Farm Director, KC Sheperd, is talking with Oklahoma State University Associate Fruit and Pecan Extension Specialist, Becky Carroll, about the upcoming 2023 Native Pecan Field Day on October 12 at Leon Bailey’s Pecan Farm in Okfuskee County from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While registration begins at 2:30 p.m., Carroll said the event kicks off at 3 p.m.
Anyone can attend the event, but registration is required by October 10, since dinner will be provided. It is recommended to bring a lawn chair and plan to stay for dinner at the grove at the conclusion of the field day.
Carroll said pecans are one of Oklahoma’s biggest commodities. Oklahoma is one of the top native pecan producers in the nation, and around 75 percent of Oklahoma’s total pecan production is native pecans.
“We produce, on average, about 17 million pounds of pecans each year,” Carroll said. “It varies greatly because pecans are called alternate-bearing plants, so they may have a big crop one year and not much the next.”
Topics at the field day will include:
- Establishing a native grove
- Assessing native timber area and marking pecan trees
- Equipment needed for tree cleanup
- Thinning out remaining pecans
- Native pecan inputs
- Grazing and forage
- Prolonged drought stress effects
- Wildlife depredation
- Updates on the 2023 season
- Insect and disease management and more!
This field day is a great opportunity for attendees to learn about updates in the pecan industry and network with other pecan producers.
“A lot of is going to based on that establishing or improving pecan growth,” Carroll said.
Charlie Graham with the Noble Research Institute will be in attendance, Carroll said, and he is going to go over how many pecan trees must be in an acre of land to be productive. Graham will be marking out an acre of timber and using that as a real-life example for attendees.
“It is hard to imagine what that looks like unless we measure it out and take a look, and that is one of the biggest problems with our pecans in Oklahoma is that they are going to be overcrowded, and that reduces production and causes a lot of other issues…,” Carroll said.
OSU forage specialist, Brian Pugh will be talking about forage and grazing options for native producers, Carroll said, because cattle and native pecans go together often around the state.
“There is a lot of potential out there for people who are interested in developing a native grove and getting into that business,” Carroll said. “It does require some management. There are different levels of management, where the more you put in the more you are going to get out…”
For more information, please contact Becky Carroll at 405-744-6139 or becky.carroll@okstate.edu.
