources to increase productivity of rainfed agriculture. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr 6, 24 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-020-00230-7

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