Pecans

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Pecans
A Georgia Commodity
The only major tree nut that grows naturally in
North America.
Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise August 2006
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Objectives

• Students will be able to
• Explain the importance of pecans to Georgia.
• State the nutritional facts of pecans.

• Rank the nut industry compared to other Georgia
  agricultural commodities.
• Explain how pecan trees are produced.

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Why are pecans important?

• Georgia is the nation's largest supplier of
  pecans and has been since the late 1800s.
• An average pecan harvest is about 100 million
  pounds. That is enough pecans to make 176 million
  pecan pies!
• The state's major pecan producing region is near
  Albany, in southwest Georgia. There are large and
  small orchards from Atlanta southward.
• The peak harvesting months for Georgia pecans are
  October December.

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Production of Pecan Trees

• Commercial pecan trees are grafted.
• A twig from a high producing tree is made to
  grow on the root stock of another tree.
• The first successfully grafted and cultivated
  pecan was done by a Louisiana slave named
  Antoine in 1846.
• Pecan trees that are grown from seed and not
  grafted are called seedlings.
• Seedling trees generally are low producing
  and have smaller nuts with a higher oil content.

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Uses and Nutrition of the Pecan

• Often associated with pie and pralines, they can
  be found in a variety of recipes, from cookies
  and desserts to salads and main dishes.
• Pecans can be stored in the freezer for up to two
  years.

• Nutrition Facts
• A high fat content but a good source of
  potassium, thiamine, zinc, copper, magnesium,
  phosphorous, niacin, folic acid, iron, vitamin B6
  and fiber.
• Also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat
  believed to help in the prevention of heart
  disease.

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Georgias Commodity Value
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Interesting Facts

• The name "pecan" is a Native American word of
  Algonquin origin that was used to describe "all
  nuts requiring a stone to crack."
• There are over 500 varieties of pecans, of which
  only three are common Georgia produces all three
  varieties.
• One variety found in Georgia is the Sumner
  Pecan. Which was discovered in 1932 in Tift
  County by Walter E. Sumner and is primarily found
  in southeast Georgia.
• One irrigated and managed acre of pecan trees
  will produce 1,000 pounds of pecans.

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Interesting Facts

• There are about 78 pecans used in every pecan
  pie.
• Pecan trees, are a member of the hickory family
  and are prized for their lumber.
• Georgia pecan wood was selected to make the
  handles of the torches for the 1996 Olympic
  Games.
• Today, the pecan industry contributes 80 million
  annually to Georgias economy.

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Assessment

• What state has been the largest producer of
  pecans since the late 1800s?
• What city is the major site of pecan production?
• When is the peak harvesting season for pecans?
• How many pecans can an acre yield?
• Where did the name pecan originate?
• What pecan variety was discovered in Tift County?
• What is a seedling?
• Name one nutrient that pecans are a good source
  of.
• Fruits, tree nuts and berries rank ____ in value
  of GA commodities.
• What is the amount of the average pecan harvest?

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Assessment Key

• Georgia
• Albany, Georgia
• The peak harvesting season for pecans is October
  December.
• 1,000 pounds of pecans
• The name pecan originated from the Native
  American word Algonquin origin that was used to
  describe all nuts requiring a stone to crack.
• Sumner Pecans
• A seedling is a pecan tree that was grown from
  seed and not grafted.
• Potassium, thiamine, zinc, copper, magnesium,
  phosphorous, niacin, folic acid, iron, vitamin B6
  and fiber.
• 8th
• 100 million pounds

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References

• http//www.georgiapecans.org