Shortage expected in spring for Avalon pecan variety in Georgia
Conner is currently using graft wood from certified, non-topworked trees (those grafted in nursery) to produce Avalon trees. Conner has to see the flowers and nuts of a tree to identify them as being Avalon before certifying the tree as a source of graft wood.
“That requires you to grow them until they’re 4 or 5 years old, when they flower and fruit. At that point, I can look at them and certify them as true-to-type. Then we can use that wood to produce more trees in the nursery,” he said.
A limited number of trees have been certified. In a few years, enough graft wood will be available to produce enough trees to meet demand, Conner said.
Pecans are a high-value crop for Georgia growers. Pecans were worth more than $361 million in farm gate value in 2015, according to the 2015 Georgia Farm Gate Value Report released by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.
source: albanyherald.com
