by Ken Hunt
UMCA Post-Doctoral Fellow
Aside from the atmosphere of friendly competition, participants at the Native Pecan Nut Contest in January enjoyed an opportunity to discuss pest control, fertilization, grafting and regional marketing of pecans.
Bill Jackson, manager, AGRIServices of Brunswick, LLC, sponsored the native pecan contest with assistance from the Missouri Nutgrowers Association. The event, held at the Chariton County Courthouse in Keytesville, Mo., drew several local producers: Terry
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Bill Reid, research scientist and extension horticulturist, Kansas State University, and Ken Hunt, UMCA postdoctoral fellow, judged twenty native entries. Paul Manson earned first place with "Kuntz Tree," offering a nut weight of 4.28 grams and 51.47 percent kernel. Second and third place were awarded to Joe and Shelly Kussman, with a nut weight of 5.30 grams and 45.43 percent kernel for second place, and third place for a nut weight of 4.90 grams and 45.20 percent kernel. In addition, Joe Kussman brought an outstanding sample of Pawnee for exhibit.
Branding the "Brunswick Pecans" name and enhancing the regional identity for native pecans were included in topics of discussion. Incorporating agritourism with pecan sales and developing more identifiable roadside signage for attracting visitors are topics area producers hope to explore further.
According to Hunt, this promotion of native Missouri pecans is one goal of coordinating a nut contest. "Native Missouri pecans have a higher oil content than more southern pecans, and are therefore better flavored," he said. "Based upon the producers’ discussions, we’re on the right track for encouraging greater consumer demand for these nuts."
Hunt said the identification and preservation of exceptional native pecan germplasm is another goal of seedling contests, and he acquires scionwood of native trees from local contests for the repository at the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin, Mo.
