Introduction
Pecans are a nut that are native to the southern United States from the Carolinas to New Mexico. They are also found in northern Mexico. After being planted, pecan trees take about 3 or 4 years to being to bear nuts, and even then, not many. After 6 to 8 years, pecans then begin to produce a noteworthy amount, and by years 9 and 10, they can produce an abundant number of nuts. And once they are bearing nuts, they can continue for hundreds of years. Pecans also grow in a system called alternate bearing. This means that while they do produce nuts every year, the trees tend to produce a large number of nuts one year, and a smaller amount of nuts the following year. This article will focus on the commercial production of pecans in Texas. Most of the trees in these orchards are called cultivars due to their nature of being bred for a specific reason, in this case, for high yields.
Pecan cluster ready to be harvested.
How are they grown and produced?
The start of a commercial pecan orchard begins with planting the trees. Since pecans don’t produce a profitable amount of nuts in the first few years, many orchards start their crop smaller and then expand and add more trees once they are already bringing in profit from some trees. The upfront cost of starting an orchard is about $2000 per acre and it will be many years before they begin to see a profit. But, by the 10th growing season a single tree can produce about 50 nuts and by the 15th season, a tree can supply 100 pounds.
When planting the trees, it is important not to place them too close together as crowding can cause “nut production to decline, nut size to decrease, and alternate bearing to be more severe”. The distance that the trees are from one another is dependent on how much money the grower wants to put into fixing crowing and how often they want to alleviate the issues caused by crowding. Because of the issues that arise, most Texas growers place their trees about 30 to 35 feet away from each other. This allows for about 12 to 18 years of growth before there needs to be intervention due to crowding.
Additionally, when picking a plot of land, it is important to think about the quality of the soil drainage. For a large-scale commercial farm, it is recommended that the trees are planted at least 32 inches down, so improper soil drainage could be a limiting factor.
Furthermore, there are 2 types of pecan trees that all orchards must have in order to have proper pollination. It is important to have these two types because pecan trees rely heavily on cross pollination. The two main types of pecan trees are Type I trees where the male catkins appear first, and Type II trees where the female flowers appear first. By having both types, the orchards can ensure adequate cross pollination between the male and female trees. While all orchards need to have both trees to have adequate cross pollination, the amount does not have to be equal. The smallest amount that there can be of either type of tree is 15% to ensure acceptable pollination “provided that they are uniformly distributed throughout the orchard.”
The climate in which the trees are grown is also important. This article divides the commercial Texas pecan production in half, split down the I-35 corridor. East of I-35 is considered the humid region. This half tends to get more rain, so the irrigation systems don’t have to be as intense as in other regions. Because this area is prone to being wetter, the growers also must look out for possible diseases that could appear due to the over saturation of the pecans. It is also much harder to harvest pecans after large amounts of rain. On the other hand, the segment of the state west of I-35 is the drier side. This side needs to have more irrigation infrastructure because most of the water needed for the trees throughout the year will need to be pumped in.
Although the two sides tend to get differing levels of rain, any type of commercial pecan orchard needs to have an irrigation system. Because rainfall is hard to predict, and water is needed during the hottest parts of the year, there needs to be infrastructure in place because “mature bearing trees require 2 inches per week” and should never go “longer than 21 days without water”.
There are 2 nutrients that are necessary for the proper growth of pecan trees: nitrogen and zinc. Because the trees in the orchards are cultivars, they require high inputs, which means they need more nitrogen than the soil can naturally supply. According to an article in by Stafne, Melanson, and Wilson, pecan trees need about 250 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre per year in order to get the highest yields. This is best given to the trees in the form of a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. As for zinc, that is necessary to ensure proper leaf expansion. It works best when applied as a foliar spray which allows for quick uptake by the tree.
As they spend most of April to September growing, by October they are ready to harvest. The harvesting season ranges from October to December, but the more competitive the grower wants to be on the market, the sooner they will harvest their pecans. Commercial pecan harvesting follows a 3-step process. First, the growers use a trunk shaker which grabs hold of the trunk of the tree and shakes the pecans out. Then, they use a pecan harvester attachment on a tractor to pick up the pecans, but with the pecans also comes debris like leaves and sticks. Finally, the pecans pass through a cleaner where they are separated from the orchard debris. Those pecans are then taken to processing facilities where the different orchards decide what to do with them. This video by an orchard in Oklahoma describes the harvesting, processing, and sale of pecans like that of the Texas orchards. Once they reach a processing facility, the pecans are washed and then sorted into by weight. The lighter pecans get packaged and sold in bulk to companies for use in products. The heavier pecans are stored and used for the commercial selling by the actual orchard.
Pecan tree having its trunk shaken to begin harvesting.
Are these methods sustainable?
A study done by Mokari, Samani, Heerema, and Ward evaluated the impact that long term climate change can have on commercial pecan production. This study done in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico tracked the “duration of growing season (DGS) and water requirement of pecan in LRGV over the period of 1901–2019.” The study found that in the first 50 years the DGS was decreasing and that was the result of overall lower temperatures. Then, in the second 50 years, the DGS increased and that was a result of increased temperatures. They warn that with increasing temperatures can an increased growing season, there could be a “negative impact in pecan productivity by putting pressures on limited water resources for irrigation in LRGV.” An increased demand for water would exacerbate the impact of pecans on the environment because the only real impact that pecan production has on the environment is the water usage.
In an article by Healable about the overall environmental impacts of pecans, they say that pecan trees and production don’t do much harm, they just use a lot of water. They claim that it takes “1,086 gallons of water to produce one pound of nuts”. Because of the location in which they are grown, they need water pumped to them through an irrigation system due to the lack of rain. This is the main impact that pecans have on the environment.
Because many of the orchards are huge plots of land that need harvesting, some orchards hire help. This can create an issue if the orchards aren’t treating their workers properly. Since the work is outside, they work in hot conditions and might not have access to good breaks and water. This points toward the exploitation of farm workers, a constant issue in our country.
On the other hand, there are some good things that pecans can give back to the environment and to us. The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture details how the shells of the pealed pecans can be used as “mulches for plants and poultry litter” and added to feeds and fertilizers. Pecans are also a good source of many nutrients including folic acid, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Pecans also provide copper, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, those are key “for maintaining healthy blood pressure, bones, and muscles, including the heart.”
Rows of trees is a common layout of a pecan orchard.
What is the history of its production and consumption?
The origin of the pecan dates back to the 16th century. The word “pecan” has origins in the Algonquin tribe of North America where they used the word “pacane” which means “nuts requiring a stone to crack.” Pecans played a huge role in pre-colonial America because of their great flavor. Some groups also used pecans as a tool for trade.
One American colonists had shown up, and realized the economic power that pecans held, they began to start the aforementioned pecan orchards. They were mainly in the South because that is where they are native to, but some moved north. Notably, after a trip to the south, Thomas Jefferson brought back some pecans and planted them at his Monticello home. He also gave some to then President George Washington who planted them in his Mount Vernon home and was known to carry some in his pockets.
But commercial pecan production as we know it wouldn’t be possible without the skills and knowledge of a slave named Antoine. Unfortunately, not much is known about him beyond his exceptional gardening skills, but he was the first person to successfully propagate pecan trees. Because pecan trees are wind pollinated, there were no two trees that were the same. There was no telling how many or if any pecans would come from a tree. So, to fix this problem, Antione figured out a way to graft two pecan trees together to create one with all of the desired qualities. This is significant because at the time there had been no successful grafting of any type of nut tree and the process had just begun on fruits like apples and peaches. Nothing is known of how Antione ended up after the Civil War as all information about him stops there, but at the sale of the plantation after the Civil War, “the nuts from its 126 pecan trees were bringing $50 to $75 per barrel — $1,000 to $1,500 a barrel today.”
Now, in the United States, pecans grown in the south are shipped all over the country for commercial use and personal use. There is also growing demand for pecans in the Chinese market as “China now claims nearly a third of the U.S. pecan crop”.
Model of how to graft trees together
Recipe
Pecans also remind me of my family. At my grandparents’ house, all their trees are pecans. They probably have about 4 pecan trees in their quarter-acre lot in north Austin, and every year they produce a plethora of pecans. So, every year, me and my siblings spend a few weekends clearing my grandparents’ yard of all their pecans. I was able to witness the alternate bearing quality of pecans firsthand because we would notice how every other year there tend to be more pecans. My grandpa, who grew up on a farm, explained the exact concept that I had found in my research for this project.
Due to this large supply of pecans my grandparents pull in every year, there are many family recipes that include pecans. For example, every holiday my grandma makes 2 pecan pies. Also, when a salad is made there are almost always pecans in it. But the recipe I am going to share is the famous Hosek strudel. My family makes it for every holiday, party, or potluck and it is one of the first things to disappear. It is delicious and persists even when my grandpa accidentally adds cumin, a common spice in tacos, instead of cinnamon (let’s just say we had to scrap that batch). Enjoy!
A copy of my grandparent’s exact strudel recipe.
Blog post by Grace Hosek
Works Cited:
Wagner, N. (n.d). Do pecan trees produce every year?. Hunker. https://www.hunker.com/13404706/do-pecan-trees-produce-every-year
Nesbitt, M., Stein, L., & Kamas, J. (2010). Improved pecans. AgriLife Extension Texas A&M System. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2010/10/improved-pecans.pdf
Call, R. E., Gibson, R., & Kilby M. W. (2006). Pecan production guidelines for small orchards and home yards. Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The University of Arizona. https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1400.pdf
Stafne, E. T., Melanson, R. A., & Wilson, J. (n.d.). Fertilizing pecan trees. Mississippi State University Extension. http://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p3055.pdf
Mike Spradling. (2012, December 7). Pecan harvest, processing, and retail at flying g ranch in Oklahoma [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdkY01_CaWc
Mokari, E., Samani, Z., Heerema, R., & Ward, F. (2021). Evaluation of long-term climate change impact on the growing season and water use of mature pecan in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Agricultural Water Management, 252(1), 1, 5-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.106893
Perry, P. (2008). Pecans. In C. R. Wilson, M. Walker, & J. C. Cobb (Eds.), New encyclopedia of southern culture: Volume 11: Agriculture and industry (pp. 185-186).
Healable. (n.d.). The impact of pecans. Healable. https://healabel.com/p-ingredients/pecans
Brook, L. & Constible, J. (2020, September 14). Treat farmworkers as essential, not sacrificial. Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/lena-brook/treat-farmworkers-essential-not-sacrificial
Heerema, R., Eastman, W., & Jacobs, B. (2018). Pecans: A healthful New Mexico-grown food. New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/E138.pdf
U.S. Pecans (n.d.). History of pecans. U.S. Pecans. https://uspecans.org/history-of-pecans/
Regard, J. (2016, April 11). America’s favorite nut: A brief history. Cone River Pecan Company. http://blog.caneriverpecan.com/2016/04/11/national-pecan-month-brief-history-favorite-nut/?doing_wp_cron=1631588824.4200010299682617187500
Wells, L. (2017, December 14). The slave gardener who turned the pecan into a cash crop. Zocalo. https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2017/12/14/slave-gardener-turned-pecan-cash-crop/ideas/essay/