Two photos side by side show the before and after a freeze of secondary buds on a pecan tree.

Exploring Pecan Secondary Buds as a Spring Freeze Crop Recovery Method

In recent communications with pecan growers, a prevalent concern has emerged regarding the susceptibility of pecan crops to spring freeze events. Spring freeze, when opening flowers are exposed to freezing temperatures resulting in the failure to bear fruit, poses a significant threat to pecan production in nearly all pecan-producing states. Spring freezes occur approximately three...

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Texas A&M Researchers Announce Winners from Marketing Label Study

Earlier this year, a team of researchers at Texas A&M University’s Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences invited pecan industry members to participate in a study about consumer decision-making and consumer preferences for pecans. This research arose out of the belief that understanding an expert’s ability to accurately forecast the effectiveness of marketing efforts to...

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Store Your Pecan Wisely

Pecan harvest is here, and as always, customers consider the best way to store the nuts they purchase. Renowned for their nutty, buttery flavor, a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and antioxidants, pecans offer unique nutrient benefits for human health. A study published in Nutrients in 2018 (Cupisti et al. 2018) showed that...

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How Pecans May Help Lead to Net Zero Carbon

`Since ancient times, farmers have viewed the soil as a source of wealth to preserve and as an indicator of environmental health. For example, the Roman writer and politician Marcus Porcius Priscus (234-149 BCE), better known as Cato, noted in his famous essay “De Agri Cultura” many usual agricultural practices carried on vineyards and olive...

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A wooden bowl filled with all sorts of tree nuts, including pecans, almonds, pistachios, macadamias, and cashews.

Nut Consumption Improves Cognitive Function and Modulates Gut Bacteria, New Study Suggests

Nov. 10, 2022—A recent INC-funded study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that after four weeks of consumption of nuts in a healthy non-elderly sample, there are positive effects on cognitive function as well as modulation of microbial taxa associated with gut health.  The goal of this clinical study was to examine the effects of...

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The equipment used in the UGA shelling study

UGA Researchers Seek to Crack Shelling Challenge

Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Engineering are trying to crack a tough problem: extracting more high-quality kernels from shelled pecans. The team aims to identify the factors and variables controlling kernel extraction and provide solutions for increasing half yields. In the short term, the researchers will look for specific ways to improve...

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An up-close view of nematodes emerging from an infected wax moth larva. The wax moth larva is orange, thick, and rounded like a worm. It is split in the half and that's where the nematodes are emerging from in a petri dish. The nematodes are white half-moon slivers.

Considerations for applying beneficial nematodes for pest control

Summary Beneficial nematodes (entomopathogenic nematodes) are effective in killing the ground-dwelling stages of pecan weevil. The use of beneficial nematodes is compatible with organic pest control approaches. Like many biocontrol agents, some special considerations for applying beneficial nematodes are necessary, such as appropriate temperatures, soil moisture, and avoidance of UV light. Beneficial nematodes can be...

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A green pecan leaf with a brown leison growing in from the leaf tip. The leaf tip is curling in and dying off from neofusicoccum caryigenum.

Neofusicoccum caryigenum, a new pecan pathogen finally gets a name

A new disease was observed on pecan trees in Georgia about nine years ago. Pecan is susceptible to numerous diseases, but these symptoms were unique and had not been observed previously. They were initially found on large ‘Stuart’ trees, specifically on leaflets with one or more galls from phylloxera feeding. The disease was subsequently found...

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A green bunch of pecan leaves with brown and shriveling edges. This leaflet shows symptoms of the emerging disease Pecan Bacterial Leaf Scorch, or Xylella fastidiosa.

Pecan Bacterial Leaf Scorch, Emerging & Dangerous Disease

Emerging diseases often cause serious economic damage due to a lack of knowledge about the causal pathogens and improper preparation of management strategies. A telltale example is the COVID-19 pandemic. Its global economic damage is unsurmised and our daily lifestyles have been interrupted and changed by this pandemic.  New, emerging diseases can also interrupt normal...

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Three stacked photos exhibit how Zhang's team measure the shuck, shell, and embryo of each cultivar.

Know Your Nuts – From Flowering to Fruiting

Scheduling irrigation, pesticide sprays, and preparing the orchard floor for harvest are all tied to how pecans develop into mature nuts, and how they grow in any given year. Our current language about pecan growth highlights some key growth points. One such example is the water stage—the best time for fruit thinning to better regulate...

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Family Trees: The Next Generation

The USDA-ARS Pecan Breeding & Genetics Program is at a transition point. In the past three Pecan South articles, we looked at the collection of living inventories that has grown from a “breeder’s collection” to represent global Carya populations, forming the National Collection of Genetic Resources for Pecans and Hickories (NCGR-Carya). Using that collection, cooperative...

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An up-close view of nematodes emerging from an infected wax moth larva. The wax moth larva is orange, thick, and rounded like a worm. It is split in the half and that's where the nematodes are emerging from in a petri dish. The nematodes are white half-moon slivers.

Pheromones Give Nematodes a Boost in Controlling Pests

BYRON, GEORGIA, July 25, 2019—Beneficial nematodes are used as biological control agents to fight a variety of insect pests that severely damage crops. However, in many cases the nematodes don’t measure up to other control methods such as certain chemical pesticides. A recent Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study, published in The Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, shows...

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A heart-shaped bowl filled with a variety of tree nuts next to a doctor's coat and a stethoscope.

New Study Reveals an Inverse Association between Nut Consumption and Cardiovascular Diseases

July 2019. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting approximately 17.9 million people in 2016.1 A healthy diet is one component of the type of lifestyle that should be promoted to deal with this global health concern. Several healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean...

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Table F-13, the above table, shows the revenue data used in this study.

It’s Time to Get Your Costs Under Control

It’s no secret that pecan growers have benefited from higher than normal prices for the last several years. As a result, many growers have increased their pecan acreage and replaced less productive trees and varieties with more productive ones. Unfortunately, the laws of supply and demand dictate that the natural outcome of high prices is...

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Two inshell pecans hang off of a thin branch, ready for harvest. Their shucks have dried out and turned brown.

Q&A with Lead Researcher on Recent Pecan Nutrition Study Tufts University

Conducted by researchers at Tufts University, a new pecan study was recently published in Nutrients, an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal. This study, titled “A Pecan-Rich Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” examined the link between eating pecans and risk for cardiometabolic diseases in adults who were...

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Advancing DNA Fingerprint System in Pecan

ARDMORE, Okla. — Six national institutions have become the first multistate and multidisciplinary study to receive funding specifically to work on pecans. Researchers at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), University of Georgia, University of Arizona and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, recently...

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Update on International Tree Nut Council Health Research

The pecan industry contributes at least $50,000 annually to the International Tree Nut Council’s Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. These funds are provided by the National Pecan Shellers Association, Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Texas Pecan Growers Association and Western Pecan Growers Association, and have been for a number of years. The mission of INC NREF...

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Circle traps a useful tool in pecan weevil management

The objective of this study was to determine the average percentage of ground-emerging adult pecan weevils caught in Circle traps placed on trunks. This knowledge is essential for estimating numbers of weevils infesting pecan trees prior to management decisions (Mount, 2014). Previous research by Raney and Eikenbary (1968), Mulder et al. (2003), and Cottrell and...

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New study shows nut consumers have better diet quality

A new study, published in mid-January in the open access journal Nutrients, compares the nutrient adequacy and diet quality of those who consume tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts), and non-tree nut consumers in a nationally representative population. Tree nut consumption was associated with better nutrient adequacy...

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Weevil management strategy important in native pecans

Growers of native pecans are well aware of the need to manage the pecan weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for prevention of unacceptable infestations of weevil larvae in harvested nuts. Previously, I reported on the dynamics of pecan weevil populations in the Mount orchard of 300 acres of non-irrigated river-bottom populated with about 3,000 native pecan trees...

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Consumption of tree nuts inversely associated with risk of pancreatic cancer in women

In a large prospective study published online in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers looked at the association between nut consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer among 75,680 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, with no previous history of cancer. Consumption of nuts, including tree nuts (such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and...

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Contributing to a healthy environment

The western region irrigated pecan industry (Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas in the U.S. and Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon and Sonora in Mexico) has grown tremendously since pecans were first introduced in early 1900s. Mexico has over 96,000 hectares with an annual production valued at over $500 million (SAGARPA 2011). There are an...

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Fig. 1. The orchard used for the study. The location of the Bird Gard is noted in the west fi eld.

Mitigating pecan depredation losses

Pecan nut loss caused by wildlife depredation results in major economic losses. In small orchards depredation may result in total crop loss. Several avian species feed on pecan nuts; the more problematic species include the American crow and blue jay (Aldous, 1944; Bannon, 1921; Hall, 1979; Leppla, 1980; Martin et al., 1951; Murray, 1975; Wilson,...

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Figure 1. A whole truffle found in a Texas pecan orchard (a), above. Washing and cleaning the truffles reaveals an orange-brown color of the outer ‘skin’ (b), right Cross section through a pecan truffle shows the marbled pattern of cream and light brown internal tissue (c), bottom left.

Pecan Truffle Research Underway in Texas

The word ‘truffle’ often evokes an image of elegant culinary items including the expensive garnish or flavoring of fine European cuisine. Although the aromatic, edible fungal fruiting structures that are known as truffles are more often associated with European countries, North America has several species that naturally grow in forests across the continent. One such...

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INC reports plans for upcoming tree nut projects

For a number of years, the pecan industry has been contributing $50,000 per year to the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation (INC NREF). The pecan industry’s funds have come from the National Pecan Shellers Association, the Texas Pecan Growers Association, Western Pecan Growers Association and the Georgia Pecan Commodity Commission. Other...

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Kernel Necrosis of ‘Pawnee’ Pecan

Kernel necrosis is a malady characterized by necrotic tissue at the basal end (stem end) of the kernel (Fig. 1) (Smith et al., 2007). It was first reported in an orchard near Charlie, Texas, and has since been identified in several orchards with ‘Pawnee’ trees located in the Red River Basin located along the Oklahoma...

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Project Addressing Aphid Resistance to Imidacloprid

Results of studies recently conducted in Texas indicate that blackmargined aphids may be showing resistance to the commonly used neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, which brings us to the purpose of this month’s column: IPM and Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) of pecan aphids. Pests’ resistance to pesticides has been a major problem since pesticides have existed. Insecticide-resistant...

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Survey IDs Pecan Marketing Opportunities

Consumers in the U.S. think about pecans – and use them – differently than most other nut varieties, according to a new national survey conducted by Blue Chip Marketing, a market research firm based in Chicago. Snacking is the most common eating occasion for nuts in general, according to the data. Meanwhile, consumers are more...

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What is a Native Pecan Sprout Worth?

This past winter we identified several young pecan sprouts that were surrounded with briars and brush that had been previously ignored because they were not on perfectly flat ground as was the main orchard. They were close to water and beavers had already taken many other young trees in the area. The first step was...

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Survey Reveals Profile of Typical Pecan Consumer

ATLANTA – Who snacks on pecans in the U.S.?  Hint: think Steel Magnolias. The profile of a typical pecan snacker is a 52-year-old, educated, affluent, married, white Southern woman, according to a leading market research firm.  The National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA) recently obtained data from GfK MRI to better understand the American pecan consumer. ...

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Industry Meets to Pinpoint Research and Extension Priorities

A common misconception among clientele is that funding for research and Extension activities is available from the university. Thirty years ago a large portion of the funding was based on “formula funds”, those funds allocated by the federal government for states to administer as needed to support agricultural and human environmental science programs. This gradually...

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Loma Linda University Shows Antioxidants in Pecans May Contribute to Heart Health & Disease Prevention

Loma Linda, California – A new research study from Loma Linda University (LLU) demonstrates that naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention; the results are published in the January 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition. Pecans contain different forms of the antioxidant vitamin E — known as tocopherols, plus...

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Behavior of Salmonella on High-Moisture Pecans

All microorganisms require water and other nutrients to grow. In the absence of one or both, microbial cells will die or go into a dormant, non-reproductive state. Molds generally require less moisture to grow than do bacteria. Hence the need to reduce the moisture content of in-shell pecan kernels as well as shelled nutmeats to...

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Shellers Launch Prevalence Study, Focus on Food Safety

The National Pecan Shellers Association has listened and heard over the past few years about the importance and increased emphasis on food safety. Invited speakers at several of NPSA’s recent meetings have focused on this topic. And now NPSA is making a considerable investment in determining precisely the “prevalence of Salmonella in pecans.” NPSA has...

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Salt Leaching In Pecan Orchards Of The Southwest

Pecans, along with almonds and walnuts, are among the most salt-sensitive tree crops currently grown under irrigation. Many growers are not aware that salts are affecting tree growth, nut yields and quality, because symptoms of salt-affected trees are difficult to differentiate from water stress (Fig. 1). Diagnosis of salt problems and general approaches for minimizing...

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