How an Israeli pollination company helped boost California’s pistachio crop

An Israeli company has helped some California farmers increase their annual pistachio crop by around 19% in 2023 by addressing some of the critical challenges they face due to climate change, scarcity of natural pollinators, and related problems.

Precision pollination company Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture provides a “Precision Pollination as a Service” or PPaS solution for young and mature pistachio orchards. Its 2Be mechanical pollinator disperses pure pollen on precision – meaning the right amount at the right time.

Between April 2022 and April 2023, Edete pollinated 500 acres of pistachios in Bakersfield, Calif., for one of the largest growers in the US. The pollination included three young plots of Golden Hills variety pistachios planted between 2016 and 2017. The company said the results were an average 19% increase in crop yield in two of three plots.

A noteworthy achievement, the company says

“This achievement is noteworthy, especially considering the high accumulation of chill hours in 2023, positioning it as a record-breaking year for US crop production, estimated at 1.5 billion pounds,” Edete said in a release. 

The increase “underscores the effectiveness of precision pollination in overcoming natural pollination deficiencies,” said Edete CEO Eylam Ran. “This ensures optimal yields, even in record crop years and contributes to agricultural resilience and food security for consumers.”

According to the Honey Bee Research Centre, many factors influence the decline in bees and other pollinators. These include climate change and disease.