by Jason Woodward, Texas Agri-Life Extension Plant Pathologist While the Southwest has not completely broken the grip of drought, soil moisture going into the 2015 growing season is much better than the past few years. This is a result of rainfall received late last season and precipitation that has fallen during the winter months. This and other factors appear to ... Read More »
As the 2014 season unfolds, final decisions need to be made as it relates to the placement of varieties and, more importantly, market types. When it comes to planting early, peanuts are a little more forgiving than other crops, such as cotton. However, efforts should be made to plant under the most favorable conditions. It is always important to use high-quality seed and check for splits and immature kernels. Planting should occur when soil conditions are favorable for rapid germination of the seed and development of the plant. Recent studies have shown that planting densities can be substantially reduced for all market types, but differences in seed size and seed count may need to be addressed when calibrating vacuum planters. Adjustments in planting depth should be made based on soil type, planting date and moisture conditions. Overall, late planting dates generally lead to reduced yields and lower grades, as well as increasing the risk from freeze damage and late-season drought. Read More »
Jason Woodward, Texas Agri-Life Extension Plant Pathologist With the 2014 growing season upon us, peanut producers in the Southwest remain optimistic even though the continuing drought conditions experienced throughout much of the winter is enough to test anyone. By now, decisions on which peanut market types and cultivars to plant have been made; however, there are a few considerations when ... Read More »
JASON WOODWARD Texas Agri-Life Extension Plant Pathologist Final planted area for the Southwest in 2013 was approximately 136,000 acres, down about 40,000 acres from the previous year. This region is unique in that all four market types – runner, Spanish, Valencia and Virginia – are grown. Historically, runners have been the predominant market type grown in Texas, but it comprised ... Read More »
JOHN P. BEASLEY, JR. University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist The Southeast peanut crop was planted later than we wanted because of cold and wet conditions early on. As a result, we have seen and will see several production practices altered the remainder of the season. First, thrips pressure was excessively high on fields planted in middle-to-late May. This is ... Read More »
JOHN P. BEASLEY, JR. University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist One thing we learned in 2011 is how resilient our current cultivars are under severely adverse conditions. Acreage planted in 2011 for seed production for 2012 was approximately 75 percent Georgia-06G, so we know which cultivar will dominate acreage next year, but we saw some excellent results from other cultivars. ... Read More »
JOHN P. BEASLEY, JR. University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist The major disease issue on peanut in 2010 in the Southeast was white mold (southern stem rot, southern blight). What made white mold so devastating was how early it became a serious problem, brought on by intense heat. We always expect to have some white mold each year, and the ... Read More »
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 emerge after that time are not as likely to cause a yield reduction. However, weeds emerging after the six-week period ... Read More »
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 was released in NASS’ annual “Prospective Plantings” report in late March. According to the report, growers intend to plant 1.24 million ... Read More »
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 of that significantly better level of resistance to TSWV, producers are provided with the flexibility of planting earlier, ... Read More »
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