61st annual Texas Pecan Short Course slated for Feb. 18-21 in Somerville
Four-day course includes both classroom learning, hands-on demonstrations
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the 61st annual Texas Pecan Short Course on Feb. 18-21 in Somerville.
The four-day course, which encompasses both classroom learning and hands-on demonstrations at Texas A&M University’s working pecan orchard, will run from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. each day at the Texas A&M University Horticulture Teaching Research and Extension Center, 3199 County Road 269.
The cost is $320 per person and $80 per person for Texas A&M AgriLife employees. Lunch is included with registration. Online registration is available through Feb. 17 at https://tx.ag/PecanShortCourse2025.
About the course
The Texas Pecan Short Course is an intensive training for entering commercial pecan production and is recognized as the most complete basic training program in the pecan industry.
The short course covers all aspects of pecan production, with a focus on recommended practices for Texas. The principles of pecan production, such as disease control and irrigation transferrable to other regions or climates, are also covered.
“The course starts at the beginning and walks participants through all basic aspects of managing a pecan orchard and marketing pecans for sale,” said Monte Nesbitt, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension specialist and associate professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
“It is designed for people considering starting a pecan orchard, who have recently purchased a pecan orchard or who have been hired to manage a pecan orchard.”
Topics and speakers
Day 1:
- Development and current status of pecans as a commercial nut crop industry in Texas, Nesbitt.
- Understanding pecan tree anatomy, morphology and physiology, David Reed, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
- Pecan taxonomy and physiology processes important to crop production, Nesbitt.
- Pecan orchard site selection and resource evaluation, Stephen Janak, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Hallettsville.
- Orchard site development and preparation for planting, Janak.
- Pecan orchard design and tree spacing for long-term profitability, Larry Stein, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension specialist and professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Uvalde.
- Experiences with pecan production and the pecan industry, George Ray McEachern, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist emeritus and professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
- Soil evaluation, tree spacing and planting, Nesbitt.
Day 2
- Pecan orchard irrigation requirements, Stein.
- Salinity in irrigation water: testing and limits, Kimberly Cervantes, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulture specialist and professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, El Paso.
- Pecan tree orchard establishment, Nesbitt.
- Review of pecan foliage, fruit and root disease, Angelyn Hilton, Ph.D., research plant pathologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Bryan-College Station.
- Pecan orchard floor management, Janak.
- Pecan insects and integrated pest management, Kyle Slusher, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist and assistant professor, Department of Entomology, Stephenville.
- Pesticide resistance management and spray programs, Slusher.
- Pecan tree nutrition and orchard fertilization, Stein.
- Mature orchard renovation and rejuvenation, Nesbitt.
Day 3
- Pecan tree yield potential and production metrics, Nesbitt.
- Pecan crop load estimation and management, Stein.
- Pecan rootstock considerations, Cervantes.
- Human health benefits of pecan consumption, Rosemary Walzem, Ph.D., professor, Department of Nutrition and Department of Poultry Science, Bryan-College Station.
- Understanding the pecan market, Blair Krebs, executive director, Texas Pecan Growers Association, Bryan-College Station, and Stein.
- Pecan cultivar recommendations, grading and marketing considerations, Stein.
- New pecan cultivar development, testing and introduction, Warren Chatwin, Ph.D., research geneticist, USDA-ARS, Bryan-College Station.
- Introduction to Texas Pecan Growers Association, Krebs.
Day 4
- Native grove management, Stein.
- Sunlight management strategies, Nesbitt.
- Budget exercise, Nesbitt.
- Tree removal and hedging, Nesbitt.
- Graftwood collection and keys to grafting success, McEachern.
- Texas inlay bark graft, patch bud, Nesbitt.
- Four-flap graft, Stein.
- Keys to pecan production success, Stein.
