By Clint Thompson
Pecan production will be highlighted during the Georgia Pecan Growers Association (GPGA) Fall Field Day at the University of Georgia Ponder Farm in Tifton, Georgia, on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Scheduled topics include cultural practices, water use, pest and disease management and sustainably grown farming. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan specialist, highlighted the field day and what attendees can expect.
“This is the Georgia Pecan Growers Association Fall Field Day. We rotate every three years where we have it. One year it will be here at the UGA campus. One year it will be at the USDA station up in Byron. The third year it will be at a grower’s orchard somewhere. This year it’s rotated back to us, and we’ll be having it out at the Ponder Farm where our research orchards are. We’ll be showing some of the work we’ve been doing,” Wells said.
“Dr. Apurba Barman will be talking about insect management. Dr. Tim Brenneman, who is actually retiring Sept. 1, and the person we’ve hired to take over that position when he leaves, Clemen Oliveira, will also be there to talk about diseases and nematodes. Dr. Patrick Conner will be covering varieties, and I’ll talk about some of our low input varieties, some fertilization and irrigation work we’ve been doing.”
Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m., with the program slated to follow at 9 a.m. The field day will start at the Ponder Farm before transitioning to the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. A lunch will follow the program.
The field day is free for Georgia Pecan Growers Association members and $40 for non-members.