Journal of Pistachio Science and Technology

Journal of Pistachio Science and Technology

Evaluation of the Effects of Root Pruning, Girdling, and Branch Bending on Fruiting and Shoot Growth of ‘Akbari’ Pistachio Trees 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
This study evaluated the effects of orchard management practices on growth and fruiting in ‘Akbari’ pistachio trees. The experiment was conducted in spring 2026 in an orchard located in the Bahadoran region of Mehriz County, Yazd Province, Iran. Fifteen 15-year-old trees with uniform management conditions were selected. The treatments included branch bending, root pruning, branch girdling, a combined treatment consisting of (root pruning, branch bending, and girdling), and a control. Three trees were assigned to each treatment. On each tree, two fruiting branches of the same age and with similar light exposure were selected, with one branch serving as an internal control and the other as the treated branch. The measured traits were number of flower clusters, number of initial fruits, number of final fruits, fruit set percentage, shoot elongation growth, and branch diameter increment. The results showed that the treatments significantly affected final fruit number, fruit set percentage, and shoot elongation growth, but not initial fruit number or branch diameter increment. Root pruning produced the highest final fruit number and fruit set percentage, increasing them by 10.33 fruits and 10.08%, respectively, compared with the control. In contrast, girdling reduced final fruit number, fruit set percentage, and shoot elongation growth. The combined treatment caused the greatest reduction in fruit set percentage (-27.74%). Overall, root pruning had a more favorable effect than the other treatments on some reproductive traits of ‘Akbari’ pistachio trees under the environmental conditions of the Bahadoran region.
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Volume 10, Issue 18
March 2026
Pages 164-179

  • Receive Date 05 June 2026
  • Revise Date 01 July 2026
  • Accept Date 01 August 2026