Pecan growers across the south are in the orchards monitoring scab and applying nutrients both granular and foliar to the trees as trees begin to green up. 

 

The first spray of the season has begun for many growers across the southeastern US as most varieties have opened up and trees begin to leaf out. Currently most growers can push nutrients across the tree line offering faster travel through the orchards. However this will soon give way to heavier foliage on the trees and growers will likely slow their applications through the orchards. 

 

Growers have been planting during the dormant periods and most have finished up. Some growers will continue spading trees into new ground but most have finished up the new plantings for the season. 

 

More new plantings are needed as the industry is slowly depleting pecan reserves each year. Many growers sell out before the next harvest season each year with only a few shellers keeping enough inventory for conituned supplies year round.

 

This is slowly changing as more growers are planting more acreage to increase the dwindling supplies each year. We are now in the lowest supply reserves situation in the last five years and continue to see lower supplies reported each month. 

 

While reserves of pecans are available currently, we are seeing a decreasing trend in the reports as demand for pecans around the globe continues to increase. Now with increased marketing budgets in the US we only expect demand to increase. The question is, can growers increase supply capacity faster than the marketing committee increases demand.