Picnic Day: Pistachios Are ‘One Tough Nut’

To celebrate Picnic Day, the Drakakaki Lab presents “That’s One Tough Nut! Pistachio Resilience in the Face of Climate Change.” Come by for a free pistachio snack and learn about the science of pistachios: how they are able to withstand salt and drought stress, and exactly how that shell splits and more fun facts!

9 a.m.-12 p.m. on the PES lawn

Dietary warning: Tree nut allergy

Fun fact #1 – did you know?? Pistachio shells split naturally when the nut is ripe and ready to be harvested!

Pistachios are a big industry in California, valued at around $2 billion every year, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture. It’s also California’s No. 3 biggest export crop, even ahead of wine! The state leads the nation in pistachio production and is one of the most important producers in the world, so science that happens in the Drakakaki Lab has international impact.

Because of where they evolved, pistachio trees are naturally resistant to soils that have a lot of mineral salts and low supplies of fresh water. Both are the case in many areas of the Central Valley, which has encouraged farmers here to plant close to half a million acres, according to the American Pistachio Growers association. You’ll see pistachio orchards around the Davis area and even more in Fresno, Kings and Madera counties. Scientists in the Drakakaki Lab are working to figure out how pistachios are so tolerant to salt and drought stress, and how to enhance this stress tolerance so we can all continue to enjoy these tasty snacks!

Like walnuts, pistachios grow with a hull around the developing nut. And, while the nut splits naturally when it’s ripe, the hull does not. At least, it’s not supposed to! But in fact, pistachio hulls that split prematurely are a big problem for California farmers. In the Drakakaki Lab, one of the projects our scientists are working on is to figure out why.

How cells build their walls

Scientists in the Drakakaki Lab also study what makes up the cell walls in all sorts of plants. Just like the wall of your house, the cell wall is what allows plants to stand up straight on their own. It also builds all the tasty fruits we like to eat!

As a part of that work, our researchers have learned how the pistachio hull is built and how cell walls in certain layers of the hull break down ahead of schedule. They’ve also identified which genes and related mechanisms spark and control those changes in the cell walls. Our work is on-going.

So stop by our exhibit on Picnic Day, and ask us about pistachios!