
Bot canker on pecan
Young pecan trees are a big investment and we hate to see them get weak, decline, or up and die. I’ve seen a lot of young tree die-back this year. While much of this has been related to cold damage, some trees are feeling the effects of a subtle problem that often goes unnoticed until...
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Wanted: High-Quality Pecans (Part 1 of 2)
A message delivered to pecan growers throughout the pecan belt in 2012 and 2013 is the pecan market, domestic and foreign alike, wants high-quality pecans. Millions of pounds of pecans grown in 2012 were either left in the field or remain stockpiled in barns, sheds or cold storage today, because they had quality problems and...
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Grasshoppers plaguing many Texas pecan producers
The hot, dry, dog days of summer are upon us here in Texas and the grasshopper calls just keep on coming in. Over the past month, I have received more calls on grasshoppers than in any previous year and I’m sure more calls are on the way. These hot dry conditions we are experiencing favor...
Read moreMarketing Pecans 101: Agricultural products impacted by unique constraints
Last month I introduced readers to the concept of target markets and discussed some of the pros and cons associated with each market segment. This month I will provide readers with a discussion of the 4 “P’s” of the marketing mix: product, price, place (physical distribution) and promotion, and their counterpart the 4 “C’s”: customer,...
Read moreShellers host meeting Sept. 5-7 in Austin, TX
The National Pecan Shellers Association will hold its annual meeting Sept. 5-7 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. Golf, registration and a reception will comprise activities on Sept. 5. The program lineup on Sept. 6 will feature “Trends in Health, Snacking and Opportunities for Nuts on the Menu,” “Pecans in Gluten-Free, Diabetic Friendly Baking”,...
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Identifying causes for trunk injuries
It’s mid-summer and there’s not much to do in the native grove except for clipping the ground cover. The other day I noticed a large limb had been ripped out of a native tree by the wind (Fig. 1). I thought to myself—“now that mess will be a hot job to clean up”. If you...
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Roundup-Resistant Pigweed
Pecan industry: we have a problem. Since our first trials with Roundup (glyphosate) in 1973, we have had a near miracle cure for weed control in pecans. The happy days are over. We now have a rapidly growing, tall weed with a base over 1 inch in diameter that is both hard and fiber-filled. One...
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USDA’s Louis Tedders passes away July 6
Well known USDA entomologist Walker Louis Tedders, 78, passed away on July 6, 2013, at Heart of Georgia Hospice Inpatient Care after an extended illness. Funeral Services were held July 8 at Perry United Methodist Church, Perry, Georgia. Louis Tedders was born in Albany, Georgia, to the late Walker Louis Tedders Sr. and Thelma Wallace...
Read morePart 1: Varieties Worth Considering
For some time I have been considering what varieties to plant in some new orchards we are establishing. I have read and studied many of the new releases and, while interesting to me in some cases, long-term field data is missing on these. True performance can only be assessed after the variety is in a...
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