Such as mulch or fuel, or are treated as waste

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas $294,000 on September 15, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) to study conversion of pecan processing residues into higher-value products.

The project will recover natural antioxidant compounds from pecan shells and husks using food-grade extraction methods, process the remaining plant material into simple sugars to support growth of food-safe fungal biomass as a potential mycoprotein ingredient, and evaluate whether leftover lignin-rich material can be converted into biochar. The team will collect pecan shells and husks from commercial sources, analyze their composition, test different breakdown methods, grow fungal biomass from the recovered sugars, and compare the cost and practicality of processing options. Results will be disseminated through scientific publications, conference presentations, technical bulletins, student training, and outreach to growers, processors, and industry audiences. The work aims to provide reliable information to determine whether pecan processing residues can become higher-value ingredients and co-products, helping pecan growers and processors capture more value from materials they already produce while reducing waste and supporting domestic ingredient production.

Performance occurs at Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a completion date of September 14, 2029.

At the same time, the united states needs more domestic sources of food ingredients, protein ingredients, and value-added products that can support farmers, processors, rural communities, and consumers. This project will study whether pecan shells and husks can be converted into useful products instead of being underused. The project will focus on recovering natural antioxidant compounds from these materials, using the remaining plant material to produce sugars that can feed a food-safe fungus used to make mycoprotein, and evaluating whether leftover lignin-rich material can be converted into biochar. If successful, this work could help pecan growers and processors capture more value from materials they already produce, reduce waste, and support new ingredient production within the united states.to do this, the project team will collect pecan shells and husks from commercial sources and study their composition. The team will use food-grade extraction methods to recover antioxidant-rich fractions, test different ways to break down the remaining material into simple sugars, and use those sugars to grow fungal biomass as a potential protein ingredient. The project will also examine whether remaining lignin-rich material can be made into biochar and will compare the cost and practicality of the different processing options. Results will be shared through scientific publications, conference presentations, technical bulletins, student training, and outreach activities with growers, processors, and industry audiences. The long-term goal is to provide reliable information that can help determine whether pecan processing residues can become higher-value ingredients and CO-products. While commercial adoption would require future scale-up and industry validation, this project is expected to generate the knowledge, methods, and economic information needed to guide future development and help strengthen U.S. Agricultural and food ingredient supply chains.