Texas Agrilife Extension
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
TEXAS PECAN PEST
MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER
Bill Ree, Extension Program Specialist III - IPM (Pecan)
P.O. Box 2150, Bryan, TX 77806-2150 September 30, 2015
Ph: 979-845-6800 #15-10
Email:
http://pecan.ipmPIPE.org
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TEXAS PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION
4348 Carter Creek, Suite 101 Bryan, TX 77802
Ph: 979-846-3285; Fax: 979-846-1752
Email:
www.tpga.org
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This is the last Pecan IPM newsletter for 2015. I will start back up during March of 2016. IF you change email servers and want to continue to receive this letter please let me know…………
THE PECAN NEWS LETTER
The Texas Pecan Newsletter is published by the Texas Pecan Growers Association and covers harvest and market updates. I have copied below the Texas report from the last, (Sept 25) issue. This letter is a great way to keep up with harvest and market information across the US and Mexico. The letter is available by email for $85 or $95 for regular mail and is published weekly.
If you would like to get The Pecan Newsletter by email or would like to contribute information about your crop and area, please contact Blair Krebs .
TX information from September 25th letter:
Many growers in Central and South Texas have begun harvesting their ‘Pawnee’ crop, but many are not feeling good about the results.A couple ofCentral Texas growers said they will be finished with the first round ‘Pawnee’ harvest by this weekend.Although, they may be finished with the ‘Pawnee’crop all together, because they do not have enough pecans to warrant a second round of harvest.One grower even states that this year’s ‘Pawnee’ crop isthe “worst I have seen since I have been in business.”He attributes the bad crop to scab or possibly pollination problems in the spring caused by heavyrain.He says the scab “grew even through the hot, dry weather.Seems like it never did quit.”.
However, he says his other varieties look better and he“hopes they are as good as they look, but won’t say until I can get in there.”
Another Central Texas grower states they “harvested our ‘Pawnee’ crop last Thursday and it was only 25 percent of last year, but the quality is verygood.”Other varieties in his orchard, such as ‘Cheyenne,’ ‘Choctaw’ and ‘Kiowa’ are almost ready to go, which makes them “a bit earlier than usual.”Hehas also had some trouble with scab, but fewer problems with stink bugs this year.He reports that “overall we expect to have about 30 to 40 percent of lastyear’s crop.”On the contrary, others in Central Texas are having a different experience and report that “the crop looks really good with regards to bothquality and quantity, some trees do have too many pecans, 25 percent above average.Some scab in ‘Wichita’ section, no other problems except for squirreland crow.”
In North Texas growers also saw abnormally large amounts of rain in the spring, causing flooding in orchards, as well as scab problems.One growersays their “crop is about 50 percent, lost a lot of pecans due to scab.”Even on early varieties, growers further north, “will begin around the 5th of October ifthe weather cooperates.Kind of worried about all the El Niño talk, late season harvest may get washed out! We have everything prepped and ready to roll,so we can get the crop in as fast as possible.”
INSECTS
At this time of year there are only a few insects that can still cause issues. Stink bugs and pecan weevil can still impact yield and quality and third generation walnut caterpillar can show up in some regions of the state.
Stink bugs: Stink bugs can and do feed on pecans up to and during harvest so when considering insecticide applications at this time of year you will need to look at the pre-harvest interval or PHI. The closest PHI for a pyrethroid class insecticide is 3 days for Danitol (fenpropathrin) while Mustang Maxx and Respect EC (zeta-cypermethrin) have a 7 day PHI.
Pecan Weevil: Adult emergence is dictated by soil type and soil moisture so orchards with heavy clay soils can be subject to a drought delated emergence. An example of this delayed emergence is shown in the graph below.
Adult emergence stopped around the middle of September but started again around October 19th after a rain. Female PW can lay eggs in pecans up to shuck split. This is where adult pecan weevil emergence traps will pay for themselves in detecting this delayed emergence. Continue to monitor traps and manage weevils up till the latest maturing cultivar reaches shuck split
Walnut caterpillar
Figure 1 5th instar walnut caterpillar
I have received a few reports of 5th instar WC of the third generation infesting pecan.
The 5th instar is characterized by being black with long white hairs and it is during this instar when most of the defoliation occurs. Infestations can be managed with any of the caterpillar specific insecticides.
STORED PRODUCT INSECTS
Now that we are in the harvest season and the new crop will be in retail stores soon there is another group of insects that need to be addressed by retailers and these are the stored product insects. Insects such as Indian meal moth, saw-toothed grain beetle, drug store beetle and cigarette beetle can all attach and feed on post-harvest pecans. I recommend that retail stores utilize the various pheromone traps for stored product pests as an “alarm” system to alert owners of the presence of these insects. Two companies that I am aware of that carry these pheromones are Alpha Scents, www.alphascents.com/ and Trece, www.trece.com/
STATE/REGIONAL MEETINGS
2016
Feb. 26-27, 2016
Southeastern Pecan Growers Conference
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
Destin, FL
Contact: SEPGA @
or
662-902-1637
March 6 – 8 2016
Wester Pecan Growers Conference
Las Cruces, NM
July 10 – 13, 2016
TPGA Annual Conference and Trade Show
Embassy Suites
San Marcos, TX
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The information given herein is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names are made with the understanding that no endorsement by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service is implied.
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
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