We discussed at county meetings how pecans generally do not have a significant crop following hurricanes. Well, it is clear from Blackshear to Augusta that we have flowers and pollination happening in Southeast Georgia. And our weather has been good for it. To see any flowers in our area gives us hope for a much needed crop in 2025. all of these orchards lost all of the pecans from Hurricane Helene last year. Flowers we see now were induced back in August. Our 2024 crop made it through August and most of September. Whether they sustained heavy tree loss or not, all of these orchards lost their 2024 crop to the hurricane on September 27th. The 2024 crop was good and needed a few more weeks to mature. Our pecans left with fruiting wood would essentially had flowers already induced to make a 2025 crop. We still need to make it through pollination. Most of our drop will come from these not being pollinated. I’ve visited people and stopped by orchards in our region this week and last to observe flowers. In a ‘Desirable‘ orchard in Montgomery County, it was hard to find a terminal without a flower. I have now been east to Jenkins and Screven and south to Appling and Tattnall. Next week I will visit Jefferson and Burke County where I hear they have a flower set. The lowest we have counted is probably 10% terminal, with average being 50% I would say. So far, the only orchards with no crop were less than 10 years old.
In the hardest hurricane hit regions, we still have trees to clean up. Those surrounding orchards and some replanted have not been able to water for 2025. They are hoping irrigation will be back running by May. Thanks to Dr. Wells county and state presentations on sap flow and evapotranspiration,, we know we can reduce total irrigation rates significantly in April and May with no loss of yield or quality.There are still orchards being fertilized this past week. Additionally, most growers are just putting on their first fungicide this week. Though Spring has felt good and relatively dry, the recent week’s weather has been warm. I am seeing and hearing of some leaf scab in un-sprayed orchards. ‘Sumner’, ‘Gloria Grande’ in Ware and Pierce along with observing ‘Pawnee’ in Candler County. In a year we consider to be light in terms of management, it is important to remember to get our fungicide on before scab inoculation (movement of the spore into the green leaf tissue).
Southeast GA Program Update
Here is a couple of shots around the district following GPGA Conference. We are preparing for another East Georgia Pecan Field Day putting our pre-emergent plots as well as applying the post-plant treatment for a nematode study.
