Temperate fruits include such well-known species as apples (Malus) and pears, grapes and figs, as well as stone fruits (Prunus), such as apricots, cherries and plums. Familiar temperate nut crops include almonds, cashews and walnuts.

There are aslo many other neglected and underutilized fruit species that are particularly suited to dry areas, such as pomegranates, pistachio and date palm.

For more information, scroll down or click on the links below.

Date palm
Pistachio

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
Oases are bounded and fragile microenvironments maintained by the careful management of plant and other resources, allowing a diversity of species to flourish.  The date palm is a key species in maintaining oasis diversity, providing conditions of increased shade, moisture and soil stability that allow other species such as olives, almonds, pomegranates, figs, grapes, apricot, alfalfa, beans, barley and wheat to grow.

Publications
Descripteurs du Palmier dattier (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Links
Participatory Management of Genetic Resources of Date Palm in the Oasis of the Maghreb Tunisia

Elsewhere on the site
Date palm diversity - one farmer's story
Geneflow 2004

Safeguarding date palm diversity through partnership
Geneflow 2005

Ancient plants get a new lease on life
Geneflow 2005

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Pistachio (Pistacia vera (Anacardiaceae)
Pistachio is native to the Near East and South-west Asia, where it has been cultivated for over 4000 years. Pistachio is an important economic horticultural crop for the whole region. Its wild relatives play a fundamental role in the conservation of ecosystems, particularly in those difficult areas prone to drought and characterized by poor soils, while they are also a source of pest and disease resistance for the cultivated varieties.

The resource base of Pistacia species is under threat of severe genetic erosion, because local varieties are being replaced by a few commercial types and wild species are being destroyed by human activities.

Publications
Towards a comprehensive documentation and use of Pistacia genetic diversity in Central and West Asia, North Africa and Europe

Descripteurs du pistachier (Pistacia vera L.)

Descriptors for Pistacia spp. (excluding Pistacia vera L.)

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