This project was performed to satisfy besc485 requirement under the supervision of dr. Shuck decline is primarily a stress-related problem and on stuart and most prolific cultivars, it will always be worse on trees with a heavy crop load. Especially on large, old trees with an overloaded crop it can be hard to get enough water even with the best irrigation. · shuck dieback of pecan trees is a mysterious disease because the cause has not actually been found. 1995), serious leaf diseases that can defbliate the tree in mid-september. It causes rot in the fruit of the tree, turning the shuck into a mushy, rotted mess, and rendering the nuts inedible. The disease is caused by a fungal species, phytophthora cactorum. These fungi are also the causal disease agents of fungal leafscorch and pecan anthracnose (rand 1914 reilly et al. Symptoms range from shucks turning all the way black to the tips green shucks turning black and peeling back at the suture. Unfortunately, there is also no effective treatment or cultural practices that can manage or prevent the disease. · according to dr. Kevin ong, kevo@tamu. edu, director, texas plant disease diagnostic laboratory, texas a&m university, texas agrilife extension service () · what is pecan shuck and kernel rot? · growers are starting to see symptoms of shuck decline in the orchard. 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.
