2026 Conference
February 20-21, 2026
February 20-21, 2026
Schedule
Friday, February 20
8:00 AM Board of Directors Meeting
10:00 - 12:00 PM Registration Open
1:00 - 5:00 PM Exhibit Setup
3:00 - 5:00 PM Registration Open
5:30 PM Exhibits Open
5:30 - 7:30 PM Welcome Reception - Inside Exhibit Hall
Saturday, February 21
7:00 AM Board of Directors Meeting
7:00 AM Speakers Breakfast
7:30 AM Exhibits Open
8:00 – 11:00 AM Convention Registration
8:30 AM Morning Session Begins
8:30 – 8:40 AM Welcome
Justin Jones, President SEPGA
8:40 – 9:25 AM APC/APPB Update: Your investment. Our Work. A Stronger Industry.
Anne Warden, CEO, APC/APPB; Bailey Segars, Senior Manager of Industry Relations, APC/APPB
9:25 – 9:40 AM Genomes & Genetics: The Foundation for Modern Pecan Breeding
Dr. Warren Chatwin, USDA, ARS, College Station, TX
9:40 – 10:00 AM Trees for the Future: How Pecan Genetics Will Shape Tomorrow’s Orchards
Dr. Jennifer Randall, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
10:00 – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 – 11:00 AM Truffle Cultivation in Kentucky and North America
Margaret Townsend, NewTown Truffiere, Scottsville, KY
11:00 – 11:30 AM Unlocking Trade Barriers using ECP technology to Increase Global Markets for US Pecans
Chip Starns, Reveam, Inc. Norcross, GA
11:30 – 12:00 PM SEPGA Business Meeting
12:00 – 2:00 PM Awards Luncheon
2:00 – 2:30 PM Panel Discussion – Topic and panel members TBA
2:30 – 2:45 PM A Closer Look at Interactions of Hickory Rootstocks with Pecan Scions ‘Stuart’ and ‘Desirable’
Dr. Cristina Pisani, USDA, ARS, Byron, GA
2:45 – 3:00 PM Importance of Managing Caterpillar Pests in Pecan Production
Dr. Apurba Barman, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA
3:00 – 3:30 PM Break
3:30 – 3:45 PM Multilocation Assessment of Fungicide Performance Against Pecan Scab and Emerging Challenges in Georgia
Dr. Clemen Oliveira¹, Johanna Wesche¹, Andrew Sawyer², Alejandra Jimenez Madrid¹, Gabriel Herrera¹, Austin Bagby², Aubrey Shirley², Vivek Bist², Will Brown², Scout Carter², James Jacobs², Jonathan Smith², and Timothy Brenneman¹
¹ Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia
² Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Program, University of Georgia Extension, Athens, GA
3:45 – 4:00 PM Advancing Post-Harvest Processing: Integrating Computer Vision and IoT for Pecan Yield Optimization
Dr. Seyed Alireza Vaezi, Hunter Halloran, and Beshoy Morkos, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
4:00 – 4:10 PM Wrap up/Announcements/Adjourn
5:00 PM Farewell Social Hour
Please give us a call if you have any questions!
912-293-6328