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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Native Crop Looks Good in Texas So Far

It is with a great deal of sadness and respect that I note the passing of Belding Farms pecan grower extraordinaire, Mr. Jim Bennett. The first time I visited Belding Farms I was not only intrigued with the trees, but the size of the operation and the smoothness with which it ran due to Mr....

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Irrigation Scheduling Using Soil Moisture Monitoring

I think just about everyone in the pecan industry already knows that maintaining water status in orchards is of utmost importance for consistently producing top pecan nut yields and top pecan nut quality. When trees become water stressed, photosynthesis slows, shoot growth stops, nuts drop, and the remaining kernels don’t fully fill—all bad things if...

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TriState Attendees Get Salmonella Briefing

For the first time, growers from all 4 associations in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi gathered for the TriState Convention and Trade Show in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Growers were treated with a program full of a number of topics ranging from pest and disease control, management practices, salmonella and the future of the industry. The day finished...

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Walnut Caterpillar Makes Another Appearance In Texas

Every year there are isolated reports of walnut caterpillar activity, and so far for 2010, I have only received reports from 2 Texas counties — Victoria and DeWitt. And so far the only infestations have been in residential areas and not across commercial orchards. Although there are these isolated or localized areas of walnut caterpillar...

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Pecans Provide Neurological Protection

Lowell, MA – Eating about a handful of pecans each day may play a role in protecting the nervous system, according to a new animal study published in the current issue of Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. The study, conducted at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, suggests adding pecans to your...

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A Look at the 2010 Crop

By the time you read this the first crop estimate of the year will have been made at the Louisiana pecan meeting. I have no idea what that estimate will be. The past 6 “off” years’ production for the U.S. has averaged about 195 million pounds. I have heard 2010 estimates for Mexico of about...

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Food Safety, Regulations In Spotlight At OPGA Meet

Food safety and health department regulations were featured presentations at the recent Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association annual meeting in Ardmore. OSU Food Scientist William McGlynn told the group that many producers of agricultural products are now being asked — either by government regulators or by private industry — to create and follow some kind of...

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What Variety To Plant In The Southeast?

The most common question asked of pecan Extension specialists is “What variety should I plant?”. In the West where you may have primarily only two varieties that are commonly grown, it’s not that tough of a decision. In the Southeast, the variety question has no simple answer because we have a multitude of varieties to...

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No. 1: Pecans Need Water

We all know pecans need deep, well-drained soil, a warm climate, financing and good management. But when it comes to what we can do, irrigation is number 1. Nothing we do in the orchard affects profit more than irrigation. For years or decades, we have said pecans need one-acre-inch of water every week from April...

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