Blog 10 - Harvesting and Storage

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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 pecan, 2013). When looking at figure 1 one can clearly see that the nut is growing in size inside the kernel. The last stage is the shuck dehiscence. This is when the kernel cracks open so that the nut will drop on the floor. This is when the pecan is ripe and can be harvested. (Reid, The phenology of early ripening in pecan, 2013). In figure 2 one can see how the pecan looks when ripe for harvest.



Figure 1 Kernel filling stage (Reid, Late season pecan kernel filling, 2016).

Figure 2 Shuck Dehiscence stage (Reid, Pecan crop advancing towards shuck split, 2015).

After the pecans have fallen to the ground they have to dry and cure. This naturally happens when they fall to the ground, but many growers harvest the tree all at once, so that this also has to happen artificially. If the pecan fall to a wet ground, it could result in rotting. If the pecans are harvested too early they do not have the flavour, texture and aroma that ripened pecans have. If you harvest too late the pecans are susceptible to rotting, squirrels or birds. (Grant, n.d.).

In figure 3 there is an overview of the ripening stages of several cultivars of pecan trees. The data is specifically targeted at Northern Pecan growing. In the South the pecan trees are mostly ripened in the months October-January. (Reference, n.d.).






-          In Georgia the harvesting period is mostly in the months of October until December
-          In New Mexico the harvesting period begins normally end November/early December
-          In Texas the harvesting period can start as early as October (in the South)
-          In Arizona the harvesting period is often from the end of November until January
(Reference, n.d.) & (Hawkes, 2016).

Harvesting is very depended on weather conditions. Hard freezes are often needed to soften the fibrous nuts of the pecans. (Hawkes, 2016).


Figure 3 The Ripening stages of pecans of several cultivars (Reid, The phenology of early ripening in pecan, 2013).

References

Grant, A. (n.d.). Picking Pecans: How And When To Harvest Pecans. Retrieved from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/nut-trees/pecan/when-to-harvest-pecans.htm
Hawkes, L. (2016, December 12). NM pecan harvest delay concerns growers. Retrieved from SouthWest Farm Press: http://www.southwestfarmpress.com/orchard-crops/nm-pecan-harvest-delay-concerns-growers
Nutbiz Pape Pecan Equipment. (n.d.). Pecan Harvesting Equipment from Pape Pecan House. Retrieved from Nutbiz Pape Pecan Equipment: http://nutbiz.com/harvest/equipment.htm
Reference. (n.d.). When do pecans ripen? Retrieved from Reference: https://www.reference.com/food/pecans-ripen-f95e668dc8bfd5bb
Reid, W. (2013, July 18). The phenology of early ripening in pecan. Retrieved from Blogspot: http://northernpecans.blogspot.nl/2013/07/the-phenology-of-early-ripening-in-pecan.html
Reid, W. (2015, September 11). Pecan crop advancing towards shuck split. Retrieved from Blogspot: http://northernpecans.blogspot.nl/2015/09/pecan-crop-advancing-towards-shuck-split.html
Reid, W. (2016, September 21). Late season pecan kernel filling. Retrieved from Blogspot: http://northernpecans.blogspot.nl/2016/09/late-season-pecan-kernel-filling.html


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