More than %60 Pistachio Orchards in Rafsanjan Suffered from Frost. It Caused a loss of approximately $469,000,000 to Pistachio Crops
Khaneh Kheshti Press reported that the head of Rafsanjan Agricultural Jihad, Abbas Haj Abdollahi said on March 28 that during the last 2 days, about 40,000 hectares of pistachio orchards in this city have suffered from frost.
He added, “Considering that the temperature will continue to decrease until the end of this week, farmers should take measures to prevent damage caused by frost.”
He specified: During the last two days, 40,000 hectares of pistachio orchards located in Nogh region, Ferdows, Bahrman, and Ferdowsieh Nogh districts, Ismailabad, western and eastern suburbs of Rafsanjan have been affected by frost and the most damage to the orchards of Ferdowsieh Nogh and Bahrman has arrived.
Haj Abdollahi said: Rafsanjan agricultural jihad experts are investigating and estimating the extent of frost damage to the gardens.
He continued: “Tonight and tomorrow night, the temperature will decrease again and there is a possibility of frost, and farmers should think of measures to prevent possible damage and use methods in this regard to reduce damage.”
He advised farmers to avoid plowing and clearing trees during the flowering period until the fruit is set to prevent frost on pistachio trees.
Haj Abdollahi added: “Farmers should also remove weeds and collect live or dead plant debris from the soil surface, and the use of flames, smoke, and wind generators can also help reduce frost damage.”
He pointed out: The use of reverse wells and foggers to create fog on freezing nights is also effective in preventing damage.
Later on April 14, at a meeting of the government-private sector dialogue council on the subject of investigating the damage caused by pistachio frost, it was announced that the pistachio crop in 160,000 hectares of the garden (more than %60), has been damaged causing a loss of more than 13,000,000,000,000 tomans (approximately $469,000,000).
The Effects of Frost on Trees
In different plants, frost occurs at a certain temperature, some plants can withstand very low temperatures and are not damaged, but the pistachio is a tree that is very sensitive to spring cold.
Sub-zero cold causes the sap to freeze inside the plant. This freezing causes the rinsing and woody vessels of the tree to disintegrate and eventually the nutrients do not reach the leaves and the green tissue of the plant in very severe conditions the wood of the plant is destroyed.
Among the most important side effects of frostbite are the following:
- Damage to flower buds (vegetative and reproductive)
- Destruction of the amniotic sac
- Pollen sterilization
- Blackening of the ovaries and other flower tissue due to cell death due to freezing
- Blackening of all flower clusters due to cell death caused by the frost
In frost, first, the tip of the vegetative tissue becomes brown or black, then this complication may spread, the first damage is seen by younger leaves, and the last damage is seen by older leaves, and if it is very severe, the wood will also be damaged.
One of the biggest frosts in the history of pistachio occurred in 2005, which caused $42 million in damage to orchards in Kerman province. One of the most important consequences of frost damage is the shortage of pistachios supply in the market will lead to an increase in prices.
To get the most updated price list of pistachio products click here.
