Pecan Cultivars for the Export Market Bill Goff, Department of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pecan Cultivars for the Export Market Bill Goff, Department of Horticulture, Auburn University

Suppose they decided to move Christmas to November 25 th this year. How would that affect the pecan market? 1. That’s preposterous, but…. 2. The date of the Chinese New Year does vary a month, from Jan 21 to Feb 21. 3. An early Chinese New Year puts the Chinese in direct competition with the high-priced giftpack market, and drives up the price. 4. This year’s Chinese New Year is relatively early, Jan 31. Ship needs to leave Savannah by mid November. Shake trees by 1 st of Nov.

Best early cultivars by harvest date 50% shucksplit occurs before 10-Sep 20-Sep 30-Sep 10-Oct Eclipse Mandan Pawnee Giftpack Osage Baby B Apalachee Byrd Excel Cunard Lakota Kanza Creek Elliott Caddo

Our methods and observations sometimes lead us to draw different conclusions from other researchers. Byrd Nacono “High resistance” “High resistance”

• 60 nuts/pound Eclipse= USDA 1963-16- • 55 % kernel 182, Mohawk X Starking • Bright kernel color with Hardy Giant some kernel flecking, similar to Pawnee • September 5 harvest date, 2 weeks before Pawnee • Good scab resistance in limited observations • Yield potential appears to be good from limited observation

Mandan • 50 nuts/pound BW-1 x Osage • 57 % kernel • Kernel color and quality are suspect. • Harvest date reports vary from 0-7 days earlier than Pawnee • Good scab resistance in limited observations • Yield potential is good from USDA records. Photo: W. Reid

Excel • Patented selection from Andy Clough • 43 nuts/pound • 49 % kernel • Kernels are bright. • Shells are thick. • Oct. 8 harvest date. • No scab. • Alternate bearing. • Yellow aphid resistance. • Usually, highest price.

Creek • 54 nuts/pound • 50 % kernel • Kernels are bright, poorly developed if overloaded. • Oct. 8 harvest date. • Moderate scab. • Alternate bearing, but remarkably steady if managed. • Yellow aphid resistance. Photo: C. Graham • Highly profitable.

• 44 nuts/pound Ellis • 57 % kernel • Good scab resistance. • Oct. 12 harvest date, 3 days or so before Desirable. • Good scab resistance, similar to Sumner. • Good and consitent yields • Excellent export and giftpack marketing potential. • Patented by Elliott Ellis.

• Recent Chinese Desirable preference is of industry- changing importance. • 46 nuts/pound, 53 % kernel. • Suitable for giftpack, inshell, export, and shelling. • Very scab susceptible, and also susceptible to Glomerella and mites. • Weak limb structure. • Oct. 15 harvest date. • Productive and consistent • Nuts retained high value in 2012, when high % kernel, but smaller nuts dropped.

Remember, no matter how good the market potential, you have to be able to grow them first!!! • Watch out for scab susceptibility. Multiply scab you see now on a new selection X 10? to account for expected worsening as strains develop and proliferate. This is especially true if parents of the selection are highly scab susceptible. • Be wary of extreme susceptibility to any major problem, like black aphids (Oconee), bacterial leaf scorch (Cape Fear), Glomerella (Zinner), alternate bearing (Elliott).

Considering marketability, and ability to grow, cultivars I would plant for the export market 1. Ellis 2. Desirable 3. Pawnee 4. Eclipse 5. Creek 6. Excel

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