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Title: The pecan provenance collection at Byron GA – a unique resource for the long-term survival of the US industry

Author
item Wood, Bruce
item Grauke, Larry
item Bock, Clive

Submitted to: Pecan Grower
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2016
Publication Date: 6/1/2016
Citation: Wood, B.W., Grauke, L.J., Bock, C.H. 2016. The pecan provenance collection at Byron GA – a unique resource for the long-term survival of the US industry. Pecan Grower. 27: 28-46.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Pecan scab, caused by Fusicladium effusum is the most destructive disease of pecan in Georgia and elsewhere in the southeastern US. Understanding patterns of natural variation is vital for improving any crop species. It is the natural variation that provides traits of potential value to a crop and thus its industry. The cultivated selections of pecan represent a proportion of the genetic base of the diversity that exists in the species. Thus it is supremely important to conserve the genetic diversity of the species from its natural range. This article describes some aspects of a collection of pecan at the USDA-ARS in Byron, which was collected by Drs. Wood and Grauke from throughout the native range in 1986-7. Traits assessed include tree height, trunk cross sectional area, limb angle, leaflet droop and tilt angles, cold injury, zinc deficiency and black aphid tolerance, budbreak and leaf fall date, foliage color and scab susceptibility. The importance of these traits is discussed.