Mission of the
Pecan Breeding & Genetics Program
The mission of
the Pecan Breeding & Genetics Program is to
- develop superior
pecan cultivars and rootstocks. As a part of the research to
develop new cultivars, NPACTS (National Pecan Advanced Clone
Testing System) evaluates potential cultivars in the three geographic
areas of US pecan production (Southeast, West, and North);
- determine heritability
constants for superior tree and nut characteristics;
- develop host
plant resistance to control pecan insects and diseases;
- effectively
collect, document, preserve, evaluate, enhance, and distribute
pecan and hickory genetic resources as part of the National
Plant Germplasm System.
These missions
are pursued in two projects: