Nov 2014 Peanut Grower

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PEANUTGROWER The

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

NOVEMBER 2014

THE PEANUT PRODUCER'S MARKETING & PRODUCTION MAGAZINE www.peanutgrower.com

Farm Bill Update: Program Options, Important Dates

Inoculants: The Sustainable Choice

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Sign up for peanut E-News You’re already a long-time reader of The Peanut Grower magazine. In fact, you’ve been a loyal reader for many years. So, how else can you stay informed on the latest developments in the peanut industry?

Subscribe today to The Peanut Grower monthly E-News. You’ll find industry information, crop and program news, plus a calendar of events and other quick updates.

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NOVEMBER 2014

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PEANUTGROWER The

Volume 26 • Number 8

12 Departments 4 Editor’s Note Comment period on WOTUS extended again; Congress acts.

5 News Briefs Average price too high to trigger counter-cyclical payment.

6 Market Watch Producers need a profitable option for peanut rotations.

Features 10 Farm Program Update Producers have decisions to make regarding program options; plus, important program deadlines.

CornSouth

Look for the supplement following page 12 in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi versions of The Peanut Grower.

12 Farmer Of The Year Peanut farmer, Philip Grimes, is named Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.

I-1 Inoculant Guide • Unlocking Profit Potential • Promoting Efficiency and Sustainability • Get The Best Start Possible

Cover photo by Amanda Huber

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EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Copy Editor Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Art Director Carol Watson

Comment Period On WOTUS Extended Again

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Editorial Director Tommy Horton (901) 767-4020 thorton@onegrower.com Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Janet Owens (229) 386-8809 Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (800) 888-9784 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com

For circulation changes or change of address, call (800) 888-9784

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD John Beasley Extension Agronomist Auburn University Dell Cotton Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Assn., Franklin, VA Kris Balkcom Agri-Program Associate Auburn University Craig Kvien Coastal Plain Experiment Station,Tifton, GA

Jason Woodward Extension Plant Pathologist Texas A & M University David Jordan Extension Agronomist North Carolina State University Glen Harris Extension Agronomist University of Georgia Jason Ferrell Extension Weed Specialist University of Florida

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf PRESIDENT/TREASURER Lia Guthrie PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT The Peanut Grower (ISSN 1042-9379) is an agribusiness magazine for U.S. peanut producers. Published in eight monthly issues, January through July and November.

Annual subscriptions are $40.00. Single Copy price is $5.00. Annual overseas subscriptions are $70.00, including Canada/Mexico. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. Copyright © 2014 One Grower Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved except where otherwise noted. The Peanut Grower ® is a registered trademark, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with the registration.

POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO SUNBELT FULFILLMENT SERVICES, 307 SOUTHGATE COURT, Brentwood, TN 37027-7987. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claim as its own, and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Printed in the USA. One Grower Publishing, LLC, also publishes Cotton Farming, Rice Farming, Soybean South and Corn South.

One Grower Publishing, LLC 1010 June Rd., Suite 102, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119 Phone: 901-767-4020

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THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

The most difficult word to write is the very first one. In fact, most times, I start by writing the body of an article, then come back to that always-challenging first sentence. So I can certainly appreciate when someone else starts an article with a clever opening line, such as, “If a ditch fills with rainwater – and nobody’s around to see it – can it still be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency?”

That was the opening line by Tennille Tracy from The Wall Street Journal Washington Wire on an article regarding the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed rule, called Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), defining the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act. The article was an update on the issue, which is important for you to know about since it will directly affect all farmers.

Two things have happened recently concerning WOTUS. First, the EPA has once again extended the comment period, which now ends on Nov. 14, 2014. Secondly, some members of the House of Representatives finally woke up and realized the EPA is circumventing all of their authority (again), and a bill called the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 was drafted. The House passed the bill by a vote of 262 to 152.

However, the Senate is unlikely to pass such a bill unless the election changes the party with a majority, which will be interesting to watch on election night.

Of course, the White House has threatened to veto the House’s bill.

At the Sunbelt Ag Expo in mid-October, the Georgia Agribusiness Council and the Georgia Farm Bureau collected more than 1,100 signatures on a 12-foot banner emblazoned with the slogan “Ditch the Rule.” The signing had to be stopped after only a few hours, not because they were running out of people willing to sign the banner, but because they ran out of space on the banner for people to sign. To learn more about the issue or to submit comments if you have not done so already, go to the American Farm Bureau’s website, http://ditchtherule.fb.org. You don’t want to have to pull a permit every time a ditch fills with rainwater.

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No Payment On 2013 Crop USDA has announced that no counter-cyclical payment will be made on 2013 crop peanuts.

The National Ag Statistics Service publishes the peanut market year average price received by farmers by state and nationwide. The published prices will trigger payments on a farm base if prices are below the target price. For peanuts, the old Farm Bill target price was $495, and if the U.S. average price was below the target price, a countercyclical payment would be made.

In the new Farm Bill, payments are issued when the effective price of a covered commodity is less than the respective reference price for that commodity established in the statute for 2014-2018 crops. The effective price equals the higher of the market year average price or the national average loan rate. The PLC payment is equal to 85 percent of the base acres of the covered commodity times the difference between the reference price, which is $535 per ton in the new Farm Bill, and the effective price times the PLC payment yield for the covered commodity.

The marketing year ended for peanuts July 31, and USDA issued the 2013 average price for peanuts at $498 per ton, which is above the $495 per ton target price; therefore, no counter-cyclical payment will be issued for 2013.

Industry Loses Great Ambassador The National Peanut Board was saddened to report that Don Self, 55, NPB delegate from Mississippi, lost his life in a farm accident.

Don was integral in establishing Mississippi as a major peanut-producing state on the National Peanut Board in 2008 and had served on the board since that time. He proudly served as the chair of the Domestic Promotions Committee and traveled for the board from New York to California promoting peanuts.

He was a member of the Mississippi

Peanut Growers Association and the Monroe County School Board. He also served as a deacon at New Prospect Baptist Church, where he was the AWANA Commander, church musician (guitar) and soloist.

The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association announced the establishment of the Don Self Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship will be managed by the Mississippi State University Foundation and contributions are tax deductible.

The goal is to raise $25,000 to make this an endowed scholarship and to generate at least an annual $1,000 scholarship in perpetuity. Contributors may make a one-time donation or make an annual pledge for up to five years.

Anyone wishing to donate should make the check to “MSU Foundation, Inc.,” and note that it is in memory of Don Self. The mailing address is MSU Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 9760, Bost Building, Rm 204A, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

Don is survived by his parents, his wife Lisa, son Nathan, daughter-in-law Tara, daughter Alexis, son-in-law Hank and four grandchildren.

Georgia FSIS Opens New Office Georgia Federal-State Shipping Point Inspection Service (GA FSIS), now located in the Pecan Grove Industrial Park in Albany, celebrated the new building with an open house and ribbon cutting.

GA FSIS president and chief financial officer, T.E. Moye said, “The City of Albany has the infrastructure to enable us to serve not only Georgia but the entire Southeast. The new facility will allow for continued growth the organization has seen over the last several years. The building was designed with advanced technology and a bigger training facility.”

Since 1927, the Federal State Inspection Service has provided an honest, impartial, efficient and accurate third party service to the members of the agricultural community. GA FSIS inspects more

In Brief: • USDA figures 2013 average price at $498 per ton, three dollars above the amount needed to trigger a counter-cyclical payment.

• Mississippi growers announce establishment of memorial scholarship for Don Self.

• Georgia federal-state inspection service opens new facility to meet growing needs of commodities.

• National Peanut Buying Points to hold convention in January, one month ahead from this year.

• Peanut Proud makes much-needed peanut butter donations to several food banks this fall.

• The American Peanut Council hosts several international groups on farm and processing plant tours.

than 35 commodities, including peanuts, many different fruits and vegetables and pecans. FSIS ensures the shipment of high-quality produce and enhances Georgia’s reputation as a supplier of superior agricultural products.

GA FSIS currently staffs 120 employees and will hire approximately 800 more for the upcoming peanut farmerstock season.

Moye said, “We see it as our responsibility to ensure that the farmers’ crop is graded with integrity, which allows the shelling plant the ability to segregate by quality and condition.”

GA FSIS also sells equipment necessary for peanut inspection. Their maintenance department services the equipment, guaranteeing that it is within the USDA regulations required for peanut inspection.

For information, call 229-432-6201 or visit their website at www.gafsis.com.

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Producers need a profitable rotation partner for peanuts he U.S. peanut market wants to grow and expand, but the market’s dynamics seem to have adjusted to one step forward and two steps back. The industry tries to minimize risks, but many unknowns have all segments nervous, and answers are needed so a true, fair market can prevail.

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Market Unknowns Lots of questions remain to be answered on the 2014 crop. How has drought impacted quantity and quality in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina where 80 percent of the peanuts are grown? How bad will aflatoxin be? Can U.S. peanuts meet European Union quality requirements and keep that momentum?

Blanching capacity is maxed out and on-time delivery may be a problem. The logistics of keeping good quality irrigated peanuts separate from dryland peanuts is a challenge at the buying point and sheller.

Another unknown is farmer-stock contracts. Today, peanut contracts are a mystifying dilemma. The shellers are trying to find a balance...buy a reasonable supply of peanuts at a reasonable price for their customers while keeping the farmer profitable.

About 50 percent of the 2014 peanut crop is not contracted. Should the farmer accept a possible $425 per ton or place in the loan for $355 per ton and wait until later? Shellers are reluctant to offer higher prices as it could encourage more plantings next season.

Few Options Cultivatable land is limited and the farmer must decide what to plant and how much. With corn, cotton and soybeans at record low prices, peanut con-

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PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

Leading Market Indicators (Oct. 10, 2014) •2014 - Acreage estimate up 25% - 1,307,000 acres •2014 - Production estimate up 19% - 2,491,050 tons •2014 -Average yield estimate 3,812 lbs/A - dn 35 lbs/A •2013 - Market Loan - 10,017 tons •2013 - Loan Redemptions 1,442,198 tons •2013 -14 Domestic Usage (12 mo.) + up 2.1% •2013 -14 Exports (12 mo.) dn -10.18% •National Posted Price (per ton): Runners $424.86, Spanish $404.91, Virginia/Valencia $427.79.

tracts offered by the sheller will impact acreage planted to peanuts, especially next season. The farmers have some safeguard with a program minimum of $355 per ton paid at delivery and can market the peanuts from storage within nine months. What if all the commodity options were profitable and rotations could be made to maximize yields?

Another issue is the 2014 Farm Bill.

Options keep coming and the farmer has to first figure out how to payout this year, then plan for next year when all the cards have not been dealt. The peanut program was supposed to bring stability.

That seems like a joke with the boom and bust of the last two years and no end in that volatility when looking ahead.

Farmers with a peanut or farm base must visit their Farm Service Agency office to update yields and reallocate base acres. Then come the options...Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage plus a new peanut revenue program that has another choice of yield

J. Tyron Spearman

Contributing Editor, The Peanut Grower

protection or revenue protection or revenue production with a harvest price exclusion...all unknowns.

Market Protection While the market is trying to absorb this, the old market loan assistance program changes with a new $535 per ton reference price, formerly the $495 target price. If a farm does not have a base, this does not apply, yet the contract prices and acreage are influenced for the entire industry. Many farmers have reported that the payment limits in the new bill will eliminate most peanut farmers from participating or saving the farm in the new Farm Bill.

Meanwhile, markets are dealing with estimates and deliveries of old crop peanuts. Pricing the new 2014 crop is non-existent. The U.S. peanut crop for 2014/15 is now estimated at 2,491,050 tons based on harvesting 1,307,000 acres averaging 3,800 pounds per acre.

Production is estimated to be up 19 percent over last year and acreage is up 25 percent. The supply chart now shows beginning stocks of 926,000 tons plus 2014 production or a total U.S. supply of 3,417,050 tons. The October estimate was almost the same as September as the trade thinks the drought will lower USDA’s figures.

U.S. And World Demand Domestic food use for peanuts is predicted to increase 1.8 percent for the year, but posted a 2.1 percent increase last year. All categories showed an increase: peanuts in candy up 3.6 percent, peanut snacks are up 7.3 percent, peanut butter is up one percent and in-shells had a 0.2 percent increase. Peanuts are still a great buy, a super nutritious product and consumers are more aware of

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this and are helping the peanut industry to grow.

USA peanut exports are doing remarkable, down only slightly from the record last year. Peanut butter exports are up an amazing 21 percent, rawshelled peanuts are down only 5.4 percent for the year, but were up 11 percent in July. In-shell shipments were down 26 percent for the year, but July was up six percent.

U.S. peanuts are the lowest-priced origin peanuts as Argentine offers are higher after a tough growing season. New crop prices in Argentina are the lowest in the past four years. Their farmers are facing what U.S. farmers may face in the spring: No crops look profitable on paper. China has returned to the market with down acreage and the 28 percent duty is stalling U.S. shipments to China.

What’s Ahead?

Overall, the peanut industry senses an expanding and growing market with consumers liking their product and a government program that could en-

courage expansion. To be successful, all segments have to be profitable. The time has come to examine all of the options, especially farmers, plug in a profitable

plan for farmers, buying points, shellers and manufacturers. Stay tuned. Of all the years in peanuts, this next year should be an exciting one. PG

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NPBPA Announces Annual Convention

Rodney Locke, of Locke Farm Center in Dawson, Ga., recently announced the 2015 National Peanut Buying Points Association Annual Convention will be Jan. 8-11, 2015, at Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, S.C. Anyone interested in the peanut industry is invited to attend. This year’s conference is about a month earlier and will begin on Thursday, instead of Friday, with a travel day home on Sunday.

The theme of this year’s meeting is “Peanut Power and Managing Risks!”

The 2014 Farm Bill unveiled more tools for managing risk in peanuts, plus a higher reference price that could influence peanut markets. World supply and demand is likely to have more of an impact on peanut acreage in the future.

The program will include updates on the power of the peanut on the farm, at the buying point, at the shelling plant and an update on the nutritious products made from peanuts.

Packets will be mailed to all NPBPA members, but if you would like to receive a packet, contact Angela at spearmanagency@friendlycity.net.

Guilty Verdict In Salmonella Case

A federal jury convicted Stewart Parnell, owner of Peanut Corporation of America, for numerous counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and obstruction of justice related to shipping tainted peanut butter to customers and faking results of the lab tests.

Parnell’s brother, Michael Parnell, was also found guilty of multiple charges including fraud from lab results, but was acquitted of shipping the product. Mary Wilkerson, quality assurance manager, was found guilty of obstruction of justice for hiding information about the salmonella problems from investigators.

Sentencing will come later in the case and the judge chose to allow the three to remain free on bond. Parnell’s attorney told an Associated Press reporter, “We respect the jury’s work and the jury

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THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

system, but we believe this was the wrong result. We’ll continue to fight for Stewart at sentencing and in an appeal.”

The trial lasted seven weeks in Albany, Ga., and is said to be the first time corporate executives and plant workers were tried in a food-safety related case.

National Peanut Board Appointments

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently made board member and alternate board member appointments for six states on the National Peanut Board. For Alabama, Ed White is the reappointed board member and Tom Corcoran is the reappointed alternate member. For Arkansas, Gregory Gill is the new board member and Gregory Baltz is the new alternate member. In Florida, Jeffery Pittman is the newly appointed board member.

For North Carolina, Dan Ward of Clarkton is the newly appointed board member and Raymond Garner, Jr. is the new alternate member. For Virginia, John Crumpler II is the reappointed board member, and Paul Rogers III is the reappointed alternate member.

Sadly, Mississippi will require a new election due to the passing of Don Self, who had been reappointed as alternate member. Joe Morgan was appointed the new board member, and The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association will hold a nominations election to select first and second choices for an alternate to the board.

The nomination election will take place during a meeting on Nov. 18, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. (CST) at the Mississippi Farm Bureau, 6311 Ridgewood Road, in Jackson, Miss. All eligible peanut producers, who are those engaged in the production and sale of peanuts and who own or share the ownership and risk of loss of the crop, are encouraged to participate.

USDA requires two nominees from each state for the position of alternate.

The NPB will submit Mississippi’s nominees to the U.S. Secretary of Agri-

Calendar: • Oct. 31-Nov. 9, 2014 - National Peanut Festival, Dothan, Ala. For more information, visit www.nationalpeanutfestival.com.

• Dec. 7-9, 2014 - Georgia Farm Bureau, Jekyll Island, Ga. For more information, visit www.gfb.org.

• Dec. 10-13, 2014 - American Peanut Council Winter Conference, Washington Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.peanutsusa.com.

• Jan. 8-11, 2015 - National Peanut Buying Points Association Annual Convention, Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, S.C. Packets will be mailed to members, but anyone wanting to receive an information packet should email Angela at spearmanagency@friendlycity.net • July 14-16, 2015 - American Peanut Research and Education Society Annual Meeting, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, S.C. For more information, visit www.apresinc.com.

culture, who makes the appointments.

The National Peanut Board encourages inclusion of persons of any race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation and marital or family status. NPB encourages all persons who qualify as peanut producers to attend the meeting and run for nomination.

It is USDA’s policy that membership on industry-government boards and committees accurately reflect the diversity of individuals served by the programs.

All appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2015, and ending on Dec. 31, 2017, with the exception of an Arkansas member and an alternate member who will begin immediately and end on Dec. 31, 2016.

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NPB Launches Allergy Website

Fall Peanut Butter Donations Mike Kubicek, executive director of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission, is pictured with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, who is tasting some of the Peanut Proud peanut butter distributed to visitors at the Septemberfest event on the Governor’s Mansion lawn. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma also received six pallets of Peanut Proud peanut butter to distribute as needed.

Some of the other Peanut Proud donations made in the fall include a delivery to the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico, Clovis, in cooperation with the New Mexico Peanut Grower, a delivery to the South Plains Food Bank in Lubbock, Texas, partnering with the Texas Peanut Producers Board, and a delivery to Manna Food Pantries, Pensacola, Fla., in conjunction with the Florida Peanut Producers Association.

Coinciding with the start of school, the National Peanut Board (NPB) launched PeanutAllergyFacts.org, a website for parents, schools, foodservice executives and manufacturers. The site is designed to provide science-based information about peanut and food allergies, as well as links to resources about effective allergy management.

The new site is part of an awareness campaign based on consumer research that revealed significant misconceptions about food allergies and allergy management. Study participants perceived peanut allergies to affect 24 percent of the U.S. population or 40 times the rate reported by the National Institutes of Health, which says that 0.6 percent of Americans have a true peanut allergy.

“While 99 percent of Americans can safely enjoy the nutritional benefits of peanuts, it’s imperative that we all be conscientious of the way we prepare, share and consume food,” said Bob Parker, NPB president and CEO. “We are committed to finding a solution.”

International Groups In Peanut Belt The American Peanut Council (APC) hosted three groups of international visitors, both importers and manufacturing groups, that toured the peanut belt during the harvest.

In September, peanut importers and manufacturers from Japan were in Suffolk, Va., to visit the North Carolina/Virginia region. A team from China visited the Albany, Ga., area in October, touring farms and area shelling plants, plus a visit to the National Peanut Lab in Dawson.

A group of Mexican manufactures and importers were in Gruene, Texas, in late October to visit peanut farms and processing plants in the area.

The APC is the official cooperator with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in promoting export peanuts for the United States.

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Farm Bill Update Producers have decisions to make regarding program coverage.

s peanut harvest got underway, USDA unveiled some of the new programs available to producers through enactment of the 2014 Farm Bill. Those programs are said to help producers better manage risk and provide the safety net needed in the agriculture business.

“Farming is one of the riskiest businesses in the world,” said Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack. “These new programs help ensure that risk can be effectively managed so that families don’t lose farms that have been passed down through generations because of events beyond their control.

Unlike the old direct payment program, which paid farmers in good years and bad, these new initiatives are based on market forces and include county – and individual – coverage options. These reforms provide a much more rational approach to helping farmers manage risk.”

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THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

Program Option Tool Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) are two options commodity producers have as a farm safety net from the 2014 Farm Bill, which ended direct payments. Producers will have until the end of March to select which program works best for their businesses.

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.

To help farmers choose between the ARC and PLC programs, USDA helped create online tools that allow farmers to enter information about their operation and see projections about what each program will mean for them under possible future scenarios.

The new tools are now available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found at http://askfsa.custhelp.com.

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Program Options The new programs, Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), are cornerstones of the commodity farm safety net programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Both programs offer farmers protection when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices and/or revenues. Producers will have through early spring of 2015 to select which program works best for their businesses.

“We’re committed to giving farmers as much information as we can so they can make an informed decision between these programs,” said Vilsack. “These resources will help farm owners and producers boil the information down, understand what their options are, and ultimately make the best decision on which choice is right for them.”

New Crop Insurance Option Besides new program options, peanut producers will also have the opportunity to participate in a new crop insurance option, the peanut revenue policy, that will be available for eligible peanut producers. The policy, approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors, paves the way for USDA’s Risk Management Agency to make it broadly available to producers for the 2015 crop year in all counties where yield-based insurance coverage is currently offered.

The peanut revenue policy is one of several new risk management options authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Georgia Peanut Commission and the Western Peanut Growers developed the policy under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act, which allows private entities to design and submit crop insurance products to the FCIC Board.

Managing Risk “This policy will help extend revenue insurance coverage to peanut producers to help them manage risks,” said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. “My parents are hardworking peanut producers in a small town in southwest Georgia, so I know first-hand how important this new policy will be to provide a lifeline to farmers affected by events beyond their control.”

Georgia Peanut Commission advisory board member and producer Andy Bell, says, “I have represented the Georgia

Important Program Deadlines: The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the following as key dates for farm owners and producers regarding new 2014 Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). According to USDA, the new programs, designed to help producers better manage risk, usher in one of the most significant reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

Dates producers need to know are as follows: Sept. 29, 2014 - Feb. 27, 2015: Land owners may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.

Nov. 17, 2014 - March 31, 2015: Producers make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years.

Mid-April 2015 - Summer 2015: Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.

October 2015: Payments for 2014 crop year, if needed.

Peanut Commission on the crop insurance working group for a number of years, and I’m pleased to see final approval of revenue insurance options for growers.

The revenue-based insurance provides growers with another tool to aid in the production risk of growing peanuts.”

Replant Provision “Also included is an increase in the replant provision and improved quality adjustment provisions that will allow growers the ability to complete a claim at harvest,” Bell says.

The new insurance policy, which will

be offered through the federal crop insurance program, replaces current peanut crop provisions. The policy will be based on the Common Crop Insurance Policy currently available for other major commodities and provide growers with a choice of Yield Protection, Revenue Protection, and Revenue Protection with the Harvest Price Exclusion. Available coverage levels will range from 50 percent to 85 percent.

Information on the new peanut revenue policy for 2015 will be available on USDA’s Risk Management Agency’s website later this year. PG

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Farmer Of The Year South Georgia peanut farmer, Philip Grimes, is named Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.

outh Georgia farmer Philip Grimes, who was nominated by former University of Georgia Extension agent Brian Tankersley, was selected as the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year in mid-October at the Expo. He credited his success in the field to the UGA Extension service. “It’s a very humbling experience,� said Grimes, who is the first Georgia farmer to win the award since 2010. “Extension is very important to what we do as far as making decisions based on what they’re telling us.�

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D%D>86<? "D< =<D=@@D?: ;64=<?;:D B6:?$ 8 D=A; 8D?$D<6B8 =: D>;4 @8<8 D ?=D B< 6?8 DCBA@?$ 86

12 /

At right, Philip Grimes, Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year, is pictured with University of Georgia President Jere Morehead.

Extra Good Manager Grimes has farmed for 37 years and operates 2,210 acres with peanuts, cotton, cantaloupes, broccoli, snap beans and corn. The Grimes familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farming business has grown from 200 acres of rented farmland in the mid-1970s. The biggest portion of his land â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 850 acres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is planted in cotton, but he also operates Docia Farms and a state-of-the-art cantaloupe packing shed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Philip has been outstanding in his yields. He does an extra amount of management. You can go back to probably five years ago and ask him what he planted on a certain field and he could tell you when he planted in that field and he can tell you what the field made,â&#x20AC;? Tankersley said.

THE PEANUT GROWER â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER 2014

A Passion For Farming With the Southeastern Farmer of the Year award, Grimes wins a $15,000 cash prize and use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a year from Massey Ferguson North America. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love to farm, and (I) am real passionate about my crops,â&#x20AC;? said Grimes, who is a member of the Tift County Farm Bureau, Tift County Extension Leadership Advisory Group and was named the Chamber of Commerce Farmer of the Year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been blessed by God, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guided me for years and years. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a blessing that I have what I have.â&#x20AC;? PG Article by Clint Thompson, University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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INOCULANT GUIDE November 2014

Sponsored by BASF

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TO:

U.S. Peanut Growers

FROM: Russ Berndt Product Manager, Advanced Seed Enhancements RE:

2015 Peanut Grower Inoculant Guide

We are pleased to be able to continue to sponsor this helpful and informative peanut product guide.

Our goal is to help you achieve more yield per acre. One of the best ways to do this is to supply you with fresh inoculant each growing season.

When deciding which peanut inoculant product to use, be sure to: 1. Select the inoculant that delivers the freshest, most vigorous rhizobia for ensuring maximum root nodulation and nitrogen fixation.

2. Choose the inoculant that delivers the newest technology and most advanced rhizobia in a formulation that fits your management program and application equipment. ault® peanut inoculant formulations contains Each of our Va high-performing rhizobia made fresh for each growing season. Select the in-furrow or at-planting application that’s right for your situation.

Vault a ® Liquid – Features the latest technology with advanced PA-r A egistered rhizobia bacteria plus Integral® – an EP biofungicide in a liquid in-furrow application formulation Va ault® SP - A highly potent, sterile, peat-based rhizobia product that is applied on the seed in the planter box at planting.

year’s I hope you enjoy and find value in this year’ s from Peanut Inoculant Guide. And, fr om all of us at BASF, BASF F, I wis wish you success in 2015.

To learn more, visit agproducts.basf.us or talk to your BASF Authorized Retailer.

Always read and follow label directions.

Integral and Vault are registered trademarks of BASF F. ©2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-MKT T--0047

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INOCULANT GUIDE SPONSORED BY BASF

Unlocking Profit Potential he yield potential of each seed is at its maximum when it is put into the ground. Decisions such as crop rotation and field selection help the seed reach its full potential. Irrigation and pest management help protect that yield potential. However, stresses, such as disease pressure, drought and not being timely with inputs, lowers the bar on what yields can be achieved.

Peanut profitability is reached through high yields or by cutting production costs.

Reducing inputs to cut production costs can negatively impact yields, thereby reducing the profit margin. A better plan is to focus on giving the crop every possible opportunity to achieve that maximum yield potential.

T

More Yield, More Profit Profitability involves putting all the pieces together from the inputs with a fixed cost to those variables that are truly key components such as timing but have no actual cost, to bring about a quality product that yields above what is needed to cover those costs. Valuable yield is waiting in each peanut seed and the profit

potential begins in the root zone.

One critical component to peanut growth is the inoculation process. Researchers agree that peanuts respond better to the nitrogen fixation provided by rhizobia bacteria than it does to direct application of nitrogen fertilizer.

The question is, “Should you trust that viable, peanut-specific rhizobia is in the soil in sufficient amount to properly nodulate the crop or should you make sure it is there?”

A lack of viable, peanut-specific rhizobia in the soil and in close proximity to the seed means that time is lost while the seedling waits for bacteria to arrive. The lack of nitrogen slows the growth process and allows for problems, such as disease, to attack the sluggish seedling.

Placing a fresh, high quality inoculant in a concentrated area around the seed where it can enter into the root quickly will give that emerging peanut plant the best start. At the earliest opportunity, the beneficial bacteria can enter into the roots and begin multiplying, making nitrogen quickly available to the plant. From here, vigorous growth is achieved, and canopy closure is attained more rapidly. IG

Contents I-3

Unlocking Profit Potential Achieving great yields begins with the seed and in the root zone.

I-4

A Commitment To Efficiency Using an inoculant is a choice for sustainability.

I-6

The Research Proves It Studies show the importance of inoculant use.

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Get The Best Start Possible Set yourself up for success by using a fresh inoculant every year.

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Inoculant Q & A Answers to the most common questions about inoculants.

NOVEMBER 2014

• THE PEANUT GROWER /

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A Commitment To Efficiency Applying an inoculant to peanut is a choice for sustainability.

or centuries now, agricultural producers have known that to bring forth crops from the soil required care of that soil and of the water and other resources. To stay in one place and farm the same area of land required a long-term view of agriculture production. Any farmer who has wanted to stay in business or have something to pass down to the next generation has always worked to be create a sustainable agriculture system.

F

Harness The Plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own Power One concept of sustainable agriculture is to make efficient use of natural resources. As a legume, the peanut plant has a most efficient way of securing nitrogen readily available from the air. Nitrogen provided any other way would not be ecologically aware as through the mutual relationship the peanut plant has with rhizobia bacteria.

Taking advantage of the relationship between nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria and the host legume, peanut, is simply being sustainable. The plant supplies an environment, nutrients and organic substrate in which the microbial Rhizobium can grow and thrive. In turn, the rhizobia reduce atmospheric nitrogen to a form the plant can use. Consider the high energy requirements to make synthetic fertilizers and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll appreciate the power of the peanut plant and his humble sidekick, rhizobia bacteria.

Choose To Be Sustainable Applying an inoculant at planting enI-4

sures that an adequate amount of peanut-specific bacteria will be present in the soil in close contact with peanut seed and roots where infection, the beginning of the symbiotic relationship, can occur. Strains of rhizobia may already be present in the soil, but their numbers or their specificity to a particular legume are usually far less than optimum.

To choose to add an inoculant so that the plant can do what it is normally supposed to do or be the most efficient is the sustainable choice.

Doing More With Less Just as peanut seed have been improved upon and now contain resistance to certain diseases or tolerance to insect pressure, inoculant products have also undergone a transformation to greatly improve the product performance and give more value to the farmer.

The BioStacked technology contained in BASF inoculant products combines beneficial biologicals with multiple modes of action as a system to provide more consistent and dependable performance across a broad range of environmental conditions.

BioStacked technology can provide improved nodulation and nitrogen fixation

/ THE PEANUT GROWER â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER 2014

in legumes. These synergistic components also improve nutrient update, plant vigor and yield potential.

Always Working Together To help producers be more successful, BASF conducts extensive research in the laboratory as well as in the field, and partners with farmers and other customers to incorporate input and feedback. These new ideas and technologies will help farmers get the most out of every acre and achieve higher yields, healthier plants and maximum profit potential.

Despite the challenges, producers deliver on their commitment to respect nature and be stewards of the land. BASF is committed to partnering with farmers to enable them to continue growing food in an efficient and sustainable way. IG

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INOCULANT GUIDE SPONSORED BY BASF

BASF Is Committed To Sustainable Agriculture BASF defines sustainable agriculture as achieving more yield from existing land, using less water and energy, while ensuring the profitability of farming, caring for the environment and meeting the needs of society and future generations.

Specifically, BASF believes that sustainable agriculture: • is an integral part of society. Prosperous agriculture is part of a stable and reliable social environment, and sustainable agriculture should therefore be an integral part of political and economic debate.

• depends on farmers. As stewards of the land, farmers are ultimately responsible for putting sustainable agriculture into practice on a daily basis. BASF is committed to partnering with farmers to enable them to continue growing food in an efficient and sustainable way.

• saves resources and protects the environment. Fact-based scientific principles should be used to improve farming efficiency, which will be necessary if we are to increase agriculture production over the coming decades and make the most efficient use of natural resources.

• is dynamic. Farming techniques, socio-economic factors and the ecological environment in cultural landscapes can change. Farming concepts, which are exclusively driven to maintain the status quo or to re-establish historical farming practices, should not be implemented on a large scale basis when better alternative solutions are available.

• requires a diversity of solutions. There are many types of farms and methods of farming, including conventional, integrated crop and pest management and precision farming. BASF supplies products, technologies and services for all types of sustainable farming methods, and supports the co-existence of all these systems at the farm level.

• needs collaboration and partnership. Farming in the future should ensure farmers an adequate income, protect the land and provide abundant, healthy and affordable food. This can only be achieved through increased and broader investment in agricultural research by governments and industry, joint partnerships, dialogue, and the responsible, thoughtful behavior of all involved.

• looks to the future. New answers need to be found through innovative agricultural research initiatives, and the development and use of new agricultural technologies.

• needs research and innovation. While new technologies require careful and detailed assessments of their associated risks and benefits, the exclusive or disproportionate consideration of risk only, isolated from the benefits, is not the right way to successfully implement the principles of sustainable agriculture.

• needs to be quantified and managed. Products in development by BASF will help to provide clear measurement of sustainability programs.

• needs dialogue. BASF engages in ongoing stakeholder dialogue and consultation with feedback integrated into its sustainable agriculture programs and initiatives.

NOVEMBER 2014 • THE PEANUT GROWER /

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The Research Proves It Studies show the importance of inoculant use.

esearchers continue to learn more about the unique relationship peanuts have with the bacteria that inhabit their roots and form nodules that allow the plant to collect nitrogen from the air and convert it into a usable compound for the plant.

Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia cropping systems agronomist, has conducted some of the more recent research on inoculant use.

In one study, he looked at applying liquid inoculants in-furrow at planting on new ground. Tubbs found that the inoculated peanuts out-yielded the non-inoculated peanuts, not necessarily at a statistical difference as far as data analysis, but enough to be an economical difference to the producer and enough to have paid for the use of the product.

In another research project, Tubbs found that foliage color is not the best indicator of an inoculant failure. Tubbs found that foliage color may differ to a greater extent based on genetics than it does based on inoculated versus non-inoculated peanuts.

R

Don’t Go By Color “A grower should not depend solely on foliage color to determine an inoculant failure,” he says. “You have to get below the surface, see that the nodules are there and that they are active.”

Finally, in another aspect of getting to the root of the matter, Tubbs studied the nodulation achieved through inoculation of peanut plants.

“We conducted an experiment where the roots of the peanut were carefully cut I-6

off of the plant, and then the nodules were slowly and carefully pulled off of the root cuttings. We then weighed the nodules from the different plants.

“As expected, the plants that had an inoculant applied had much more nodulation than the untreated check plants.

The inoculated peanuts did better than the untreated check on all variables.”

Starter Fertilizer Can Be Costly In a study on the use of starter fertilizer, Tubbs found that the use of starter fertilizer decreased profitability. In one year he found that starter fertilizer decreased profitability by $24 to $29 per acre, and the next year, profit was decreased from $15 to $54 per acre, except at the rate of 15 pounds of N per acre.

“In most years, it takes merely a 50-to 80-pound-per acre increase in yield to cover the cost of the inoculant application at planting,” he says.

Evidence supporting the yearly use of

/ THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

inoculants and the price for not doing so continues to mount. IG

Placing an inoculant in the root zone leads to: • A vigorously growing crop with a better yield potential.

• A greater ability to withstand disease pressure than peanuts under stress.

• A good start with the use of fresh rhizobia versus potentially sluggish indigenous rhizobia.

• A low-cost way to ensure the proper strain of bacteria is present.

• Savings from using the peanuts’ natural nitrogen-fixing ability.

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HERE COMES ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER

Give the peanuts what they want. Take control of weeds with Cadre® herbicide, and apply Priaxor ® fungicide for 21-day control of leaf spot, overall Plant Health and increased yield potential – because healthy plants are productive plants.

Ask your BASF Authorized Retailer about the Peanut Portfolio today.

Always read and follow label directions. Apogee, Cadre, Poast, Priaxor and Prowl are registered trademarks of BASF. ©2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-MKT-0047

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Get The Best Start Possible Set yourself up for success by using a fresh inoculant every year.

leaning products advertise the ability to kill harmful bacteria in the home. Horror movies feed on the fear of harmful bacteria causing a plague to sweep across the populations. The truth is bacteria get a bad rap, but they are critically important. Where would we be without bacteria to breakdown waste of every form?

You can imagine.

For legumes like the peanut, bacteria are a beautiful thing, a true partner in getting the job done for the producer.

Rhizobia bacteria stand at the ready to march into the roots of developing peanut plants and do their job of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plants can use. All the bacteria ask in return is a little nourishment and a place to stay.

C

Benefits From Day One Putting rhizobia into the soil at planting benefits the plant’s health from the time it germinates.

Because it’s the natural way to do things, inoculants are cost effective. The

How do you choose the most effective inoculant?

• Start Fresh – All Vault peanut inoculants are made fresh every year and the amount of active rhizobia is guaranteed. Each product contains a freshness/expiration date.

• Select Advanced Rhizobia – All Vault peanut inoculants are made with the most advanced Bradyrhizobium bacteria for optimum compatibility and viability.

• Stack On The Benefits – Vault Liquid with BioStacked Technology combines multiple beneficial biological components in one product.

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/ THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

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INOCULANT GUIDE SPONSORED BY BASF

peanut plant benefits from the use of an inoculant from day one. By the time a lack of nitrogen is realized, the plant has already lost yield. With an inoculant, the plants are healthier and more vigorous right from planting, plus some products have added protection against seedling disease.

If you do apply apply nitrogen fertilizer too early, you are taking away from the bottom line in multiple ways. First, fertilizer is expensive, and much more ex-

From 2014 Peanut Information

David Jordan, North Carolina State University Extension peanut specialist Growers should inoculate their peanut seed or fields to ensure that adequate levels of rhizobia are present in each field. The data in Table 3-16 are from multiple locations and years and give an indication of the possible response of peanuts to inoculant applied as a liquid or granular in the seed furrow.

While peanut response to rotation is often predictable, response to inoculant and rotation combinations is less predictable. Therefore, peanuts should be inoculated in all years regardless of previous rotation history to minimize risk and maintain yield.

Generally, a peanut plant with 15 nodules by 40 days after emergence has adequate nodulation. Oftentimes, foliar symptoms of nitrogen deficiency will be apparent by this time if nodulation is not effective.

Later in the season, the plant will need many more nodules, more than 100, for optimum growth, development and yield. If fewer than 15 nodules are noted 40 days after emergence, especially if peanut foliage is yellow, growers should consider application of ammonium sulfate. IG Table 3-16. Peanut Yield Response in Fields without a History of Peanuts versus Fields with Frequent Plantings of Peanuts (1999–2013).

Inoculant Use No inoculant Inoculant Difference Number of trials Years

New peanut fields 3,413 lbs/A 4,895 lbs/A 1,482 lbs/A 32 1999-2013

Fields with recent history of peanuts 4,185 lbs/A 4,370 lbs/A 185 lbs/A 32 1999-2013

pensive than inoculant at times. More yields because it is the main source of niimportantly, if you have too much early trogen from seedling stage to maturity. nitrogen fertilization, the rhizobia in the Using a fresh, robust product to put rhisoil don’t do their job. The plant takes zobia back into the soil will be important up the nitrogen that’s been added to the in 2015. IG soil and doesn’t use the more efficient method from the symbiInoculant Tips: otic relationship with the rhizobia. What happens long term • Extreme conditions, such as heat, when the fertilizer is used up? drought or flooding, can reduce rhizobia populations in the soil.

The crop will not have the nodulation caused by the mul• Know the factors that affect successful tiplying rhizobia, and nitrogen nodulation of the crop. deficiency is a real possibility.

• Do not rely on foliage color as different varieties vary in color.

Make A Plan For 2015 This year’s wet weather left many low spots in fields saturated at times. These anaerobic conditions impact the rhizobia population in the soil, and good nodulation is essential to high

• The number of years between planting may not be the most accurate way to determine whether or not to apply an inoculant.

• Greater yield can be achieved through the use of an inoculant.

NOVEMBER 2014 • THE PEANUT GROWER

/

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Inoculant

Q&A Q. Why should I use an inoculant?

A. As a legume crop, peanuts can supply their own nitrogen, but only if rhizobia bacterium is available in the root zone and in close proximity to the emerging seedling to enter into the root and begin fixing atmospheric nitrogen. To do this successfully and with the utmost efficiency, there also needs to be a sufficient quantity of bacteria that is in vigorous condition to move into the roots and multiply quickly.

Q. Do I need to apply an inoculant every year?

A. Although bacteria can survive in the soil for many years, today’s inoculant products are far superior to bacteria found natively in the soil. Producers need a product that is ready to colonize in the root, form nodules and begin fixing nitrogen as quickly as possible. Because it is a live organism, rhizobia already in the soil and not applied fresh at planting has spent its energies just trying to survive in the soil and may not be the vigorous product producers’ need.

In some areas, such as the Southwest, fresh inoculant must be added every year because of the harsh field conditions. Liquid, in-furrow products have been found to work best in with arid, dry soils. Even in the Southeast, conditions such as high temperatures or water-logged soils can exist that make it a sound investment to add new inoculant every year.

Conditions that can affect the viability of the rhizobia in the soil are as follows: • Acidity: rhizobia and/or their effectiveness may be reduced in soils with a pH below 5.5 or above 8.0.

• Organic matter: rhizobia survive better in soils with increased organic matter.

• Temperature: rhizobia populations can be reduced in hot, dry soils– particularly at planting– or may not be available to shallow-planted seed. Cool soil temperatures may slow bacteria movement into the roots.

• Drought: Moisture is needed for rhizobia to survive. Prolonged drought, combined with high temperatures, can reduce levels.

• Flooding: In contrast, flooding and the depletion of oxygen in the root zone will also kill the bacteria.

• Competition: Other strains of bacteria and soil organisms competing for moisture and nutrients may reduce the amount I-10

/ THE PEANUT GROWER • NOVEMBER 2014

Good nodulation is essential for high yields because it is the main source of nitrogen from seedling to maturity.

of rhizobia.

• Plant stress: Any practice or conditions that puts stress on the plant can reduce the nutrients available to the bacteria thereby reducing formulation of nodules.

• Nitrogen level: Formation of nodules can be reduced with applied fertilizer nitrogen levels as low as 30 pounds per acre in the soil.

• Seed treatments or pesticides: Some products are toxic to the bacteria.

• Soil conditions such as compaction and erosion may reduce rhizobia populations.

Re-introducing fresh, robust Rhizobia through a quality inoculant product will help ensure that these conditions are not affecting the potential nodulation of the peanut crop.

Q. Can I use leftover soybean inoculant for peanuts?

A. No. The product may be similar in name, but the species of bacteria needed for these two legume crops are different.

Bacteria know what their primary host is and the signal chemicals sent out from the roots of the soybean are different than those sent out by peanut. The soil is full of many different types of bacteria, but those signal chemicals tell exactly which bacteria to respond. Putting a soybean inoculant is simply wasting money.

Today’s inoculant products may contain more than the bac-

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INOCULANT GUIDE SPONSORED BY BASF

teria. For example, Vault Liquid peanut inoculant, with BioStacked technology, delivers not only peanut-specific robust rhizobia bacteria, but also Integral biofungicide for enhance root vigor, nutrient uptake and suppression of Rhizoctonia and Fusarium root rot.

To get the benefits of nitrogen fixation and the resulting vigorous root growth, disease protection and, ultimately, a boost in yields, an inoculant specially produced for peanuts should be used.

Then, it needs to be stored and handled properly in that time between delivery and planting, as mentioned above.

At planting, proper calibration of application equipment is important. Check all nozzles and spray tips, and make sure everything is clean, in working order and calibrated correctly.

Remember that heavy applications of nitrogen too soon after planting may hurt or lessen the activity of the rhizobia bacteria. Nitrogen-fixation through the symbiotic relationship with peanut-specific bacteria is the best, most efficient and sustainable way to supply the plant with nitrogen.

Q. What does a grower need to know in order to choose the most effective inoculant product?

A. Inoculant products are thoroughly field tested. Evaluate university field trials, in your area if possible, to determine what inoculant product might work best in your production system.

Without adequate nodulation, you won’t have the yields you need. What a grower should look for in an inoculant product, first and foremost, is something specific to peanuts. You need a product with a high volume of rhizobia in it – such as can be found in liquid inoculant products, which provide a lot more rhizobia than other formulations.

To determine if a nodule is active, slice it open and look for a pink to reddish color.

Q. What do I need to remember about handling and applying an inoculant?

A. An inoculant should be bought fresh each year for maximum viability. Inoculants should be kept completely away from direct sunlight, and are best stored at temperatures from 40 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not freeze the product. Once a package has been opened, use it within 24 hours.

At application, make sure the inoculant is placed in direct contact with the seed for maximum uptake. If planting conditions are less than ideal, consider using a little more than the recommended rate. If water is used as a carrier for the inoculant, chlorine-free water, such as well or rain water, should be used.

Refer to the product label for further care and handling instructions and for application rates.

In the soil and ready to move into growing peanut seedling roots to begin converting atmospheric nitrogen into something usable for the plant is just where rhizobia want to be.

Q. How can I get the best efficacy from an inoculant product at planting?

A. It starts with selecting the right product fresh every year.

Q. How do I make sure the inoculant is working?

A. Peanut growers should target two key times to scout their nodulation. First, scout five to six weeks after planting to assess early nodulation in advance of decisions about applying midseason nitrogen. Second, checking late-season nodulation from mid-August to early September will confirm early observations and or flag fields that nodulated poorly.

For poorly nodulated fields, try to examine why nodulation did not occur to the amount desired and what can be done to enhance nodulation in next year’s crop.

Obvious signs where the inoculant was misapplied are yellow rows or even spotty green/yellow areas throughout the field or light pea-green field color suggesting nitrogen deficiency.

Common causes of minimal to no taproot nodulation despite inoculant application are as follows: • Poor placement of in-furrow granular or liquid inoculant.

Make sure the liquid stream is coming right in on top of the seed and that granular drop hoses do likewise.

• Shallow planting, less than one and a half inches, especially at one inch, particularly for liquid inoculants, where surface soil may become hot or dry out. Death of inoculum and reduced nodulation may also occur when little soil is drug back over the seed even if planted deeper.

• Large amounts of starter nitrogen near the seed at rates beginning near 30 pounds per acre. This will reduce nodule development, and larger applications of mid-season nitrogen can reduce peak nodulation as peanut plants take the lazy approach and use the fertilizer before fostering nodule development.

• Incompatibility with other products applied at planting. Always read and follow the label for product compatibility or consult your inoculant company representative. IG NOVEMBER 2014 • THE PEANUT GROWER

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E R C A R E 1,200 LBS P

Ask for Vault Peanut Inoculants To learn more, visit agproducts.basf.us or ask your BASF Authorized Retailer today.

Always read and follow label directions. Vault and Integral are registered trademarks of BASF. *Yield data based on independent yield trials conducted in 2010, 2011 and 2012 at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA. Š2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-MKT-0047