Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Pistachios

  • September Orchard Tasks – Pistachios

    Pistachio harvest ended earlier than usual this year, but growers should not stop irrigating their orchards just yet. The early finish creates a longer post-harvest period before trees enter dormancy, making proper irrigation especially important.

    Research by Daniele Zaccaria, Mae Culumber and Anderson Safre of the University of California Cooperative Extension indicates that pistachio trees continue using water after the nuts have been removed. Although harvest is complete, evapotranspiration—the loss of water from the soil and through the trees’ leaves—continues until the trees become dormant.

    Because the post-harvest season will be longer this year, growers should continue monitoring their orchards’ water needs. Stopping irrigation too soon could place unnecessary stress on trees as they prepare for next season.

    However, the researchers suggest growers may be able to conserve water through carefully timed deficit irrigation. This practice involves applying less water than the orchard would normally use during selected periods. When managed properly, deficit irrigation may reduce water use by about 20% with little to no effect on the following year’s harvest.

    The key is timing. Growers should consider orchard conditions, soil moisture and the trees’ water needs before reducing irrigation. An early harvest does not mean water use has ended, and post-harvest management can play an important role in supporting the next crop.

    Read more about the research in the September issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • The Essential Role Post Harvest Nutrition Plays in Future Yield and Quality

    —Sponsored Content—

    The almond and pistachio seasons have delivered a tale of contrasts. Market improvement and a near-record crop were positives for almond growers, while poor pollination, blanking and sharply lower production challenged the pistachio season.

    The endurance required to finish the season should be matched by foresight in taking the right steps after harvest. The work that pays off next fall starts now. Your trees have expended tremendous energy, and an effective post-harvest nutrition program is an important part of their recovery and preparation for the season ahead.

    At Redox Bio-Nutrients, our focus is helping growers get more from their nutritional programs. RAM Technology is the cornerstone of our product line and functions as a plant performance support system rather than a single product or quick fix. By supporting the natural processes plants use to manage energy, maintain balance and use available nutrition, RAM Technology helps orchards recover after harvest and prepare for the season ahead.

    Here are strong building blocks to a post-harvest recharge for your orchards:

    TriPlex® Zinc Flowable

    • Is a rich source of L-amino acid, chelated zinc that supports plant health, yield, nutrient assimilation and essential metabolic processes.

     

    Rx Platinum™

    • Provides a comprehensive nutrient package with biostimulants that support soil health, stress resilience and root growth. This post-harvest nutritional infusion helps replenish the plant and prepare it for the season ahead.

     

    RDX-N®

    • Uses patented botanical-extract technology to support nitrogen metabolism inside the plant. By supporting the natural processes that assimilate nitrogen and convert it into amino acids and other essential compounds, RDX-N helps plants make more efficient use of available nitrogen – supporting yield potential, crop quality and overall plant performance.

     

    BanX®

    • Supports carbohydrate storage and utilization for continued plant performance. With zinc and boron, it supports cell structure, sugar metabolism, stress response and long-term orchard productivity.

    These products are easy to store, blend friendly and effective at very low rates – built to fit into the operation you already run, not complicate it.

    You put in the long hours, early mornings, late nights and weekend labor that got this year’s crop across the finish line. Give your orchards the recovery they’ve earned and give next season the head start it deserves. Reach out to me or your Redox agronomist today about building a post-harvest plan that positions you for success in 2027 and for years to come.

    Jeremy Hamlin is an agronomist in the Southern San Joaquin Valley for Redox Bio-Nutrients. He can be reached at jeremy.hamlin@redoxgrows.com or (559)737-2334.

  • Mike Forbes Named CEO of American Pistachio Growers

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) announced the appointment of Mike Forbes as its new President and CEO, assuming the role on Sept. 1. Forbes brings more than two decades of leadership experience across the food, consumer products and wellness industries. Throughout his career, he has helped build purpose-driven brands, accelerate growth and lead organizations through periods of transformation while maintaining a strong focus on consumers, innovation and sustainability.

    “We are excited to welcome Mike Forbes as the next President and CEO of American Pistachio Growers,” said APG Board Chairman Justin Wylie. “Mike brings exceptional leadership experience, strong strategic judgment, and a genuine appreciation for the growers and industry he will represent. The Board believes he is the right person to build on APG’s strong foundation, expand opportunities for American pistachios, and lead the organization into its next chapter of growth.”

    A Wisconsin native with agricultural roots, Forbes grew up in 4-H and comes from a family of farmers. After beginning his career with McKinsey & Company, he held leadership roles at Jim Beam, Procter & Gamble and General Mills before a personal health journey inspired him to focus his career on food and wellness.

    That passion led him to California Olive Ranch, where he spent nearly a decade helping grow the business from less than $10 million to more than $100 million in annual revenue while advancing to Executive Vice President of the Consumer Business.

    Forbes went on to serve as CEO of Alter Eco, leading the organic chocolate company through a successful turnaround centered on regenerative agriculture. He later held executive leadership roles with Safely, MaryRuth Organics, and The Vitamin Shoppe, where he helped drive growth, expand retail partnerships, and strengthen consumer and digital businesses.

    “I am so excited to join APG and its family of growers and processors, and it’s an honor to work alongside such a world-class group of people who are deeply committed to this industry,” said Forbes. “Pistachios are an incredible crop, and nobody grows them better than American farmers. They’re one of nature’s perfect snacks, delivering outstanding flavor along with tremendous health benefits. APG has a long record of success, and I can’t wait to get started, meet our members, and help build on that momentum as we continue growing demand for American pistachios around the world.”

    Forbes holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with Honors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from Harvard Business School. As President and CEO, Forbes will lead APG’s efforts to advance the interests of American pistachio growers and processors, strengthen domestic and international demand, and continue promoting the nutritional, economic and environmental benefits of American-grown pistachios. — Story contributed by American Pistachio Growers

  • August Orchard Tasks With Hyrum – Pistachios

    If you are a Pistachio Grower, be sure to follow to stay updated on monthly tasks in your orchard. Share this with every pistachio grower you know. Read the full Orchard Tasks by Cristian Manzo and Reza Ehsani in the August issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • New Investment Aims to Give Growers Another Tool for NOW

    California almond growers know the challenge navel orangeworm brings every season. The pest can reduce crop quality, increase production costs and raise concerns around aflatoxin and marketability. Now, new additional funding is helping continue an industry-backed research effort to advance another tool growers may one day be able to use as part of an integrated pest management program.

    The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, the Almond Board of California and Flyttr™ partnered on a nearly $5 million grant to advance development of a biological approach targeting navel orangeworm in almonds and pistachios. ABC is helping fund a portion of the project, reflecting the almond industry’s continued investment in research that supports long-term orchard productivity, crop quality and grower profitability.

    The project centers on Flyttr’s Friendly™ navel orangeworm technology. The concept is simple: release Friendly™ male moths into areas with pest pressure. When those males mate with wild females, no surviving offspring are produced. With continued releases over time, the goal is to reduce the pest population and lower damage pressure in orchards.

    For growers, the significance is not that this replaces today’s best practices. Sanitation, monitoring, mating disruption, timely harvest and well-timed treatments remain important parts of navel orangeworm management. Instead, this research is focused on developing a targeted biological tool that could complement existing programs and help reduce reliance on conventional insecticides over time.

    Navel orangeworm remains one of the costliest pests facing California tree nuts, with industry losses estimated at more than $800 million each year. Damage can affect yield, quality and food safety, which is why the pest continues to be a priority for research, industry collaboration and new technology development.

    Funding from FFAR and industry partners will support the continued work needed to move the technology closer to practical use, including large-scale production systems and field studies. That means the effort is still in development, but it represents an important step toward expanding the number of durable tools available to growers managing navel orangeworm pressure.

    ABC’s role in helping fund this work is part of a broader commitment to support practical, science-based solutions for almond growers. By investing alongside partners, the almond industry is helping advance research that could protect crop value, strengthen pest management options and support the long-term competitiveness of California almonds.

  • California Growers Have a New Enemy That’s Spreading Fast

    Golden Mussels have been a silent threat California growers since they arrived in the Delta in 2024. These mollusks reproduce at an alarming rate and don’t require saltwater, meaning they are now clogging up irrigation systems and depriving crops of an already scarce water supply. Jason McKee from Greenleaf Ag spoke with Matthew Malcolm from Malcolm Media Ag Publishing to discuss this latest threat to orchards. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • California Water Alliance Fights for Access to Growers

    Getting the water needed for growers to produce their crops is always an issue in California. Despite the water being available, getting it moved to rural communities is hindered by state politics. California Water Alliance CEO William Bourdeau spoke to Matthew Malcolm at Malcolm Media Ag Publishing to go over the challenges growers face and what is being done to help. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • How Pistachios Created a New Word in Mexico

    American Pistachio Growers is marketing at the international level, and it’s bearing fruit across the globe. This includes Mexico, where excitement over pistachios resulted in a new word in the country’s vocabulary. Ines Masallach from Imalinx spoke with Matthew Malcolm about how American pistachios have exploded onto the Mexican market. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Madera County Seeks Pistachio Grower Input

    The Madera County Ag Commissioner’s office is gathering data to determine if the pistachio crop has been damaged due to weather and pollination earlier this year. They are hearing reports of low yields and lots of blanks in the current pistachio crop and would appreicate the filling out of this survey form.

    The survey form can be downloaded here.

  • Can Growers Store Carbon by Changing their Water?

    What if Central Valley Farmers could sequester carbon in their soil by only changing how they treat their irrigation water? That is the question driving a new $500,000 study at Fresno State. If 400,000 acres — 10% of the irrigated acres in California — adopted this practice, over 30 million tons of CO2 could be stored in soil through the water every year, as estimated by the research study’s hypothesis. Currently, less than 1% of the acreage in California is using it.

    “Soil health is what brought me to California, and this study is exactly the kind of work I came here to do. A simple change to water treatment could have a meaningful impact on soil health and carbon sequestration, and this research will help us understand that potential,” said Dr. Sangeeta Bansal, assistant professor of plant science at Fresno State and the principal investigator.

    The study is the largest and longest farm-scale investigation of CO2 in water treatment ever conducted, spanning three years on six working pistachio farms in California’s Central Valley. The California Energy Commission provided primary funding, with support from F3 Innovate.

    ECO2MIX, a Fresno-based agriculture company, is providing the water treatment for the study. Their equipment dissolves CO2 into irrigation water to produce carbonic acid, primarily to adjust water pH.

    “I started ECO2MIX because I saw the damage sulfuric acid was causing to farms and people, and I knew there had to be a better solution, and carbonic acid was exactly that. This study will finally help us understand the additional benefits after water treatment. If this can sequester carbon across the Central Valley through the water, that is a big deal for California sustainability,” said Waldo Moraga, CEO and President of ECO2MIX.

    High-pH irrigation water is common throughout the Central Valley and affects the health of soil and plants. Correcting water pH addresses many problems simultaneously. Carbonic acid also offers a safety advantage over current practices. Other acids are corrosive to equipment and require specialized handling and safety. On the other hand, carbonic acid, the same compound that gives sparkling water its bubbles, is safe to handle.

    “We are always evaluating what tools are available to us as farmers and what they can do for our operation. If the water we are already using can do more for the soil and increase profitability, we want to know about it,” said Joe Coelho, a farmer participating in the research and the Director of Sustainability and Member Outreach for American Pistachio Growers.

    About ECO2MIX

    ECO2MIX provides water pH control as a service by dissolving CO2 in water. The company designs, installs, and operates on-site reactors that treat irrigation water, which supports nutrient availability and efficient irrigation with additional soil health and sustainability benefits. ECO2MIX serves production agriculture and golf customers across high-pH water regions of the United States. For more information, visit www.eco2mix.com. For interviews or farm visits, contact Waldo Moraga at cherbert@eco2mix.com or call 559-321-7917.