By Clint Thompson
Southeast Georgia pecan orchards were ravaged last year from Hurricane Helene. Growers impacted by the storm need to be wary of what this year’s crop will look like before investing in it.
Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, discussed the crop outlook during this winter’s county meetings.
“Any time we have a major hurricane come through like we had, we know not just from past experiences here in Georgia but also in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, other states that have suffered from hurricanes, we tend to see after a major hurricane that following year, there won’t be much of a crop on those older trees,” Wells said. “In knowing that and trying to manage for that, I would say that growers in that situation where they’ve had a lot of damage, don’t jump out there and spend a lot of money right off the bat. Manage minimally on those orchards, because chances are they are not going to have a big crop this year.”
Producers can cut back on water later in the season, especially if there is not a crop. There is no need for more than 50% to 60% full capacity with zero crop load. They can also reduce their fertilizer input to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre while monitoring potassium, phosphorous and zinc levels.
Storm Damage
Wells highlighted in the UGA Pecan Blog immediately after the storm that large trees (40 to 50 years and up) suffered about a 70% loss and younger trees suffered somewhere around a 40% loss in eastern Georgia. He also estimated that the affected area comprised at least 23% of the state’s pecan acreage.
It amounted to a $138 million impact. Fortunately, orchards in the southwest part of the state should produce a “decent crop.”
“I think we’ll see a decrease in yields in those areas that were hit by the storm,” Wells said. “In the west side of the state, I actually look for a decent crop on those trees. Those trees had a crop last year. It was a decent crop, not an excessive crop. I think those trees are set up to come back with a decent crop again this year.”