Botanical characteristics, economic pistachio shell importance and important pistachio speciesPistachio is one of the agricultural products that is mixed with the name of Iran and has a long history and in the current century with the beginning of exports, gained special economic and commercial value and Iran is the first and most important exporter of pistachios in the world (Sami et al., 1384). The word pistachio is an Iranian word derived from the dialect of the people of Khorasan in ancient times. Forests and car masses of pistachio trees have been present in a large part of Khorasan since ancient times (Abrishami, 1373).
Pistachio tree was domesticated and cultivated in Iran 3 to 4 thousand years ago (Sheibani et al., 1995). Perhaps the oldest document about the historical background of pistachio cultivation in Iran can be considered in the travelogue of Herodotus, a famous Greek historian who wrote a research on pistachio production and its place in Iran (Mohammadkhani, 1997).
Pistachio or green gold as a strategic product has a special place among agricultural products. A large amount of non-oil exports is dependent on pistachios (Panahi et al., 2001). From the past until now, Iran has been considered as one of the largest producers of pistachios in the world.
Level of pistachio production in the countryAt the national level, Kerman province, with 76.5% of the fertile level of pistachios and 64.5% of the production of this product (based on the latest documented statistics) has the first place in the level and production. In Kerman province (especially Rafsanjan city) more than 300,000 hectares of land are under cultivation of this crop (Ardestani and Moazeni, 1390).
Planting pistachio trees is now widespread in various parts of the world. In Asia, in addition to natural growing areas, pistachio trees are grown in Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and China. In Europe, Italy and Greece, in Africa, Tunisia and the Maghreb, and in the United States, in the United States, pistachio trees are grown (Abrishami, 1373).