I attended the Alabama Pecan Growers meeting Sept 18/19 2024. Mike Polozola from Louisiana was at the meeting to give a presentation on pecans available for planting and production. I arranged for him to bring me a tree each of Woodman and Sterling.
Woodman is a very vigorous pecan tree originally found by Hilary Langlois on property previously owned by his uncle but which had been sold to Woodmen of the World. The tree is highly resistant to scab and reportedly productive in low/no spray orchards. Fall foliage retention is excellent. Some kernel darkening has been reported. Prompt harvest and drying are recommended. Nuts run about 55 to 60 per pound and between 52 and 55 percent kernel. It appears to have potential both as a yard tree and for low input commercial production. I do not have any information regarding cold tolerance for Woodman so would only recommend for gulf tier states until it has been trialed in higher latitudes. I planted my tree in a permanent location at my home in southern Tennessee.
Sterling is a seedling grown by Max Draughn on his pecan farm near Raymond MS. It is a very productive tree. I saw the tree 5 years ago. It was scab free - unsprayed - in the middle of a 300 acre pecan orchard. Nut production potential is very high with many clusters of 3 to 4 pecans. Nuts run 59 per pound and about 54 percent kernel. Sterling is thought to be an Elliott seedling though much larger than Elliott. Gnomonia has been defoliating Elliott in Louisiana for a few years. I did not see Gnomonia damage on the Sterling tree. I have a tree planted in a permanent position at my home in southern Tennessee.
Here is a current list of pecan varieties suggested for home growers where scab resistance is a critical trait. I have almost all of these growing. Some of these are southern tier of states only!
Adams #5, Amling, Avalon, Baby B, Excel, Florence, Gafford, Hark, Headquarters, Huffman, Kanza, Lakota, McMillan, Miss L, Moreland, Sterling, Sumner, Syrup Mill, and Woodman.