For over 30 years, we have harvested native pecans from 6 one-half acre plots in an effort to create a historical record of nut production from well managed trees. After cleaning pecans for nearly 2 weeks straight, the yield data from these native plots has been recorded. The plots averaged 1294 lbs./acre in 2011. The lowest yielding plot produced at the rate of 866 lbs./ac while the highest yielding plot made 1910 lbs./ac. These same plots averaged 1286 lbs./ac last year (2010).
Here's a chart of yields from our native plots over the last 10 years. As noted on the graph, the 2007 crop was limited by the Easter Freeze which destroyed most emerging new shoots and the pistillate flowers contained in those shoots. The 2008 crop was limited by the December 2007 ice storm that broke nearly 50% of the limbs off our native trees. After 2 years of strong vegetative growth (2008 and 2009), our native trees have begun to bear at pre-2007 levels. It will be interesting to see how our trees react next year, following the stress of the 2011 drought.
