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Pecan Harvest<br />
By JULIE R. JOHNSON | Contributing Writer<br />
How was this year’s harvest compared to last year?<br />
How are the tonnage and prices in the state?<br />
Overall it appears to be a higher tonnage<br />
over last season.<br />
How is the domestic and export market looking<br />
right now for pecans?<br />
"<br />
Wet” was the way pecan growers<br />
described the beginning of this season’s<br />
harvest in California. In addition,<br />
growers had to deal with significant pressure<br />
from aphids, said Mike Powell, a manager with<br />
Pacific Gold Agriculture-U.S. Pecans with pecan<br />
acreage in Colusa and McFarland, and processors<br />
in Tulare County.<br />
“Aphid pressure was all over the board this<br />
year,” he added. “We saw areas hit hard early and<br />
other locations not receiving pressure until August<br />
or even September.”<br />
Garry Vance, pecan grower and owner of<br />
Northern California Pecan, Inc. in Corning,<br />
which provides hulling and drying to 15 northstate<br />
pecan growers, believes the black and yellow<br />
pecan aphid continues to be a growing problem<br />
in the state, due in part to the limited amount<br />
of pesticides available for the pecan aphid in<br />
California.<br />
“With their high rate of generations per year,<br />
they become resistant very quickly to current<br />
products,” he said.<br />
The only insect pest in California pecans,<br />
aphids cause damage by direct feeding, plus<br />
honeydew deposits and the resulting black soot<br />
reducing photosynthesis.<br />
“As always we recommend staying on top of<br />
your aphid management. Growers who didn’t, ap-<br />
68<br />
West Coast Nut <strong>February</strong> <strong>2020</strong>
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