Phylloxera Management Requires Timing
Although it is early February, the recent warm days are a reminder that the beginning of a new year is just around the corner; it’s time to start preparing for another season. One group of early season insects that needs to be discussed at this time are the phylloxera. During May and June, county Extension...
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Pecan Tree Training Tips
Thousands of young pecan trees have been planted in the southeastern U.S. this winter, and they are primed to break dormancy and grow in the coming days. Few, if any, newly grafted pecan trees grow into a nice, central leader-shaped tree on their own. Without some efforts at training them, all these thousands of new...
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GM? NO. (But does it matter?)
Sometimes our eyes can betray us. The connection between what we see and what we know is very strong. Each feeds the other – seeing something adds to our catalog of knowledge, whereas having knowledge of something prior to seeing it can sometimes be limiting. An illustration of this occurs in the next case by...
Read moreWinter rains (finally) impact California harvest
Normally, still having acres left to harvest at this time of year would see me in a state of perpetual panic and worry. However, this isn’t a normal year. As most farmers in the U.S. know, California has been in the midst of a crippling drought. Most California growers have been almost completely reliant on...
Read more2017 Pecan Calendar for Texas
As pecan growers enter the 2017 pecan year it is good to outline management practices and develop plans. Growers can use different types of management: establishment management, low vs moderate vs intensive orchard management, and native grove management. Texas production is in an alternate bearing cycle with 2017 being the “on” year, which means two...
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