UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES
AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES

DATE: 8/21/2000

SUBJECT: Review of Request for Residue Data Developed for

Almonds to be Translatable t o Pistachios for Establishing Tolerances. DP Barcode D212794.

.

FROM: Bernard A. Schneider, Ph.D., Plant Physiologist

Chemistry and Exposure Branch 1 Health Effects Division (7509C)

THRU: William Hazel, PhD , Chairperson CHEMSAC

Health Effects Divis ion (7509C)

TO: Hoyt Jamerson, Product Manager

MUERIB Registration Division (7505C)

Dr. Keith W. Dorschner, Coordinator, Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR

- 4) submitted a proposal to CHEMSAC on April 24, 2000 on behalf of the IR

- 4, the Californi a Pistachio Commission, and the University of California to request that residue data developed for almond is translatable to pistachio and will be used to establish tolerances for pistachio.Background:

On March 4, 1997 (see attached report of B.A. Schneider, D212794, CBTS# 15228) , HED recommended that pistachios be included as a member of the Tree Nuts Crop Group (40CFR§180.41). It was also determined that the representative commodities almond and pecan for the Tree Nuts Group adequately represent the Crop Group. This policy paper was sent to Registration Division for implementation by publishing an amendment to the Crop Group final rule in the Federal Register. However, due to FQPA priorities, the Agency has no plans to amend the Crop Group Regu lations at this time, but the Agency is allowing petitioners to request tolerances for pistachio based on residue data submitted for the Tree Nut Crop Group. Until the Federal Register Notice is issued revising the Crop Group Regulation, tolerances for pi stachios will be listed separately from the Crop Group, but the tolerance will be established at the same level as the Crop Group.

CONCLUSIONS

1a . The pistachio nutmeat is enclosed in a fleshy hull composed of three distinct tissue layers which inclu de : an epicarp or outer layer; a mesocarp or middle layer; and endocarp the hard inner layer or shell.

1b. The epicarp and the mesocarp combine to form the fleshy hull that protects the nut. The endocarp will become the hard nutshell that protects the e dible embryo or nutmeat (RAC).

1c . it is the hard nutshell enclosed in the protective fleshy hull that splits or dehisces near harvest, and even though up to 80 % of the nut shells may be split at harvest, over 97 % are still enclosed and well protected from surface pesticide residues by the outer intact pericarp layers at

harvest.

1d . Only 2.4 % of the pistachios had both the outer hull and shell split at harvest and these are called "early splits".

1e . Early splits are not desirable and 91 to 93 % of the early splits are currently sorted out by high speedbichromatic sorters after harvest and discarded during

processing because of being poor quality and being

vulnerable to or carriers of aflatoxins.

1f. Several research projects are designed to r educe the number of early splits by improved cultivar development or by developing better processing and sorting equipment. A new machine vision bichromatic sorting system will improve the number of early splits removed to > 99 %.

2. Residue trial dat a and established tolerances comparing pesticide residue levels in pistachios with other tree nuts have consistently been similar.

3. Imported pistachios account for less than 1.0 % of all pistachios consumed in the U.S., thus early splits appearing

fro m the different cultivars from these countries would be an extremely insignificant amount.

4. Pistachios share the same weed, nematode, insect and plant disease, and post harvest storage problems that affect the other members of the Tree Nuts Crop Gro up.

5. Almonds are a better representative commodity than pistachios for the Tree Nuts Crop Group because almonds have significantly higher percent hull splitting; more of the developed almond nutmeat is present during pesticide applications; almonds h ave a livestock feed item (hulls); almonds are produced in much larger quantities; and almonds have a more porous and soft shell.

6. Based on similarities of pesticide residue levels, cultural practices, pomological similarities, production regions, and pest problems pistachios should be included as a member of the Tree Nuts Crop Group.

7. There are no animal feed items associated with pistachios.

RECOMMENDATIONSChemistry Branch recommends including the pistachio

( Pistacia vera L.) as a membe r of the Tree Nuts Crop Group (40CFR§180.41). All deficiencies regarding including pistachio nuts in the tree nut crop group have been resolved. We expect pesticide residues in the pistachio nutmeat to be similar to the other nut crops that are members o f the Tree Nut Crop Group,

because the outer hull remains’s intact completely covering and protecting the nutmeat even after the shell has split. These early splits are further removed during processing by automated high speed bichromatic machines and by hand sorting such that > 99 % of the culls are removed at the packinghouse.

Common names for pistachios to be added to the Crop Group Index are `green almond' and `pistacia nut'. There will be no change to the representative commodities for the Tree Nu t Crop Group. The representative commodities are almonds and pecans.

NOTE: Chemistry Branch would like to thank both IR

- 4 and Dr. Louise Ferguson, Extension Pomologist, University of California at Davis and Mr. Eric Harmon for arranging and collecting w eekly samples of in

- hull pistachio during the growing season for us to investigate. The resultant observations and data were essential in determining that pistachios should be a member of the Tree Nuts Crop Group.

Table 2. Updated Comparison of Establi shed Tolerances for Pistachio and Tree Nut Crops.

Pesticide (CFR Citation) Pistachio

Tolerance (ppm) Tree Nut Crop

Tolerance (ppm)

Benomyl [§180.294] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Glyphosate [§180.364(a)] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Azoxystrobin [180 .507] 0.01 0.01

Halosulfuron 0.05 0.05Pesticide (CFR

Citation) Pistachio

Tolerance (ppm) Tree Nut Crop

Tolerance (ppm)

[180.479]

Urea [180.1117] exempt almond, pistachio

Magnesium phosphide [§180.375] 0.1 0.1 (almonds, filbert,

pecans, walnut)

Permethrin [§180.378] 0.1 0.05 (a lmond, filbert, walnut)

Azinphos

- methyl [§180.154] 0.3 0.3 (almond, filbert, pecan, walnut)

Carbaryl [§180.169] 1.0 1.0 (almond, filbert, pecan, walnut)

2,4

- D [§180.142(b)] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Napropamide [§180.328(a)] 0.1 0 .1 (nuts)

Oryzalin [§180.304] 0.05 0.05 (nuts)

Oxyfluorfen [§180.381] 0.05 0.05 (tree nuts group (except almond hulls)

Paraquat
dichloride [§180.205] 0.05 0.05 (nuts)

Phosmet [§180.261] 0.1 0.1 (nuts)

Aluminum phos phide [§180.225] 0.1 0.1 (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnut)Pesticide (CFR

Citation) Pistachio

Tolerance (ppm) Tree Nut Crop

Tolerance (ppm)

Methyl bromide (§180.123] 200 200 (almonds, Brazil nuts, bush nuts, butternuts, cashews, filberts, hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts)

DETAILED CONSIDERATIONS

BACKGROUND:

Chemist ry Branch has considered the inclusion of pistachio nuts to the tree nut crop group four times (memos of F. Griffith, Jr., RCB No. 1057, 9/25/85; R.W. Cook, 2/25/85; E. Leovey, 4/16/80, and R.B. Perfetti, 10/9/79), and all of these previous
requests were rejected by CB (previously RCB). All of the outstanding deficiencies regarding including pistachio nuts in the tree nut crop group have been resolved, except for CB concerns "that the unsealed husks or shells (splits) found in pistachio nuts would expose the edible portion to significantly higher residues than would occur in other tree nuts" (memo F. Griffith, Jr., RCB No. 1057, 9/25/85).

The Chemistry Branch had also previously thought that since the pistachio nut shell splits before harvest, it would b e readily exposed to pesticide applications. However, literature references indicate (30, 31) that although the pistachio shell splits before harvest, the nutmeat remains inside an intact hull so it may not be exposed to a pesticide. The critical issue w ith pistachios will be to determine how intact the outer hull that surrounds the shell and nutmeat remains during the season from flowering to harvest.

Since the critical remaining issue was to determine theexposure of the actual pistachio nutmeat to p esticide

applications, Dr. Schneider arranged with IR

- 4 (G. Markle), to submit pistachio nuts at weekly intervals for up to a 6

- week period ending at harvest. These samples helped CB determine the extent that the outer hull around the actual nutmeat stays intact and if it could prevent the possibility of direct pesticide

residues to the nutmeat before harvest. IR

- 4 arranged for Dr. Louise Ferguson, Extension Pomologist, University of California at Davis and Mr. Eric Harmon, student at Fresno working for D r. Ferguson to collect from a commercial pistachio orchard approximately one kg of in

- hull pistachios from July until harvest on September 22, 1995. The samples were counted for number of hulls split, extent of hull cracking and dissected to

determine if the nut shells were split or open. Chemistry Branch would like to thank these researchers for their cooperation in obtaining and shipping pistachios in various stages of development for the 6

- week period before harvest. In addition, CB conducted a compre hensive literature search on pistachio hull splitting and current research projects in USDA on pistachios.

All of the above combined data were used to determine the extent that the outer fleshy hull stays intact even after the inner shell splits.

In ord er to understand the pistachio hull and shell splitting and their influence on potential pesticide residues in the nutmeat, an understanding of the botanical (pomological) terms that relate to the fruit or drupe of the pistachio is necessary and will be di scussed below.

POMOLOGICAL FACTORS RELATING TO PISTACHIO HULL SPLITTING:

Botanically, pistachios and almonds have fruits called drupes. In the case of tree nuts, the drupe consists of a single edible seed lying inside a thin but hard bivalve shell tha t is surrounded by a fleshy hull or pericarp. The pericarp consists of three layers or tissues. These three layers of the pericarp are as follows: [1] an epicarp or outer layer; [2] a mesocarp or middle layer; and [3] endocarp the hard inner layer (12). The epicarp and the mesocarp combine to form the fleshy hull that protects the nut. The endocarp will become the hard nutshell that protects the edible embryo or nutmeat (RAC). In both the pistachio and the almond the outer skin of the fleshy hull is th e epicarp, while the bottom layer of the fleshy hull is themesocarp, and these two layers help protect the nutmeat that is

also encased in the hard shell (endocarp) from pest problems. It is the hard nutshell of the pistachio enclosed in the protective

f leshy hull that splits or dehisces near harvest.

After pollination and fertilization (April), the ovary walls or pericarp enlarges rapidly in length and diameter and within six to eight weeks (middle May) attains its full size (7). However, while the shell has become full

- sized and hard it is still nearly empty. The embryo of the pistachio, which is in the shell, begins rapid expansion in late June and grows rapidly after this stage, maturing within 16 weeks or approximately 140 days after pollination (3, 4, 5, and 15 ). As the fruit matures, the fleshy hull becomes soft and the endocarp layer partly separates from the shell. Inside the hull, the shell turns opaque white in color and splits (or dehisces) longitudinally as a normal part of abscission b ecause of the seed (nutmeat) enlarging and exposing the purple

- red seed coat (last week of July thru August) but at this growth stage the outer hull still remains intact (8). This normal splitting of the nutshell is a highly desirable characteristic that plant breeders utilize in their selections, and is also favored by consumers because of the

ease in hand

- shelling the nut (8, 29, 30, 32). Nonsplit shells (21) may range up to 20% of the harvest and are sorted out during processing and sold as broken nutm eats. Currently, hulls are removed completely by abrasive peeling machines, followed by separation of split from unsplit shells by a water flotation method and/or by air jetting. Nuts that don't split are undersized, stained, and not desirable for the co nsumer. In addition, early splitting is a problem since it encourages aflatoxin and insect contamination/damage as well as staining to the shell that makes a low quality nut. Approximately 1.5 to 2.5% of the nuts are unmarketable due to early splitting o r empty shells (6, 14, 17, 21, and 22 ). Harvesting is gauged by the change in the color of the outer pericarp layer from translucent pinkish

- green to opaque as well as a softening and loosening of the hull from the shell (8). The fruit or drupe will not abscise or drop from the tree at this time, but the hulls or pericarp (epicarp + mesocarp layers) will continue to dry and shrivel for

several weeks.

Early splitting of hulls exposing the nut is not a desirable characteristic, and currently there are se veral research projects on pistachios designed to either select for cultivars thatproduce less early splits by eliminating from breeding programs

cultivars that exhibit this predisposing trait [7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 29, 30, 32] or to develop techniques t o sort out these early split nuts while processing the harvested nuts [7, 14, 21, 22, 29]. Current processing techniques used to sort out pistachios by automated high speed bichromatic sorters that will sort up to 144,000 pistachios/hour and combined with hand sorting for culls will remove 91 to 93 % of the early splits (33). A newly developed "machine vision" computerized system bichromatic sorter has been developed and can sort out > 99 % of the early splits (24, 25).

ANALYSIS OF PISTACHIO HULL S PLITTING:

Chemistry Branch received eight separate shipments of approximately 1 kg in

- hull pistachios from Dr. Louise Ferguson, Extension Pomologist and Mr. Eric Harmon at the University of California, Davis that were sampled from July until harvest on

Se ptember 22, 1995. The samples were collected manually and at random on 9/21/95 from a commercial pistachio orchard using the cultivar `Kerman' in Kern County, Parlier, CA. Over ( (% of the pistachios harvested in the U.S. are the `Kerman' cultivar. The

s amples were placed in plastic bags and kept refrigerated until shipment to Dr. B. Schneider's home in Columbia, Maryland where they were stored in the refrigerator and analyzed within 48 hours after receipt. The hulls at harvest were light greenish

- yellow in color and could be easily removed from the nut shell by rubbing between the thumb and forefinger. Over 2100 in

- hulled pistachios were individually counted as part of this study. The samples were counted for number of hulls that split, extent of

hull [pericarp and or mesocarp] cracking, color of hull, and were then dissected to determine if the nut shells were split or open,

and the data is summarized in Table 1. For a discussion of the three tissue layers that comprise the hull see the previous

sect ion entitled: "Pomological Factors Comparing Pistachios and Other Members of the Tree Nuts Crop Group."

The splitting of the hulls that occurred is different for the two tissue layers [pericarp and mesocarp] that surround the shell [endocarp]. The outer layer of the hull or pericarp splitting started at 30 days before harvest and was only 2.2% at that time but increased up to 50 % at harvest. In contrast, the inner or mesocarp layer of the hull that also feels leathery wascompletely intact until 14 day s before harvest (1.1 %) splits

with only 2.4 % splits at harvest. Therefore, only 2.4 % of the pistachio nuts that are split would be exposed to any surface pesticide residues. However, CB considers the 2.4 % of the pistachios that have the hulls and nu t shells split at the same time an overestimation for several reasons. First, these early split nuts are usually sorted out after harvest during processing because poor quality nuts are removed and discarded before they reach commercial use [21, 22, and 23 ]. Newer machine vision sorting technology will sort out > 99 % of the early splits in the processing line. Also, these split nuts are mechanically separated from normal pistachios because they are vulnerable to or carriers of the carcinogenic aflatoxi n mold [ Aspergillus

flavus ] (4, 28, 29). Another botanical related factor that protects the nutmeat in shells that have split from pesticide residues is the fact that the outer hull begins to split at the stem end, while the open nut shell faces downward in the opposite direction and is still fully protected by the leathery inner layer or mesocarp. So, when the shell is split open the hull is still intact, except in one to four % of the cases where the hulls adhere tightly to the shell and split along wit h the shell. These are called "early splits". Plant breeders are continuing to develop improved cultivars that will have even less early split nuts before harvest [32]. In addition, over 97.6 % of the pistachio nut shells that are split were still prote cted by an intact inner hull layer or mesocarp. Our research numbers are very close to those reported in the scientific literature and in USDA current research project reports which showed that 1.0 to 4.0 % of pistachios are considered to be "early splits " in which the hull splits along with the shell [10, 21, and 29 ].

Table 1. Determination of Pistachio Hull Splitting From 53 Days Before Until Harvest. (7/31 to 9/22/95).

Days

Before

Harvest * Sample

Size (number

of nuts Nut Sh ell

Open (Splits) [%]** Hull Splits (%)

Pericarp (outer layer) Mesocarp

(innercounted) layer)

53 272 0 0 0

43 232 0 0 0

36 235 0 0 0

30 229 50 2.2 0

22 251 50 8.0 0

14 270 52 13.0 1.1

7 450 58 42.0 2.0

0 250 80 50.0 2.4

* The dates of sample collection are as follows: 7/31; 8/7; 8/14; 8/22; 8/30; 9/5; 9/12; and 9/22/95. ** The number of nut shells that are open was from the hull (split) samples. Nut shells counted in the unsplit hull samples averaged 40% shell split at the last sampling

date.

By this independent study, Chemistry Branch has confirmed that the shells of pistachio nuts split naturally in the orchard [ < 80 %] prior to harvest, but the hull stays int act, covering and protecting the kernel from an invasion by molds, insects, and nonsystemic pesticides. Early split hulls were in the range of < 2.4 % by harvest, and none occurred before 14 days before harvest. As the pistachio drupe (fruit) matures the outer hull (epicarp + mesocarp) loosens from the shell (endocarp) that covers the seed (nutmeat) until the shell splits. The hull still remains’s intact completely covering and protecting the shell

even after it has split. The early splits are usually s orted out prior to the pistachios entering commerce and in the future improved sorting techniques will remove > 99 % of the early splits.

Therefore, the deficiency regarding CB concerns "that the unsealed husks or shells (splits) found in pistachio nuts w ould expose the edible portion to significantly higher residue higher pesticide residues than would occur in other tree nuts ’’ ( memo F. Griffith, Jr., RCB No. 1057, 9/25/85) is resolved. We expect pesticide residues in the pistachio nutmeat should be simil ar tothe other nut crops that are members of the Tree Nut Crop Group.

For a discussion comparing pesticide residues in the tree nuts, see the next section of this report entitled: "Comparisons of Residue Levels in the Tree Nut Crops".

COMPARISONS OF RESIDUE LEVELS IN THE TREE NUT CROPS

Over the years tolerances have been established for pesticides on almonds; pecans; pistachios; nuts; nutmeat; and the tree nut crop group (40CFR§180). There are 15 established tolerances for pesticides on pistachios that can be compared with those registered on similar pesticides for other tree nuts (Table 2). In all cases except for permethrin, the established tolerances are identical. Even with permethrin [§180.378], the tolerance of 0.1 ppm established on a pist achio is well within the Crop Group limit of 5X for the other tree nuts that are established at 0.05 ppm.

Table 2. Comparison of Established Tolerances for Pistachio and Tree Nut Crops.

Pesticide (CFR Citation) Pistachio

Tolerance (ppm) Tree Nut Crop

Tolerance (ppm)

Benomyl [§180.294] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Glyphosate [§180.364(a)] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Magnesium phosphide [§180.375] 0.1 0.1 (almonds, filbert,

pecans, walnut)

Permethrin [§180.378] 0.1 0.05 ( almond, filbert, walnut)

Azinphos

- methyl [§180.154] 0.3 0.3 (almond, filbert, pecan, walnut)Pesticide (CFR

Citation) Pistachio

Tolerance (ppm) Tree Nut Crop

Tolerance (ppm)

Carbaryl [§180.169] 1.0 1.0 (almond, filbert, pecan, walnut)

2,4

- D [§180.142(b)] 0.2 0.2 (nuts)

Napropamide [§180.328(a)] 0.1 0.1 (nuts)

Oryzalin [§180.304] 0.05 0.05 (nuts)

Oxadiazon [§180.304] 0.05 0.05 (Brazil nuts, bush
nuts, butternuts, cashews, chestnuts, filbert, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans,

walnuts

Oxyfluorfen [§180.381] 0.05 0.05 (tree nuts group (except almond hulls)

Paraquat [§180.205] 0.05 0.05 (nuts)

Phosmet [§180.261] 0.1 0.1 (nuts)

Aluminum phosphide [§180.225] 0.1 0.1 (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnut)

Inorganic

bromides (§180.123] 200 200 (almonds, Brazil nuts, bush nuts, butternuts, cashews, filberts, hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts)IR

- 4 also submitted comparative field residue data for use

of azinphos

- methyl (IR

- 4 and Miles Agriculture Division) and carbaryl (Rhone

- Poulenc) on various tree nuts and pistachios that were previously reviewed by CB to establish the tolerance levels for these pesticides. Tolerances for azinphos

- methyl [§180.154] were established at 0.3 ppm for pistachio, almond, filbert, pecan, and walnut; while tolerances for carbaryl [§180.169] were established at 1.0 ppm for pistachio, almond, filbert, pecan, and walnut (Table 2).

Therefore based on residue data used to establish tolerances for use of 15 pesticides in/on pistachios and other tree nuts, CB

concludes th at residues from pistachios are similar to those found on all other members of the Tree Nut Crop Group.

EVALUATION OF REPRESENTATIVE COMMODITIES FOR THE TREE NUTS CROP

GROUP:

The current representative commodities for the Tree Nuts Crop Group are almon d and pecan. Botanically, both pistachios and almonds have fruits called drupes. In the case of tree nuts, the drupe consists of a single edible seed lying inside a thin but hard bivalve shell that is surrounded by a fleshy hull or pericarp. Since CB i s recommending to include pistachios as a member of the Tree Nuts Crop Group, it also investigated whether pistachios should replace almonds as the representative commodity. Pistachios are not considered a replacement for pecans because of the relatively limited geographical production area for pistachios, whereas almonds and pistachios are grown in the same region.

Almonds are still considered to be a better representative commodity than pistachios for several reasons: first, the nutmeat

and shell develop simultaneously in almonds (Feb

- mid

- June) so that any pesticides that are systemic and applied to the foliage during this time may be translocated to the nutmeat. Pistachios on the other hand have the shell growing during this stage and increasing in diameter, but the embryo and nutmeat do not begin their growth until July 1. Therefore, the nutmeat in pistachiosis not present from pollination (mid

- April through June) in

contrast to almonds (20). Secondly, differences in maturity of

the hulls make almonds a worst case for estimating pesticide residues. In almonds, the outer hull readily splits, but the nut shell does not, whereas in pistachios the outer hull stays almost completely intact (for more details see analysis of pistachio hull splitting section) while the nutshell begins splitting (dehiscing) from late August until September 15. One of the ways to determine the physiological maturity of the pistachio is by the ease in which the hull (epicarp + mesocarp) separates from

the nut shell. Pis tachios must be harvested before the hull degenerates so that the nutshells will not be stained (7). Therefore, in pistachios the outer hull stays intact through harvest preventing residue accumulation on the nutmeat, whereas the almonds split from their fleshy hulls at maturity which allows the nut to drop to the ground, and some cultivars such as `Nonpareil' can range from 18 to 82 % splits. The almond shell is also more porous or papery (genetically soft shelled) and softer than the pistachio shell (2, 16, 19).

While the scientific literature (10, 30, 32) and our own analysis indicate that from < 1% to 4% of the pistachios have early split nuts and hulls, these are later removed as culls during processing to remove the stained nuts to prevent afl atoxin contamination. Pistachios are the only tree nut that has open split shells at harvest, but > 97 % of these are protected by an intact hull. Pistachios also have less opportunity for pesticide

residue accumulation in the nutmeat because foliar tran slocation to the developing nutmeat does not occur when most pesticide applications to control insect and plant diseases are made, and the nutmeats at harvest are still protected by the outer hull. Imported pistachios during 1993

- 94 accounted for

< 1.0 % of the total pistachios consumed in the U.S. (9). Approximately, 81.5 % are imported from Turkey. Therefore, any early split pistachios that may be imported would be an insignificant component of the diet.

Pest problems in almonds and pistachios are similar [see section on comparison of pest problems in pistachio and other tree nut orchards]. Only almond hulls are a significant livestock feed item in the tree nut crops. Pecans, the other tree nut crop group representative commodity, have a much wide r geographical distribution than either almonds or pistachios.Therefore, based on almonds having a livestock feed item; more

percent hull splitting; more of the developed nutmeat present during pesticide applications; the same geographical region; and

a more porous or papery shell, Chemistry Branch does not recommend to change the present representative commodities of the Tree Nut Crop Group.

COMPARISON OF PEST PROBLEMS IN PISTACHIO AND OTHER TREE NUT

ORCHARDS:

Pistachios share the same weed, nema tode, insect and plant disease, and post harvest storage problems that affect the other members of the Tree Nuts Crop Group [1, 7, 8, 10, 14, 17, 18, 26, 27]. Pests of almonds such as the naval orangeworm ( Ameyelois

transitella ) often invade pistachio orc hards [1, 26].

LIVESTOCK FEED ITEMS:

There are no animal feed items associated with pistachios. The representative commodities for Crop Group 14: Tree Nuts are almonds and pecans, and only almond hulls are a livestock feed item in this Crop Group.

H ARMONIZATION WITH CODEX:

CODEX places pistachio in its Crop Group 22: Tree Nuts. Addition of the pistachio to U.S. Crop Group 14: Tree Nuts will harmonize the two Crop Group systems with regard to pistachios.

REFERENCES:

1. Andrews, K.L. and M.M. Ba rnes. 1982. Invasion of Pistachio Orchards by Naval Orangeworm Moths from Almond Orchards. Environmental Entomology 11:278

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2. Campbell, B. 1995. Breeding for Resistance to Aflatoxin Contamination in Almond. Univ. CA. Project Report # 0500

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for Horticultural Science 96:78

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7. Crane, J.C. 1983. Pistachio Production Problems. Fruit Varieties Journal 38(3):74

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9. Dialog/Data

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15. Maggs, D.H. 1986. An Introduction to Pistachio Growing

in Australia. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia. 36 pp.

16. Magness, J.R., G.M. Mark le, and C.C. Compton. 1971. Food and Feed Crops of the United States. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station College of Agriculture and Environment Science. Rutgers University Interregional Research Project

IR

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17. Maranto, J. and J.C. Crane. 1982. Pistachio Production. University of California Division of Agricultural Sciences Leaflet 2279. 18pp.

18. Michailides, T.J. 1989. The `Achilles Heel' of Pistachio Fruit. Calif. Agri. 43(5): 10

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Extension Publication 4029.

20. Nevo, A., E. Werker, and R. Ben

- Sasson. 1974. The Problem of Indehiscence of Pistachio ( Pistacia vera L.) Fruit. Israel J. Botany 23: 1

- 13.

21. Pearson, T.C., D.C. Slaughter, and H.E. Studer. 1993. Separating "Early

- splits" from "Normal" Pistachio Nuts for

Removal of Nuts Contaminated on the Tree With Aflatoxin. Papers American Society of Agricultural Engineers Paper# 936050. 11 pp.

22. Pearson, T.C., D.C. Slaughter, and H.E. Studer. 1994. Physical Properties of Pistachio Nuts. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 37(3): 913

- 918.

23. Pearson, T.C., D.C. Slaughter, and H.E. Studer. 1996.

Hull Adhesion Characteristics of Early

- split and Normal Pistachio Nuts. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 12(2):

219

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24. Pearson, T.C. and D. Slaughter. 1996. Machine Vision Detection of Early Split Pistachio Nuts. Transactions ofthe American Society of Agri cultural Engineers 39(3): 1203

-

1207.

25. Pearson, T.C. and T. Schatzki. 1997. Superior Sorter

Selects Stain

- Free Nuts. Agricultural Research 45(1):18.

26. Rice, R.E., W.J. Bently, and R.H. Beede. 1988. Insect

and Mite Pests of Pistachios in California. University of California. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Publication 21452. 26 pp.

27. Rosengarten, Jr., F. 1984. The Book of Edible Nuts. Pistachios. Pp.197

- 213. First Ed. Walter & Co, Publ. NY.

28. Schatzki, T., D. Slaughter, and H. Studer. 1993. Separating Early

- Split from Normal Pistachio Nuts for

Removal of Nuts Contaminated With Aflatoxin. Univ. CA. Project Report # 5325

- 42000

- 015

- 0IS. USDA Current Research

Information Service.

29. Schatzki, T., P. Keagy, and R. Sayre. 1995. Dete ction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Human Food by Imaging Technique. Univ. CA. Project Report # 5325

- 42000

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Research Information Service.

30. Sommer, N.F., J.R. Buchanan, and R.J. Fortlage. 1986. Relation of Early Splitting and Tatter ing of Pistachio Nuts to Aflatoxin in the Orchard. Phytopathology 76:692

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32. Sommer, N.F. 1995. Genetic Variation in the Resistance of Various Cultivars of Tree Nut to Aspergillus flavus, Univ. CA. Project Report #0500

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33. Weinberger, G. 1997. Personal Communication with Dr. B.A. Schneider, February 10. Research Coordinator. California Pistachio Commission. Hanford, CA.cc: Pistachio Commodity File, B.A. Schneider, R.F., Crop Group

File. B.A. Schneider:(3/3/97):804V:CM#2:(703)305

- 5555: 7509C RDI: R. Loranger (8/20/96); E.Haeberer (8/14/96); R. Perfetti (2/13/97).

PART I

- THIS LIST CONTAINS THE NINETEEN CROP GROUPS AND WHICH

MEMBERS OF THE CROP GROUP ARE MOST SIMILAR TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE COMMODITIES

Crop Group 14: Tree Nuts

Rep resentative Commodities: Almond and pecan

CROP GROUP COMMODITY REPRESENTATIVE COMMODITY

Almond Almond
Beech nut Almond
Brazil nut Pecan
Butternut Pecan

Cashew Pecan Chestnut Almond Chinqu apin Almond
Filbert Pecan Hickory nut Pecan Macadamia nut Pecan
Pecan Pecan Pistachio Almond Walnut, black Pecan Walnut, English Pecan

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