Pecan Nuts Showing Susceptibility to Pecan Scab and Resistant Free of Infection

Pecan Nuts (left) showing Susceptibility to Pecan Scab and Resistant Nuts (right) Free of Infection

Author: Patrick Conner

By njcflocal

April 30, 2021

Pecan scab, caused by the fungus Ventura effusa, is a leading constraint to pecan culture in the southeastern U.S. Control of this disease often requires 12 or more fungicide sprays over the course of a season. By inoculating pecan trees with scab isolates causing resistant and susceptible reactions and looking at gene expression at different time points after infection, Dr. Patrick Conner and his Ph.D. student, Gaurab Bhattarai, at the University of Georgia in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Randall at New Mexico State University are studying what genes are involved in resistance to this disease. This information will be used by the UGA pecan breeding program to produce cultivars resistant to this pernicious disease.