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Making Your Orchard Yield Nuts (and $) as Soon as Possible Pecan Orchard Establishment Richard Heerema Extension Pecan Specialist New Mexico State University

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Goals Long-term goalmaximize economic returns over the life of the orchard. Short-term goalreach economic production in the shortest time possible. The kids gotta eat and banks gotta get paid!

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Important things Im not going to dwell on today Site selection Pre-planting soil modifications Nursery tree size Potted vs. bareroot Pre-plant tree care Irrigation & nutrition

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Genetics: Cultivar Precocity Precocity is the relative amount of time it takes for a tree to come into production. Highly precocious cultivars have a tendency to over-bear once they are mature alternate bearing poor nut quality

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Genetics: Cultivar Precocity Non-Precocious Bradley (Ideal) Burkett Elliott Hopi Shawnee Stuart Tejas Apache Caddo Choctaw Desirable Kanza Kiowa Lakota Mandan Nacono Pawnee Sioux Success Waco Western Precocious Apalachee Barton Cape Fear Cherokee Cheyenne Chickasaw Mohawk Shoshoni Wichita Very Precocious

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Genetics: Rootstock Vigor Generally, high vigor and precocity are considered linked in pecan. High vigor: Cross-pollinated nuts Complete dichogamy Southern parentage

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Genetics: Rootstock Vigor Higher VigorLower Vigor Elliott Moore VC1-68 Wichita Shoshone Giles Riverside Stuart Moderate Vigor Apache Bradley Burkett Curtis

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Initially, yield should be proportional to tree planting density. Planting Density

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Tree SpacingPlanting Density (trees/acre) Cumul. Yield (lbs/acre) 1 Incr. Planting & Est. Costs 1,2 ($/acre) Incr. Gross Return 1,2, 3 ($/acre) 20 x 201093600$2,545$2,700 15 x 30973400$2,044$2,400 20 x 30732700$1,044$1,350 20 x 40552100$293$450 30 x 30481800N/A 1 Years 1-8. 2 Compared to 30 x 30 planting. 3 Assuming $1.50/lb inshell. *Hypothetical Example*

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Orchard Floor Management Foshee et al, 1995

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Orchard Floor Management

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Smith et al., 2005

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Orchard Floor Management

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Training Two truths: Training young pecan trees is essential to growing a tree that is workable through the life of the orchard. Pruning young pecan trees delays cropping. Prune young pecan trees, but remove as little wood as possible!

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Training Year 1 At Planting Year 2 Remove basal primary buds on central leader during dormant pruning. Photo courtesy of Monte Nesbitt Use a combination of winter and early-summer pruning to minimize the amount of wood cut.

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Thank You!