Staying on Top of Pecan Scab

June 12, 2025

By Bryan Wilkins, APGA Science Advisor

Hard to believe that we are already in the middle of June. So far, it is shaping up to be a good year. This spring was dry, and the temperatures were perfect for an excellent pollination window. The dry spring was not only great for pollination, but it also kept the scab pressure at a minimum. But, like they say, if you do not like the weather just wait a few minutes. The dry April and May have turned into a hot, wet, and Humid first part of June and scab is really starting to explode. Now is the critical time to really get on top of and stay on top of your spray schedule. We are at that critical time of rapid nut growth and expansion when the nuts are most susceptible to scab. Scab control for the next 6-8 weeks will be critical to the success of this year’s crop. The best options for scab control during the nut sizing period from June to August will be Miravis Top, Miravis Prime  or Dodine (Elast). Miravis Top or Miravis Prime should be rotated with Dodine whether you use it as a stand alone or mixed with Tin. Miravis Top and Miravis Prime are both excellent products on nut scab. Make sure that you rotate these products with Dodine, DO NOT use the Miravis products back to back to back. It is tempting to do so because everyone wants to use the best “medicine” they can get, however if we over use them resistant strains of scab can develop, and we will ultimately lose their effectiveness. Dodine is still an excellent product and is one of the best for rotation with Miravis and other products. 

Another thing is the use of surfactants/spreader/stickers when spraying fungicides. Growing up spraying on our family farm we always used surfactants. However, over the years I have learned through my studies and talking with other researchers like Lenny Wells and Monte Nesbitt that under dry or normal conditions they are not needed. If we get into a rainy/wet period they are beneficial because they help the fungicide stick to and stay on the nut better and they help move the fungicide into the nut tissue better. Always read the label to make sure the product is safe to use with a surfactant. The Miravis products are safe to use with a surfactant. Dodine has surfactant properties built in, and surfactants are not necessary. The label for Tin products states specifically not to use surfactants with them due to phytotoxicity.

Another thing you can do to stay on top of scab is to tighten your spray intervals. Most growers spray about every 3 weeks. If we are in an extremely wet period, it does not matter what you spray, if you wait too long between sprays it is not going to do you any good. The nuts are rapidly growing even when it is raining. During times of rapid nut growth what you sprayed today will have tissue in 5 days that is not protected. Therefore, in rainy periods susceptible varieties need to be sprayed every 7-10 days. Also, it is better to get the fungicide on ahead of the rain if you can. Miravis Top and Miravis Prime need 5-6 hours of drying time to be effective. Dodine and Tin need at least 24 hours of drying time since they are pure protectants. Finally, it does not matter what fungicide you spray with, if you get rain within one hour of spraying , you need to spray everything that you sprayed within the last hour as soon as you can.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Ingredients

  • 120ml (1/2 cup) butter
  • 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp. seasoned salt
  • 220g (8 oz.) fettuccine or angel hair pasta (cooked and drained)
  • 360ml (1 1/2 cups) broccoli floweretts (cooked tender-crisp)
  • 3 Tbsp. walnuts (chopped )
  • fresh, grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet.
  2. Add the basil, lemon juice, garlic powder and seasoned salt, blending well.
  3. Add the fettuccine, broccoli, walnuts.
  4. Blend well and toss to coat the fettuccine.
  5. After tossing, add fresh grated Parmesan cheese to top off the dish.

This article uses material from the Wikibooks article “Cookbook:Garlic Parmesan Pasta“, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 4 avocados
  • 2 tablespoons of pico de gallo
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 2 chopped Jalapeño OR 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper OR 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 minced jalapeño OR 2 minced serrano chiles OR 2 tablespoon minced of any chile pepper like (adjust for spiciness)

Procedure

  1. Pit the avocados.
  2. Score avocado without cutting through the skin.
  3. Scoop out one avocado with a large spoon and place in mixing bowl.
  4. Add the lime juice and stir to evenly coat the avocados.
  5. Stir in the Pico de Gallo, garlic, oil, jalapeño, salt, red pepper, and black pepper, mashing and tossing the avocado pieces until thoroughly mixed.
  6. Then scoop out the other avocados and gently mix and toss in the larger pieces.
  7. The guacamole is the right consistency when more large pieces than mashed parts remain.
  8. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

This article uses material from the Wikibooks article “Cookbook:Guacamole“, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed sweet potato
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 14-oz cans of nonfat and low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock
  • 1 15-oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 cup 1% milk
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Procedure

  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion for 3-4 minutes then add flour, curry, cumin and nutmeg and saute for 1 minute.
  2. Add sweet potato, salt, chicken broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for about 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are cooked through and softened. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
  3. Place half of the pumpkin mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Using a strainer, pour soup back into pan. Repeat with rest of soup.
  4. Raise heat to medium then stir in milk and cook for 5 minutes or until soup is heated through.
  5. Remove from heat and add lime juice.

This article uses material from the Wikibooks article “Cookbook:Spiced Pumpkin Soup“, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.