Current Research

Projects currently funded by the Research Board require both an executive summary and a full report before the final payment is sent.

Executive Summaries are due December 1, 2025

• CPRB Executive Summary Instructions-2025
• CPRB Executive Summary Template-2025

Request for Proposals for Pistachio Research

The California Pistachio Research Board (CPRB) is requesting proposals for pistachio research that will commence March 2026. Proposals for all aspects of commercial pistachio production are invited but the CPRB is particularly interested in research focused in the following areas:
Proposals should focus on commercial production, with the following areas of particular interest to the pistachio industry:
• Genetics: New cultivars (males and females) and rootstocks that improve yield, nut quality (e.g. size, taste), have synchronous bloom, pests and disease resistance, climate resilience (e.g. reduced chill requirements), improved genetic mapping of current varieties and those from the USDA repository. Also important is the preservation of repository pistachio specimens through new plantings throughout the state with grower-cooperators and at the USDA repository
• Entomology: Biology, ecology and management of insect pests (e.g. navel orangeworm, Gill’s mealybug, leaf-footed bug and invasive pests like Carpophilus beetle), insecticide resistance, biopesticide(s) efficacy, spray technology, orchard sanitation, and new variety evaluation for pest tolerance/resistance
• Plant Pathology: Biology, ecology and management of diseases (Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Phytophthora spp., etc.), fungicide resistance, biopesticide efficacy, spray technology, and new variety evaluation for disease tolerance/resistance. A comprehensive review of mycotoxin research that impacts pistachio quality• Plant Physiology: Improved understanding of carbohydrate dynamics (see Special Research Focus below), climate stresses (e.g. heat, water and soil quality), flowering and pollination mechanisms (e.g. timing, pollen health), root systems, alternate bearing (e.g bud health, abscission), and blanking (e.g. embryo abortion, parthenocarpy)
• General Production: Irrigation, plant nutrition, tree training, weed management, nematode management or other production categories relevant to pistachio production
• Other considerations: Organic and/or regenerative production, harvest optimization and advanced technologies (e.g. AI, IoT, robotics and/or mechanization), orchard establishment
• Special Research Focus: Carbohydrate dynamics and seasonal survey
In 2026, the CPRB seeks to deepen its understanding of seasonal trends in non-structural carbohydrates, spanning from dormancy through post-harvest leaf drop. Research proposals should incorporate variables such as orchard location, age, variety, and rootstock, as well as seasonal inputs like fertilizer and irrigation. Proposals must also include traditional laboratory analyses (e.g. water, soil, tissue) and account for seasonal stressors—such as water availability, pest pressure, yield and quality fluctuations, climate conditions, and other factors that may influence carbohydrate status and its impact on nut quality and yield
Projects should be conducted across multiple sites, with an emphasis on high-performing orchards (i.e. yielding above the industry average). The project must be led by a Principal Investigator (PI) and/or Co-PIs with complementary expertise, ensuring the development of actionable data that supports grower decision-making to enhance both yield and quality
Beginning in year three of the carbohydrate survey, the project should deliver results that enable growers to interpret orchard-specific data—such as lab analyses, yield metrics, and carbohydrate profiles—and make informed decisions aimed at optimizing carbohydrate reserves for the following season

• 2026 RFP Memo

Proposals must include a cover page (maximum two pages) that has the information on the template provided.

• 2026 Proposal cover

Proposal Presentations

Proposal presentations to the CPRB Members and Alternates will be:

2/4/2026*     8:00am – 4:30 pm Researcher presentations of their 2026 CPRB Research Proposal(s) to the CPRB Committee (Board).  *This meeting will be held at the Kingsburg Historical Park meeting room Kingsburg, CA. Please plan on joining us for dinner following the presentations.  (Location to be determined).

2/5/2026*     8:00am – 2:00pm (tentative) Researcher presentations of their 2026 CPRB Research Proposals to the CPRB Committee (Board). *This meeting will be held at the Kingsburg Historical Park meeting room Kingsburg, CA

Past Research Reports

• Research Database