‘Lost Hills’: A New Pistachio Cultivar

Abstract

Additional index words. Pistacia vera, nut breeding, cultivar description 'Lost Hills' is a new female pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) cultivar released by the California Agricultural Experiment Station in 2005. The nuts mature uniformly and are harvested from 1 to 2 weeks earlier than 'Kerman'. In-shell nut yields during the first 5 years are greater than those of 'Kerman', and the percentage of edible split nuts is higher. 'Lost Hills' flowers earlier than 'Kerman' and has not demonstrated symptoms of insufficient chilling in Kern County and Madera County, CA. 'Lost Hills' shells are more open than 'Kerman' shells after drying. 'Lost Hills' is an early-maturing cultivar, with good yield, large nut size, uniform harvest period, and little navel orangeworm infestation.