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 25th 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 1st 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

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

Eclipse= USDA 1963-16- 182, Mohawk X Starking Hardy Giant

• 60 nuts/pound
• 55 % kernel
• Bright kernel color with

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

• bservation

Mandan BW-1 x Osage

• 50 nuts/pound
• 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

• verloaded.
• Oct. 8 harvest date.
• Moderate scab.
• Alternate bearing, but

remarkably steady if managed.

• Yellow aphid resistance.
• Highly profitable.

Photo: C. Graham

Ellis

• 44 nuts/pound
• 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.

Desirable

• Recent Chinese

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

www.alabamapecangrowers.com