Around the Industry: WPGA Hosts 2024 Conference
Pecan industry members gathered March 3 to 5 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for the Western Pecan Growers Association’s 58th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Las Cruces Convention Center. The event kicked off with a BBQ lunch Cookout and Corn Hole Tournament. Attendees visited with vendors in the Trade Show portion of the...
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USDA Completes Laboratory Modernization to Advance Pecan Breeding and Research
SOMERVILLE, TEXAS—The Pecan Breeding and Genetics Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) recently completed a 2.5 million dollar laboratory modernization to accelerate pecan breeding through innovations in genetics and plant disease research. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 26 to commemorate the completion of the project. Pecan trees represent...
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Exploring Pecan Secondary Buds as a Spring Freeze Crop Recovery Method
In recent communications with pecan growers, a prevalent concern has emerged regarding the susceptibility of pecan crops to spring freeze events. Spring freeze, when opening flowers are exposed to freezing temperatures resulting in the failure to bear fruit, poses a significant threat to pecan production in nearly all pecan-producing states. Spring freezes occur approximately three...
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Texas AgriLife Job Opening: Assistant Professor and Extension Horticulture Specialist
Position Description Assistant Professor and Extension Horticulture Specialist: Emphasis in Pecans—El Paso, Texas Position Description: The AgriLife Research and Extension Center in El Paso, TX and the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX seeks outstanding applicants for a non-tenure track Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist position in horticultural sciences with...
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Cracking the Market: Pecans and the Booming Snack Industry in Mexico
It is undeniable that Mexico’s culinary scene is vast. Our culinary traditions, vibrant flavors, ancient ingredients, and produce and seeds that grow year-round present a promising landscape for different nuts, especially pecans. Snacking has always been part of Mexican consumers’ lifestyles; snacks are not something that simply helps them get through the day but also...
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March 2024 Advertisers
Pecan South March 2024 advertisers share their products and services between the pages of this issue. Below, we present a full list of our March 2024 advertisers and their contact information.
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Letter from the Publisher: “The Pecan Rabbit Hole”
Dear Readers, Well, I fell down the rabbit hole and landed in a pecan orchard. After almost 20 years in the pecan industry, my husband and I took the leap and purchased a small place in Central Texas. The land currently has both native and improved variety pecan trees on it, and we are in...
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NPF Updates Industry on Farm Bill, Grants, & More
USDA Announces Section 32 Purchase for Pecan The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced a solicitation for 6.2 million pounds of pecans for distribution to various food nutrition assistance programs. Purchases will be made under the authority of Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935, with the purpose...
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Cracking Open the India Opportunity
Driving export opportunities is a significant area of focus for the American Pecan Council. In particular, India presents a great opportunity to reach a growing, heavily vegetarian country where general awareness about pecans is low, but interest in nuts, especially U.S. nuts, is high—not just for cultural holidays, weddings, or gift-giving, but for nutritious snacking...
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The Haney Soil Health Test
Of the many tasks a grower must manage throughout the year, proper nutrient management is a must for a successful pecan orchard or grove. A balance of proper nutritional levels will provide the best conditions to produce a consistent crop. Management not only impacts the production of a high-quality crop but is closely associated with...
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March 2024 Classifieds
The March 2024 Classifieds feature available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the March 2024 issue.
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Time to Read Your Trees
As the dawn of a new pecan season rises, there is a bit of a reason for optimism. Of course, every farmer, especially pecan farmers, is an eternal optimist, but it appears the weather pattern may be changing a bit. Areas have received rain and the landscape looks better, but lakes, rivers, and wells are...
Read moreLet’s Learn from Zinc Studies this Growing Season
We are rapidly coming upon spring. And for many in the pecan industry, that means zinc. Pecans are uniquely sensitive among nut crops in their susceptibility to zinc deficiencies. This might be a consequence of a higher zinc requirement than some other plant species. Or perhaps it’s due to the kinds of soils that we...
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