2018 ASHS Annual Conference

‘Avalon’ is a new pecan cultivar that was released by the University of Georgia in 2016. ‘Avalon’ was topworked into a Tifton, GA yield trial in 2009 and its performance was monitored for nine years. Actual yields were measured for each tree in the test and a 50 nut sample was taken to determine nut quality. Trees were evaluated for leaf and nut scab infection (Venturia effusa) and black aphid (Melanocallis caryaefoliae) damage. ‘Avalon’ trees were also placed into unsprayed scab resistance trials at three locations in south Georgia. ‘Avalon’ is a productive cultivars with significantly greater yields than the check cultivar ‘Desirable’ and similar yields to ‘Byrd’ and ‘Pawnee’. ‘Avalon’ produced nuts of good size (9.7 g) and quality (53.5 % kernel). Harvest date is about 1 wk before ‘Desirable’ in Tifton, Ga. Spring bud break was later than all cultivars except ‘Gafford’ indicating low frost susceptibility. No scab infection was observed in sprayed yield trials, and only incidental scab infection was observed in unsprayed scab resistance trials. ‘Avalon’ is a high yielding cultivar with commercially acceptable nut size and quality and has excellent levels of resistance to pecan scab. ‘Avalon’ is thus recommended for trial in commercial orchards in Georgia and should be useful throughout the humid southeastern U.S. where pecan scab infection is common.