1. The Cost of Producing Pecans---Can We Grow Them for Less? Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, Tifton, GA

2. Variable Costs Per Acre: Full Production, 2008 Unit Quant.Price/Unit Total/A Unit Quant.Price/Unit Total/A Lime1 ton/A$30$30 N150 lbs$1.00$150 P40 lbs$0.73$29.20 K60 lbs $0.83 $49.98 Zn Sulfate50 lbs$0.8$40 Foliar Zn3 Appl.$2.00$6.00 Foliar B3 Appl.$1.30$3.90 Fungicides8 Appl.*$9.89$79.12 Herbicides4 Appl$29.25$117 Insecticides10$14.41$144.16 Fuel Gal33 Gal $4.33 $142.89 Irrigation Operation$50 Irrigation Repairs$20 Equipment Repairs & Maint.$30.91 Labor258$200 Interest1093.168%$87.45 Harvest $354.2 2008 Total Variable Costs$1534.81

3. Pecan Returns 200220062008 Production100010001000 Price1.001.581.30* Variable Costs 851.821015.221534.81 *average price from 2005-2007Return148.18564.78-234.81

4. NET RETURNS PER ACRE ABOVE VARIABLE COST PRICE Yield(lbs) $/lbs5008001,0001,2001,5002,000 0.80 -1,135-895-735-575-33565 0.90 -1,085-815-635-455-185265 1.00 -857-557-357-157143643 1.10 -985-655-435-215115665 1.20 -935-575-335-95265865 1.30 -885-495-235254151,065 1.40 -835-415-1351455651,265 1.50 -785-335-352657151,465 1.60 -735-255653858651,665 1.70 -685-1751655051,0151,865 1.80 -635-952656251,1652,065

5. How Can We Reduce the Cost of Production?  Increase N use efficiency  Reduce number of trips over the orchard

7. 40 X 40 12 foot wide herbicide strip: 12/40 = 30% Can reduce area that you apply fertilizer to by 70% with band application At a rate of 75 lbs per acre: 100 acres X 75 = 7500 lbs N 7500 X 30% = 2250 lbs N Why Do you have a herbicide strip?

8. Broadcast Band Application

9. Liquid 28-0-0-5 applied over herbicide strip

10. Effect of N Application Method on ‘Stuart’ Pecan----Year 1 Treatment Leaf N Crop Load Yield (lbs/tree) (lbs/acre) % Kernel N Cost/Acre Return/A Over N Cost Injection2.98a60.6a129.6a(2203a)48.3a$6.82$2876.75 Broadcast Band 2.89ab50.2b107.8a(1832a)48.1a$19.60$2368.43 Broadcast2.85b51.2ab107.5a(1827a)48.2a$81.40$2305.06 Liquid N Herbicide Sprayer 2.80b54ab152.9a(2599a)48.8a$17.77$3419.35 Return per acre based on $2.71 per point (Yield/acre x 2.71) X % kernel = $/acre $/acre-total n cost = return 28-0-0-5 Liquid Fertilizer) used for Injection and Herbicide Sprayer Applications; Cost = $500/ton Ammonium Nitrate used for broadcast band and broadcast applications; Cost = $495/ton N rate for all treatments = 70 lbs/acre

11. Effect of Poultry Litter and Clover on ‘Desirable’ Pecan---Year 1 Treatment Leaf N Crop Load N Cost/A Percent Kernel Yield/ Acre Return per acre over N Costs Poultry Litter 2.52a80.4a$3554a1112a1778.44 Crimson Clover 2.42a77a$40*53.4a1136a1792.00 Litter + Clover 2.44a75.7a$75*52a1041a1559.79 Ammonium Nitrate (75 lbs N/acre) 2.56a58.7b$7552.4a744a1102.36 Litter Analysis = 75 lbs N; 30 lbs K; 16 lbs P; 0.44 lbs Zn Return per acre based on $3.02 per point (Yield/acre x 3.02) X % kernel = $/acre $/acre-total n cost = return

12. Effect of Clover/Litter on Orchard Soil---Year 1 Treatment % Change NO 3 % Change P % Change K Poultry Litter +46%+62%+42% Crimson Clover -42%-25%-45% Litter + Clover +1.3%+79%+23% Ammonium Nitrate +1.2%-16%-36%

13. Foliar Urea  Feed Grade Urea = 4 lbs/100 gallons  Liquid Urea (23%) = 1 gallon/100 gallons  DO NOT USE BIURET UREA  Urea moves out of the leaf quickly to storage tissues  Unless leaf N is deficient, you probably won’t see an increase in leaf N

14. Increasing N-use Efficiency –Reduce area of N application –Use poultry litter if available –Plant clover –Apply foliar Urea

15. Chem Mowing Costs Treatment Glyphosate Rate # Chem Mow Applications # Mechanical Mowings Cost/A Chem Mow 4 oz 4 oz/A 31$27.50 Chem Mow 8 oz 8 oz/A 31$31.02 Mechanical Mowing 008$111.33 Labor = $7.50/hr Diesel $4.00/gal Spray application cost = $3.34 Glyphosate cost = $38.00/gal Mowing cost per acre = $13.92/acre Monte Nesbitt, Auburn University

16. Pre-Emergence Herbicide Strip Options TreatmentRateCommentsCost/Acre Surflan 2 qts*  Non-bearing & bearing  Annual grasses & small seeded broadleafs  Do not apply until soil has settled $20 Prowl 2 qts  Non-bearing & bearing  Annual Grasses & broadleafs  Need rainfall within 7 days $13 Diuron 1.6 qts  Only on trees >3 years  Annual broadleafs and some annual grasses  Do not use on sandy soils $7.20 Chateau 6-12 oz  Trees established for >1 year  No more than 6 oz/application  No more than 12 oz/year  DO not apply 2 nd application w/in 30 d of initial application $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$

17. TreatmentRateCost/Acre Glyphosate + Surflan 2 qts +2 qts 2 + 1.5 $36.25$31.25 Gramoxone + Surflan 3 pints + 2 qts 3 pts + 1.5 qts $29.94$24.94 Glyphosate + Diuron 2 qts + 1.6 qts $23.45