Project Number: 6606-21220-009-05
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 12, 2007
End Date: Feb 01, 2011

Objective:
This project is to identify a means of preventing excessive early-season fruit-drop common in the southeastern United States.

Approach:
This project will assess the efficacy of banding high rates of potassium along the drip irrigation zones of pecan trees that historically drop a majority of fruit during the June-drop. A soluble form of potash will be banded (i.e., concentrated) along two sides of trees along irrigation lines so as to provide trees with available K. Circumstantial evidence indicates that June-drop is due to the inability of young developing fruit to complete well enough with developing foliage for limited potassium in the xylem sap stream; thus causing fruit to abort as a consequence of insufficient potassium at a time of critical need. The K will be applied at rates of O, 1X, 2.5X and 5X, with X equating the annual amount of K usually applied to orchards. Application will occur once, in the late winter of 2007. Trees will be observed for 2-3 years thereafter to assess impact and efficacy of treatments. ARS will provide the potash fertilizer as a treatment variaable (approx. $3,000) in experimental materials. The farmer will otherwise manage trees according to standard practices. Nuts will be harvested and sold by the farmer.