ABSTRACT
The pecan does best on loamy, well-drained land with a relatively high water table and soil that is more or less neutral in pH. The pecan is the most important native nut tree of North America. Pecan is long-lived, and some trees in the southeast of the United States are more than 1000 years old. Native American tribes in the south central region of the United States, especially in the Mississippi Valley, relied on the pecan as a dietary staple long before the arrival of Europeans. The pecan industry in the United States largely developed during the twentieth century. The United States grows more than 80% of the world's pecans, and Mexico is the world's second largest producer. Pecan nuts are a gourmet's delight, being relatively soft-textured and mild in flavor. Pecan nuts absorb moisture and become stale or rancid more quickly than most other nuts. In the southern states the pecan has no serious rival.
