Rain Issues for Texas
The Texas A&M Pecan Orchard received over 12 inches of rain in May 2016, making it the second highest rainfall May in history for the area. The weatherman says we have 4 days with more than 50 percent chance of rain the first week of June, so more water may be on the way. The...
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TriState Conference – Grower offers honest look at Louisiana orchard challenges
Members of the Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas Pecan Growers Associations kicked off another year with the Tri-State Pecan Convention June 16-17 in Alexandria, Louisiana. The participants were treated to a morning in a nearby orchard, a trade show and a day’s worth of educational seminars. The show started at Woodside Farms near Alexandria, Louisiana, owned...
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New Mexico Loses Stalwart Supporter Karin Davidson
The New Mexico pecan industry lost a loyal supporter on June 5 when Karin Davidson died unexpectedly from a heart attack just days before her 57th birthday. Here are portions of an obituary published after her death. “Karin was born June 11, 1959 in Albuquerque, NM, to Karl and Ruth Gustafson, who preceded her in...
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OPGA Program Packed with Information
The Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association packed plenty of information into a one-day program during its annual conference in Tulsa on June 3. The field day on June 4 at Mike Spradling’s Flying G Ranch was somewhat disrupted by heavy rain at the beginning but some attendees waited it out and enjoyed an abbreviated version and...
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U.S. Pecan Growers continue to develop China market
I recently served as the U.S. Pecans Project Manager for the 2016 SIAL China trade show, a component of the 2016 U.S. Pecan Growers Council (USPGC) China Unified Export Strategy (UES). Our objective for the show was to showcase/promote U.S. grown pecans in the China country market, to share information, and improve knowledge on pecan...
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Don’t delay in finding source of foliage damage
At the time of this writing, producers in Texas are past first-generation pecan nut casebearer, are experiencing June drop and I think have a better feel for their potential crop. When it comes to protecting a crop from insect pests, most of us think of pecan nut casebearer, pecan weevil, stink bugs and hickory shuckworm...
Read moreTexas Pecan Board Schedules Election for 3 At-large Slots
The Texas Pecan Board will hold elections in August to elect 3 board members where current members’ terms are expiring. The Board was established in 1998 after pecan growers throughout Texas voted into effect a one-half-cent-per-pound pecan assessment to provide funds for promotion and research. Nine pecan producers serve on the board. Board members whose...
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Rain Can Bring Blessings and Challenges
Rain!!… what a beautiful thing… just seems to be too much at times. But, my, does it make things grow, especially pecans. It seems like we have been talking about drought and the devastation it was having on native trees along rivers and creeks that had gone dry forever, and today we are talking about...
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Brison Scholarship Recipient
The Texas Pecan Growers Association annually sponsors the Fred Brison Scholarship, given to a horticulture student at Texas A&M University. The 2016 recipient was named April 9 at a TAMU awards event. Recipient Victoria Soledad De Leon, center, is working on a bachelor’s degree in fruit and nut production. Also pictured is Dr. Dan Lineberger,...
Read morePecans, FSMA and GAPs, Oh My!
This spring I have attended a number of pecan and commodity meetings at the parish, state and regional level. As I have talked with growers and processors of various commodities, it has become apparent that Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)/Good Handling Practices (GHP) Certification is gaining in importance and use across the nation. This type of...
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