Pecan Chilling and Delayed Bud Break
The 2016-2017 winter at College Station, Texas was the warmest in the last 45 years. According to the U.S. Weather Service via Underground Weather and “Get Chill Hours” on the web, we received only 368 hours of winter chilling below 45 degrees Fahrenheit from Nov. 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2017. From 1969 to 1974,...
Read moreEating Nuts Associated With Lower Risk of CVD, Cancer, and More
In a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies published in BMC Medicine (Aune et al), researchers looked at the association of nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adults. Higher nut intake (15-20 grams/day or 5-6 servings/week) was associated with reduced risk of CVD,...
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Scenes from Georgia
ATTENDING GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS CONFERENCE IN MARCH—This contingent of growers from northern Coahuila, Mexico, were on hand for the Georgia Pecan Growers Association annual conference in Tifton, Georgia on March 29 and especially pleased to be mentioned in Pecan South. From left: Julio Valdez, Margil Fernandez, Rodolfo Chavarria, Romulo Garza, Andres Bergen Wiebe, Benjamin Ortiz,...
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NPSA Gathers at Scenic Tubac, Arizona for Winter Meeting
Tubac Golf Resort and Spa south of Tucson, Arizona, was the setting for the recent National Pecan Shellers Association’s Mid Winter Meeting. Attendees heard interesting reports from Jim Zion regarding the marketing efforts by the American Pistachio Board and on the topic of drought impact on tree nuts by Paul Brown of the University of...
Read moreIrrigation and Fertilization of Young Pecan Trees
Most pecan growers are understandably eager to get young pecan trees into production. Aside from weed control, the two most important factors in doing this are irrigation and fertilization. Until recently there were no research-based recommendations for these two very important requirements. Before I get into these two topics, a word about site selection. The...
Read morePecan Pollination: The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
We are rapidly approaching bloom in our pecan orchards in the western growing region. As I write in early April, catkins are already visible. It won’t be very long before we’ll see the female flowers start to appear as well — giving us a little glimpse of the cropping potential in our orchards in 2017....
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Georgia Conference Draws Big Crowd in Tifton
The Georgia Pecan Growers Association packed a big crowd into a new conference venue in March. GPGA’s annual conference took place March 29 at the University of Georgia Conference Center in Tifton. Richard Heerema of New Mexico State opened the educational program with new information on zinc management, with a key point being “we are...
Read moreFrom the Farm: What Size Nursery Tree is Best?
Four feet or eight feet is the question. I am referring to the size of a nursery tree that you purchase to plant in your new orchard. My following comments will surely raise rebuttals from some individuals in the pecan industry but such is the nature of the beast. I was told by an old...
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Ambrosia Beetle Not Common, but Merits Attention
Not long after I started my career as the pecan IPM agent with Texas Agricultural Extension Service (as we were called back then), I had a producer from East Texas complain about some insect that was attacking and killing his young pecan trees. At that time I was more concerned about pecan nut casebearer and...
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New Plantings Continue as Common Sight in Georgia
The huge interest in planting pecans in the United States over the past five or so years continues and is easily evident when driving through pecan-growing regions of Georgia. National Pecan Company is one of the entities actively expanding current and new acreage of pecans. National’s director of farming operations Tom Stevenson recently escorted Pecan...
Read moreThe Tree Signals the Timing for Orchard Tasks
“When do I fertilize?” “When do I spray for casebearer?” “When do I control pecan weevil?” These are just a few of the ‘when’ questions I field every year from both new and experienced pecan growers. And with an early spring this year, everyone seems confused about timing orchard operations. I could reply with a...
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