In 1986 a replicated study of eight varieties of pecans were planted on the Safford Agricultural Center at an elevation of 2954 feet above sea level. The objective of the study was to determine which varieties would produce best under the saline conditions found in the Safford valley. This paper contains yield, kernel percentages and other nut characteristics found in the study during the 1997 and 1998 harvest seasons. Cheyenne and WO-3 were the highest yielding varieties in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The respective yields were 1894 and 2286 pounds per acre.

Neglected mature 'Wichita' pecan trees were rejuvenated using various pruning techniques in 1997. Trees were pruned using proven horticultural techniques which included dehorning (cutting main scaffolds to within 2 feet of trunk) and cutting main scaffolds by 50%. To date the treatments have resulted in an increase in yield when compared to trees that received no pruning. In 1999 the grower has developed an orchard management program conducive to maximum production.

Trenching and pruning applications were placed on mature Wichita pecan trees in Maricopa, Arizona in 1998. Yield and nut quality data from the test are presented. Unfortunately, the cool, favorable growing weather minimized quality degradation during the growing season and confounded the test. Data presented probably do not reflect the true benefits of the treatments.

Two orchard floor management strategies were evaluated beginning in the fall of 1997 in a 'Valencia' orange (Citrus sinensis) grove at the University of Arizona Citrus Agricultural Center (CAC) in Waddell, Arizona. The clean culture or bare ground treatment produced more yield than the ‘Salina’ strawberry clover treatment when harvested on March 10, 1999 and the tree canopy volume of the clean culture treatment was also greater than that of the clover treatment. Yield efficiency (lbs of fruit per cubic meter of canopy) was similar in the two treatments. The clean culture treatment produced more large size fruit (size 88 and larger) and less small size fruit (size 113 and smaller) than the strawberry clover treatment. Although the yield efficiency parameter suggests that it may be possible to produce as much fruit in the clover treatment as the clean culture treatment, the total yield and fruit size distribution of the clover treatment compared to the clean culture treatment were characteristic of the negative effects of competition from vegetation on the orchard floor found in other studies. Based on previous studies, competition for water was the most likely cause of the negative competitive effect. Installation of additional tensiometers to measure soil moisture at greater depths and leaf water potential measurements to assess the degree of water stress in both treatments prior to irrigation will hopefully allow further improvement in irrigation scheduling to eliminate the negative affect of having vegetation on the orchard floor in the clover plots.

Mature pecan trees at Picacho, Arizona were evaluated for variety performance during 1997-98. Total average yield per tree, percent kernel and percent viviparity were observed. During 1997, a severe viviparity year, only Bradley, Cheyenne, Souix and Tejas showed viviparity values of 20% or lower. Tejas did not return an acceptable percent kernel leaving Bradley, Cheyenne and Souix as potential varieties able to withstand low desert growing conditions on a regular basis. In 1998, the cool growing season confounded the test and no conclusions were drawn from the data.

A 'Fallglo' mandarin trial was established at the Yuma Mesa Agriculture Center in 1995. Results suggest that trees on C. volkameriana rootstock, rough lemon rootstock, and, in 2001-02, Gou Tou orange rootstock had the greatest yields. There was little effect of rootstock upon fruit size or juice quality.

Three orange cultivar trials have been established in Arizona, one at the Yuma Mesa Agricultural Center, Yuma, AZ and one at the Citrus Agriculture Center, Waddell, AZ. For the navel orange trial in Yuma, 'Fisher' navel continues to have the greatest yield, but is unacceptably granulated. For the 'Valencia' trial in Yuma, none of the cultivar/rootstock combinations have been particularly successful. For the Waddell trial, only the first year data has been collected.

Four 'Lisbon' lemon selections, 'Frost Nucellar', 'Corona Foothills', 'Limoneira 8A' and 'Prior' were selected for evaluation on Citrus volkameriana rootstock. 1994-2002 results indicate that the 'Limoneira 8A Lisbon' and 'Corona Foothills Lisbon' are superior in yield and fruit earliness.

Leaf samples were collected from five trees each of Bradley, Cheyenne, Sioux, Western Schley, and Wichita at Picacho, Arizona and five trees each of Bradley, Western Schley, and Wichita at Las Cruces, New Mexico, and analyzed nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, copper, manganese, boron, and copper at two-week intervals from mid-May to Mid-October, 2000. Yield, average nut weight, and percent kernel data were collected for each individual tree. Leaf tissue analysis indicated that concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur decreased. The overall trends were for zinc levels to declined, although they increased at the end of the season. Boron, calcium, magnesium and manganese, and iron concentrations increased during the growing season. Copper concentrations were variable. Preliminary nutrient standards are presented and compared to existing standards. Most nutrients were within recommended ranges, but magnesium levels were much higher than the top of the Arizona and New Mexico sufficiency ranges. Manganese was higher than the Arizona sufficiency range, but within that of New Mexico, whereas zinc was higher than the New Mexico range, but within that of Arizona.

An experiment was initiated in 2000 to study the feasibility of growing organic lemon in the southwest desert of Arizona. An eight-acre field was selected on Superstition sandy soil at the Mesa Agricultural Research Center to conduct this investigation. Lemon trees were planted at 25 feet spacing in 1998. The initial soil test in top 6 inches was 5 ppm nitrate-nitrogen and 4.9 ppm NaHCO3-P. Soil pH was 8.7 in the top 6 inches. Four treatments were applied in randomized complete block design repeated four times. The treatments were beef cattle feedlot manure and perfecta, clover and guano, guano and perfecta, and standard practice treatment. Soil samples were collected from 0-6 and 6-12 inches the first week of March 2001 and analyzed for NO₃-N NH₄-N, total nitrogen, organic matter and available P. Preliminary results showed no difference in NO₃-N, NH₄-N in 0 to 6 and 6 to 12 inches between treatments. Total nitrogen increased significantly from 0.0262% in standard treatment to 0.0375% in the manure treatment. Similarly, soil organic matter increased from 0.297% in standard treatment to 0.4337% in the manure perfecta treatment. Phosphorus level increased significantly from 6.962 ppm in guano perfecta to 11.187 PPM in manure perfecta treatment. Leaf tissue analysis indicated that nitrate level was influenced by treatment. Yields of Guano treatments were significantly greater than yields of the other treatments. Both commercial standard and organic treatments were equally effective in controlling citrus thrips, but repeated applications were required. Mite population has been detected at low level with no significant differences observed among treatments.