Pistachio: Mechanized Harvesting Starts with Training from the First Year
In Favara, in the Agrigento area, we are in the young pistachio orchard of Matteo Lo Giudice, transplanted in 2023. The video, filmed in 2024, shows plants that are still slender, but one growing season has been enough to establish the first essential element: the trunk on which the future canopy will be trained. Every intervention is already designed with future production and the orchard operations that will accompany the trees over the years in mind.
Together
with Giovanni, an experienced pistachio pruner, we are working to achieve
approximately 100 centimetres of clear trunk, free from lateral branches,
allowing access for the trunk shaker and catching umbrella. This measurement
must be assessed in relation to the harvesting machine selected: mechanization
begins with the shape we give the young tree.
We
remove the lower branches while respecting the branch collar, check the inside
of the tree shelter, and straighten the trunk along the support stake using
elastic ties. This requires careful, patient work, accompanied by regular
checks to ensure that the ties do not restrict trunk growth.
We
train the canopy according to the Zaragoza system, heading the central leader
at approximately 120 centimeters and selecting branches within the upper 20 centimeters.
Subsequent growth will be managed through targeted heading cuts of the more
upright shoots, encouraging lateral branching and promoting a compact,
well-supported structure compatible with mechanized harvesting.
Guidelines from the University of California also highlight the role of shoot tipping in promoting lateral branching. Once the framework has been established, however, pruning must be moderated to avoid delaying the onset of production. These are general training principles that complement the choices adopted in this orchard (ucanr.edu).
Pistachio
bears fruit on one-year-old wood; therefore, vegetative renewal helps prepare
the potential sites for future fruit production. However, it does not eliminate
alternate bearing, which is also associated with the drop of flower buds during
an on-year, as documented by the University of Palermo. CREA emphasizes that
rootstock, irrigation, and pruning can work together to help mitigate this
phenomenon
Production
also depends on pollination. Male and female flowers occur on separate trees,
and pollen is carried by wind. Selecting and distributing pollinizer trees to
ensure adequate overlap in flowering periods is therefore essential.
Planting
density also requires balance. Here, a 6 × 6 metre spacing corresponds to
approximately 278 trees per hectare, while 6 × 5 metres results in
approximately 333 trees per hectare. Higher density can accelerate canopy
occupancy, but it must be matched to tree vigour, soil conditions, machinery
clearance, and water availability, which is limited in these areas.
The
objective is a productive and manageable pistachio orchard, with accessible
trees and simpler field operations. Tomorrow’s harvest begins with today’s
pruning cuts.
Editorial
note:
Original
content by Agronomist Dr Vito Vitelli, prepared and optimized with the support
of artificial intelligence tools for educational, informational, and technical
communication purposes.
Educational
and outreach activities carried out in collaboration with:
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