County, Fort Bend shows combined
Covering Ground
Peter McGuill

The Wharton County Pecan Show will join forces with Fort Bend County for 2007. Pecan quantity and quality issues throughout the county this year have resulted in a small pecan crop. Although, statewide, the pecan crop looks to be the best in many years due to good rainfall, it appears that excessive rainfall coupled with disease problems have devastated a crop that looked promising early in the year. In an effort to consolidate efforts and create a more competitive show, the Fort Bend County Pecan Committee has invited Wharton County producers to participate in the Fort Bend County Pecan Show. The event will be held on Monday, Nov. 26, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bud O'Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road in Rosenberg.

From 5:30 until 7 p.m., show entries will be on display for the public. Pecan Committee members will be offering tips and answering questions about growing pecans. In addition, Fort Bend Master Gardeners will be on hand to address more general gardening questions. At 7 p.m., the show winners will be announced and from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m., there will be an educational program on pecan scab, a fungal disease that has severely affected the pecan crop in our area this year. Our wet summer created conditions that were favorable for scab, even on the most resistant varieties. (For private pesticide applicators, one CEU credit will be earned for attendance at this presentation.)

The Texas Pecan Show program is sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas Pecan Growers Association to help growers produce top quality pecans. The various county pecan show winners advance to one of five regional shows with statewide winners to be named at the TPGA Annual Conference and Trade Show to be held in The Woodlands this summer.

Growers learn how to grade their pecans for sale while identifying outstanding varieties for the area, the region, and the state. Successful growers gain recognition and quality Texas pecans are advertised and promoted. Local growers are invited enter freshly harvested pecans to be judged in one of three Divisions: Commercial, Classic and New, and Natives. The Yard Pecan Champion is an additional special category for local recognition and "bragging rights."

A 50-nut sample is required for judging each entry. Native entries must be all from the same tree.

Commercial and Classic and New entries must be of a single variety (mixed samples must be disqualified).

The pecans must be submitted to the Wharton County Extension Office by 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 26.

For more information on this or other agriculturally related subjects call the Wharton County office of Texas Cooperative Extension at (979) 532-3310.