Disease and insect management will be critical as we move into the second half of the growing season. Growers are highly encouraged to scout fields on a weekly basis, even if a solid preventative fungicide program is already in place. For instance, we have observed mite infestations in several West Texas fields, particularly during hot, dry weather and under drought stress. Although mites are not typically a common issue, favorable environmental conditions can trigger rapid population surges. Without careful and routine field scouting, such problems can easily be overlooked and can severely reduce yield potential if not treated immediately.
In the Southwest, the most common diseases affecting peanuts are pod rot, leaf spot, and Sclerotinia blight. Research comparing fungicide application strategies has evaluated preventative, calendar-based applications (initiated 60–70 days after planting) against curative applications (initiated only after disease symptoms are observed). The results demonstrated that a preventative approach is significantly more effective than a curative approach for managing both Sclerotinia blight and the pod rot disease complex. Furthermore, this preventative strategy is highly effective for managing foliar diseases.
In addition to diseases and insects, growers must carefully monitor weed infestation levels and manage them accordingly. It is especially critical to scout fields as the crop transitions into the flowering and pegging stages, during which yield potential can be severely impacted by both biotic and abiotic stress factors.
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