Location: Crop Germplasm Research
Project Number: 3091-21000-046-001-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 1, 2021
End Date: Sep 30, 2023
Objective:
The ARS Pecan Breeding program will provide pecan nut samples for analysis in the proposed project. The proposed project aims to: investigate consumer acceptance and preference of pecan kernels associated with flavor and nutritional quality of selected pecan cultivars; develop volatile extract by-products from pecan shells for use as smoke flavorings and investigate their economic value; and develop a mathematical model to predict consumer purchase intent and grower maximum profits according to the outcomes from Objectives 1 and 2.
Approach:
Nuts from living trees will be collected and analyzed in the research labs for kernel flavor and fatty acid and polyphenol content. Kernel flavor will be investigated on the basis of consumer taste tests as well. Nut chemical analyses (volatiles, fatty acids, and polyphenols), pecan shell volatile extraction and characterization, and pecan oil extraction and chemical analyses (shelf-life index, flavor and nutritional quality) will follow established methodologies in the PI's labs at Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX.
