New findings on Distachio Droblems

in sleeve cages were exposed to several species of true bugs. Examination of the fruits revealed symptomatic patterns of damage by the different species. Control fruits without insects remained healthy. Our results indicated that fruits with typical symptoms were abundant as early as April and that blackening of newly formed fruits was also a form of epicarp lesion. We observed other fruit symptoms in the orchards, however, that were not associated with insects, such as panicle and shoot blight (necrotic spots of the epicarp), endocarp necrosis (internal browning of the flesh and shell), and stylar-end lesion. Following are descriptions of the pistachio fruit disorders, their incidence, and distribution in California orchards during the 1984 cropping season.