The Western Balkans: A Promising New Region for Commercial Pistacia vera Cultivation—A First Comparative Agro-Climatic Assessment

Climate change is expanding the potential range of Pistacia vera cultivation, creating new opportunities for crop diversification across southern Europe. However, the agro-climatic suitability of the Western Balkans has not previously been evaluated. This study compared two representative environments, Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Split (Croatia), with established and emerging pistachio-growing regions using long-term climate data derived primarily from the NASA MERRA-2 reanalysis (WeatherSpark, 2026). Agro-climatic suitability was assessed through comparative analysis of thermal and hydrological indicators interpreted according to the eco-physiological requirements of commercial Pistacia vera cultivars. Both locations satisfied the principal agro-climatic requirements for commercial pistachio cultivation. Split combined high growing-season heat accumulation, comparable to Gaziantep and Ciudad Real, with relatively low winter chill, indicating greater suitability for cultivars with low to moderate chilling requirements. In contrast, Mostar combined substantially higher winter chill with adequate heat accumulation, indicating suitability for commercial cultivars requiring higher chilling and early fruit maturation. Although annual precipitation exceeded that of traditional pistachio-growing regions, the highly permeable karst landscapes and favourable atmospheric ventilation of the Western Balkans may partly offset humidity-related constraints by promoting rapid drainage and canopy drying. Cultivars with resistance to Alternaria spp. are therefore recommended for regional adaptation. Overall, these findings identify the Western Balkans as a promising agro-climatic region for commercial Pistacia vera cultivation and provide a robust framework for future field validation and cultivar selection.