Pecan production in the US

Blog 11 - Organic Agriculture What are the problems when moving from conventional to organic practices? The most occurring problems when cultivating organic pecan is found in weed and pest management. Weeds will limit growth, for the trees will have to compete with the weeds. But perhaps most harmful will be plant diseases. The most common pecan diseases are caused by fungal pathogens, such as scab, so control is of upmost importance. (Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, n.d.) Aphids and weevil control is also an important factor to keep in mind. (Mizell, 2015) . It takes 3 years of transformation to be able to get an organic certification. if one plants new trees it can take 10 years before the trees will bear nuts. (Mizell, 2015) . Therefore, disease-resistant varieties have to be chosen. Also, a lot of organically approved substances are used to control the fungi and insects. The University of Florida has done research on organic production by R. F. Mizell. This publicati...

Blog 10 - Harvesting and Storage Specialized harvesting equipment that is required for large scale pecan production There are different types of harvesting equipment that is used for harvesting pecans on commercial, large scale level. There is a machine that picks up the nuts from the ground. Afterward, there is cleaning machinery needed to clean the pecan nuts. Then, there are the tree shakers which actually shake the tree so that the nuts drop to the ground. (Nutbiz Pape Pecan Equipment, n.d.) . Pecans ready for harvest? What will happen if you harvest too early or too late? Pecan ripening is often split up in three different stages. The first stage is fruit sizing, where the kernel develops in which the pecan nut will grow. In this stage the fruit will expand rapidly and become more rounded due to water storage. The second stage is called the kernel filling stage. This is the stage when the nut begins to develop in the kernel. (Reid, The phenology of early ripening in pec...

Blog 9 – Plant Disease & Insects Most important insects and diseases for pecans The main occurring insect pests are listed in table 1. Table 1 The main insect pests in pecan cultivation (Ellis, Bertrand, Hudson, & Georgia, 2009) . Blackmargined aphid Spittlebugs Pecan leaf casebearer Yellow pecan aphid Nut curculio Pecan cigar casebearer Black pecan aphid Hickory shoot curculio Pecan nut casebearer Pecan leaf scorch mite Hickory shuck worm Walnut caterpillar Pecan phylloxeras Pecan weevil Twig girdler Pecan serpentine leafminer Southern green stink bug May beetles Upper surface blotch leafminer Leaffooted bug Sawflies Fall webworm Pecan bud moth Pecan catocalas In most cases of disease, it was carried by a host, such as insects. Therefore, insect management is not only to the damage they may do personally, but also for ...

Blog 8 - Weeds Common weeds Pecans need quite a lot of nitrogen and zinc and high amounts of water. (Chapman & Garcia, n.d.) . Weeds are harmful when they start competing with the pecan trees for the nutrients available and the water supply. (Locke, 2012) . Weed control is most needed when dealing with young pecan trees. (Locke, 2012) . A study shows that the most common weeds for pecan trees in Georgia are: Table 1 Common weed species for pecans in Georgia (Grey, Webster, Turpin, & Wells, 2014) . Winter weeds Wild radish Italian ryegrass Summer weeds Palmer amaranth Bermudagrass Other Crabgrass species Behiagrass Florida pusley Purslane species Morningglory species Curly dock Cutleaf evening-primrose Method of weed control Sometimes it could actually be beneficial to establish an orchard floor to combat soil ...

Blog 7 - Cropping Systems, Tillage and Crop Establishment Monocropping or polyculture? The pecan tree usually takes more than 10 years to grow. (Stark Bro's , n.d.) . Therefore it might be handy to set up a lay-out and plan for the farm site. The term agroforestry was first used in 1977 to describe the integration of trees and agriculture. But the integration of trees and agriculture is as old as the days of the Neolithic revolution when forestry and agriculture were combined to eventually be integrated into settled systems. (Smith, 2010) . Different options in agroforestry are listed underneath: - Multipurpose windbreaks enable you to protect crops from wind and develop a different ecosystem. In return you can place e.g. black walnut trees as these windbreaks which will give both walnuts, hazelnuts, shrubs or Christmas trees. (University of Minnesota, n.d.) -  Forest farming or a plantation is only of use when one is working with a natural forest. The retur...

Blog 6 - Soils What are the most common soil types the region in the USA where pecans are cultivated? We will discuss the soils of the states Georgia and Texas.  Georgia Figure 1 the soils in Georgia.  (University of Georgia: College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, 2017) . -           Limestone valley The area in the Limestone valley alternates between hard and soft rock. The ridges are formed out of hard rock, but the valleys consist of softer limestone, shale and other material. (Coleman, n.d.) -           Blue Ridge There is a rich ecosystem with a diversity of plants and animals. The soil is loamy. It consists of clay, silt and sand. It looks brown and it is acidic. (Coleman, n.d.) . -           Southern Piedmont The soil in Piedmont consists mostly out of granite and clays. It is famous for its red c...