I just had an article appear in this month’s Pecan South magazine discussing ‘Avalon’ and ‘Zinner’. In that article it mentions Avalon as being a Gloria Grande X Barton cross. This is what Dr. Conner originally thought upon its release and this is what’s stated in the original literature on Avalon because that is the cross that was made. However, recent genetic analysis has revealed Avalon to actually be a Gloria Grande X Caddo cross. This is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it does present some implications with regard to pollination.
Based on the original thinking of the GG X Barton cross, I suggested Caddo as one of the potential pollinators for Avalon in the article. In light of the genetic evidence regarding Caddo as a parent of Avalon, it is not advisable to use Caddo as a pollinator. Stick with ‘Creek’, ‘Oconee’, ‘Desirable’, ‘Pawnee’, ‘Whiddon’, and ‘Tom’ as the best ‘Avalon’ pollinators.
