March 2018

March Letter from the Editor: Identifiable, Checkable and Trustworthy

As a journalist, the truth holds a lot of weight for me. Misinformation, false equivalency, bias, objectivity, protected sources—I spent the majority of my time last year debating and discussing these topics with fellow journalists, while I worked to earn my Master’s. In today’s world, we’re a click away from each other. But plot twist!...

Pecan Management Calendar for 2018

As pecan growers enter the 2018 pecan year, it is good to outline management practices and develop plans for the entire calendar year. Growers can use different types of management—establishment management, low versus moderate versus intensive orchard management, and native grove management. Texas production is in an alternate bearing cycle with 2018 being the “on”...

A Glimpse at Pecans in California

The team at Kern farm places great importance on soil health. After shredding up limbs from hedging, Felipe Ramirez, farm manager, leads the team in compacting those shredded limbs into the soil. This is one way orchard employees work to bring nutrients back to the soil. Ramirez also says this helps to keep the ground...

Around the Industry: the 2018 World Ag Expo

The World Ag Expo returned to Tulare, California on Feb. 13-15 this year to give producers, consumers and ag innovators the chance to meet, network and celebrate the future of agriculture. Presented by the International Agri-Center, this year’s World Ag Expo covered 2.6 million square feet and featured exhibitors with various focuses from safety to...

Editor’s Current Favorites

As the pecan industry’s leading publication, it should come as no surprise that we love pecans. As editor of Pecan South, I’m constantly on the lookout for new and interesting pecan recipes—not only to feature in the magazine, but also to use at home since my freezer is currently overrun with our favorite nut. This...

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Back to Basics: Revisiting & Understanding Horticultural Oils

This is a topic I have written about several times in the past, but every year I receive questions concerning the use of dormant oils on pecan so I will readdress this topic again. Horticultural oils have been used in agriculture for over 100 years to control various soft-bodied insects such as scale, aphids, and...

Tree by Tree, Step by Step

What a difference a year makes as we get ready for another exciting growing season! Our winter to date has been totally different from last year with periods of extended cold, some ice and snow and cold fronts on a regular basis. After a year of virtually no chill, it appears that we will have...

Pecan Root Knot Nematode: A Hidden Problem

Certain problems you encounter in growing pecan trees have characteristic symptoms and have been such obvious problems through the years that they have been studied extensively and have well-defined methods of treatment. Pecan scab, mouse ear, and zinc deficiency would fall into this category. But sometimes pecan trees may suffer from less obvious symptoms, and...

Salinity, Another Key to Orchard Management

If you’re going to grow pecans in the southwestern states you’ll need to irrigate. That’s a given. Every time we irrigate, though, we’re adding more than just water. Every time we irrigate, we’re adding some amount of salt to the soil along with the water. It might just be a little bit of salt or...