Stink Bug Management: a challenge for all producers

First, I would like to refer to an excellent article by Monte Nesbitt from the August 2010 issue of Pecan South titled “Victory or Defeat in August,” where he talks about the difficulty in producing pecans during August. This difficulty not only applies to the horticultural challenges of filling out kernels, but this is also…

In last month’s issue, we covered the many ways you, as members of the American pecan industry, can use the new American Pecans, The Original Supernut brand—including sharing delicious recipes created through our partnerships with some of the nation’s top food and nutrition influencers. Since well before the consumer-facing campaign officially launched in late April,…

Growers from Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana met for their joint annual meeting in Raymond, Mississippi at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center on June 21-22. They were joined by other growers from across the Pecan Belt to network, meet with vendors and learn a bit more about growing pecans. The conference kicked off with a tour…

Robert Beard “Bobby” Drinkard Jr., 65, of Goshen, Alabama died Friday, June 29, 2018 in Birmingham, Alabama. Bobby graduated from Pike County High School in 1971 and was an employee of Whaley Pecan Company for 37 years. Remembering Bobby Drinkard, friend Greg Hamil said,  “You could always count on Bobby to tell you the truth with…

Growers that choose to get into the pecan business must love carnival rides, specifically roller coasters. Why would I make such a remark? In a nutshell, if you stay in it for the long term, you are going to go through a lot of ups and downs. If you take a quick look over the…

The pecan industry is looking at a very good crop in 2018. In my opinion, Texas should produce over 65 million pounds if no major losses occur. The 2016 Texas crop of 39 million pounds and the 2017 crop of 47 million pounds were less than average, and growers statewide are hoping for better production…

Dear Readers, The thermometer outside my office in Bryan, Texas reads 106 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s sweltering. And luckily, I’m tucked away in the air conditioning, where I will stay until I am forced to make a run through the insufferable heat to my car. There, I will crank the engine and blast my AC as…

2018 Farm Bill Moves Forward The U.S. Senate has completed action on the 2018 Farm Bill with a final floor vote of 86 to 11. The House passed their version of the bill by a vote of 213 to 211. The U.S. House has appointed 47 conferees for the Farm Bill. The Senate is expected…

Here are the 2018 crop estimates as predicted at the TriState Conference and Texas Pecan Growers Conference this Summer. This was the first year in a long while to break with tradition. Last year was Kyle Brookshier’s last crop estimate; this year newly appointed  TPGA president Lalo Medina gave the Texas estimate. At the TriState Conference,…

This is an exciting time for the American pecan industry. With the creation of the American Pecan Council (APC) under the Federal Marketing Order, the American pecan industry added a vital tool to their trade. This Federal Marketing Order provides an opportunity to promote the benefits of pecans, educate consumers, conduct vital research, and provide…

Regardless of the total acreage of a pecan grove, the trees themselves occupy only a small portion of the physical ground space most of the time. This leaves much of the total acreage as simply ground cover, usually grass, which can be maintained by regular mowing or haying of the grove floor. Many producers choose…

One of the most visible and obvious insect infestations on pecan has to be the fall webworm, where those unsightly webs seem to just appear overnight. The fall webworm is native to North America where it feeds on a wide range of deciduous trees and shrubs, with feeding preferences varying on geographic regions. In North…

USA The America Pecan Council has started a nationwide promotion of pecans aimed to increase pecan-nut awareness and consumption in the United States, which currently is about half-a-pound per person. This is a very important step since a good number of people living in big urban areas in the country know little about pecans so…

Much has been shared about the new American Pecans, The Original Supernut consumer brand and marketing campaign in recent months. From national and local news placements to social media advertising to the “Good Morning America” segment, the American Pecan Council has been hard at work promoting the nutrition, versatility and rich history of pecans to…

Water is life to a pecan tree. Water mediates photosynthesis and the production of carbohydrates vital for growth and the development of leaves, limbs and nuts. Water transports and distributes many plant nutrients throughout the tree that are harvested by its roots. And transpiring off the surface of pecan tree leaves, water acts as an…

BRYAN, TEXAS — The Texas Pecan Board will hold elections in August to elect three board members where current members’ terms are expiring. The board was established in 1998 after pecan growers throughout Texas voted into effect a one-half-cent-per-pound pecan assessment to provide funds for promotion and research. Nine pecan producers serve on the board….

Let’s face it. Fruiting is a high-stress event for any tree. If there are other stresses compounding this event, either this year’s fruit quality or next year’s performance will be impacted significantly. As a perennial crop, ultimately what you do this year sets that crop up for success or failure next year. However, there are…

For over 200 years, pecans have been the best kept secret of American agriculture. With limited supplies and no substitute in various industrial applications, butter pecan ice cream and pecan pie to name just two, there was no need for the pecan industry to market their product. Americans, particularly those living south of the Mason-Dixon…

Dear Readers, Like every year, July seems to be the month that sets the tone for the oncoming harvest. This month growers finally have a general idea of what their 2018 crop will look like—for better or worse. The industry continues to share state crop estimates from growers associations (Those will be published in the…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its annual non-citrus fruits and nuts report today. Pecans are included in this report, and you can see the annual summaries of acreage, yield, production, use, price, and value by state for the 2017  crop. You can review the USDA 2018 report here. Below you can compare the…

Nitrogen is a “building block” of a vast array of plant biochemicals. To farm pecans successfully, you probably don’t need to know the names of all of these, but you’ve definitely already heard of some of them: – amino acids and proteins: including enzymes that make all of the biological processes in the plant actually…