June 2019

APC’s Industry Position Report for May gifts the industry with more reliable information

The American Pecan Council released its Pecan Industry Position Report for May 2019 last night. This report marks the ninth monthly report for the 2018 crop. With each release, the American pecan industry develops a clearer picture of the market’s current state and the movement of pecans throughout the country and around the world. In the...

Trump signs $19 billion disaster relief bill

After a long delay, President Donald Trump signed the $19 billion disaster relief bill early Thursday morning, which will give funds to states and territories damaged by natural disasters. Along with Puerto Rico, a number of states, including California, Georgia, Florida, and Iowa, will receive aid through this package after being ravaged by hurricanes, wildfires,...

Trump Administration removes India’s Special Trade Status

As the Chinese government preps to retaliate with a 25 percent tariff increase, trade tensions have arisen between the United States and India. The Trump Administration announced last Friday that it would eliminate India’s special trade status, which exempts billions of dollars of Indian products from U.S. tariffs. Starting June 5, the White House will...

Innovation Corner: Noce Pecans

Noce Pecan is inspired by a traditional Italian walnut liqueur called Nocino, which is made from unripe walnuts and citrus. We made our Texas-inspired version by taking green, unripened pecans from Yegua Creek Farms and steeping them for a year in a neutral spirit. We then added fresh lemon peel for the final six months of the infusion. The resulting...

Family Trees: Roots & Resilience

The U.S. pecan industry is young compared to most tree crops. The pecan is an unusual example of a North American native tree that has become a worldwide crop. The early pecan industry grew out of the native forest with several factors contributing to its historic development: a nutritious, high-quality product that was in demand;...

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Late spring tornado strikes Red River region

This spring has been a doozy for growers across Texas, Oklahoma and much of the Southeast, who have been combating tornadoes, thunderstorms, flash floods, and incessant rain. April 30 alone saw 41 tornadoes of varying strength touch down across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. One tornado, in particular, touched down near Wichita Falls, Texas...

The Mystery of Pecan Roots

At less than 150 years old, the pecan industry is a relatively new commercial crop in the world. Citrus, apples, grapes, and most other fruit crops have been cultivated for profit over a much longer period of time. We know a lot about pecans from a production and technical standpoint. However, there is very little...

The Pecan Trees of the Centenary

A plantation project to commemorate Franco-American friendship on the occasion of the centenary of the United States entering World War One.  The Project’s Genesis The Franco-American friendship began during the Enlightenment, before the French Revolution, thanks to the role played by Lafayette in the American Revolutionary War and to his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, Governor...

Pecan Aphids, Part II: Feeding Biology

In the first of this three-part series on the pecan-feeding aphids (March 2019), I covered how different aphid species distribute on pecan foliage. At the end of that article, we questioned why nymphs of the blackmargined pecan aphid and yellow pecan aphid favor the underside of the pecan leaf, but a proportion of black pecan...

June’s the time to get it right!

June is generally accepted as the start of summer. Out in the West, some years feel like summer starts at the end of May and continues through to Halloween. June is also the beginning of the most critical phases of our growing season. We have made it through budbreak and pollination, hopefully without incident, and...

Letter from the Editor: “Hit Pause.”

Dear Readers, Days bleed together, don’t they? And it seems as every day passes the next flies by even faster. I often wonder about how we spend this time—working, laughing with our families, resting, doing the day-to-day tasks required to live. Sometimes, if we’re lucky enough, we’re able to step back from the rush and...

Soil Health: Does your orchard need a checkup?

Over the last few months, I have visited many potential pecan orchard sites in several states. As always, one of the first topics discussed is the soil at the proposed site. The importance of a good soil for pecan production cannot be overemphasized. Planting a pecan orchard is not a short-term goal and it often...

Chefs Discover Pecan’s Story & Versatility at NPSA’s 2019 Pecan Chef Summit

When so much goes into growing, processing, and marketing a food product, we can easily forget the other side of the equation: actually eating the product. For pecans, this other side is simply that our industry produces a food that’s full of taste and nutrition and has so many uses from a gourmet kitchen to...

APC 101 Series: Marketing Strategy 101

As consumer behavior changes and generations establish their likes and dislikes, industry marketing, education techniques, and technologies must also adapt or be left behind. To understand and thrive in the future market, the industry must understand consumer trends and preferences. Consider the following: traditional TV viewing is down across all major age groups. According to...

Beware the Second Generation of Pecan Nut Casebearer

If you’re in the pecan business, there’s something you should know. The pecan nut casebearer must be controlled. This fact has been reiterated countless times in this magazine, and PNC management remains a standard topic at spring county field days. Typically, the recommendation emphasizes managing the first generation and focuses on using pheromone traps to...