February 2019

Verifying Pecan Weevil Damaged Pecans Through Microscopic Examination

Pecan weevil is one of the most important nut-infesting insects of pecan and as such this insect is not only a producer issue but also a state and industry problem. Making positive identifications of an infestation can be important for making management decisions, purchasing property for future orchards, determining new infestations/new county records, and following...

Pest Management and Production Information Sources

Producers have gotten their crop in, and we are entering the start of another growing season. During this off-season, I usually get requests for information on various pest problems; so for this month, I would like to point out some information sources, through which growers may browse for articles or information during their downtime or...

FMO – 101

Since coming on board as the Executive Director of the American Pecan Council, I have received numerous questions as to the abilities of the Federal Marketing Order (FMO). Simply put, what can the FMO do? What is the function? Are we really a government body or an industry body? Can FMOs really do research, domestic...

First Step to a Successful Graft? Properly Collecting Pecan Graftwood

Pecans are very difficult to graft. The first success was at Oak Alley Plantation a few miles north of New Orleans in 1846 by a slave gardener known as Antoine. His technique was most likely a cleft graft which was common in propagating other mature fruit trees at that time. If so, he made what...

U.S. Pecan Growers Council’s Leadership & Its Mission to Shape the Global Pecan Marketplace

Formed in 2010, the U.S. Pecan Growers Council (USPGC) has supported pecan growers in the United States and continues to position them as leaders in the global marketplace. Since its inception, the organization has brought in more than $5 million in federal funds to grow business in international markets. The USPGC’s mission is to develop...

Letter from the Editor: “Choosing a Winner & a Cover”

Back in October, we announced our first-ever Photo Contest. Over the next few months, the submissions rolled in from across the Pecan Belt. Each photo we received brought a smile to my face and to those of my coworkers and took us on a journey to familiar scenes across the industry—orchards at sunrise, changing seasons,...

Difficult Pruning Decisions for Storm Recovery

The cleanup from Hurricane Michael is on-going here in Georgia and many growers have reached the point where they have a lot of the debris cleaned out of the way but have to decide what to do with mangled trees that remain standing. The answer will depend on a number of factors, including tree density...

Good Pecans Start With Good Leaves

As we stand on the threshold of the 2019 growing season, it would be easy to be discouraged after the challenges we have had the last couple of years, but we all know that if it was easy, anyone could do it and we also know that growing pecans is a lot of hard work!...

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New Plantings Require a Few Variety Considerations

At the top of some pecan producers’ minds right now is the preparation for new orchard plantings. It’s probably a little late now to change this year’s order for nursery trees, but here are some important considerations when you’re deciding on a cultivar mix for your new plantings in the western growing region. History  ...