Pecan growers gave a sigh of relief as timely September rains
fell on state orchards during a critical growing stage, says a
University of Georgia pecan expert.

The 3 to 5 inches of rain that fell in early September
“were
right on time for the pecans,” said Tom Crocker, a
horticulturist
with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.

Rains Help Nuts

Between early September and October, pecans enter a growing
stage known as nut fill, when the edible part of the nut fills
the hull. The rain will help the nut mature and improve the
quality
for harvest, Crocker said.

Not only was the rain beneficial, Crocker said, but the way
it was delivered couldn’t have been better. The steady, light
showers came with little wind gusts that could damage tree
limbs,
knocking down the overall production and dollar value of the
crop.

Disease Risk

However, the rain does increase the risk of late-season scab,
a fungus that can severely reduce the quantity and quality of
yields, said Tim Brenneman, a UGA plant pathology researcher at
the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton. But damage due
to scab would be minimal this late in the season.

“We could also have some scab carry over to next
season,”
Brenneman said.

For now, the perfect weather for pecans won’t be rainy.
“We
need it to clear off and get some sunshine,” Brenneman said,
“so the leaves can put out what they need to fill those nuts
right now.”

With the third straight year of drought, the $100 million
state
pecan crop has had to depend greatly on irrigation. About
two-thirds
of the state orchards are irrigated.

But overall, “the pecan crop looks real good right
now,”
Crocker said.