February 2018

A Brief History of Native Pecan Production in Kansas

We just finished up harvesting, cleaning, and marketing our 2017 native pecan crop. At this point in the season, I usually take stock of how our natives performed during the previous growing season and then make plans for how we can tweak our management program to optimize the 2018 crop. Do we need to alter...

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When Freezing Temps Hit, Freeze Damage is a Risk

The pecan industry was hit by a hard freeze the first month of 2018. The most northern orchards received the coldest temperatures, with some less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Other orchards in the South experienced temperatures in the teens accompanied by ice, sleet, and snow. How cold must it be before damage occurs? When did the...

A New Year, A New Crop to Care For

So much can change over a short period of time. I often look back to previous year’s conditions to compare with present conditions. Last year, many growers, especially those that had other fruit crops in addition to their pecan trees, were very concerned about the shortage of cold weather received over the 2016-2017 winter. It...

Celebrating 75 Years & Growing

For more than 75 years, the National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA) has been committed to its stated mission: to support and promote the interest of pecan shellers and the global industry to assure quality, safety, and integrity of pecan products worldwide. NPSA has played a critical role as a solutions provider for pecan shellers by implementing...

Turning Old Habits into New Traditions

Even though we are one month into the new year I believe many of us are still thinking of our list of resolutions. Maybe you have already made out a list and are sticking to it. Or maybe you are in the camp of people that are still trying to decide what changes you want...

American Pecan Council Makes Moves in January Meeting

The American Pecan Council, the operating group for the federal marketing order for pecans, met in Dallas, Texas on Jan. 22 to discuss staff, marketing, financial and operational updates. With 25 council members in attendance, this in-person meeting marks the first in 2018 for the council. In the two-day meeting, the American Pecan Council (APC)...

Dormant Season: A Good Time to Monitor for Obscure Scale

We are fortunate that in this day and age of pecan production producers have numerous tools available to help anticipate and control economic damaging populations of insects. There are pheromone traps, adult emergence traps, economic thresholds, online prediction models and a wide assortment of insecticides. However, there are some insects where detection will have to...

Hello Dolly Bars Recipe

Hello Dolly Bars Submitted by Intisar Seraaj, pecan lover Prep 10 minutes | Total 40 minutes | Serves 12 bars Ingredients 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 3 cups (about a 13 1/2 ounce box) graham cracker crumbs 2 cups (about 12 ounces) dark or semisweet chocolate chips 2 cups (about 8 ounces) pecans,...

Letter from the Editor: The Most Interesting Month in the Year

February has always been my favorite month. It’s special for a number of reasons. It is the only month whose number of days can change. It’s shorter; moves by faster. It actually gives you a chance to miss it. Other months sometimes feel like they drag on, pulling us along, rushing us through the motions...

Oklahoma High Schooler, Pecans Win Big at National FFA Agriscience Fair

An Oklahoma sophomore won the National Runner-Up at the National Agriscience FFA Fair in Indianapolis, Indiana for his research on pecans. One of 12 finalists, Jasper Rader from Oologah High School in Oologah, Oklahoma presented his project to the research board, compiled a report and was interviewed by a panel of judges before being awarded....