Registration is open for the 2018 Statewide Pistachio Day happening at the Visalia Convention Center on Wednesday, January 17. The event will provide updates on the latest research-based production methods.
The day will begin at 7:45 a.m. and after the official welcome, Manager of the California Pistachio Research Board Bob Klein will provide an industry update. The event will be broken into three sessions.
The first presentation will begin at 8:15 a.m. for the session centered on food safety and regulatory concerns. The food safety modernization act and how the agricultural water testing requirements will affect pistachio growers will be discussed, along with mycotoxins and their impact on export markets.
Horticulture science will be the featured topic of the second session of the day. Information on carbohydrate relations in pistachios, and how yield is affected by soil characteristics will be presented. Floral bud drop, along with studies on flower quality as it relates to chill hours will also be discussed.
The third session will begin after lunch and will focus on integrated pest management strategies. Attendees will hear information on management decisions and mating disruptions of navel orangeworm. Presentations will also be given on the effects of small bugs, stink bugs and leaffooted bugs on pistachios.
Registration for the Statewide Pistachio Day is available through the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources website.