Journal of Pistachio Science and Technology

Journal of Pistachio Science and Technology

Comparison of Different Supplementary Pollination Methods on Fruit Set and Fruit Retention of ‘Akbari’ Pistachio in the Bahadoran Region of Yazd

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 M.Sc. student in Agricultural Biotechnology, Department of Arid and Desert Regions Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Arid and Desert Regions Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
3 Research Assistant Professor, Pistachio Research Center, Horticultural Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rafsanjan, Iran
Abstract
Pollination in pistachio, as a dioecious species, plays an important role in fruit set, cluster retention, and final yield. This study was conducted in spring 2026 in the Bahadoran region of Yazd to investigate the effects of different supplementary pollination methods on fruit and nut traits of ‘Akbari’ pistachio. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications. The treatments included flowering male cut branches, a thin sock containing male flowers, a flour–pollen mixture (with 2% pollen concentration), and a control. The evaluated traits included initial and final fruit number per cluster, fruit retention percentage, cluster length, nut length, nut diameter, and nut shape index. The results of analysis of variance showed that the effects of treatments on initial fruit number, final fruit number, and fruit retention percentage were significant, whereas no significant effects were observed on cluster length and nut traits. The highest final fruit number and fruit retention percentage, with mean values of 27.75 fruits and 34.26%, respectively, were obtained from the flour–pollen mixture treatment. A positive and significant correlation was also observed between final fruit number and fruit retention percentage. Based on the results, the flour–pollen mixture can be considered a simple and practical method for improving fruit set and fruit retention in ‘Akbari’ pistachio.
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Volume 10, Issue 18
March 2026
Pages 151-163

  • Receive Date 04 June 2026
  • Revise Date 19 June 2026
  • Accept Date 16 August 2026