UGA Pecan Extension Specialist Dr. Lenny Wells published a new blog post last Friday in which he briefly discussed that we might see the Phytophthora disease in pecans due to the recent weather conditions (cool and wet periods of several days) in South Georgia. I would highly recommend all our pecan growers to read his blog and keep scouting your pecan groves for early identification of disease. According to Dr. Wells, “Phytophthora shuck and kernel rot infection usually starts at the stem end of the pecan fruit and progresses distally to encompass the entire shuck within 4 to 6 days. A distinct margin develops between dark brown necrotic tissue and healthy green tissue during rotting of the shucks and they become water-soaked”. Another research paper has described that a whitish gray film develops over the rotted shuck tissue which was identified as mycelium of the fungal pathogen.
If you suspect the disease incidence in your pecan trees, please contact me (or your respective County Extension Agent) as soon as possible.