Characterization of Pecan Farming in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Pecan cultivation is growing in Brazil, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, which is currently the country's leading producer. The demand for qualified technical information about the production chain has been increasing considerably. The Pecan Cultivation in Rio Grande do Sul Diagnosis project was created in this context, with the objective of characterizing the management of orchards, as well as identifying difficulties and possibilities for improvement, by conducting interviews with pecan producers. The sample size was calculated by determining the size of a sample for a finite population based on the estimated proportion in each municipality, which defined 319 interviews. The results show that 63% of the orchards are up to 4 hectares in size; the most common spacing is 10m x 10m; the average productivity was 1105.48 kg·ha-1 in the 2023 harvest; 34% of the producers do not have technical assistance for walnut trees; approximately 30% did not correct the acidity, phosphorus and potassium of the soils before establishing the orchard; almost 80% of the orchards are managed conventionally; less than 10% have irrigation. Regional analysis of pecan orchard management practices revealed significant disparities among then. The main pests and diseases are ants, anthracnose and scab. Manual harvesting is used on 63%. For farmers, the main difficulties in developing the pecan cultivation are: the time between planting and production, the low productivity of the orchard and the price paid.