Specialists Speaking- David Jordan

David Jordan
NORTH CAROLINA

Growers face many challenges throughout the cropping cycle. They can also experience additional challenges affecting yield and market grades after peanuts are dug and vines inverted prior to harvesting (threshing).

One potential threat is freeze damage. While growers in North Carolina have dug and harvested most of the peanut crop, delays often occur due to rainfall or logistics for some growers. Moving into late October and November with harvesting creates greater risk of freeze damage. The current recommendation in North Carolina is that a minimum of 96 hours needs to pass between the time peanuts are dug and a freeze event occurs to avoid freeze damage and Segregation II status. While environmental conditions within the 96-hour window and maturity of kernels can affect drying of kernels and shrinkage that allows an insulation layer to be created between the hull and kernel, 96 hours is generally considered an adequate length of time.

Virginia Tech, in cooperation with the North Carolina State Climate Office, provides a frost prediction tool to help growers navigate the decision of when to dig when frost (freeze) is in the forecast. The tool can be accessed at: https://infonet.ext.vt.edu/.

The tool provides a summary from several locations across the two-state region but also allows growers to select fields that are in question. As with many tools, these estimates are not always accurate in terms of whether a freeze or frost event takes place. Changes in weather conditions can occur after the estimate is made. However, this tool is the best source of information for helping avoid the potentially catastrophic nature of freeze damage for peanuts.

David Jordan
NORTH CAROLINA