Dormancy breaking materials can help growers overcome a variety of issues related to challenges pertaining to chill accumulation. Research Director at the MARI Agricultural Research Institute, Masood Khezri has been working with Dormex in pistachios. The research is showing promising results, but Khezri suggests getting familiar with the material before widespread application.
“Most of the pistachio growers and farm managers are not familiar with this new product Dormex. I highly suggest that if they have any concern about this product, it’s good to try it in a few rows,” said Khezri. “And harvest them separately from the entire field and then get the data to see what is the effect of Dormex on those few rows. Then they can have a better understanding of how Dormex or other rest-breaking agents can work in their individual fields. This is very important as location by location, year by year, everything could be different.”
A smaller trial of dormancy breaking materials allows a grower to more easily track the impact to bloom synchrony and timing. Khezri said that small trials of Dormex in a pistachio orchard should have both male and female rows, to get a better picture of how it impacts bloom. “It’s good that the growers and the farm managers have their own experience with using Dormex and other rest-breaking agents to see what’s the effect on the crop and production,” Khezri explained.
Information from the UC Davis Chill Calculator shows that as of February 15, the Durham CIMIS station has logged 71.4 portions under the dynamic model, with 1,214 hours below 45°F. The station in Manteca has registered 68.3 portions, with 1,108 hours. There have been 1,273 hours in Merced, with 69.4 cumulative portions. In Five Points, there have been 1,192 chill hours, equating to 65.2 portions. Finally, the CIMIS station in Shafter has registered 65.9 portions, with 1,163 hours.
Listen to the latest chill report below.