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September, 1961
Agricultural Economics Himeo
Report No. 62-4
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF
FLORIDA PECAN PRODUCERS
by
Associate
D. L. Brooke
Agricultural Economist
Department of Agricultural Economics
Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations
Gainesville, Florida
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036
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
Introduction . . ..
Sample Selection . ..
Description of Orchards .
Production Practices . .
Fertilizing . .
Cultural practices .
Insect and disease control
Labor requirements .
Other Practices and Plans .
Grazing . .
Grower plans . .
Harvesting Practices . .
Marketing Practices . .
Crop disposition ..
Buyers . .
Prices . . .
Summary . . .
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* S 5 5 S S
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S S S S S
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PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF
FLORIDA PECAN PRODUCERS
by
D. L. Brooke
Associate Agricultural Economist
Introduction
In the spring of 1961 the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Mar-
keting Economics Division, initiated a study of pecan marketing in the
South. As 1 phase of this study several states agreed to cooperate to
the extent of obtaining production and marketing information from pecan
producers. Florida was 1 of the cooperating states. Personal interviews
were held with 100 producers in 5 selected counties in North and West
Florida. A prepared questionnaire was used and all growers interviewed
were asked the same questions regarding their production and marketing
practices.
Sample Selection
Lists of pecan growers were obtained from local pecan buyers and
other sources in each county. These lists, when completed, contained the
names and addresses of all known pecan producers in the county who had
20 or more trees of bearing age. In each case the list contained 80 per-
cent or more of the number of farms reporting pecans in the county as
enumerated by the Census. A sample was drawn from a random start taking
every nth name on the list until 20 names had been selected. To provide
alternates, a second sample was drawn by the same method. Since the lists
1
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF
FLORIDA PECAN PRODUCERS
by
D. L. Brooke
Associate Agricultural Economist
Introduction
In the spring of 1961 the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Mar-
keting Economics Division, initiated a study of pecan marketing in the
South. As 1 phase of this study several states agreed to cooperate to
the extent of obtaining production and marketing information from pecan
producers. Florida was 1 of the cooperating states. Personal interviews
were held with 100 producers in 5 selected counties in North and West
Florida. A prepared questionnaire was used and all growers interviewed
were asked the same questions regarding their production and marketing
practices.
Sample Selection
Lists of pecan growers were obtained from local pecan buyers and
other sources in each county. These lists, when completed, contained the
names and addresses of all known pecan producers in the county who had
20 or more trees of bearing age. In each case the list contained 80 per-
cent or more of the number of farms reporting pecans in the county as
enumerated by the Census. A sample was drawn from a random start taking
every nth name on the list until 20 names had been selected. To provide
alternates, a second sample was drawn by the same method. Since the lists
1
from which the sample was drawn were arranged in alphabetical order by
name only and 2 random starts were made, the size and location of orchards
selected were randomized and the chances of selecting orchards belonging
to brothers were minimized. When the sample names could not be contacted,
the next named alternate was used.
Counties selected for study were Alachua, Jackson, Jefferson,
Santa Rosa and Suwannee. These 5 counties in North and West Florida were
selected from among the 10 counties reporting the largest number of farms
having 20 or more pecan trees in the Agricultural Census of 1959. The
completed survey included 11 percent of the improved pecan trees in Florida
and 20 percent of the improved pecan trees in the 5 counties studied
(Table 1).
TABLE.l.--Percent of Trees (Improved Varieties) of all Agesa in Sample by
Counties Surveyed, Florida, 1960-61
Counties Trees in Survey Sample as Percentage
of Trees Reported by Census
Alachua 20.0
Jackson 10.8
Jefferson 30.9
Santa Rosa 15.3
Suwannee 7.7
Five Counties 20.1
State Total 11.4
aAs reported by U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,
1959 Census of Agriculture Preliminary.
Description of Orchards
The 100 growers interviewed reported a total of 1,449 acres in
pecan orchards. Individual ownership ranged from 1 to 225 acres and
averaged 14.5 acres. Thirty-two percent of the acreage had less than 10
trees per acre; 31 percent, 10 to 15 trees; and 37 percent, 16 or more
trees per acre (Table 2). Average number of trees per acre varied from
9.7 in Jackson County to 16.9 in Alachua County. The 5-county average
was 13.4 trees per acre (Table 3).
TABLE 2.--Acreage and Range in Number of Trees Per Acre in Pecan Orchards,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Range in Number of Trees Per Acre
County 0-9.9 10-15.9 16-over Total
Acres
Alachua 65 68 168.5 301.5
Jackson 92.5 117 12 221.5
Jefferson 193 167 297 657.0
Santa Rosa 49.7 74.5 26.5 150.7
Suwannee 61.5 24 32.4 117.9
Total 461.7 450.5 536.4 1448.6a
Percent of
Total 31.9 31.1 37.0 100.0
aAcreage was not always reported for trees scattered around the
farm.
TABLE 3.--Average and Rr.nge in Number of Trees Per Acre in Pecan Orchards,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Range in Number of Trees Per Acre Average
County 0-9.9 10-15.9 16-over Per Acre
Average Trees Per Acre
Alachua 9.3 12.8 21.5 16.9
Jackson 5.9 11.9 17.7 9.7
Jefferson 7.4 12.7 19.1 14.0
Santa Rosa 8.0 12.7 19.7 12.4
Suwannee 5.1 12.9 17.0 9.9
Five Counties 7.1 12.5 19.7 13.4
Nearly 15 percent of the trees reported were more than 40 years
old, 39 percent were between 31 and 40 years and about 14 percent were less
than 21 years of age (Table 4). This indicates that new plantings have
been relatively fewer during the past 2 decades than during the 1920's
and 1930's.
TABLE 4.--Percent of Pecan Trees by Age Groups, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Counties
Age of Trees Santa Five
in Years Alachua Jackson Jefferson Rosa Suwannee Counties
Percent of Trees
0-10 5.9 2.5 8.1 10.8 5.9 7.0
11-20 2.3 7.5 9.0 2.1 10.0 6.5
21-30 4.0 16.2 54.2 21.0 32.2 32.2
31-40 52.9 55.6 27.1 55.8 10.4 38.7
41-over 32.9 18.1 .9 10.2 41.5 14.7
Unknown 2.0 .1 .7 .1 .... .9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Ninety-three percent of the trees reported were of bearing age.
This varied among the counties from over 97 percent in Jackson to 89 per-
cent in Santa Rosa County (Table 5). For the State of Florida 92 percent
of the trees reported in 1959 were of bearing age.1 The latter figure
included only improved varieties. Seedling trees were apparently not
enumerated by the Census.
There were 28 different improved variety names reported by pro-
ducers. Of these, the 10 most important varieties accounted for about
three-fourths of all trees in orchards. Stuart and Moore were the 2 most
U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1959 Census
of Agriculture Preliminary.
important varieties named, followed by Curtis and Money Maker (Table 6).
None of the other improved varieties accounted for more than 5 percent
of the trees. Seedling trees accounted for 15 percent of all trees
reported and ranged from 5 percent in Jefferson to 47 percent of all trees
in Suwannee County.
TABLE 5.--Bearing and Non-Bearing Trees in Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in
Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Number of Trees Percent of Trees
Counties
Bearing Non-bearing Bearing- Non-bearing
Alachua 4803 297 94.2 5.8
Jackson 2127 54 97.5 2.5
Jefferson 8459 740 92.0 8.0
Santa Rosa 1841 223 89.2 10.8
Suwannee 1255 78 94.1 5.9
Total 18485 1392 93.0 7.0
Production Practices
Fertilizing.--Of the 100 growers interviewed 45 reported the use
of fertilizer for pecan trees alone. These growers fertilized 767 acres
or nearly 53 percent of the land reported in orchards. A commercially
mixed complete fertilizer2 was applied by 36 producers at an average rate
of 650 pounds per acre to 78 percent of the orchard land fertilized
(Table 7). The proportion of the acreage receiving a complete fertilizer
varied little by counties. Other fertilizers used for pecan trees
included potash and phosphorous, nitrogen, manure and lime. Five growers
applied zinc sulfate on 99 acres for correction of a nutritional deficiency.
2Commercial mixtures ranged from 4-8-6 to 8-12-12. A 4-12-12
mixture was reported most often by growers.
Most orchards had some kind of cover crop, ranging from native
grasses to clover, oats, lupines and improved pasture grasses. Some of
the fertilizer applied to cover crops in orchards also benefits the trees.
TABLE 6.--Percent of Pecan Trees by Variety, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Counties
Variety
Santa Five
Alachua Jackson Jefferson Rosa Suwannee Counties
Percent
Stuart 10.5 27.5 10.5 58.1 18.6 17.8
Moore .... .4 37.6 1.2 1.9 17.7
Curtis 45.4 .... .3 .1 2.8 12.0
Money Maker 1.3 13.5 16.1 .2 7.6 9.8
Schley 3.0 18.6 1.6 2.6 6.4 4.3
Mahan .3 4.8 6.9 .1 .4 3.8
Success 3.5 .3 .6 10.1 .3 2.2
Kennedy 7.6 .... .... .... .... 2.0
Van Deman 1.5 5.7 .2 .4 7.0 1.6
Elliott .... .1 2.9 1.9 .... 1.6
Other improved 11.4 2.5 18.2a 1.8 8.2 12.3
Seedling 15.5 26.6 5.1 23.5 46.8 14.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a9.9 percent were Stuart,
Exact number of each unknown.
Schley, Curtis, Mahan and Waukeenah.
Twenty growers applied fertilizer to cover crops on 569 orchard
acres. A commercially mixed complete fertilizer was applied to orchard
cover crops by 16 growers covering 55 percent of the orchard cover crop
acres fertilized. Nitrogen alone was applied to 93 acres of cover crops
in orchards (Table 8).
One-half of all growers interviewed had applied a complete fer-
tilizer to nearly 86 percent of the acreage receiving some form of
TABLE 7.--Fertilizing Practices on Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in
Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number Acres
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Eptash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Lime
Total
9
1
2
2
.11
9
1
I
4
2
I
11
148.0
20.0
83.0
35.0
183.0
65.0
12.0
3.0
16.0
10.0
6.0
80.0
307.0
200.0
407.0
38.0
10.0
3.0
51.0
37.4
6.0
6.0
14.9
45.9
595.4
38.0
13.0
19.0
99.0
35.0
220.9
766.9
Percenta
Alachua
80.9
10.9
45.4
19.1
100.0
Jackson
81.2
15.0
3.8
20.0
12.5
7.5
100.0
Jefferson
75.4
49.1
100.0
Santa Rosa
74.5
19.6
5.9
100.0
Suwannee
81.5
13.1
13.1
32.5
100.0
Five Counties
77.6
5.0
1.7
2.5
12.9
4.6
28.8
100.0
Pounds
857
800
108
2000
456
900
600
164
48
4000
579
2000
.V..
754
150
200
..c.
641
354
16
2047
650
761
254
170
96
2000
2057
*...
aWill add to more than 100 percent because some growers used more
than one kind.
TABLE 8.--Fertilizer Practices on Pecan Orchard Cover Crops, 100 Producers
in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer Application
Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number Acres
77.0
30.0
87.0
91.0
53.0
91.0
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Total
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
49.0
225.0
274.0
66.7
10.0
10.0
86.7
30.0
30.0
313.7
225.0
93.0
10.0
568.7
Percent
Alachua
88.5
34.5
100.0
Jackson
100.0
58.2
100.0
Jefferson
17.9
82.1
100.0
Santa Rosa
76.9
11.5
11.6
100.0
Suwannee
100.0
100.0
Five Counties
55.2
39.6
16.4
1.8
100.0
will add to more than 100 percent because some growers used more
than one kind.
fertilizer. However, only 73 percent of the orchard acres received a
fertilizer material. The growers who applied a fertilizer were then,
generally, the larger-sized orchard owners. Alachua and Jackson
Counties had proportionally more growers using fertilizer materials on
Pounds
704
267
566
150
337
400
478
300
6000
400
530
400
204
6000
....
orchards and cover crops than the other counties (Table 9). Alachua
County growers made heavier than average per acre applications of fer-
tilizer than growers in other counties.
Cultural practices.--The most commonly practiced item of culture
on pecan orchards was discing. Sixty-four growers disced 70 percent of
the acreage in orchards. In addition, 19 percent of the cover crop
acreage in orchards was disced (Table 10). Pruning trees and removing
pruned wood were second in importance among grower practices. Twelve
growers plowed in orchards and 13 growers plowed orchard cover crops.
Only 1 grower hoed around trees and 1 grower irrigated the orchard.
Insect and disease control.--Florida growers performed very little
insect and disease control work on pecan orchards. Eleven growers treated
some part of the pecan orchard. Of those, 9 sprayed trees and 2 used
dust (Table 11). Less than 30 percent of the acreage covered in the
survey was treated for insects or diseases. However, during the inter-
views many growers expressed a desire to have their orchards treated.
Most realized that the purchase of adequate equipment for insect and
disease control work was not economical for each grower. Several expressed
the need for and their willingness to use a commercial or cooperative
spraying service for pecan orchards. Two growers in Alachua and 1 grower
in Jackson County had hired a commerical spray service. One grower in
Santa Rosa County had hired aerial spraying on his orchard.
Scab control was reported as 1 reason for treating 90 percent of
the acreage sprayed or dusted. Control of caterpillar worms was reported
on over one-fourth of the acreage (Table 12). A moss control program was
underway in Suwannee County. Bordeaux mixture which is effective against
TABLE 9.--Fertilizing Practices on Pecan Trees and Orchard Cover Crops,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer
Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Lime
Total
Acres
215.0
20.0
30.0
83.0
35.0
240.0
156.0
12.0
3.0
69.0
10.0
6.0
171.0
356.0
225.0
200.0
456.0
104.7
10.0
13.0
10.0
107.7
67.4
6.0
6.0
14.9
75.9
899.1
263.0
13.0
112.0
99.0
45.0
220.9
1050.6
Percent
Alachua
89.6
8.3
12.5
34.6
14.6
100.0
Jackson
91.2
7.0
1.8
40.4
5.8
3.5
100.0
Jefferson
78.1
49.3
43.9
100.0
Santa Rosa
97.2
9.3
12.1
9.3
100.0
Suwannee
88.8
7.9
7.9
19.6
100.0
Five Counties
85.6
25.0
1.2
10.7
9.4
4.3
21.0
100.0
kind.
Pounds
842
800
267
108
2000
520
900
600
153
48
4000
546
400
2000
578
150
277
6000
534
354
16
2047
615
452
254
198
96
2889
2057
*....
aWill add to more than 100 because some growers used more than one
--
TABLE 10.--Cultural Practices on Pecan Orchards and Orchard Cover Crops,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Number of Number of Proportion of
Cultural Practice
Growers Acres Acreage Covered
Percent
Orchard:
Pruning 26 426.0 29.4
Removing pruned wood 28 318.1 22.0
Plowing 12 207.2 14.3
Discing 64 1018.4 70.3
Mowing 9 89.0 6.1
Hoeing 1 10.0 .7
Mossing trees 1 10.0 .7
Irrigating 1 8.0 .6
Total 142 1448.6 100.0
Cover drop:
Seeding 25 556.4 38.4
Plowing 13 130.1 9.0
Discing 20 274.7 19.0
Cultivating 3 69.0 4.8
Total 61 1448.6 100.0
aMay add to more than 100 percent
may have been performed on each acre.
because more than one practice
TABLE 11.--Insect and Disease Control Practices on Pecan Orchards, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Item Number
Total producers 100
Total acreage of pecans 1448.6
Total producers who treated some part of orchard 11
Spray 9
Dust 2
Total acreage treated 417.0
Percent of acreage treated 28.8
TABLE 12.--Purpose of Treating Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Purpose Acreage Proportion of
Acreage Sprayed
Acresa Percenta
Blight 8 1.9
Scab 374 90.0
Caterpillar worms 109 26.1
Moss 91 21.8
Total acreage treated 417 100.0
aWill add to more than total acreage treated because some growers
treated the same acreage more than once.
scab will also kill moss. Zerlate was used as a spray to control scab
and other diseases. Toxaphene and DDT, as a spray and a dust respectively,
were used for insect control,
Labor requirements.--Labor requirements in hours per acre for the
most commonly practiced cultural operations in pecan orchards and on
cover crops in orchards are shown in Table 13. Annual requirements may
be approximated by adding man and tractor hours per acre for the cultural
items performed on the orchard and its cover crop. Growers who fertilized,
disced, pruned and removed pruned wood used 4.8 man-hours and 2.7 tractor-
hours per acre. Seeding, fertilizing and discing cover crops required
2.7 man-hours and 2.2 tractor-hours per acre.
Other Practices.and Plans
Grazing.--More than one-half of the growers reported livestock
grazing all or part-time on 64 percent of the orchard acreage (Table 14).
Santa Rosa County growers reported 88 percent and Alachua County growers
29 percent of the pecan acreage used for grazing. In most instances,
other acreage of pasture was also available to the animals and only 2
growers would make any estimate of the rate of gain for livestock on
orchard pasture.
TABLE 13.--Labor Requirements in Pecan Orchardsa in Hours Per Acre, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Five Counties
Item Growers Hours per Acre
Reporting Man Tractor
Pecan Orchard:
Pruning 26 1.6
Removing wood 28 1.0 1.0
Plowing 12 1.6 1.6
Fertilizing 47 1.1 .6
Discing 64 1.1 1.1
Spraying 11 .6 .6
Mowing 9 2.1 2.1
Cover Crop:
Seeding 25 .7 .7
Plowing 13 1.7 1.7
Fertilizing 20 1.1 .6
Discing 20 .9 .9
80ther than harvesting labor.
Grower plAns.--Only 8 growers planned to remove pecan trees and
11 had definite plans for planting young trees (Table 15). Growers in
Jackson and Santa Rosa Counties planned to plant the larger number of
trees. Alachua and Jackson County growers had definite plans for removal
of only 20 trees. Four growers in other counties planned to remove some
trees but declined to give the number. Two growers were undecided about
14
removing trees and 6 not sure of planting plans. If all those growers who
had definite plans of action for the next 2 years followed through with
those plans, a net number of 983 trees would be added to the sample. This
is a change of less than 2.5 percent per year assuming all young trees
survived.
TABLE 14.--Livestock Grazing in Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
County Growers Acres Percent of
Total Acreage
Alachua 11 87.5 29.0
Jackson 9 156.5 70.7
Jefferson 12 473.0 72.0
Santa Rosa 14 133.2 88.4
Suwannee 9 74.4 62.1
Five Counties 55 924.6 63.8
Harvesting Practices
Growers reporting the use of mechanical shaking or hand-shaking
methods for removal of pecans from the trees were operating the larger
orchards. Eighteen percent of the acreage was harvested with mechanical
shakers and hand pickers and 8 percent by hand-shaking and picking
(Table 16). When asked about mechanical shaking many growers replied,
"damages the trees too much." To a similar question on hand-shaking typical
replies were "dangerous in tall trees"; "1 injury would cost more than the
pecans would sell for"; "labor is too expensive." As shown in the table,
the vast majority of growers preferred to pick up pecans after they had
fallen by natural means. Perhaps 1 reason for this was the use of family
and otherwise unemployable labor for pecan harvesting. Few growers would
TABLE 15.--Grower Plans for Planting or Removing of Pecan Trees, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Growers Planning to
Remove Trees Plant Trees
County ... ....
Yes No Not Yes No Not
Sure Sure
Alachua 2 18 .... 2 18 ...
Jackson 2 18 ... 4 16 ....
Jefferson 1 18 1 1 15 4
Santa Rosa 1 19 .... 1 19 ....
Suwannee 2 17 1 3 15 2
Five Counties 8 90 2 11 83 6
Number of Trees to be
Removed Planted
Alachua 5 13
Jackson 15 750
Jefferson .. 40
Santa Rosa .. 170
Suwannee.. 30
Five Counties 20 1003
Percent of all trees
in sample 0.1 5.0
TABLE 16.--Methods of
Harvesting Pecans, 100 Producers in Selected Counties,
Florida, 1960-61
Acres Per Proportion
Method Growers Acreage Grower of Acreage
Mechanical shaking 5 262.5 52.5 18.1
Hand-shaking 4 118.0 29.5 8.1
Fall naturally 91 1068.1 11.7 73.8
Total or Average 100 1448.6 14.5 100.0
picking up pecans by hand or with hand-operated pecan picker.
estimate the man-hours required to harvest pecans. Many, however, reported
harvesting on shares with the children, neighbors or hired-hands' families.
Others reported paying 3 to 5 cents per pound for picking up pecans by
hand.
Marketing Practices
Crop disposition.--Of the 109,579 pounds of improved and seedling
pecans reported by sample growers for 1960, 91 percent was sold at whole-
sale, 0.5 percent at retail, 3 percent was on hand in March, 1961, and
5.5 percent had been given away or used in the home (Table 17).
TABLE 17.--Disposition of 1960 Pecan Crop, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Disposition in Pounds
County Used at Given On Sold
Home Away Hand Retail Wholesale Total
Alachua 60 ... ... ... ... 60
Jackson 970 645 75 240 32,708 34,638
Jefferson 895 1,710 3,395 ... 43,800 49,800
Santa Rosa 615 656 ... 269 22,146 23,686
Suwannee 315 149 50 ... 881 1,395
Total 2,855 3,160 3,520 509 99,535 109,579
Percent 2.6 2.9 3.2 .5 90.8 100.0
Buyers.--Because of the locally short crop, it was perhaps a good
year for the pecan station dealer. Of the 47 producers who reported
wholesale sales 73 percent were to dealers and 19 percent to truckers.
Cooperatives would normally be expected to handle a larger percentage of
the crop than is indicated in Table 18.
Prices.-Weighted average wholesale prices by varieties as
reported by growers are shown in Table 19. Prices ranged from 23.5 cents
17
per pound for Money Makers to 37.5 cents for Schleys. Prices for 3 of the
improved varieties were lower than the average price received for seedlings.
Average prices by variety varied by as much as 5 cents per pound among the
counties surveyed.
TABLE 18.--Type of Buyer Used in Selling Pecans,
Wholesale in 1960-61
47 Producers Who Sold at
Growers
Type Buyer .... ... ...
Number Percent
Dealer 34 72.3
Trucker 9 19.2
Cooperative 4 8.5
Total 47 100.0
TABLE 19.--Wholesale Prices Received for Pecans by Varieties, 100 Producers
in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960 Crop
County
Variety Jackson Jefferson Santa Suwannee All
Rosa Counties
Average Price Per Pound (Cents)
Curtis .... .... 34.0 .... 34.0
Lacy .... 25,0 .... .... 25.0
Mahan 30.0 .... .... ... 30.0
Money Maker 23.0 25.0 26.5 .... 23.5
Moore .... 31.0 .... .... 31.0
President 32.0 .... .... .... 32.0
Schley 37.5 .... .... .... 37.5
Stuart 35.7 35.7 36.7.... 36.1
Success .... .... 28.5 .... 28.5
Van Deman 30.0 .... .... .... 30.0
Waukeenah .... 31.0 .... .... 31.0
Improved (mixed) 30.0 29.8 34.8 .... 30.7
Seedling 30.3 27.4 30.7 25.0 29.5
Summary
In the spring of 1961, a study of pecan production and marketing
practices was undertaken in 5 major producing counties of Florida in
cooperation with a larger study being conducted by the Marketing Economics
Division of the United States Department of Agriculture. A random sample
of 20 growers in each of the counties of Alachua, Jackson, Jefferson,
Santa Rosa and Suwannee was interviewed by representatives of the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Stations, Department of Agricultural Economics.
The completed survey included 11 percent of the pecan trees
(improved varieties) in Florida and 20 percent of the trees in the 5
counties.
Orchards ranged in size from 1 to 225 acres and averaged 14.5 acres
per grower. There was an average of 13.4 trees per acre in the 5 counties
studied and 93 percent of the trees were of bearing age. Plantings of
young trees have been relatively fewer during the past 2 decades than
during the 1920's and 1930's.
Of the 28 different improved varieties reported by growers the 10
most important accounted for about three-fourths of all trees in orchards.
Stuart, Moore, Curtis and Money Maker were the varieties reported most
often. Seedlings accounted for 15 percent of all trees reported.
One-half of the growers interviewed had applied a complete com-
mercial fertilizer to their orchards or cover crops in orchards. Nearly
86 percent of the acreage received some form of fertilizer. More large
than small growers used fertilizer.
Seventy percent of the acreage in orchards and 19 percent of the
cover crop acreage in orchards were disced one or more times.
Only 11 growers performed insect and disease control measures on
pecan orchards and less than 30 percent of the acreage was covered.
Growers expressed a desire for commercial or cooperative insect and
disease control service in orchards.
More than 60 percent of all orchard acres were used for livestock
grazing all or part of the time.
Florida pecan growers apparently prefer picking up pecans as they
fall from natural causes over the use of mechanical or hand-shaking
methods.
Of the pecans harvested by sampled growers in 1960, 91 percent
was sold at wholesale to local pecan station buyers and truckers.
Weighted average prices reported by growers ranged from 23.5 cents
per pound for Money Makers to 37.5 cents per pound for Schleys.
Nearly 15 percent of the trees reported were more than 40 years
old, 39 percent were between 31 and 40 years and about 14 percent were less
than 21 years of age (Table 4). This indicates that new plantings have
been relatively fewer during the past 2 decades than during the 1920's
and 1930's.
TABLE 4.--Percent of Pecan Trees by Age Groups, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Counties
Age of Trees Santa Five
in Years Alachua Jackson Jefferson Rosa Suwannee Counties
Percent of Trees
0-10 5.9 2.5 8.1 10.8 5.9 7.0
11-20 2.3 7.5 9.0 2.1 10.0 6.5
21-30 4.0 16.2 54.2 21.0 32.2 32.2
31-40 52.9 55.6 27.1 55.8 10.4 38.7
41-over 32.9 18.1 .9 10.2 41.5 14.7
Unknown 2.0 .1 .7 .1 .... .9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Ninety-three percent of the trees reported were of bearing age.
This varied among the counties from over 97 percent in Jackson to 89 per-
cent in Santa Rosa County (Table 5). For the State of Florida 92 percent
of the trees reported in 1959 were of bearing age.1 The latter figure
included only improved varieties. Seedling trees were apparently not
enumerated by the Census.
There were 28 different improved variety names reported by pro-
ducers. Of these, the 10 most important varieties accounted for about
three-fourths of all trees in orchards. Stuart and Moore were the 2 most
U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1959 Census
of Agriculture Preliminary.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
Introduction . . ..
Sample Selection . ..
Description of Orchards .
Production Practices . .
Fertilizing . .
Cultural practices .
Insect and disease control
Labor requirements .
Other Practices and Plans .
Grazing . .
Grower plans . .
Harvesting Practices . .
Marketing Practices . .
Crop disposition ..
Buyers . .
Prices . . .
Summary . . .
* S S S S S S
* S S S S S
* S S S S S S
* S 5 5 S S
. .
* S S
* S .
* .
* S S S S
S S S S S
* S S S S
* .
important varieties named, followed by Curtis and Money Maker (Table 6).
None of the other improved varieties accounted for more than 5 percent
of the trees. Seedling trees accounted for 15 percent of all trees
reported and ranged from 5 percent in Jefferson to 47 percent of all trees
in Suwannee County.
TABLE 5.--Bearing and Non-Bearing Trees in Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in
Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Number of Trees Percent of Trees
Counties
Bearing Non-bearing Bearing- Non-bearing
Alachua 4803 297 94.2 5.8
Jackson 2127 54 97.5 2.5
Jefferson 8459 740 92.0 8.0
Santa Rosa 1841 223 89.2 10.8
Suwannee 1255 78 94.1 5.9
Total 18485 1392 93.0 7.0
Production Practices
Fertilizing.--Of the 100 growers interviewed 45 reported the use
of fertilizer for pecan trees alone. These growers fertilized 767 acres
or nearly 53 percent of the land reported in orchards. A commercially
mixed complete fertilizer2 was applied by 36 producers at an average rate
of 650 pounds per acre to 78 percent of the orchard land fertilized
(Table 7). The proportion of the acreage receiving a complete fertilizer
varied little by counties. Other fertilizers used for pecan trees
included potash and phosphorous, nitrogen, manure and lime. Five growers
applied zinc sulfate on 99 acres for correction of a nutritional deficiency.
2Commercial mixtures ranged from 4-8-6 to 8-12-12. A 4-12-12
mixture was reported most often by growers.
TABLE 9.--Fertilizing Practices on Pecan Trees and Orchard Cover Crops,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer
Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Lime
Total
Acres
215.0
20.0
30.0
83.0
35.0
240.0
156.0
12.0
3.0
69.0
10.0
6.0
171.0
356.0
225.0
200.0
456.0
104.7
10.0
13.0
10.0
107.7
67.4
6.0
6.0
14.9
75.9
899.1
263.0
13.0
112.0
99.0
45.0
220.9
1050.6
Percent
Alachua
89.6
8.3
12.5
34.6
14.6
100.0
Jackson
91.2
7.0
1.8
40.4
5.8
3.5
100.0
Jefferson
78.1
49.3
43.9
100.0
Santa Rosa
97.2
9.3
12.1
9.3
100.0
Suwannee
88.8
7.9
7.9
19.6
100.0
Five Counties
85.6
25.0
1.2
10.7
9.4
4.3
21.0
100.0
kind.
Pounds
842
800
267
108
2000
520
900
600
153
48
4000
546
400
2000
578
150
277
6000
534
354
16
2047
615
452
254
198
96
2889
2057
*....
aWill add to more than 100 because some growers used more than one
--
Summary
In the spring of 1961, a study of pecan production and marketing
practices was undertaken in 5 major producing counties of Florida in
cooperation with a larger study being conducted by the Marketing Economics
Division of the United States Department of Agriculture. A random sample
of 20 growers in each of the counties of Alachua, Jackson, Jefferson,
Santa Rosa and Suwannee was interviewed by representatives of the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Stations, Department of Agricultural Economics.
The completed survey included 11 percent of the pecan trees
(improved varieties) in Florida and 20 percent of the trees in the 5
counties.
Orchards ranged in size from 1 to 225 acres and averaged 14.5 acres
per grower. There was an average of 13.4 trees per acre in the 5 counties
studied and 93 percent of the trees were of bearing age. Plantings of
young trees have been relatively fewer during the past 2 decades than
during the 1920's and 1930's.
Of the 28 different improved varieties reported by growers the 10
most important accounted for about three-fourths of all trees in orchards.
Stuart, Moore, Curtis and Money Maker were the varieties reported most
often. Seedlings accounted for 15 percent of all trees reported.
One-half of the growers interviewed had applied a complete com-
mercial fertilizer to their orchards or cover crops in orchards. Nearly
86 percent of the acreage received some form of fertilizer. More large
than small growers used fertilizer.
Seventy percent of the acreage in orchards and 19 percent of the
cover crop acreage in orchards were disced one or more times.
orchards and cover crops than the other counties (Table 9). Alachua
County growers made heavier than average per acre applications of fer-
tilizer than growers in other counties.
Cultural practices.--The most commonly practiced item of culture
on pecan orchards was discing. Sixty-four growers disced 70 percent of
the acreage in orchards. In addition, 19 percent of the cover crop
acreage in orchards was disced (Table 10). Pruning trees and removing
pruned wood were second in importance among grower practices. Twelve
growers plowed in orchards and 13 growers plowed orchard cover crops.
Only 1 grower hoed around trees and 1 grower irrigated the orchard.
Insect and disease control.--Florida growers performed very little
insect and disease control work on pecan orchards. Eleven growers treated
some part of the pecan orchard. Of those, 9 sprayed trees and 2 used
dust (Table 11). Less than 30 percent of the acreage covered in the
survey was treated for insects or diseases. However, during the inter-
views many growers expressed a desire to have their orchards treated.
Most realized that the purchase of adequate equipment for insect and
disease control work was not economical for each grower. Several expressed
the need for and their willingness to use a commercial or cooperative
spraying service for pecan orchards. Two growers in Alachua and 1 grower
in Jackson County had hired a commerical spray service. One grower in
Santa Rosa County had hired aerial spraying on his orchard.
Scab control was reported as 1 reason for treating 90 percent of
the acreage sprayed or dusted. Control of caterpillar worms was reported
on over one-fourth of the acreage (Table 12). A moss control program was
underway in Suwannee County. Bordeaux mixture which is effective against
TABLE 8.--Fertilizer Practices on Pecan Orchard Cover Crops, 100 Producers
in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer Application
Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number Acres
77.0
30.0
87.0
91.0
53.0
91.0
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Total
Commercially mixed
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Nitrogen
Manure
Total
49.0
225.0
274.0
66.7
10.0
10.0
86.7
30.0
30.0
313.7
225.0
93.0
10.0
568.7
Percent
Alachua
88.5
34.5
100.0
Jackson
100.0
58.2
100.0
Jefferson
17.9
82.1
100.0
Santa Rosa
76.9
11.5
11.6
100.0
Suwannee
100.0
100.0
Five Counties
55.2
39.6
16.4
1.8
100.0
will add to more than 100 percent because some growers used more
than one kind.
fertilizer. However, only 73 percent of the orchard acres received a
fertilizer material. The growers who applied a fertilizer were then,
generally, the larger-sized orchard owners. Alachua and Jackson
Counties had proportionally more growers using fertilizer materials on
Pounds
704
267
566
150
337
400
478
300
6000
400
530
400
204
6000
....
17
per pound for Money Makers to 37.5 cents for Schleys. Prices for 3 of the
improved varieties were lower than the average price received for seedlings.
Average prices by variety varied by as much as 5 cents per pound among the
counties surveyed.
TABLE 18.--Type of Buyer Used in Selling Pecans,
Wholesale in 1960-61
47 Producers Who Sold at
Growers
Type Buyer .... ... ...
Number Percent
Dealer 34 72.3
Trucker 9 19.2
Cooperative 4 8.5
Total 47 100.0
TABLE 19.--Wholesale Prices Received for Pecans by Varieties, 100 Producers
in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960 Crop
County
Variety Jackson Jefferson Santa Suwannee All
Rosa Counties
Average Price Per Pound (Cents)
Curtis .... .... 34.0 .... 34.0
Lacy .... 25,0 .... .... 25.0
Mahan 30.0 .... .... ... 30.0
Money Maker 23.0 25.0 26.5 .... 23.5
Moore .... 31.0 .... .... 31.0
President 32.0 .... .... .... 32.0
Schley 37.5 .... .... .... 37.5
Stuart 35.7 35.7 36.7.... 36.1
Success .... .... 28.5 .... 28.5
Van Deman 30.0 .... .... .... 30.0
Waukeenah .... 31.0 .... .... 31.0
Improved (mixed) 30.0 29.8 34.8 .... 30.7
Seedling 30.3 27.4 30.7 25.0 29.5
Most orchards had some kind of cover crop, ranging from native
grasses to clover, oats, lupines and improved pasture grasses. Some of
the fertilizer applied to cover crops in orchards also benefits the trees.
TABLE 6.--Percent of Pecan Trees by Variety, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Counties
Variety
Santa Five
Alachua Jackson Jefferson Rosa Suwannee Counties
Percent
Stuart 10.5 27.5 10.5 58.1 18.6 17.8
Moore .... .4 37.6 1.2 1.9 17.7
Curtis 45.4 .... .3 .1 2.8 12.0
Money Maker 1.3 13.5 16.1 .2 7.6 9.8
Schley 3.0 18.6 1.6 2.6 6.4 4.3
Mahan .3 4.8 6.9 .1 .4 3.8
Success 3.5 .3 .6 10.1 .3 2.2
Kennedy 7.6 .... .... .... .... 2.0
Van Deman 1.5 5.7 .2 .4 7.0 1.6
Elliott .... .1 2.9 1.9 .... 1.6
Other improved 11.4 2.5 18.2a 1.8 8.2 12.3
Seedling 15.5 26.6 5.1 23.5 46.8 14.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a9.9 percent were Stuart,
Exact number of each unknown.
Schley, Curtis, Mahan and Waukeenah.
Twenty growers applied fertilizer to cover crops on 569 orchard
acres. A commercially mixed complete fertilizer was applied to orchard
cover crops by 16 growers covering 55 percent of the orchard cover crop
acres fertilized. Nitrogen alone was applied to 93 acres of cover crops
in orchards (Table 8).
One-half of all growers interviewed had applied a complete fer-
tilizer to nearly 86 percent of the acreage receiving some form of
14
removing trees and 6 not sure of planting plans. If all those growers who
had definite plans of action for the next 2 years followed through with
those plans, a net number of 983 trees would be added to the sample. This
is a change of less than 2.5 percent per year assuming all young trees
survived.
TABLE 14.--Livestock Grazing in Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
County Growers Acres Percent of
Total Acreage
Alachua 11 87.5 29.0
Jackson 9 156.5 70.7
Jefferson 12 473.0 72.0
Santa Rosa 14 133.2 88.4
Suwannee 9 74.4 62.1
Five Counties 55 924.6 63.8
Harvesting Practices
Growers reporting the use of mechanical shaking or hand-shaking
methods for removal of pecans from the trees were operating the larger
orchards. Eighteen percent of the acreage was harvested with mechanical
shakers and hand pickers and 8 percent by hand-shaking and picking
(Table 16). When asked about mechanical shaking many growers replied,
"damages the trees too much." To a similar question on hand-shaking typical
replies were "dangerous in tall trees"; "1 injury would cost more than the
pecans would sell for"; "labor is too expensive." As shown in the table,
the vast majority of growers preferred to pick up pecans after they had
fallen by natural means. Perhaps 1 reason for this was the use of family
and otherwise unemployable labor for pecan harvesting. Few growers would
averaged 14.5 acres. Thirty-two percent of the acreage had less than 10
trees per acre; 31 percent, 10 to 15 trees; and 37 percent, 16 or more
trees per acre (Table 2). Average number of trees per acre varied from
9.7 in Jackson County to 16.9 in Alachua County. The 5-county average
was 13.4 trees per acre (Table 3).
TABLE 2.--Acreage and Range in Number of Trees Per Acre in Pecan Orchards,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Range in Number of Trees Per Acre
County 0-9.9 10-15.9 16-over Total
Acres
Alachua 65 68 168.5 301.5
Jackson 92.5 117 12 221.5
Jefferson 193 167 297 657.0
Santa Rosa 49.7 74.5 26.5 150.7
Suwannee 61.5 24 32.4 117.9
Total 461.7 450.5 536.4 1448.6a
Percent of
Total 31.9 31.1 37.0 100.0
aAcreage was not always reported for trees scattered around the
farm.
TABLE 3.--Average and Rr.nge in Number of Trees Per Acre in Pecan Orchards,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Range in Number of Trees Per Acre Average
County 0-9.9 10-15.9 16-over Per Acre
Average Trees Per Acre
Alachua 9.3 12.8 21.5 16.9
Jackson 5.9 11.9 17.7 9.7
Jefferson 7.4 12.7 19.1 14.0
Santa Rosa 8.0 12.7 19.7 12.4
Suwannee 5.1 12.9 17.0 9.9
Five Counties 7.1 12.5 19.7 13.4
TABLE 15.--Grower Plans for Planting or Removing of Pecan Trees, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Growers Planning to
Remove Trees Plant Trees
County ... ....
Yes No Not Yes No Not
Sure Sure
Alachua 2 18 .... 2 18 ...
Jackson 2 18 ... 4 16 ....
Jefferson 1 18 1 1 15 4
Santa Rosa 1 19 .... 1 19 ....
Suwannee 2 17 1 3 15 2
Five Counties 8 90 2 11 83 6
Number of Trees to be
Removed Planted
Alachua 5 13
Jackson 15 750
Jefferson .. 40
Santa Rosa .. 170
Suwannee.. 30
Five Counties 20 1003
Percent of all trees
in sample 0.1 5.0
TABLE 16.--Methods of
Harvesting Pecans, 100 Producers in Selected Counties,
Florida, 1960-61
Acres Per Proportion
Method Growers Acreage Grower of Acreage
Mechanical shaking 5 262.5 52.5 18.1
Hand-shaking 4 118.0 29.5 8.1
Fall naturally 91 1068.1 11.7 73.8
Total or Average 100 1448.6 14.5 100.0
picking up pecans by hand or with hand-operated pecan picker.
estimate the man-hours required to harvest pecans. Many, however, reported
harvesting on shares with the children, neighbors or hired-hands' families.
Others reported paying 3 to 5 cents per pound for picking up pecans by
hand.
Marketing Practices
Crop disposition.--Of the 109,579 pounds of improved and seedling
pecans reported by sample growers for 1960, 91 percent was sold at whole-
sale, 0.5 percent at retail, 3 percent was on hand in March, 1961, and
5.5 percent had been given away or used in the home (Table 17).
TABLE 17.--Disposition of 1960 Pecan Crop, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Disposition in Pounds
County Used at Given On Sold
Home Away Hand Retail Wholesale Total
Alachua 60 ... ... ... ... 60
Jackson 970 645 75 240 32,708 34,638
Jefferson 895 1,710 3,395 ... 43,800 49,800
Santa Rosa 615 656 ... 269 22,146 23,686
Suwannee 315 149 50 ... 881 1,395
Total 2,855 3,160 3,520 509 99,535 109,579
Percent 2.6 2.9 3.2 .5 90.8 100.0
Buyers.--Because of the locally short crop, it was perhaps a good
year for the pecan station dealer. Of the 47 producers who reported
wholesale sales 73 percent were to dealers and 19 percent to truckers.
Cooperatives would normally be expected to handle a larger percentage of
the crop than is indicated in Table 18.
Prices.-Weighted average wholesale prices by varieties as
reported by growers are shown in Table 19. Prices ranged from 23.5 cents
from which the sample was drawn were arranged in alphabetical order by
name only and 2 random starts were made, the size and location of orchards
selected were randomized and the chances of selecting orchards belonging
to brothers were minimized. When the sample names could not be contacted,
the next named alternate was used.
Counties selected for study were Alachua, Jackson, Jefferson,
Santa Rosa and Suwannee. These 5 counties in North and West Florida were
selected from among the 10 counties reporting the largest number of farms
having 20 or more pecan trees in the Agricultural Census of 1959. The
completed survey included 11 percent of the improved pecan trees in Florida
and 20 percent of the improved pecan trees in the 5 counties studied
(Table 1).
TABLE.l.--Percent of Trees (Improved Varieties) of all Agesa in Sample by
Counties Surveyed, Florida, 1960-61
Counties Trees in Survey Sample as Percentage
of Trees Reported by Census
Alachua 20.0
Jackson 10.8
Jefferson 30.9
Santa Rosa 15.3
Suwannee 7.7
Five Counties 20.1
State Total 11.4
aAs reported by U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,
1959 Census of Agriculture Preliminary.
Description of Orchards
The 100 growers interviewed reported a total of 1,449 acres in
pecan orchards. Individual ownership ranged from 1 to 225 acres and
Only 11 growers performed insect and disease control measures on
pecan orchards and less than 30 percent of the acreage was covered.
Growers expressed a desire for commercial or cooperative insect and
disease control service in orchards.
More than 60 percent of all orchard acres were used for livestock
grazing all or part of the time.
Florida pecan growers apparently prefer picking up pecans as they
fall from natural causes over the use of mechanical or hand-shaking
methods.
Of the pecans harvested by sampled growers in 1960, 91 percent
was sold at wholesale to local pecan station buyers and truckers.
Weighted average prices reported by growers ranged from 23.5 cents
per pound for Money Makers to 37.5 cents per pound for Schleys.
TABLE 7.--Fertilizing Practices on Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in
Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Application
Type of Fertilizer Growers Acreage Proportion of Average Rate
Acreage Covered Per Acre
Number Acres
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash
Nitrogen
Total
Commercially mixed
Potash and phosphorous
Zinc sulfate
Lime
Total
Commercially mixed
Eptash and phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen
Zinc sulfate
Manure
Lime
Total
9
1
2
2
.11
9
1
I
4
2
I
11
148.0
20.0
83.0
35.0
183.0
65.0
12.0
3.0
16.0
10.0
6.0
80.0
307.0
200.0
407.0
38.0
10.0
3.0
51.0
37.4
6.0
6.0
14.9
45.9
595.4
38.0
13.0
19.0
99.0
35.0
220.9
766.9
Percenta
Alachua
80.9
10.9
45.4
19.1
100.0
Jackson
81.2
15.0
3.8
20.0
12.5
7.5
100.0
Jefferson
75.4
49.1
100.0
Santa Rosa
74.5
19.6
5.9
100.0
Suwannee
81.5
13.1
13.1
32.5
100.0
Five Counties
77.6
5.0
1.7
2.5
12.9
4.6
28.8
100.0
Pounds
857
800
108
2000
456
900
600
164
48
4000
579
2000
.V..
754
150
200
..c.
641
354
16
2047
650
761
254
170
96
2000
2057
*...
aWill add to more than 100 percent because some growers used more
than one kind.
TABLE 10.--Cultural Practices on Pecan Orchards and Orchard Cover Crops,
100 Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Number of Number of Proportion of
Cultural Practice
Growers Acres Acreage Covered
Percent
Orchard:
Pruning 26 426.0 29.4
Removing pruned wood 28 318.1 22.0
Plowing 12 207.2 14.3
Discing 64 1018.4 70.3
Mowing 9 89.0 6.1
Hoeing 1 10.0 .7
Mossing trees 1 10.0 .7
Irrigating 1 8.0 .6
Total 142 1448.6 100.0
Cover drop:
Seeding 25 556.4 38.4
Plowing 13 130.1 9.0
Discing 20 274.7 19.0
Cultivating 3 69.0 4.8
Total 61 1448.6 100.0
aMay add to more than 100 percent
may have been performed on each acre.
because more than one practice
TABLE 11.--Insect and Disease Control Practices on Pecan Orchards, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Item Number
Total producers 100
Total acreage of pecans 1448.6
Total producers who treated some part of orchard 11
Spray 9
Dust 2
Total acreage treated 417.0
Percent of acreage treated 28.8
September, 1961
Agricultural Economics Himeo
Report No. 62-4
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF
FLORIDA PECAN PRODUCERS
by
Associate
D. L. Brooke
Agricultural Economist
Department of Agricultural Economics
Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations
Gainesville, Florida
f
A n
4
r **
. .. .. .
036
^*36 hz
TABLE 12.--Purpose of Treating Pecan Orchards, 100 Producers in Selected
Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Purpose Acreage Proportion of
Acreage Sprayed
Acresa Percenta
Blight 8 1.9
Scab 374 90.0
Caterpillar worms 109 26.1
Moss 91 21.8
Total acreage treated 417 100.0
aWill add to more than total acreage treated because some growers
treated the same acreage more than once.
scab will also kill moss. Zerlate was used as a spray to control scab
and other diseases. Toxaphene and DDT, as a spray and a dust respectively,
were used for insect control,
Labor requirements.--Labor requirements in hours per acre for the
most commonly practiced cultural operations in pecan orchards and on
cover crops in orchards are shown in Table 13. Annual requirements may
be approximated by adding man and tractor hours per acre for the cultural
items performed on the orchard and its cover crop. Growers who fertilized,
disced, pruned and removed pruned wood used 4.8 man-hours and 2.7 tractor-
hours per acre. Seeding, fertilizing and discing cover crops required
2.7 man-hours and 2.2 tractor-hours per acre.
Other Practices.and Plans
Grazing.--More than one-half of the growers reported livestock
grazing all or part-time on 64 percent of the orchard acreage (Table 14).
Santa Rosa County growers reported 88 percent and Alachua County growers
29 percent of the pecan acreage used for grazing. In most instances,
other acreage of pasture was also available to the animals and only 2
growers would make any estimate of the rate of gain for livestock on
orchard pasture.
TABLE 13.--Labor Requirements in Pecan Orchardsa in Hours Per Acre, 100
Producers in Selected Counties, Florida, 1960-61
Five Counties
Item Growers Hours per Acre
Reporting Man Tractor
Pecan Orchard:
Pruning 26 1.6
Removing wood 28 1.0 1.0
Plowing 12 1.6 1.6
Fertilizing 47 1.1 .6
Discing 64 1.1 1.1
Spraying 11 .6 .6
Mowing 9 2.1 2.1
Cover Crop:
Seeding 25 .7 .7
Plowing 13 1.7 1.7
Fertilizing 20 1.1 .6
Discing 20 .9 .9
80ther than harvesting labor.
Grower plAns.--Only 8 growers planned to remove pecan trees and
11 had definite plans for planting young trees (Table 15). Growers in
Jackson and Santa Rosa Counties planned to plant the larger number of
trees. Alachua and Jackson County growers had definite plans for removal
of only 20 trees. Four growers in other counties planned to remove some
trees but declined to give the number. Two growers were undecided about
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF
FLORIDA PECAN PRODUCERS
by
D. L. Brooke
Associate Agricultural Economist
Introduction
In the spring of 1961 the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Mar-
keting Economics Division, initiated a study of pecan marketing in the
South. As 1 phase of this study several states agreed to cooperate to
the extent of obtaining production and marketing information from pecan
producers. Florida was 1 of the cooperating states. Personal interviews
were held with 100 producers in 5 selected counties in North and West
Florida. A prepared questionnaire was used and all growers interviewed
were asked the same questions regarding their production and marketing
practices.
Sample Selection
Lists of pecan growers were obtained from local pecan buyers and
other sources in each county. These lists, when completed, contained the
names and addresses of all known pecan producers in the county who had
20 or more trees of bearing age. In each case the list contained 80 per-
cent or more of the number of farms reporting pecans in the county as
enumerated by the Census. A sample was drawn from a random start taking
every nth name on the list until 20 names had been selected. To provide
alternates, a second sample was drawn by the same method. Since the lists
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