By Dirk Aaron
Bell County Extension Agent

The 2009 Bell/Williamson County Pecan Show was held last week in Belton. The volunteers of Bell and Williamson County Pecan Growers Associations provided their time on Thursday to crack, shell, weigh and present entries for judging at noon.

I want to thank R.H. Schlieker and Ken Gerstenberg, both of Belton, for providing their electric crackers, cracking all the entries as well as assisting with the events for this year's show. The volunteers who worked so hard this year were Ray Ponton, Ed Zucknick, Harold Pomykal, Darwin Kakoska, Warren and Charlene Sefcik, Mary Ann Everitt, Sydney Van Loh, Louann Hight, Don Wyatt, Gary Slanga and Patricia Pomykal.

I would also like to thank Williamson County Agent-Agriculture Extension Agent Bob Whitney of Georgetown. Bob is considered one of the top experts in pecan production after serving in Comanche County for more than 18 years. His help and involvement with the growers of Bell and Williamson County was enjoyed by all.

This year's judge was Dr. Tommy Thompson, USDA-Agricultural Research Service Pecan Breeder and Geneticist at the agency's Crop Germplasm Research Unit in College Station. Thompson is known for being the primary breeder of many of the top improved pecan varieties, including the Pawnee.

The Pawnee has been a top-seller since its release in 1984 because it is ready for sale by the first part of October and often has a 50-cent per pound advantage over other varieties due to its earliness, Thompson said.

When it comes to pecans, timing is crucial. Breeders and retailers prefer pecans that mature quickly because the earlier they hit store shelves each fall, the better they sell. He stated that they released a new cultivar this spring that he is confident will beat Pawnee to market each year. Mandan, one of two new pecan cultivars, is bred to mature about a week earlier than Pawnee and resist scab disease.

Thompson also is releasing Apalachee, a small pecan bred for baking and manufacturing. But he expects Mandan to be more widely distributed because of its early maturity, nut size and ability to resist scab disease, a fungal pathogen that blackens nuts and can severely damage trees.

ARS has released 28 pecan varieties since 1953, and since 1955 has named them all for Native American tribes, a nod to the nut's status as a North American native. Pecans grow from Texas and Mexico north to Illinois and east to Georgia, and sales generate $500 million each year.

Show winners

There were 58 entries for this year's show.

Champion honors go to the following entries:

Grand Champion Commercial – Ray Ponton of Williamson County with his Pawnee entry

Grand Champion Classic – Ken Gerstenberg of Bell County with his Nacono entry

Grand Champion Native – Ed Zucknick of Williamson County with his Native entry

Reserve Champion honors go to the following entries:

Reserve Grand Champion Commercial – Ken Gerstenberg of Williamson County with his Oconee entry

Reserve Grand Champion Classic – David Phillips of Williamson County with his Podsodnik entry

For a list of complete results, contact AgriLife Extension Service-Bell County at: (254) 933-5305 or 1605 N. Main, Rm 102, Belton, TX 76513.

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