Many approaches will be needed for this destructive porcine. By Amanda Huber The biggest pest in peanuts today may be, well, the biggest pest, literally. Feral hogs are causing millions of dollars in damages to agricultural crops across the peanut belt....

Soon after emergence of the peanut crop, soil samples should be taken from the pegging zone, or the top three to four inches of soil, so that calcium needs can be determined. Glen Harris, University of Georgia Extension soil fertility...

When is offset replanting worth the cost? By Amanda Huber Gaps in the field are a common occurrence, and, for the most part, peanuts are good about compensating for lost plants here and there. But at what point would it be...

Systemic insecticides are an effective production tool. Over 90 percent of the North Carolina peanut acreage is treated annually with phorate (Thimet) or acephate (Orthene). This eliminates the need for most foliar insecticides, unless worms or mites become a...

Five tips for managing this common disease. It was nearly a white mold wipe out for some producers in 2010. The normal white mold “hits,” turned into full on “runs” in some fields as the temperatures skyrocketed and the rains...

Belt Insecticide Now Available Peanut growers are aware of the significant role that armyworms, loopers, velvetbean caterpillar and the recent increase in heliothines and other hungry Lepidoptera species play in their fields. Collectively, they cause economic loss that university entomologists...

JOHN P. BEASLEY, JR. University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist Research clearly indicates weed management is most critical the first six weeks after planting. If a field is kept relatively weed free the first six weeks after planting, weeds that...

Stabenow Talks Farm Bill Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mi) recently told reporters, “We’re going to start right now and move through the process, and we’ll make decisions as we go along. “In terms of an exact timetable, I think it’s in the...

By Amanda Huber Organic peanut production continues to be researched and improved upon in both small plot and on-farm trials. However, I can tell you that I am hesitant to write about it. Last year I did, and later in...

Although many economists and peanut industry analysts predict a double-digit decrease in acreage, the National Agriculture Statistics Service says, based on their interviews with producers, the industry will only decrease total acreage by four percent in 2011. This information...

Proper sprayer operation involves calibrating equipment often and documenting it each time. By John Fulton Extension Specialist, Biosystems Engineering Auburn University Sprayer technology has rapidly advanced in recent years with new rate control systems along with technologies such as guidance and automatic section...

Use this sampling technique to estimate underground pest pressure. By Dr. Ayanava Majumdar “Dr. A,” Extension entomologist and state sustainable agriculture coordinator, Auburn University; and Rudy Yates, regional Extension agent, Alabama Cooperative Extension System This past year was a difficult one...

Apply this concept to prime plants to be more efficient users of water By Amanda Huber In production agriculture, water is still the most limiting factor – no matter where you are or what crop you grow. But what Wilson Faircloth,...

JOHN BEASLEY University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist The five cultivars that will account for almost 100 percent of the planted acreage in the Southeast in 2011 all have considerably more resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) than Georgia Green. Because...

Rep. Frank Lucas (R) of Oklahoma is a farmer and knows about peanut production in his state. Lucas recently said that the House of Representatives Ag Committee will be a challenge to lead. “There are 26 republicans and 20 democrats....