San Saba

Average nut quality of test trees.

History

Also known as Paper Shell, Risiens's Paper Shell, Royal. The original 'San Saba' tree is a native seedling on the San Saba River. The variety was introduced about 1893.

Comments

*Note: This is an older cultivar planted in the Old Variety Test at the Tifton Campus. Trees were planted decades ago when care was very different than it is now, and trees received much less care, so production data will reflect this fact. Trees began receiving insecticides in 1962, fungicides in 1970, nitrogen in 1962, and drip irrigation in 1975. The data for this cultivar was collected by several individuals, but the bulk of the data and the comments are from my predecessor Dr. Ray Worley. This information was originally published here: Worley and Mullinix, 1997.

It has a small nut with high percent kernel, extreme alternate bearing, and scab susceptibility. It was removed from our orchard in 1980. An important cultivar in the pecan history for the western pecan belt, but not adapted for the Southeast.

• Pollen shed and pistil receptivity

Production record of test trees beginning in year planted

'San Saba' production from the Old Variety Test. Each colored line represents the yearly production in pounds of nuts from an individual tree beginning the year planted.

Alternate Bearing Intensity* = 0.85

*Computed from mature trees using data from years after trees began receiving fertilizer and pesticide sprays.