Weigh the cause and effect of changing inputs and practices.
⋅ BY AMANDA HUBER ⋅
Bad times produce some of the best lessons, says University of Georgia Extension peanut specialist Scott Monfort. And that may be the takeway from 2024 when looking at yields and net returns, he says. “We really did the best we could, but Mother Nature took it from us.
“Last year, we produced 845,000 acres of peanuts, the third largest crop, but the state average was 3,850 pounds per acre, which is below the five-year average, Monfort says. “That is an indication that either we had things we couldn’t control or we didn’t control things we could.”
Large Crop, Low Yields
Monfort says in July 2024, he would not have thought the average would be that low.
Monfort says people will think it was Debby and Helene but that’s not what affected yield most.
“What hurt peanuts was the three to four weeks of continuous rains in May that prevented planting on time. That hurt us and then came a dry June.
“In the latter part of the season, yes, we had hurricanes, but it also cooled off at the end of August and that hurt maturity.”
Monfort says he expects 35% of Georgia’s acres will be planted early, but he cautions growers to not put all their eggs in one basket.
“If you want to plant early, spread out varieties and planting dates. There are varieties with more resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus now, and newer varieties also seem to have more vigor,” he says. “When planting early, especially, you need to use Thimet and follow with a good fungicide program.”
Planting In April
Another concern about planting at the beginning of the window is making sure soil temperatures at the 4-inch depth are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive days with no cold fronts in the forecast.
“If you are using reduced tillage and the weather stays cool, you’ll have trouble planting in April because that cover helps the soil stay cool,” he says.
In 2023 and 2024, the seasons started cool and wet and both years had extended seasons. Varieties that are normally 135 to 145 days to maturity, we’ve had to push to 150 days just to get something out of it. If we had not extended our fungicide programs, we might not have gotten what we did. So, I know you would like to cut back on some things, but you have to be flexible and adjust during the season as needed.
Monfort says it is also important to know the specific recommendations on the varieties you plant.
“I like the variety Georgia-18RU,” he says. “It’s a big peanut. However, if you can’t plant between May 12 to May 25, you are going to have problems, either TSWV early or leafspot late.
On planting date, know your varieties, and don’t go planting everything in April. Hedge your bet a bit and spread it out.”
What To Do In 2025?
In 2025, Monfort says he is most concerned about short or no rotations.
“One year out or peanut behind peanut is what a lot of folks are facing. If that’s the case or not, let’s talk about maximizing yields,” he says. “Weather we can’t do anything about. But, on your list of inputs, everyone needs to look at cause and effect.
“You can choose to change something or leave something out, but it will have a cause and effect. It will affect something else. Keep that in mind.”
Monfort says tillage and rotation is also something to think about.
“Everyone’s talking about cutting back on something and tillage is one those areas. If you’re in a three-year rotation now and decide to reduce tillage, can you drop to a short rotation and do without deep tillage? Probably so because you’re in this good rotation.
“But, if you’re one year out of rotation, that deep turning is helping your yields. If you go away from that, you are going to encounter more problems. One of the problems is reduced nutrients. In a longer rotation with corn and cotton, you are putting those nutrients back,” he says.
Yields will decline as rotations are shortened and deep tillage is not used.
Monfort says if this is the change you decide to make, you may have to pick up more in your pest management to offset some things.
“Know how your rotation interval protects you going forward. Make changes to stiffen up your disease management plans to offset some of this short rotation,” he says. “Weigh the risk on planting short rotations. Keep in mind the dollar value of every input we put into the crop.
Think of every input and remember everything you do this year goes into seed for next year.”
Information Is Success
Monfort says this production meeting season, more than most, they’ve heard a lot about cutting back on fertility, fungicides or insecticides, as well, but in these situations, cutting back on these mainstay products did not help you make yields.
“There are a lot of planting decisions and choices to be made, such as varieties. But, seed quality is No. 1. If we are going to get a good start to this season, then we need good, high-quality seed with good vigor.
“Know your seed’s germination rate and pay attention to how it’s handled and stored,” he says. “Insecticide choice, inoculant, planting speed — do what you can to avoid skippy stands. The take home message: information is success here.”
Monfort knows that farmers are in survival mode but that also making multiple changes can lead to increased inputs and decreased yields.
“If you’re going to make changes, weigh out the risks before you pull the trigger on those and determine if it’s in your best interest to go away from the mainstay products versus some of the other things out there we can do,” he says. “Survival mode does not mean going away from fertility and fungicide programs, and if you are in a short rotation, know you have a higher disease risk. Cutting back to the bare minimum doesn’t often pay.” PG
