Researchers at the University of California, Davis, created a new pistachio genome sequence that they hope will generate a more nutritious and sustainable crop.
Study co-corresponding author J. Grey Monroe, an assistant professor in the department of plant sciences, said the sequence of the California variety “Kerman cultivar” is more accurate and detailed than previous research.
Published in the New Phytologist, the study attempts to reduce pistachio growers’ concerns associated with climate change and insect damage. Monroe and fellow UC Davis associate professor Bárbara Blanco-Ulate laid out the four stages of nut growth and a holistic physiological assessment.
Blanco-Ulate said the genetic and molecular drivers of certain characteristics can demystify how nut genes behave throughout a growing season.
The gene sequencing can also show growers how pistachio protein and unsaturated fatty acids accumulate, which help indicate shelf life and health benefits.
“We’re getting information about how all these nutritional characteristics are gained in pistachios and how we can improve that from a management perspective,” said Blanco-Ulate in a statement.
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