In 1938, San Antonio’s pecan shellers waged a five-week strike against their employers. The shellers had few resources at their disposal, and, moreover, most of them were Mexican women. During the work stoppage, the picketers endured widespread opposition and police brutality. Nonetheless, the shellers forced their employers to arbitrate. Previous scholars have characterized the strike as spontaneous, but closer examination reveals the events and circumstances that spurred the shellers to action. Specifically, this work will address why the strike occurred at the beginning of 1938, and how the shellers achieved a successful outcome. Political and economic factors in the early twentieth century resulted in a massive wave of migration from Mexico into the U.S. Newly arrived Mexican workers faced discrimination in the workplace and in their personal lives. That discrimination resulted in low wages for Mexican workers. Low wages forced Mexicans in San Antonio to live in the city’s west side neighborhood, which lacked adequate housing and infrastructure. Such conditions gave pecan workers considerable reason to resent their employers and seek change. Grievances alone might explain why the shellers struck, but they do not explain the strike’s success. Pecan workers relied on solidarity formed over many years to sustain their work stoppage until their employers surrendered. Solidarity was formed in a variety of venues on the west side, in both formal and informal organizations. Leisure activities also fostered unity, often along cultural lines. The shellers also built a sense of togetherness through labor organizations and mutual aid societies. The political climate in San Antonio during the late 1930s provided the final piece to the puzzle of the strike’s success. Election results at the federal, state, and local levels signaled that voters sought the leadership of individuals who advocated increased rights for workers and minorities. The shellers seized on the political climate, waging their strike at a time when it stood a better than average chance to succeed. Without the combination of poverty, solidarity, and opportunity that existed for Mexicans on the west side in January 1938, the strike’s occurrence and outcome would have been in considerable doubt.

Feeding preferences of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki were evaluated on 60 field-collected pecan Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh) cultivars. The Moneymaker cultivar of C. illinoinensis was most preferred by C. formosanus, and the degree of feeding on this cultivar was significantly different (P < 0.05) from all other cultivars tested. Creek was the least preferred cultivar, but the degree of feeding was not significantly different from other cultivars. There was a trend for lower consumption by C. formosanus on commercially versus native cultivars. In a multiple-choice test, the Desirable pecan cultivar, was significantly (P less than 0.05) more preferred than southern yellow pine (Pinus palustris), chinaberry (Melia azedarach), and the pecan cultivar, Barton, respectively. The significance is that Formosan termites fed on both pecan cultivars and southern yellow pine which is a commercially important wood. They also fed on chinaberry, which is a commonly used tree in landscape. Coptotermes formosanus were significantly (P less than 0.05) more attracted to green leaf material from the Creek cultivar as compared to the other 50 cultivars tested. However, the Creek cultivar was the least preferred in the consumption test. This suggested that Formosan termites may be attracted to pecan trees and chemicals associated with the wood. It is evident that Formosan termites feed on various types of pecans in agro-ecosystems, this may be attributed to leaf characteristics as well as other factors such as random foraging and swarming behavior. These results further demonstrate that pecan cultivars are at risk to C. formosanus feeding.

Thesis (PH. D.)--Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, 1928. / Cover title. Description based on print version record. "Literature cited": p. 67-68.

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Powdery mildew of pecan, caused by Microsphaera ulni, results in discoloration of pecan shucks, but its effects on yield and quality of kernels are not known. In 1999, powdery mildew was observed on pecan shucks by the latter part of June in a commercial pecan orchard near Sahuarita, Arizona. The fungus continued to be active throughout the summer. However, results of a field test comparing diseased and healthy nuts from two varieties of pecans indicate that powdery mildew did not affect nut weight or quality. Whole nut weights, kernel weights, color ratings or percentage of discarded nuts were not significant between paired clusters of nuts that were treated with fungicides and remained disease free and untreated nuts that were infected with powdery mildew. Although shucks may have a high percentage of area covered by powdery mildew, results from this trial indicate that fungicide treatments are not warranted.

Field surveys of aphids and their natural enemies were conducted in a 30 acre unsprayed block of 'Wichita' pecans in Southeastern Arizona (FICO, Sahuarita) during the growing seasons of 1997, 1998, and 1999. Each season showed a different pattern of aphid population development. In general, numbers of the more damaging black pecan aphid, Melanocallis caryaefoliae were always lower than those of the blackmargined pecan aphid Monellia caryella and no serious aphid damage by either species was observed. Two species of green lacewings were the dominant natural enemies in the orchard, and eggs could be found throughout the season.

This experiment was conducted to extend the label for Temik use in Arizona pecan orchards for aphid control. Spring application of Temik controlled both yellow and black aphids throughout the season and significantly increased yield.

Powdery mildew of pecan, caused by Microsphaera ulni, was observed on pecan shucks by the latter part of June 2000 in a commercial pecan orchard near Sahuarita, Arizona. Results of 1999 studies indicated that infection does not reduce nut quality. In order to determine effects of fungicide treatments and to substantiate results from 1999, preventive applications of micronized sulfur and azoxystrobin were initiated on June 8, 2000 in selected clusters in both Wichita and Western varieties. Trials were established in plots that had a high incidence of powdery mildew in 1999. Whole nut weights, kernel weights, or color ratings were not significantly different among clusters of nuts that were treated with fungicides and untreated nuts that were infected with powdery mildew. Percent disease incidence was 100% in untreated clusters, 0% in clusters treated with azoxystrobin every two weeks, and 5.3% (Wichita) and 8.8% (Western) in clusters treated with sulfur three times early in the season. Results indicate that disease did not affect nut weight or quality and that early preventive fungicide treatments are effective in controlling infections.

No description available.

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