January 2026 Advertisers

An image to represent Pecan South's Advertisers for this issue.

Pecan South January 2026  advertisers share their products and services between the pages of this issue. Below, we present a full list of our January 2026 advertisers and their contact information.   Air O Fan, (559) 638-6546 American Pecan Promotion Board, 817-916-0020 Bergen Ag Innovations, Inc. , +1 432-788-4600 Big Star Hardware Eastern Plains Insurance Corp….

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The Good Guys: Natural Enemies 101

Use of the vedalia lady beetle (Novius cardinalis) to control cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) on citrus is often cited as one of the first big biological control success stories. Photo Credit: Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

History and Types of Biological Control Biological control is defined as the use of living organisms to suppress the population of a specific pest organism, making it less abundant or less damaging than it would otherwise be (Eilenberg et al. 2001). The practice of biological control has ancient roots. For example, as early as 324…

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Options for Scientifically-Sound Irrigation Scheduling in Pecans

November fall colors in the orchard. Photo submitted by Richard Heerema, New Mexico.

Winter is here, so it may seem like a really strange time to read an article about irrigation. Not too much irrigation happens over winter in a pecan orchard. Maybe it is strange to read about irrigation now, but it won’t be very long before a new growing season is upon us, and we’ll be…

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Soil Nitrogen Sources in Pecan Orchards

As I sit down to write this article, I find myself at The Almond Conference 2025, being held in Sacramento, CA.  This year’s conference theme is “Cultivating a Healthier Future”.  While many of the presentations are centered on developing new almond products and identifying new markets, as with almost any nut crop conference, there is…

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New Year, New Momentum for Pecans

Photo Provided By The American Pecan Promotion Board

As we kick off 2026, the American pecan industry enters the new year with fresh insights and a new strategic campaign informed by our latest perception and consumption study. These learnings not only validate the work already underway but also help guide the path forward and position the industry for a year of true impact….

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Farm to Face: How a Texas Heritage Crop Found New Life in Skincare

Image taken at Oliver Pecan Orchards. Pecan trees lining the San Saba River, home to generations of Texas growers. Image provided by Maria Acosta

On the edges of the Hill Country, where the San Saba and Colorado Rivers wind through groves of ancient pecan trees, two Texas stories, separated by generations, found an unexpected intersection. One story began in 1877, when the Oliver family settled on this land and planted the roots of an agricultural legacy that would span…

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In Memory of Ross Leslie Burling

Ross Leslie Burling

Many of you will already have received the immensely sad news that Ross Burling, CEO of Stahmann Farms and Stahmann Webster for more than a decade and a stalwart of the pecan and broader tree nut industries for most of his life, passed away last week after a prolonged illness. Ross’s wife Carissa has asked…

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In Memory of Kathryn Wright Littlepage

Kathryn Wright Littlepage

Kathryn Wright Littlepage, 91, a resident of Colfax, Louisiana, passed away peacefully in her home on December 11, 2025. Born in Zwolle to Bessie and Willie Wright, she was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Meek Littlepage; her parents; and her sister, Sharon Ricke. In 1957, Kathryn married Ben Littlepage, and together they raised…

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January 2026 Classifieds

The January 2026 Classifieds features available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the January 2026 issue.

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Letter from the Editor

Happy New Year, dear readers! I hope 2026 is treating you well so far. I know that pecan prices are up this year compared to last, which is leaving many growers smiling as we head into the new year. With the close of a successful harvest, we now enter a lull as we come into…

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Tree Health Starts in the Roots

Image 1. Order of root system (Image provided by Stephanie Adams)

Root health is the most overlooked factor in pecan productivity. When trees decline, attention often turns to foliar nutrients, water availability, or soil fertility. Yet the real story begins belowground—within a complex system that most growers rarely see. Healthy soil and healthy roots are not synonymous. A pecan orchard can have biologically rich, well-structured soil…

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Profit per Acre, Over Production per Acre

For years, we have been taught that the way to be more profitable is to increase production. Higher yields per acre lead to a more efficient and profitable operation. In fact, for some, this metric, production per acre, is the bragging rights that validate your success as a producer. However, in today’s agricultural environment, chasing…

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Understanding Alternate Bearing in Pecan Trees

Figure 1. Mechanical thinning of selected medium- and heavy-crop trees to reduce them to light or medium crops, used as a comparison to naturally heavy- and light-crop trees for analyzing molecular changes in shoots, leaves, and buds. The orchard is located at the Oklahoma State University Cimarron Valley Research Station. (Image provided by Lu Zhang)

Alternate bearing in pecan trees, also called biennial bearing or masting, describes a cyclical pattern in which a tree produces a heavy crop in one season (the “on” year) followed by one or more seasons of light or minimal production (the “off” year). While this inconsistent fruiting behavior occurs in many perennial fruit and nut…

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Management of “Forgiving” Cultivars

In the Southeastern U.S. production region, profitability depends mainly on two factors (excluding price) — volume of production and scab resistance. These two variables largely determine net profit in a pecan operation. They take into account output by the tree and the cost of production. In doing so, they cover two of the three legs…

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Gingerbread Pecan Pear Cake with Maple Pecan Caramel

Prep Time: 1 h 45 mins Naturally sweet pecans combine with gingerbread and maple caramel in this show-stopping dessert. Poached pears are placed in the middle of the cake for a beautiful presentation when sliced. Ingredients For the poached pears: 2 cups apple cider 1 cinnamon stick 6 cloves 3 small pears, peeled (cored from…

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December 2025 Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers, As we move through the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what an exciting and informative year it has been. As many of you may know, I am relatively new to the pecan and agricultural industries, and I have spent my first year…

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From Pie to Pieces:

The American Pecan industry is closing out the year with strong momentum by capitalizing on the time of year when pecans are in the spotlight on many holiday table spreads around the country. However, the American Pecan Promotion Board (APPB) is doing it in a way that brings new value to the supply chain and…

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Classifieds December 2025

The December 2025 Classifieds features available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the December 2025 issue.

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A Seasonal Overview of Insect Pests Attacking Nuts

Pecan nut cluster damaged by larval pecan nut casebearer. (Image provided by Ted Cottrell)

It takes a full growing season, from pollination to harvest, to produce a marketable pecan nut. Compared with the time to produce many crops, much more time needed to produce a pecan nut. Because the time required to reach harvest is longer, the need for oversight and management is longer. For the duration of season,…

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High-Density Pecan Orchards: Benefits, Challenges, and Recommendations

Mario Villanueva is an advisor and consultant with 20 years of experience in integrated pecan management, primarily in Chihuahua, but also in Zacatecas and Aguascalientes. He currently advises on 1,500 hectares of high-density pecan orchards. (Photo provided by Nadia Venticinque)

Interest in high-density pecan orchards has grown significantly in recent years, driven by the potential to increase yield per hectare and make better use of available space—potentially resulting in a faster return on investment. However, this system also presents significant management challenges that must be carefully considered from the planning stage. Mario Villanueva is a…

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November 2025 Advertisers

An image to represent Pecan South's Advertisers for this issue.

Pecan South November 2025 advertisers share their products and services between the pages of this issue. Below, we present a full list of our November 2025 advertisers and their contact information.   American Pecan Promotion Board, 817-916-0020 Bag Supply Company, 800-722-5790 Bergen Ag Innovations, Inc. , +1 432-788-4600 Big Star Hardware Blue Mountain Pecan Eastern Plains Insurance…

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November 2025 Marketing Guide

Published from September through November, Pecan South‘s Marketing Guide provides a list of pecan buyers from across the industry who are looking to purchase nuts from the 2025 crop. Download the Full Marketing Guide for 2025 from our November issue here.  

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Classifieds November 2025

The November2025 Classifieds features available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the November 2025 issue.

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November 2025 Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers, We at Pecan South want to take a moment to say thank you. We’re so grateful for your continued support and for all the amazing readers, contributors, researchers, and industry members who make this publication possible. Your passion and dedication help us keep sharing helpful information and stories that support learning and growth…

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