PHOTO BY BARRY TILLMAN, UF/IFAS
With Growth Regulator
Without Growth Regulator
Although a yield increase is not guaranteed with the use of a plant growth regulator in peanuts, in some situations, the treatment can pay for itself and even make money.
Can Growth Regulators Boost Yield? The answer is in knowing how and when to use PGRs effectively. By Barry Tillman, UF/IFAS Peanut Breeder, and Scott Monfort, UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist
E
xcessive peanut vine growth can be problematic in several ways. First, too much vine growth can lead to an increase in disease because the canopy can hold moisture and create its own microclimate. Additionally, fungicides may not be able to penetrate the canopy to get to the point of disease. Vines damaged during mid-season pesticide applications can become areas of disease and contribute to yield losses. Finally, excessive vine growth can slow harvest operations, costing time and money. Control Vines, Increase Yield Appropriate use of the growth regulators Apogee or Kudos (prohexadione calcium) can help to manage vine growth and increase yield. A recent study published in Peanut Science (Studstill et al., 2020; Influence of Prohexadione Calcium Rate on Growth and Yield of Peanut) showed that the growth of peanut was reduced by growth regulator application and that 18 /
THE PEANUT GROWER • MAY 2022
the pod yield of runner-type varieties was increased in farmscale studies in Georgia and Mississippi. Using the 0.75 times rate, or 5.4 ounces per acre, of Apogee plant height was reduced by about 4 inches and yield increased by about 700 pounds per acre. This translates to about an $85 per-acre net return. Although a yield increase is not guaranteed because of specific conditions in each field and season, on average, the treatment will pay for itself or makes money. The Apogee label specifies that peanut should be actively growing and without stress from disease or drought when the application is made. The first application should occur when 50% of the stems are touching in the row middles and a second application 14 days later. Application Tips Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension peanut specialist, offers these tips for using a growth regulator. “Timing is very important,” Monfort says. “Apply the first PEANUTGROWER.COM
