$4.4 million grant to help NMSU better understand pecans
New Mexico State University received more than $4.4 million dollars to research pecans.
Researchers will use technology to individually examine the plant and look at its genetic make-up. They’re hoping the technology will allow them to know the traits of the pecan, such as its nutrients, size, flavor, and tolerance to drought stress, before it is fully grown.
The money was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
Dave Lury, farm manager of the Leyendecker Plant Science Center, said pecans growing in Southern New Mexico have a big global impact.
“Doa Ana county is the largest producing county in the world of pecans so it’s an understatement to say it’s an important crop for this part of the state,” said Lury, adding he he hopes the research, while still years down the road, will eventually take the stress off of local farmers.
“That’d be kind of like knowing what stocks are going to go up or down before you get into the market. That would greatly reduce our variable in this crop because you can’t just not plant pecans on year you can’t decide not to plant when you plant pecans its for the long hall.”
ABC-7’s Jamie Warren will have a full report at 5 and 6.
