October 2018

Hurricane Michael Ravages Georgia, State of 2018 Crop Uncertain

Hurricane Michael struck Southwest Georgia early Thursday morning as a Category 3 before weakening to a Cat 2 and 1 as it marched across the state. Along the way, the storm downed trees and power lines, swept away pecans, and endangered thousands. Moving fast, it has now traveled into the Carolinas and is predicted to...

Postharvest Management Matters

Harvest is a dividing line for two important phases of pecan production. The “preharvest” phase involves everything that goes into setting, growing and protecting a pecan crop while it is on the tree. We generally count all of the 200 plus days from budbreak to shucksplit as the pre-harvest period, but it includes the care...

Marketing Guide 2018—October issue

October Recipes

Banana Nut Bread Submitted by Bert Hammons Makes 1 loaf to serve 8 to 10 | Cooking 45 mins. Ingredients 3 medium bananas, mashed ½ cup pecan oil (reader recommends Kinloch Plantation Pecan Oil) 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½...

Part 1: Exploring the National Marketing Campaign, Q&A with the APC

The American Pecan Council launched pecans’ national brand and congruent marketing campaign just a little over four months ago. Since then, “The Original Supernut” has made appearances on “Good Morning America,” been featured in numerous national publications, and been promoted by food bloggers, dietitians, and influencers. But if you’re not looking for it, the marketing...

Steps to Prevent Post-Harvest Insect Losses

Unfortunately, I think all of us, including myself, have had some experience with stored product insects. I mean who hasn’t found a moth or some beetles in their kitchen pantry. These cosmopolitan pests feed on a wide range of food materials and can be found anywhere along the food supply chain from production areas and...

Letter to the Editor

Let’s put things into perspective. The president isn’t the problem with the pecan tariff; he’s trying to correct the problem, which has been running wild. China is a good customer until their trees begin to produce, which we’ll see in a few years. We have a lobbyist now who is doing the same thing that...

October 2018 Advertisers

Pecan South October 2018 advertisers share their products and services between the pages of this issue. Below, we present a full list of our October 2018 advertisers and their contact information.

A Grower’s Guide to New Advancements in Pecan Production from the Georgia Fall Field Day

Pecan farmers are dealing with a lot right now—increased tariffs from China, new marketing efforts to increase pecan’s domestic presence, fighting off old and new pests, and starting harvest. With all this multitasking, it’s unfathomable to think that farmers have the time to constantly experiment with what works best for growing their crop. So, the...

Inside the APC’s August Meeting: Council releases industry data, approves budget & discusses funding policy

The American Pecan Council gathered at the Hyatt Regency near the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on Aug. 20 to discuss marketing updates, research proposals, governance, standardization, and industry relations. The meeting was attended by 25 council members and alternates as well as the APC staff, U.S. Department of Agriculture representatives, and guests. The meeting kicked off...

Arizona, the Dark Horse of the Pecan Industry

There are forces at work out in the deserts of Arizona. Strong winds, hail, lightning storms, monsoons—the extreme weather and climate may make one think that this land was inhospitable to farming. But like with other southwestern states, that’s not necessarily the case. There are forces at work out in the deserts of Arizona. Planting,...

Letter from the Editor: “Harvest Photo Contest”

Due to the diverse landscape of the Pecan Belt, we’re all at different points of the season. For some, harvest is in full-swing; others are set to start this month, and still, others are making the final preparations to begin harvest in November or December. Whatever stage you’re at in your harvest right now, you’re...

Pre-Harvest Planning

Since harvest is just around the corner, I thought it would be good to talk about management practices a grower may take the time to evaluate this time of year, which could pay big dividends into the future. I know that many producers are focused on the upcoming harvest and getting their equipment ready. However,...

Examining a Kill Step for Inshell Pecans

Pecans are one of the most desired tree nuts in the United States. The demand for the nut and its production has been increasing every year. In comparison to 2016, pecan production in the U.S. increased by 8.5 percent in 2017, which resulted in approximately 300 million pounds of pecans. In the past few years,...

Updates on the Pecan Variety Trial from the Texas A&M University Orchard

The Texas A&M Pecan Orchard at the University Brazos River Farm was first planted by Professor Fred R. Brison in 1948. Today, the Brison Orchard has 11 giant ‘Desirable’ trees in excellent health that have produced good crops each of the last six years. They were originally spaced 50 by 50 feet and have been...