Commercial Fruit and Nuts
Pecans
Mississippi contains between 14,000 and 16,000 acres of pecan orchards and thousands of yard trees. Orchards range in size from 25 to 500 acres. The average state production is 6.5 million pounds. Commercial orchards planted on good sites utilizing disease resistant varieties and under good management systems can average 750 lb. of pecans per acre. The average state-wide production, including the small home orchards under very little management, is more likely to be less than 250 lb. per acre. Pecans are sold directly to consumers, accumulators, or marketed by mail-order. Intense management, irrigation, proper insect and disease control, timely harvest, and proper marketing are all necessary to make pecan production profitable. During the past 5 years, pecans have been valued from $.50 to $2.00 per pound depending on regional production.Presently, the major commercial varieties being recommended are: Owens, Kiowa, Forkert, Cape Fear, and Choctaw in north Mississippi, and Kiowa, Cape Fear, Melrose, and Sumner in south Mississippi.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I do to improve the quality of my pecans?
- What varieties should I plant?
- Can I make money growing pecans in Mississippi?
- How quickly will they come into production?
- Is my soil good enough for pecans?
- How can I kill the weeds around my pecan tree?
- How frequently and how much should I irrigate?
- Why do my pecans not produce every year?
- How far apart should I plant my pecan trees?
- Do pecan trees require pruning?
- What method should be used to graft pecans?
Small Fruit
Small fruit are grown throughout Mississippi. Currently, there are 1,600 acres of blueberries, 400 acres of muscadines, 100 acres of strawberries and scattered acres of blackberries and other small fruits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What varieties of blueberries should be grown in Mississippi?
- What varieties of muscadines should be grown in Mississippi?
Tree Fruit in Mississippi
Mississippi has approximately 1000 acres of peaches and 250 acres of apples. Orchards range in size from 5-50 acres. Because of unusually late freezes, only 10 to 15 percent of the peach acreage produced fruit in recent years. Primarily due to irregular markets, wholesale prices have declined 15-20 percent. Because there was no crop, routine maintenance has been curtailed allowing insect and disease pressure to increase. Peaches and apples are primarily sold in fresh markets. Intense management, irrigation, proper insect and disease control, timely harvest, and proper marketing are all necessary to make fruit production profitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Publications
News
Mississippi’s recent bout of bad weather came at a critical time for producers of blueberries, the state’s largest commercial fruit crop. Blueberries can be easily damaged by cold weather, but the timing of mid-February’s icy weather limited the potential damage.
Despite weather challenges combined with a decreased production year for most pecan varieties, Mississippi’s 2020 crop will be decent.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a new obstacle for Mississippi blueberry growers in 2020, impacting the labor force for the early-season varieties.
The invasive species of fruit fly, Spotted Wing Drosophila, can wreak havoc on the state’s largest commercial fruit crop – blueberries. But homeowners likely won’t find it to be a significant problem.
Regional agriculture advisory groups will meet across the state next month to provide input on educational programing and research conducted by Mississippi State University.
