Drought affected Mississippi pecan production
11/17/2022 12:00:00 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
AFFECTED AREAS:
Mississippi
Hinds County, MS
Raymond, MS
Start Date: 1/1/2022
- End Date: 12/31/2022
The growing season was not ideal for pecan growers in Mississippi with drought and rain falling at a poor time. The dry conditions may reduce nut fill and return bloom next season, so next year’s crop may be smaller. The dry summer was helpful in controlling pecan scab, a troublesome disease for the state’s pecan trees. Drought also delayed the shuck splitting to release the nuts by about a month.
This year’s crop is estimated at about 3 million pounds. Since many pecan tree varieties tend to bear more heavily in alternate years, the state’s production ranges from 2 million pounds to 8 or 9 million pounds. Irrigated trees were fine, but nonirrigated trees aborted nuts or did not have good nut fill. A late-spring freeze also caused orchards to lose a portion of their crop.
AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Nov 16, 2022
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