Articles
| Open Access | "FUNGAL THREATS: A GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS ON PISTACHIO NUT PRODUCTION"
Odina Nazarova , PhD Research Institute of ForestryAbstract
Pistachio cultivation has become increasingly vulnerable to fungal diseases, with significant implications for farmers, markets, and ecosystems. Countries like the United States, Iran, and Turkey—together producing the vast majority of the world’s pistachios—are facing growing challenges from pathogens such as Aspergillus, Botryosphaeria, Fusarium, and Botrytis. These fungi not only reduce yields and compromise nut quality, but also lead to economic losses due to contamination, particularly aflatoxins, which limit export potential. Environmental concerns are also mounting, as heavy reliance on chemical fungicides and monoculture practices reduce biodiversity and soil health. This review brings together recent studies to explore how climate change, pathogen evolution, and current agricultural practices are driving the spread and impact of these diseases. The article highlights the promise of integrated management strategies, including the use of biocontrol agents like Trichoderma and Bacillus, as sustainable alternatives. Ultimately, protecting pistachio production requires a coordinated global effort that combines scientific innovation with practical, region-specific solutions.
Keywords
Pistachio, fungal diseases, aflatoxins, climate change, integrated pest management, Aspergillus, biocontrol, Botryosphaeria, sustainable agriculture, monoculture
References
Awan HU, Pettenella D. Pine nuts: a review of recent sanitary conditions and market development. Forests. 2017 Sep 27;8(10):367.
Baazeem A, Rodriguez A, Medina A, Magan N. Impacts of climate change interacting abiotic factors on growth, aflD and aflR gene expression and aflatoxin B1 production by Aspergillus flavus strains in vitro and on pistachio nuts. Toxins. 2021 May 28;13(6):385.
Baazeem AA. Ecology, climate change and control strategies for aspergillus flavus colonisation and aflatoxin contamination of pistachio nuts (Doctoral dissertation).
Chulze SN, Zanon MA, Taniwaki MH, Tsitsigiannis D, Olsen M, Beltran AO, Herrera M, Vargas E, Logrieco A, Battilani P. Aflatoxins in the nut chains: strategies to reduce their impact on consumer’s health and economic losses. World Mycotoxin Journal. 2024 Mar 11;17(1):33-56.
Crespo M, Lawrence DP, Nouri MT, Doll DA, Trouillas FP. Characterization of Fusarium and Neocosmospora species associated with crown rot and stem canker of pistachio rootstocks in California. Plant Disease. 2019 Aug 16;103(8):1931-9.
Gusella G, López‐Moral A, Antón‐Domínguez BI, Trapero C, Polizzi G, Trapero A, Michailides TJ, Agustí‐Brisach C. Current status of pistachio diseases in countries of the Mediterranean Basin. Plant Pathology. 2024 Oct;73(8):2005-29.
Gusella G, Vitale A, Polizzi G. Potential role of biocontrol agents for Sustainable management of fungal pathogens causing canker and fruit rot of pistachio in Italy. Pathogens. 2022 Jul 25;11(8):829.
Kluczkovski AM. Fungal and mycotoxin problems in the nut industry. Current Opinion in Food Science. 2019 Oct 1;29:56-63.
Martino I, Spadaro D, Guarnaccia V. Fungal trunk pathogens of fruit and nut tree crops: identification, characterization, detection and perspectives for a critical global issue. Plant Disease. 2024(ja).
Mirzadi Gohari A, Feechan A. Diseases of Temperate Nuts. InTemperate Nuts 2023 May 3 (pp. 315-350). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Mohammadi H, Sarcheshmehpour M, Mafi E. Fungal trunk pathogens associated with wood decay of pistachio trees in Iran. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. 2015 May 29;13(2):e1007-.
Mohammadi-Moghadam M, Tavakoli AR, Mohammadi AH, Moradi M, Hokmabadi H. Journal of Nuts. Journal of Nuts. 2020;11(3):237-44.
Moral J, Ahimera N, Felts DG, Morgan DP, Michailides TJ. Effects of wound size, amount of sap, and number of blighted nuts on infection of pistachio organs by Neofusicoccum mediterraneum. Plant Disease. 2017 Dec 15;101(12):2027-33.
Moral J, Morgan D, Michailides TJ. Management of Botryosphaeria canker and blight diseases of temperate zone nut crops. Crop Protection. 2019 Dec 1;126:104927.
Moral J, Morgan D, Trapero A, Michailides TJ. Ecology and epidemiology of diseases of nut crops and olives caused by Botryosphaeriaceae fungi in California and Spain. Plant Disease. 2019 Aug 16;103(8):1809-27.
Nouri MT, Lawrence DP, Holland LA, Doll DA, Kallsen CE, Culumber CM, Trouillas FP. Identification and pathogenicity of fungal species associated with canker diseases of pistachio in California. Plant disease. 2019 Sep 16;103(9):2397-411.
Parafati L, Restuccia C, Cirvilleri G. Efficacy and mechanism of action of food isolated yeasts in the control of Aspergillus flavus growth on pistachio nuts. Food Microbiology. 2022 Dec 1;108:104100.
Rhouma A, Rhouma R, Hajji-Hedfi L, Okon OG, Khaire PB. Integrated management strategies for septoria leaf spot in pistachio (Pistacia vera): Challenges and advances. Journal of Phytopathology and Disease Management. 2024 Nov 28:12-8.
Saaiman J. Insect-fungal interactions in tree nut crop orchards in South Africa, with specific reference to pecans.
Article Statistics
Downloads
Copyright License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.