Pistachios as a future strategy for Spanish drylands El pistacho como estrategia de futuro para el secano español Pistachios as a future strategy for Spanish drylands

When we talk about the water stress that Spanish dryland farming endures, it is important to clarify that this concept is not measured solely by the precipitation regime, but by the soil's capacity to store water and make it available to crops during critical months. The effective depth of the profile, its structure, and its retention capacity determine the agronomic and economic viability of any production system. From this perspective, pistachio presents a differential physiological advantage. Its origin in semi-arid climates and its pivoting root system allow it to explore deep layers of the soil and access water reserves that other woody plants do not reach. This characteristic makes it a crop especially adapted to structural water deficits. However, it is necessary to dispel from the outset the idea—especially among those who value the implementation of pistachio based solely on profitability expectations—that it is a crop that thrives purely due to rusticity. Accumulated ...