Learn about pecan management at OSU course beginning March 8

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

If you have an interest in learning more about pecans and what it takes to grow them, mark your calendar for the 2016 Fundamentals of Pecan Management course offered by Oklahoma State University.

Slated to begin March 8 and run one Tuesday a month through Oct. 18, this course will provide participants with a wealth of research- and science-based information, said Becky Carroll, OSU Cooperative Extension assistant specialist, fruit crops and pecans.

“OSU has been offering this course nearly 20 years and many people from around the region have benefitted from the valuable information we have to offer,” Carroll said. “The goal of the course is to provide an in-depth experience, both in the classroom and hands-on in the orchard, for both current and prospective pecan growers.”

The class will meet from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cimarron Valley Research Station near Perkins, Oklahoma, with the exception of June.

A registration fee of $250 per person is due by Feb. 29. For more information, please call Stephanie Larimer at 405-744-5404, or email her at stephanie.larimer@okstate.edu. Participants may register online at http://okpecans.okstate.edu/pecan-management-course.

“We’ll focus on the prioritization and practical application of major management practices according to the pecan growing season,” Carroll said.

The meetings will combine traditional classroom learning with hands-on experiences, as well as a web-based study component. In addition, several industry professionals, along with specialists from OSU and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, will be on hand to share their expertise.

“The pecan industry is big in Oklahoma and continues to have a positive impact throughout the state, especially on our economy. Oklahoma’s pecan harvest averages about 18 million pounds each year,” she said. “We continue to receive positive feedback from participants who say the information they receive is very beneficial to their operations.”

Each of the monthly workshops will cover subjects dealing with pecan management during that particular part of the growing season. The course will begin with site selection, equipment needs, planting a bareroot tree, starting rootstock trees and insect management.

Throughout the course, other topics will include pruning and training, sprayer calibration and maintenance, Mesonet tools, improving native groves, weed control, crop load estimates, insect management, alternate bearing, business plans and marketing, pesticide applicators licensing, wildlife control, harvest demonstrations and much more.

“We’re excited to offer this course to those with an interest in the pecan industry as a way to help them make the most of their production efforts or to provide them with the information they need to get started in the industry,” Carroll said.

Participants also may attend the Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association meeting in Tulsa in June since there is no workshop scheduled that month. The fee for attending this meeting is not included in the registration fee for the 2016 Fundamentals of Pecan Management course.

Those who would like more information about the OPGA may visit the group’s website at www.okpecangrowers.com.