Tanner
History
‘Tanner’ was released in 2015 by Dr. Darrell Sparks at the University of Georgia. ‘Tanner’ was originally tested as ‘Selection No. 112’ and originated from the cross ‘Wichita’ x ‘Pawnee’.
Comments
Trees of ‘Tanner’ were planted in Tifton in 2017 and have not yet fruited. The information provided here is from observations of ‘Tanner’ in test orchards in Albany, Ga.
‘Tanner’ was selected to be an early harvest replacement for ‘Desirable’ in Georgia commercial orchards. ‘Tanner’ produces a large nut (40-45 nuts / lb.) with slightly more oblong shape than ‘Desirable’. Percent kernel has ranged from 52-55%. Kernel color is similar to ‘Desirable’. Kernel speckling has been noted in some years, but is much less pronounced than that observed in ‘Pawnee’. ‘Yield capacity of ‘Tanner’ is still unknown, as most trees are still young. Number of nuts per cluster is relatively low, suggesting fruit thinning may not be needed to control crop load. Nuts tend to have a suture split and should be harvested promptly to prevent mold.
Current scab resistance of ‘Tanner’ is reported to be good in well cared for orchards. I have not tested it much yet and can not offer an opinion. Harvest period of ‘Tanner’ is early, around Sept. 20th in Albany, similar to ‘Byrd’ and ‘Treadwell’. ‘Tanner’ trees tend to be large with a thin canopy. ‘Tanner’ is pollination type I, protandrous, and would be pollinated by ‘Lakota’.
‘Tanner’ was released as a replacement for ‘Desirable’ with an early harvest date. Scab resistance is superior to ‘Desirable’, and potentially very good, but I have not tested it enough to say much more than that. ‘Tanner’ was one of three cultivars released as a potential ‘Desirable’ replacement with better scab resistance, the other two being ‘Huffman’ and ‘Whiddon’. ‘Tanner’ differentiates from the other two in that its harvest date is much earlier than ‘Desirable’ and is not as good of a fit in ‘Desirable’ orchards for that reason. Similar to ‘Huffman’ I have concerns about the productivity of this tree, but the large nut with an early harvest date will bring good prices. Overall I need to see more of this cultivar to make a recommendation.
