Peanut Grower July 2019

The

PEANUTGROWER ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

JULY 2019

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

BOLO: Disease Pressure

Set Up For Better Digging

Water-Saving Upgrades

B E CO N FIDE NT YO U R PL ANTE R IS S E T RIG HT.

FURROW MOISTURE

SOIL TEMPERATURE

20|20® and Precision Planting® are registered trademarks of Precision Planting LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Precision Planting LLC.

Contact a dealer today for limited time offers available this summer. precisionplanting.com

The

JULY 2019

PEANUTGROWER ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

JULY 2019

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

Volume 31 • Number 7

BOLO: Disease Pressure

Set Up For Better Digging

Water-Saving Upgrades

Departments 4

Editor’s Note Déjà vu all over again

5

News Briefs The long-awaited disaster bill passed, signed

8

Market Watch Trade and disaster relief dominate market talk

21 Peanut Pointers To ensure yield potential, scout weekly

Stay Connected

10 Features

10 Monitoring At Mid-Season

Scouting is the best way to find problems before it is too late.

12 Set Up For Better Digging

Are adjustments needed to get the most crop out of the ground?

16 Water-Saving Upgrades

Irrigator Pro mobile-device app enhances water conservation and on-farm efficiency.

18 New Buying Points In Arkansas A jump in acreage is expected thanks to new infrastructure

Sign up for the monthly e-newsletter at peanutgrower.com to have exclusive industry news and content delivered directly to your inbox.

20 BOLO: Disease Pressure

Weather patterns are part of what dictates the possible pathogens to look for.

www.peanutgrower.com Follow The Peanut Grower on Twitter @PeanutGrower T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

Cover photo by Amanda Huber JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

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

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Charlie Beek (847) 559-7324 Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (901) 767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com

For circulation changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578

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 © 2019 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 OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 600651388. 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.

Déjà vu All Over Again

M

y mom was a school teacher.

For years she taught home economics, a useful class that is unfortunately no longer taught in schools. She eventually became the guidance counselor at the elementary school. Over the years, as we would see people in various places around town, she would say something like, “I taught her and I also taught her mom.” Before her career was finished, she was seeing the grandchildren of some of those early students coming up through the elementary school.

Amanda Huber Last summer on the Georgia Peanut Farm Tour, I had my own such expeEditor, The Peanut Grower rience. We were on Joe Boddiford’s farm looking at the vast array of equipment used on the farm to grow peanuts and other crops. During the digging demonstration, I took the picture used on this month’s cover. Driving that tractor was Knapp Boddiford, Joe’s son.

Knapp had recently graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton with a degree in diversified agriculture with a concentration in agricultural business. Knapp had also planned to return to the family farm, but decided college was a needed step in between.

But that’s not the first picture I have taken of Knapp in a tractor, which is how my story comes full circle. I’m pretty sure that the cover shot at left is the first picture I have of Knapp in a tractor — the blond little boy in the striped shirt intently watching the digger in action — taken in 1999.

This past summer, just as Knapp was starting to dig peanuts, the nearby center-pivot irrigation system turned on. Joe pulled out his phone, made a few taps on the screen and the pivot stopped. Over the years, the Boddiford farm has been a place to see many different types of advanced and precision technology in peanut farming. I can’t help but wonder what types of technology Knapp will be using in another 20 years. Will I even be able to take a picture of him in the tractor then or will that be a thing of the past? All that remains to be seen, but I look forward to finding out.

One Grower Publishing, LLC 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 Phone: 901-767-4020

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THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

Peanuts Included In Tariff Mitigation Plan U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced that the USDA will take several actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption.

T h e Tr u m p A d m i n i s t r a t i o n announced its plan for tariff mitigation following the unjustified retaliatory tariffs imposed by China.

Standing alongside President Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House last month was Donald Chase.

Donald is a peanut farmer from Oglethorpe, Georgia, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Peanut Commission. On either side of President Trump were two additional leaders from Georgia – Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture from Bonaire and Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau of Greensboro.

The Administration’s plan is a $16 billion aid program intended to help ease the impact of decreased agricultural purchases from China, one of the consequences of the trade war with Beijing.

The aid will include $14.5 billion in direct payments to farmers through the market facilitation program.

Originally, peanut farmers were excluded from the plan; however, after some hard work, peanut producers will be eligible for these direct payments. There will be three payment installments starting in July. Additional payments will come in November and January as needed. Producers will receive a payment based on a single county rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings to those crops in aggregate in 2019. So, payments will be calculated after final reporting planting date of July 15.

Ge o r g i a Pe a n u t C o m m i s s i o n Chairman Armond Morris stated, “Peanut growers are pleased that we were included in the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). The peanut industry needs a strong export market and T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

we will continue to work with the Administration to expand our markets.”

Another $1.4 billion will be allocated to the Food Purchase and Distribution Program to purchase surplus commodities affected by the trade war. Those goods will then be distributed to schools, food banks and other groups.

The remaining $100 million will go to developing new export markets for American producers through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program.

Disaster Assistance Passes Congress

Many people, including peanut farmers in West Florida and South Georgia and Alabama, applauded the passage of the long-awaited disaster aid bill. The passage comes eight months after Hurricane Michael devastated portions of Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Signed into law by President Trump, H.R. 2157, the “Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019,” provides $19.1 billion to help Americans recover from the catastrophic disasters. The Act includes $4.5 billion to USDA for agricultural-related losses, emergency timber restoration, farmland repair and watershed recovery.

U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) fought for months to secure disaster funding for Georgia.

“President Trump fulfilled his promise to help Georgia farmers and communities rebuild after Hurricane Michael’s devastation,” said Senator Perdue.

“Finally, Americans who were ravaged by historic floods, wildfires and hurricanes across 12 states have certainty for the immediate future.” Perdue says that while it should not have taken eight months to pass this disaster relief package, this will hopefully serve as a learning experience for both sides of the aisle.

Senator Isakson said, “I’ve spent most of this year pressing for action, and I thank President Trump and everyone who worked to see this

In Brief: • Farmers to get assistance from trade retaliation and disruption • Disaster Relief Act finally approved and signed by the President • KMC donates equipment to ABAC • The Peanut Institute continues tradition of funding nutritional research • Elmhurst discontinues peanut milk products • NPB overwhelmingly approved in grower referendum

through. I am hopeful that this aid will be expedited to reach those who need it quickly so that Georgians can get the relief they need to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”

Rep. Bishop Speaks At Disaster Bill Ceremony

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, issued the following statement after speaking at the disaster bill enrollment ceremony: “I was proud to speak on behalf of Middle and Southwest Georgia at the disaster bill enrollment ceremony.

While it took too long to get disaster relief, I am confident the resources from this bill will help our district and the rest of the nation rebuild and repair from the catastrophes.”

The $19.1 billion disaster bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 354-58. A summary of the bicameral, bipartisan disaster relief package is available at appropriations. house.gov.

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JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

KMC Donates Farm Equipment To College Kelley Manufacturing Company (KMC) has donated another piece of equipment to the J.G. Woodroof Farm at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Dr. Mark Kistler, ABAC’s Dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said KMC donated a new KMC 4R Rip Strip.

Kisler said, “It’s the latest that KMC has. When they develop something new, they bring it out here and replace what we have.

KMC’s CEO, Lanier Carson, a longtime supporter of the college, said the company is always willing to help ABAC. Carson said, “Technology is always changing. Any way that we can help, we’re going to do it because we want an education in agriculture at ABAC to be the best it can be.”

Olam Edible Nuts Announcement Olam recently announces that Jamie Brown, Senior Director of Sales and Logistics, has been promoted to Vice President of the Olam Peanut Shelling Company and will operate out of Smithville, Georgia. Jamie has been with Olam since December 2017. Prior to joining Olam, Jamie was responsible for the price risk management and purchasing of wheat and flour for the J.M. Smucker Company based out of Orrville, Ohio. Jamie has been a part of the peanut industry since 2013 when he started as a broker in Albany, Georgia, after spending 8 years with Merck Pharmaceutical.

Funding Nutritional Research The Peanut Institute was formed more than two decades ago to address the void of nutritional research on peanuts and to develop associated educational and outreach initiatives. Since then through TPI, peanut shellers have invested more than $25.1 million in this initiative since 1996, and the industry has invested an additional $7.5 million.

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THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

“Per capita consumption of peanuts and peanut products is at an alltime high,” reports Charles Birdsong, Chairman of the TPI Development Committee.

The Peanut Institute Foundation, a 501(c)(3), exists solely to conduct peanut nutrition research. Since 1996, the Honor Roll of Investors program has served as a vehicle for the industry to invest in nutrition research. One hundred percent of the investment will go toward nutrition research which is approved by an industry-wide Peanut Institute Foundation Board of Trustees.

Learn more at www.peanut-institute. com.

Georgia Peanut Tour Announced

More than 200 attendees from all over the United States and abroad annually attend the Georgia Peanut Tour to learn about the level of technology involved in producing high quality peanuts in Georgia. The 2019 Georgia Peanut Tour, organized by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, USDA-ARS National Peanut Laboratory and the Georgia Peanut Commission, will be held on Sept.

17-19, 2019. An excellent tour has been planned this year in the Cordele, Georgia, area.

Anyone wanting to help sponsor the tour to help cover the cost of transportation, breaks and meals, should send the contribution made payable to the Georgia Peanut Tour to Hannah Jones, P.O. Box 967, Tifton, Georgia 31793,

by July 31, 2019.

Elmhurst Discontinues Peanut Milk

Elmhurst recently announced the discontinuation of its line of peanut products. This included Milked Peanuts-Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Protein and Vanilla Protein Shakes.

“We made this tough decision based on manufacturing difficulties involving peanuts,” Elmhurst said in a statement

Calendar • July 9-11 – American Peanut Research and Educational Society Annual Meeting, The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, Auburn, Alabama. For more information, visit www.apresinc.com.

• July 18 – Stripling’s Irrigation Research Park Field Day, Camilla, Georgia. Tour begins at 8:30 a.m. Lunch at Noon.

For information, call 229-5223623 • July 18-20 – Southern Peanut Growers Convention, Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, Panama City Beach, Florida.

For more, go to www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.

• July 25 – Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition Field Day, Spence Field, Moultrie, Georgia.

See crop progress and new research tests on field plots.

Shuttles begin at 9 a.m. For information, visit www.sunbeltexpo.com • Sept. 17-19 – 2019 Georgia Peanut Farm Tour. This year’s tour of peanut production will be in the Cordele, Georgia, area.

to its customers. “By removing this ingredient from our portfolio, we will create more capacity—both in research and production—for the exploration of new, innovative products.”

“Our farm families and staff are disappointed, but we still believe a peanut milk product would be welcomed by consumers who enjoy alternative milks,” said Bob Parker, president and CEO of the National Peanut Board (NPB). “We are confident that a peanut milk product with an equivalent nutrition profile to dairy milk, with the same amounts of protein, calcium, Vitamin D and other fortification, at a price point competiPE ANUTGROWER .COM

Growers Approve NPB By 93% Peanut producers voted overwhelmingly to continue the Peanut Promotion, Research, and Information Program, administered by the National Peanut Board (NPB), in a referendum conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from April 15 through May 3, 2019. Ninety-three percent of those who voted said “yes” to continuing NPB’s research, marketing and promotion program.

In order for the continuance referendum to pass, a majority of eligible producers needed to vote in favor of continuing the Order. Growers who paid assessments on peanuts produced during the representative period from June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018, were eligible to vote.

“I am very proud of the work we do at the National Peanut Board; especially in the areas of production research funding, peanut allergy prevention work and our promotion of the great taste and nutritional benefits of peanuts and peanut butter,” said Dan Ward, 2019 chairman of the National Peanut Board and a peanut farmer from North Carolina. “The referendum results are an excellent endorsement of the high-quality of work our Board and staff do together.”

The last referendum for peanuts was conducted by USDA in 2014, which is a requirement of The Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996.

In the last five years, the National Peanut Board has tive with existing alternative nut milks would be a success.”

Parker said NPB plans to contact other makers of alternative milks to draw attention to and continue to generate interest in peanut milk products.

NPB Partners With New Agency To Boost PB Sales

Peanut butter is a well-loved food, but sales for the category over the past two years have been flat or had minor growth around 1 percent. Influential factors include the strong economy, a decline in bread sales and trending diets that exclude peanut products.

T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

delivered on its mission of improving the economic condition of USA peanut farmers and their families through compelling promotion and groundbreaking research.

Some highlights include: } Peanut per capita consumption is at an all-time high, growing steadily from seven pounds in 2014 to sevenand-a-half pounds in 2018. } Among Millennials, peanuts have the strongest reputation and are the preferred nut over other nut choices, according to a 2018 National Peanut Board Brand Tracking Study by The Bantam Group. } Peanut farmers supported the 2015 LEAP Study, a game-changer showing early introduction of peanut products to infants helped reduce peanut allergy by 86 percent. This led to the NIAID National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issuing official guidelines for introducing peanut foods to infants to help prevent peanut allergy. } National Peanut Board has accelerated its peanut allergy prevention outreach, education and involvement to healthcare professionals and consumers in the last five years. Since 2001, NPB has allocated more than $25 million toward peanut allergy research and education. } Since its inception, the National Peanut Board has invested a total of $34.5 million toward production research, contributing to significant yield increases and efficiencies for peanut producers. This total includes NPB’s leverage of just $871,500—of NPB funds and other industry partners’ funds—to obtain over $2 million in NIFA-matching funds for peanut production research.

To offset these challenges and drive growth in the category, the National Peanut Board issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an agency partner that could deliver a campaign focused on increasing jarred peanut butter sales.

Ketchum, a leading global communications firm, won the project and is now working with NPB on a year-long campaign striving to encourage families to use peanut butter more often.

With this action, the objective is to move the needle on peanut butter category sales by 2 to 3 percent.

Ketchum kicked off the campaign by capitalizing on an opportunity to inject peanut butter into relevant pop culture

topics. For example, the most recent star of TV’s The Bachelor, Colten Underwood, shared his love of peanut butter on social media. Ketchum then sent him a peanut butter-lovers package complete with a customized peanut butter spoon. On social media, he again shared the peanut butter love with his fans, which resulted in one million potential views.

Many other opportunities to reach key influencers, registered dietitians and to use new promotional strategies, such as digital shopping and geotargeting, will be used as part of this campaign to optimize impact and drive sales. PG 7

JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

Trade And Disaster Relief Dominate Market Talk Most Recently

P

roduction for peanuts in 2019-20 is projected by USDA to be up 3 percent to 5.6 billion pounds based on modest increases in intended planting and yield. The NASS Prospective Plantings report showed most peanut acreage gains are expected for Texas and Florida, where cotton acreage is down 23 percent. The idea that cotton would bounce back to 80 cents per pound failed, and peanuts had little or no competition for land at planting time.

With moderate growth in production, increased use of peanuts is expected to continue to shrink ending stocks from their high 2017-18 level. Increases are expected for food use, crushing and exports, with prices remaining relatively flat at 21 cents per pound.

Average peanut prices have decreased to the lowest price in modern history and USDA has already lowered the 2018 market year average to $426 per ton after March prices dropped. The peanut reference price is $535 per ton and a projected PLC payment rate could reach $109 per ton, which applies to 85 percent of the farm peanut base, payable in October 2019 for 2018 crop.

Trade Issues; Disaster Relief Peanut farmers are unsure as to how much assistance a farm might receive from losses caused by trade with China.

The $16 billion trade package allowed peanut producers to be eligible for direct payments. In that same package, trade mitigation took out 5,391,360 pounds of peanut butter set for delivery under the Commodity Procurement Program in April, May and June.

The Ag Trade Promotion allocated $1.9 million to the American Peanut Council for export trade promotions

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THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

J. Tyron Spearman

Contributing Editor, The Peanut Grower

LEADING MARKETING INDICATORS (June 5, 2019) 2019 Acreage Est. (+ 2%).................................................. 1,449,000 acres 2018 Production Est. (3,991 lbs/A)...................................... 2,730,800 tons 2018 Market Loan ............................................................... 2,339,940 tons 2018 Redeemed ................................................................. 1,129,995 tons 2018-19 Domestic Usage (9 Mo.) ..................................... DOWN – 1.1 % 2018-19 Exports (7 Mo.) ...................................................... DOWN – 3.2 % POSTED PRICE (per ton) Runners -$424.49; Spanish - $415.84; Valencia and Virginias - $429.80

in Japan, Columbia and the European Union for the next three years.

The recent passage of the Disaster Aid bill, delayed 237 days after Hurricane Michael, contains $19.1 billion but only $3 billion is assigned to ag losses. It is unknown how much, if any, peanut farmers might qualify for.

Tariff issues remain with Mexico and Canada, but the immigration issue could hurt trading. President Trump has also imposed tariffs on China’s imports and again, farmers are hoping for a deal to eventually sell their crops.

peanuts seems to be moving in the right direction. Peanut stocks are down 7.7 percent and edible stocks are down in all three types of peanuts. The gigantic increase in peanut butter usage was only up 7.2 percent, unlike last month’s 23.5 percent, but still positive. Peanut snack usage is down 10.1 percent for the year and candy usage down 4.9 percent. The surge in peanut butter usage should continue as manufacturers plan promotions and more public promotion of vegetable proteins. Overall, at this point in time, peanut usage is down 1.1 percent.

Forfeits Still A Cloud USDA/CCC offered to exchange bulk 2017 forfeited peanuts for commercial peanut butter. The 2017 peanuts totaled 121,684 tons and if CCC can find manufacturing capacity, those peanuts will be out of the system. The exchange only eliminated 46,390 farmer-stock tons.

That means 75,258 2017 tons remain in warehouses and that does not reflect favorably on the peanut program.

Exports USDA reports that during the month of March 2019, peanut exports were 39,929 metric tons, down 22.4 percent.

That compares to last year’s 51,475 MT and includes total kernels, in-shells, peanut butter and processed product. The top buyers were Canada (8,916 MT), Mexico (8,408 MT) and the Netherlands (6,888 MT). China has not been a major buyer, purchasing only 1,896 MT compared to 14,093 MT last March.

For 2018-19, global peanut production is projected by USDA down 2 per-

Peanut Butter Surge Getting rid of a large carry-forward in

PE ANUTGROWER .COM

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Alfalfa Hopper Alfalfa Hopper frequent irrigation Three-cornered alfalfa hoppers Bec ause of weat her conditions, Three-cornered alfalfa hoppers • Rain immediately after appliare light green and wedgeArgentina’s harvest progressed slowly are light green and wedgecation – wait 24 hours to irrigate shaped. They stand about ¼ shaped.

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ChangingF/G Planting Dates F/G F/G NL NL NL F/G NL NL NL Rains over several weeks in May caused some plans to NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL change. Rain brought on late leaf spot to volunteer peanuts. Early pressure calls for early action. As we entered June, there was still time to get peanuts planted and Burrower obtain a reasonable window of conditions forBug growth and Burrower Bug Burrower bugs can be hard to idenharvesting.

Burrower bugs can be hard to identifytime in the field and an peanuts infestation Mid-May is generally the best to plant tify in the field and an infestation is often not detected until harvest. is oftencan not detected harvest. in South Carolina, although peanuts still beuntil made if Burrower bugs have a black-toBurrower bugs have a black-toplanted into early June. Once planting dates reach June brown body, small red eyes on a brown body, small red eyes on a 10, we are looking at approximate digging near small-sized head. dates The upper wings long. Both adults and nymphs small-sized head. The upper wings have piercing mouthparts of burrower bugs are shiny and cent Crop increasPoor rainfall last year helped to slash Oct. to 2044.9 for amillion 132-daytons. variety like Bailey or digging dates have piercing mouthparts of burrower bugs are shiny and and feed by penetrating the semi-hardened with the membraSlowing Growing Leaf Epidemic: HangSpot In There es for India China are more than India’s peanut crop by 29Apercent. entering into and November for moderate-maturity varieties and feed by penetrating the semi-hardened with the membrastem and sucking plantnot juices. tip overlapping. Its legs are are designed prevent disease, Farmers are to covered with offset by reductions African For 2019-20, peanut fungicide area mayprograms stem and sucking plantissues juices. nous tip overlapping.

Its legs are Indian Effective like Georgia 06G. for several nous pearman ad 11/14/08 3:19 PM Page 1 They tend to feed in a circular spiny, and needle-like, piercing, cure it after themillion fact. If something goesprices wrongfrom and tend you find late They to feed indisasters a leaf circular spiny,time and needle-like, piercing, impacting tariffs to countries.

Over half ofaround the production bounce back by 6 percent to 5 One of the concerns that of year becomes fashion around a stem, making sucking mouth parts are visible spot lesions in the bottom of the canopy, especially with lessa than 30 fashion around making sucking mouth parts are visible and it’s hard to keep up. atstem, least the in India andconditions China is crushed hectares, andis provided the summer slow drying prior to domesticombining that can lead feeding punctures as they go. The damaged area typically swells andBut above ground root with a hand lens.

Burrower bug days until harvest, treat immediately, retreating in 10and days, oneroot feeding punctures as they go. The damaged area typically swells abovewith ground with a hand lens. Burrower bug is growth may occur. peanut On peanuts, feeding may occur on limbs,way leaf petioles or pegs. closely related to stink bugs.too hot, dry May gave to some scattered cally for theissues production meal. monsoon season is less erratic, to quality if they ofsitoil outand in damp conditions growth occur. On peanuts, feeding may occur on limbs, leaf petioles or pegs. closely related to stink bugs. of the may following: long.global Every import year is agrowth little different, but overall the could combi-rebound,• too.

The of confectionyields Indian pea- showers in early June. With a little luck Topsin 4.5 FL 10 fl oz + 1.5 pt Bravo nation of lower yield potential, higherfor late leaf pres- would •then work, maybe we’ll come out ery peanuts is projected at 1 percent nut spot production be projected Provost Opti 10.7 oz and + 1.5 hard pt Bravo sure and generally unfavorable harvesting with a top-quality, profitable crop in 2019-20, with the EU market being the conditions to recover are to 5.8 million tons from the • Priaxor 8 fl oz moredestination prevalent for peanuts 10. tons produced in their 2018- 2019. PG top imports.planted after about 4.7June million NL NL

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Monitoring At Mid-Season Scouting is the best way to find problems before it is too late.

By Amanda Huber

R

ainfall or irrigation is needed in peanut production for many reasons, including activation of pest products. With the lack of moisture in the early season, pests preferring hot, dry conditions, such as lesser cornstalk borer, were able to establish significant populations.

“Lesser cornstalk borer (LCB) is the most destructive insect pest of peanut in the Southeast, and it thrives in hot, dry conditions,” says Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension entomologist. “The most important thing a grower can do is monitor fields regularly and take appropriate action if/when infestations are discovered.”

What Is Most Important?

Abney says three insecticide active ingredients are recommended by the University of Georgia for LCB management in peanut: chlorpyrifos, chlorantraniliprole and novaluron.

“Chlorpyrifos (Chlorpyrifos 15G) can only be applied as a granular product banded over the row. It requires rainfall or irrigation for activation, and applications are often followed by outbreaks of caterpillars and/or mites. Chlorantraniliprole (Prevathon) and novaluron (Diamond) are applied as broadcast foliar sprays, both of which have provided good control in UGA trials without additional water.”

Abney says it is important to remember that while LCB does not survive well in moist conditions, one or two rainfall events will not eliminate an established population, and it will probably not be possible to “irrigate LCB away” prior to row closure.

Same Rules Apply As soon as rains do start, growers can expect a big flush of weeds.

“Overlapping residuals are the foundation for managing weeds in peanut,” says Mike Marshall, Clemson University Extension weed specialist. “As soon as it is feasible to drive in your fields, prepare for the next herbicide program, with a residual component, depending on current peanut growth stage.

“In addition, any emerged weeds that were sprayed during the dry period may yet recover after the rains if they were larger than 4 inches during the drought.”

Marshall says as with the early postemergence application, target weeds that are small and actively growing.

“In planning for overlapping residuals in your herbicide program target about 14 days after the early postemergence application to apply postemergence herbicides, such as Cadre, 2.4-DB, Storm, Basagran, Blazer or Cobra, along with a residual 10 /

THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

herbicide partner, such as Warrant (up to flowering), Zidua (up to pod formation) or Outlook (up to 80 days before harvest).

Correcting A Problem Another area to scout is for nodulation of the crop. As a legume, peanuts convert atmopheric nitrogen into a form that can be used by the plant, known as nitrogen fixation, but only through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. The peanut plant is simply a good host to the Rhizobia bacteria, which infect the roots and do the work of converting the nitrogen. Applying an inoculant at planting is a cost-effective way of ensuring the bacteria are present in close proximity to the seed so that this process can begin as early as possible in the life of the seedling.

For producers in less-than-hospitable conditions, such as West Texas, scouting to ensure adequate nodulation of the crop is recommended.

“If you applied an inoculant to your legume crop seed at planting and later find little to no nodulation, this is important for two reasons,” says Emi Kimura, Texas A&M University Extension peanut specialist. “First, of immediate concern, you are not getting the nitrogen nutrition you may have expected for your crop.

Thus, fertilizer N may be needed to obtain your yield potential.

Early Planning For Next Year “Second, if you have no nodules then it is important to understand why. Was it the wrong inoculant, an expired inoculant, due to improper application or was the inoculant introduced into hot, dry soils where the bacteria did not survive long enough to infect the roots?”

Besides the mid-season check, Kimura also recommends an end of season follow-up scouting.

“A second nodulation check for peak nodulation for Texas High Plains peanuts, later in the season about mid-August to early September, will confirm early observations. Other peanut regions should make this assessment four to six weeks before physiological maturity.

“The late scouting allows you to flag fields that nodulated poorly. If nodulation remains low, consider why nodulation might not have occurred and what you can do to enhance nodulation in next year’s crop,” she says. PG PE ANUTGROWER .COM

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Conveyors traveling too fast tend to prematurely rip vines from the soil; too slow tends to cause the vines to bunch up at the bottom of the conveyor, leading to excessive agitation. Either of these means increased pod losses.

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PE ANUTGROWER .COM

Set Up For Better Digging Dialing in both the ground and conveyor speed will help minimize lost pods.

By Amanda Huber

A

s many Extension specialists and agents will tell you, more revenue can be made or lost during digging than any other aspect of peanut production from seedbed preparation to combining. That’s why digger setup and operation, along with proper timing, is a critical step in the production process.

In a three-year study conducted at Clemson University, digging losses on Virginia-type peanuts were demonstrated by average 275 pounds per acre under good soil moisture conditions of 3 to 7 percent, and 344 pounds per acre under dry soil moisture conditions at 1.6 to 2.4 percent.

In these studies, the numbers reported were as dry weight and only those losses considered to be mechanically induced were included. Losses from over maturity and disease were not included in the data set.

In the last few years, Clemson University agricultural engineer Kendall Kirk has worked to improve digging operations by studying both conveyor and ground speed to determine the optimum matchup of the two. The following is information regarding Kirk’s studies and findings.

Conveyor Speed Amadas Industries and Kelley Manufacturing Co. suggest that the conveyor speed should be matched to your forward travel speed. It is generally assumed that conveyors traveling too fast tend to prematurely rip the vines from the soil, which increases pod losses. It is also assumed that conveyors traveling too slowly tend to cause the vines to bunch up at the bottom of the conveyor, causing excessive agitation of the vines and therefore increased pod losses.

A 2016 Clemson study demonstrated similar results for Amadas and KMC diggers in Virginia-type peanut, suggesting that digging losses for 80-110 percent conveyor speed (as a percentage of travel speed) were similar, whereas digging losses increased by 100-200 pounds per acre when conveyor speed was equal to 120 percent of travel speed.

For Excessive Vine Growth Results from a similar study in 2017 suggested optimum conveyor speeds of 85 percent for both digger brands in Virginia-type peanuts, with significant reductions in yield, T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

Other Digging Points To Look For:  Check taproot length on inverted peanuts to see that pods are not being sheared off from running too shallow.  Check the inverted row for “stars” on the end of pegs, which are formed from pieces of the hull when the peg breaks at the point of pod attachment, which may indicate: » dull blades » improper angle or depth » hard ground » shaker speed not matching ground speed

greater than 250 pounds per acre, at all higher conveyor speeds tested: 100, 115 and 130 percent.

Similar tests in 2017 in runner-type peanut suggested that optimum conveyor speeds for the KMC digger were 100 to 115 percent, with at least 350 pounds per acre reduction in yield observed from digging at 70 percent, 85 percent or 130 percent.

The results do not refute the manufacturers’ recommendations of matching conveyor speed to ground speed, but suggest that lagging the conveyor slightly in excessive vine growth conditions especially in Virginia-type peanuts, may be beneficial. More testing across a range of soil textures, soil moistures and peanut varieties is being conducted to increase reliability of these recommendations.

How To Conduct A Field Check A simple way to set the conveyor speed used by many growers is to adjust it until the inverted windrow falls slightly, 13

JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

When Digging, Speed Matters

The larger pod Virginia-type peanuts have more surface area per pod and, therefore, higher drag forces, so they are more likely to

Article by Scott Miller, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Science

about 2 feet, down-field from where the plants were growing. This can be assessed by placing a flag outside of the digger path at the beginning of a set of rows and observing the location of the end of the windrows relative to the flag. This only works well if the digger is engaged at full operating and ground speed prior to entering into the peanut plants.

If the end of the windrow is several feet farther into the field than the flag, then the conveyor speed is too slow. If the end of the windrow is equal in position to or behind the flag, then the conveyor is too fast.

Current models of Amadas and KMC diggers provide an interface with a digital readout of the conveyor speed in mph, so that hydraulic flow rate can be easily adjusted to match conveyor speed to travel speed.

In absence of a digital readout, an accurate method of setting conveyor speed relative to ground speed can be conducted through simple calculation and setup. Clemson Precision Ag has created a conveyor speed calculator website at the following link: precisionag.sites.clemson.edu/ Calculators/PeanutDigger/ConveyorSpeed. PG

Virginia-type peanuts have more surface area per pod and, therefore, higher drag forces. Because of this, decreased speeds should be used as compared to those used for runner-type peanuts.

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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Digging Is Different By Type

be ripped from the peg resulting in losses. Because of this, it is reasonable to assume that lower speeds should be used for Virginia-type peanuts, as compared to those used for runner type and other, smaller pod peanuts.

To establish an optimal speed for digging peanuts, Kirk tested various ground and conveyor speeds when digging Virginia-type peanuts at Clemson’s Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville.

According to his study, optimal ground speed for digging Virginia peanuts is 2-2.5 miles per hour. For each mile per hour above that target speed, digging losses increased 200 pounds per acre.

The average peanut yield in South Carolina last year was 3,300 pounds per acre, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Growers in the state harvested nearly 350 million pounds of peanuts that year at a value of more than $65.7 million. Kirk conducted the study at the request of South Carolina peanut growers looking to optimize profits.

When setting their digging speeds, growers should keep several variables in mind, particularly soil conditions.

“Slower speeds should be used where digging losses are more likely, such as with larger pods, suboptimal maturity, heavier soils and drier soils,” Kirk says. “Driving too slowly will reduce your ability to dig on a timely basis, but driving too fast can cause higher yield losses.” PG

Driving too quickly can lead to significant losses when digging peanuts, according to a recent study by Clemson University agricultural engineer Kendall Kirk.

Farmers often push digger speeds to save time or to outrace inclement weather, but driving too fast can reduce yield, Kirk says.

Conversely, driving too slowly can rip vines apart and increase costs.

“As you drive faster, your operating cost, primarily your labor cost, goes down because you are able to finish the job faster, but the cost of operating your digger more slowly is relatively small compared to your loss in yield when digging at higher speeds,” Kirk says.

A peanut digger unearths peanut plants while a blade at the bottom of a conveyor belt cuts the tap roots and shears the soil to leave the peanut plants on the ground to be picked up later. The speed of this process matters. Peanuts left underground or detached from plant vines cannot be collected.

As Kirk notes, Amadas Industries suggests starting speeds of 2.5 to 3 miles per hour and KMC suggests ground speeds of 3 to 3.5 miles per hour. In past studies, Bader suggests digging speeds of 3.5 to 5 miles per hour and Roberson indicates that heavy pod losses may result at ground speeds in excess of 4 miles per hour.

KMC further suggests that digging too fast causes bunching and that digging too slowly pulls vines apart, pulling off pods.

PE ANUTGROWER .COM

You Made

Peanuts

Millennials’ Favorite Nut

According to a new survey, Millennials say peanuts are their favorite nut and are more likely to recommend peanuts and peanut butter than the general population because they taste great, are easy to eat on the go and are affordable.

The National Peanut Board, which represents America’s 7,000 peanut farming families, conducted an online survey of 1,500 Americans in November 2018 to track attitudes, perceptions and consumption habits of peanuts and other foods.

MATT HANNER, FRSWCD

Water-Saving Upgrades

A Georgia peanut farmer uses his smartphone to monitor his crop’s water needs.

Irrigator Pro, now available as a mobile-device app, helps farmers enhance water conservation and on-farm efficiency.

I

s water the new gold? When you consider that about 1 percent of the Earth’s water supply is available for human use, coupled with a growing global population, the comparison makes sense. Across the United States and beyond, farmers are looking for innovative ways to conserve water while maintaining or boosting crop yields.

With this goal in mind, leading farmers like Marty McLendon are helping others manage water more efficiently.

McLendon and fellow members of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District in Southwest Georgia have used a Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to partner with other groups to advance technology available for water conservation.

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The result? Irrigator Pro now comes with a new tool – an app that allows farmers to access irrigation water management practices right from their mobile device. Irrigator Pro, which has been used to manage and schedule irrigation, can now be accessed right from your mobile device.

“Our goal through this project, and many others, is to significantly advance conservation through partnership and innovation,” McLendon says. “Irrigator Pro will aid farmers throughout our region in making decisions that enhance both water conservation and on-farm efficiency.”

What is Irrigator Pro? Irrigator Pro is an irrigation scheduling tool for peanuts, cotton and

corn that was first developed by the Agricultural Research Service’s National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia. It’s a system designed to provide recommendations based on scientific data resulting in conservation-minded irrigation management.

A team of agriculture and conservation partners in Georgia recently unveiled an updated version of the system to now include a smartphone app and web-based platform to increase accessibility. Irrigator Pro is available for free in the Apple and Google Play Stores, or online at IrrigatorPro.org.

How was the new Irrigator Pro app developed?

The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District partnered with PE ANUTGROWER .COM

the ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory and the University of Georgia to develop a smartphone app and cloudbased web platform for Irrigator Pro. Over the last two years, the team has worked to further develop, refine and test the new version of Irrigator Pro to ensure it is consistent and user-friendly.

What makes Irrigator Pro better than before?

Irrigator Pro is a trusted tool by many farmers and crop consultants in the Southeast. However, a major barrier to increased accessibility and adoption was the time-consuming nature of the original version of the tool, which required hand-reading soil moisture sensors in the field and manual entry of data into a desktop software platform to generate an irrigation recommendation.

The new version, supported through a CIG, takes the science and models from the old version and integrates them with modern technology to automate the process. Data is retrieved remotely from sensors in the field and automatically sent to the Irrigator Pro server, generating a real-time irrigation recommendation on the app. The website, IrrigatorPro.org, syncs with the app and has additional capabilities that can be configured by users to help document meeting USDA conservation program requirements.

How does Irrigator Pro help farmers enhance efficiency and production?

Irrigator Pro is designed to optimize water use while maintaining or improv-

Examples of Irrigator Pro’s smartphone app display.

ing yields. The tool utilizes real-time field conditions — including soil moisture, soil temperature and crop growth stage — to generate an irrigation recommendation.

In a 2018 study at the University of Georgia’s Stripling Irrigation Research Park, researchers evaluated several irrigation scheduling methods for peanuts.

The new version of Irrigator Pro out-performed all other treatments in both yield and irrigation water-use efficiency.

What’s next for Irrigator Pro? This season, with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Southeast Aquatics Resources Partnership, the partner team will be launching a hands-on project with over 40 farmers in Georgia, Florida and

Alabama to use Irrigator Pro and soil moisture sensors on irrigated peanut farms. In the future, project partners would like to expand both the crops and geographic capacity of this tool to help farmers across the country optimize their irrigation decisions.

How can farmers access Irrigator Pro? Visit flintriverswcd.org/irrigator-pro to learn more about Irrigator Pro and access a link to download the app — it’s free!

Visit farmers.gov/conserve to learn about additional tools and programs that are available to help you meet conservation goals across your working land. PG Article by Chris Groskreutz, USDA and Casey Cox, Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District.

Update To Checkbook Method Reduces Water Requirement One of the original tools used for irrigation scheduling is the “checkbook method,” in which producers water a field a specific amount each week reaching a total water requirement of 23 inches for peanuts over the course of the growing season.

However, after multiple years of research at the University of Georgia’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park, Wesley Porter, UGA Cooperative Extension irrigation specialist, says the recommendation has been revised down to 18 inches.

“It was observed that the old method was recommending too much water, but the new recommendation is better adjusted to the current varieties and environment,” Porter says.

Through this research, Porter saw that the original checkbook method, an evapotranspiration average based on historical data, didn’t produce the highest yields. Thinking the crop was being overwatered, he tested applying 50 percent of the checkbook method.

“We obtained favorable yields out of reducing (the water recommendations) by half, but I knew that was too low and that farmers would not feel comfortable irrigating this little,” he said.

T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

Porter then set his sights on finding the peanut crop coefficient data, which is a scaling factor that accounts for crop age, growth and development. He combined this data with 15 years of research from UGA’s Georgia weather stations and calculated a new state crop evapotranspiration average.

Through this formula, Porter produced a new peanut water-use curve that reduces the checkbook method’s water requirement down to 18 inches. Porter and his team believe that peanuts don’t require as much water as was once calculated, possibly due to emerging varieties.

“We feel like the varieties that are being produced today are more efficient,” he said.

Porter stresses that growers who use the checkbook method will still need to monitor rainfall and subtract that amount from the total amount required by the crop for each week. He also cautions farmers that the checkbook method won’t be an exact fit in years that are either wetter or drier than normal, as it will over-estimate or underestimate water needs in those years. PG

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New Buying Points In Arkansas A jump in peanut acreage is expected thanks to this new infrastructure.

A

rkansas may soon see its biggest year in peanut production since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began tracking the crop in the state in 2015 in response to anticipated new buying points and a shelling facility within the next year.

Travis Faske, Extension plant pathologist and peanut agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, says peanut acres in the state are approaching 35,000 this year, based on conversations with growers in the state as of May. 18 /

THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

Arkansas Peanut Facts: • Planting approaching 35,000 acres • New buying points expected to come online in October • Delta Peanut aims to bring shelling facility

All Components In Place In February, Faske had estimated a statewide peanut acreage of about 25,000 acres, but adjusted his projection upward as growers began responding to the formation of Delta Peanut, LLC, a cooperative of about 60 peanut farmers,

based in Jonesboro. The cooperative is working toward establishing two to three buying points at locations including Marianna and Jonesboro, he says.

“Birdsong’s still here, and Golden has a small footprint in Arkansas,” Faske says. “But those companies are housed in other states. Any peanuts they buy here are going to have a significant shipping cost associated with them, so contracts are always going to be pretty limited.”

Tommy Jumper is Delta Peanut’s executive officer, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jumper, a resident of PE ANUTGROWER .COM

Paragould, Arkansas, retired from Jimmy Sanders, Inc. in 2009, after a 25-year career with the agriculture chemical and supply company. After discovering that retirement didn’t suit him, he began looking for ways to help Arkansas peanut growers vertically integrate their business model — something he’d frequently seen in Georgia and other major peanut-producing states.

“I knew we had a lot of components in place,” Jumper says. “We had good lands, suitable for peanut production, abundant irrigation; and a close proximity to several of the major peanut buyers in the world.”

Closer To Major Manufacturers Jumper noted that two of the country’s major peanut butter manufacturers, Skippy and Jif, are located in Little Rock and Memphis, respectively. Several other confectionary food producers that incorporate peanuts, including Mars Candy, are based in Arkansas as well.

“My neighbors would grow peanuts, then haul them to the buying point in Portia or Pocahontas,” he says. “Then the peanuts would leave there and either go to west Texas or south Georgia, where they shell them. That’s $75 a ton worth of freight costs, to get them to the shelling plant. And then lots of those peanuts were coming back to places like Memphis and Little Rock.”

The venture has raised about $28 million in equity, Jumper says. He says he believes the cooperative will have at least two buying points ready to accept the fall peanut harvest by Oct. 1, and further plans to have a new shelling facility operational in the Jonesboro area by March 2020, with a capacity upwards of 180,000 tons — about twice the anticipated capacity of the state’s current peanut crop.

Travis Faske, U of A System Division of Agriculture plant pathologist, speaks to producers and consultants during a peanut and cotton production meeting.

cally integrate and enjoy both the farmgate margin, and the margin from the processing of that food ingredient. We seem to be very well received by major food brands who are already willing to do business with us.

“We’re anticipating, over the next 3-5 years, for our acres to double where they are today,” he says.

Welcome To The Industry Tyron Spearman, Executive Director of the National Peanut Buying Points Association welcomes the new businesses for Arkansas’ peanut farmers. “We look forward to working with the farmer

owners of Delta Peanut,” he says.

“The National Peanut Buying Points Association is proud to see growth and expansion and we hope the Delta Peanut family will get involved in the committee work and conventions sponsored by the Association.”

Faske hopes the cooperative will have some luck in the larger peanut market.

An early drought in the Southeast and Virginia-Carolina region could signal a crop below expectations, but that remains to be seen. PG Article by Ryan McGeeney, U of A System Division of Agriculture

Expansion Expected Jumper says he thinks bringing more of the production chain “in house” for Arkansas peanut growers will lead to an expansion of the crop.

“We’re going about this very intentionally,” he says. “We’re moving a segment of our agriculture from the production of a commodity to the production of a food ingredient. The other thing we’re doing is creating one of the few opportunities for growers to vertiT WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

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BOLO: Disease Pressure Weather patterns are part of what dictates the possible pathogens to look for.

E

Burn Injury: Phorate or Leafhoppers?

Growers also should look for burn injuries on their plants.

Plant burn from the pesticide Thimet, also known as phorate burn, can show up as a variety of symptoms. These symptoms generally start at the tip of a leaf and can be chlorotic/yellow.

Several small round brown/black lesions at the tip of leaves are common. Thimet injury is more symmetrical and different leaflets are commonly affected at the same time. Symptoms can appear near the tips of leaves and can also have wedge or V-shaped appearances. The symmetry is caused by the different plants and leaflets being exposed to the phorate compound in the furrow at the same time.

“Thimet injury can at times look alarming, but it is nothing to worry about and is more of a sign that the Thimet is doing its job,” Anco says.

Thimet injury can look a little like hopperburn or leaf scorch.

Hopperburn is the result of potato leafhoppers feeding on leaves and appears as v-shaped yellow (no brown) areas on the leaf end. Treatment for hopperburn should begin when 15-20 percent of leaflets are affected. Hopperburn usually pops up around June or July and typically starts on field edges.

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Aspergillus Crown Rot shows up as black sooty spores at the crown of dead plants.

CLEMSON PUBLIC SERVICE AND AGRICULTURE

Maintain Sprays As Much As Possible Growers should turn their attention now to the next problem diseases, such as white mold and leaf spot.

Anco says white mold damage may not be visible until peanuts are inverted, or pulled out of the ground and flipped, so they can dry. However, using a 40- to 45-day application of the fungicide tebuconazole will help curb white mold growth.

He also says early leaf spot and late leaf spot have been found in a few places but are not out of control.

“The dry weather earlier gave us some latitude with starting fungicide programs maybe a little later,” Anco says.

“Maintaining protection and making sure we don’t get behind now will keep things manageable as we get further into the season.”

CLEMSON PUBLIC SERVICE AND AGRICULTURE

arly hot, dry weather created conditions that favored both Aspergillus crown rot and lesser cornstalk borers says Clemson Extension peanut specialist Dan Anco. Unfortunately, on the Aspergillus crown rot, the recommendations are to plant good quality, treated seed and include an in-furrow fungicide. After planting, and once dead plants are visible, it is too late to protect plants against this disease.

White mold is difficult to spot and may not be visible until peanuts are inverted. Maintaining a spray schedule is the best way to protect against this disease.

Hopperburn is the result of potato leafhoppers feeding on leaves and appears as v-shaped yellow areas at the leaf end.

Protect Those Leaves Leaf scorch disease commonly creates a small black lesion inside of the larger necrotic area on a leaf. This larger brown/ necrotic spot of killed leaf tissue can take on a wedge shape.

Anco says most fungicides regularly used for leaf spot control are likely also effective against leaf scorch.

If the weather pattern changes to rainy, but still warm, hopefully producers have a good start to their spray schedules to provide maximum protection against diseases that will favor these conditions. PG Article by Denise Attaway, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Public Service and Agriculture PE ANUTGROWER .COM

Mid- And Late-Season Issues With early season issues addressed, in July and August and into early September growers focus on controlling weed escapes, in particular annual grasses but also broadleaf weeds, foliar-feeding insects such as armyworms, tobacco budworms and corn earworms, and foliar and soilborne pathogens.

DAVID JORDAN North Carolina State Controlling escaped grassUniversity es almost always pays for itself Extension Agronomist because of pod loss during digging. Many broadleaf weeds may be well past the size that can be controlled with herbicides, and pulling up those escapes can help not only this year but would be equally important in subsequent years.

Pay particular attention to common ragweed and Palmer amaranth. Escapes of both of these species need to be addressed, especially if you have an intense PPO herbicide regime. We don’t need biotypes of these weeds to get entrenched in fields.

In North Carolina, the threshold for foliar-feeding insects has been increased from 4 per foot of row to 8 per foot of row in July, and from 8 to 12 in August. With the presence of pyrethroid resistance and tobacco budworms, when you need to treat, the more expensive yet more effective insecticides are often the best bet for complete control.

Leaf spot and stem rot are key issues in the VirginiaCarolina region (and elsewhere) and a well-timed, diverse fungicide program with no gaps in protection when pathogens are active is important. Healthy plants in the fall provide the greatest flexibility in digging and give us room to dig at optimum maturity.

We had a hot and dry May and that always brings concerns

T WIT TER : @ PE ANUTGROWER

about spider mites. Keep an eye on fields for pockets that may develop and address those areas in a timely manner. Avoid mowing areas around fields in order to minimize movement of mites into peanut fields from weeds.

Conversely, if we have significant rain leading to robust plant growth, the plant growth regulator prohexadione calcium can be an effective option to keep excessive vine growth at bay. While expensive, in surveys of the Virginia-Carolina region, about half of the farmers make at least one application of prohexadione calcium during the growing season. Apply at 50 percent row closure – when half of the vines from two adjacent rows are touching – and repeat the application 2-3 weeks later if peanuts begin to have new growth. It is best to error on the side of being late rather than early with the first application: we don’t need to keep peanuts from lapping rows. Always include a nitrogen solution or ammonium sulfate with this plant growth regular.

Start Planning For 2020 Now It’s July and we have seen some very successful weed management programs in peanut. One final foliar spray and an overlaying residual herbicide may be needed in some areas to complete the goal of season-long weed control.

Late-emerging weeds may not be very competitive or even PETER DOTRAY impede digging, but these plants Texas A&M AgriLife can produce hundreds to thouExtension Weed Specialist sands of seed that will impact future growing seasons.

To recap the early 2019 growing season, most producers planted into clean beds, the first step towards successful weed management. This was achieved by tillage, use of preplant burn-down herbicides, or both. Dinitroaniline herbicides (Sonalan, Prowl, Trifluralin), the second principle for successful weed management, were used preplant incorporated followed by an at-plant herbicide such as Valor.

After the use of an at-plant herbicide, weed management programs varied with the use of a foliar contact herbicide (Gramoxone, Cobra, Ultra Blazer) or a systemic herbicide (Cadre, Pursuit, 2,4-DB). Many growers also added a soil-active residual herbicide (Dual, Warrant, Outlook) to this postemergence application. The abundance of clean peanut fields in July is not the result of one specific recipe to control weeds, but a diversity of herbicide programs achieving the goal of starting clean and finishing clean.

Future successful weed management programs rely in part on remembering past results — both successful and 21

JULY 2 019 • THE PE ANUT GROWER /

not-so-successful experiences. Document areas in the field where weed populations and troublesome weeds are present.

In 2020, these areas will need our full attention to properly manage these dense and troublesome weeds. Rotational crops with peanut may offer alternative herbicide modes of action to help break up weed/crop associations and better manage herbicide-resistant weed populations. Be on the lookout for new or unusual weeds, and focus on accurate weed identification to aid in herbicide selection for 2020.

All the best wrapping up the 2019 growing season and starting the process to improve weed management in future growing seasons.

Disease Pressure Will Happen Hopefully the drought is behind us and everyone has been receiving adequate rainfall over the past month. I know the dry weather has left us with a few challenges, mainly getting the crop in on time, having a good stand due to lack of moisture and heavy thrips pressure, which gained an advantage over us with the KRIS BALKCOM Auburn University dry weather.

Extension Specialist We had a difficult time knocking thrips back. The later peanuts that went in after we got some rainfall have had adequate time.

All and all, peanuts are looking good right now because of the earlier start this year. Taking advantage of the time to plant early was as important this season because of the lack of moisture later.

Last season, we were not able to be in the field because of excess moisture.

Some weed issues need to be addressed, particularly where we didn’t get any residual herbicides washed in for protection. Hopefully you have cleaned those up and have some protection down now.

Also remember, even though disease pressure has been light so far doesn’t mean that will continue to be the case. If the high temperatures we have had continue, coupled with moisture, it will cer22 /

THE PE ANUT GROWER • JULY 2 019

tainly increase the amount of disease pressure we could see.

Therefore, be sure to try and combat that potential risk with some products washed in when you have the opportunity.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the season this year, and I look forward to seeing you in the field.

Scouting Pays The peanut crop is in peak bloom now with most of the crop between 60 and 90 days old. This is a critical time for pod set and development.

There are several important things for growers to keep track of such as water needs, insects and diseases. To ensure the highest yield potential possible, each peanut field should SCOTT MONFORT University of Georgia be scouted on a weekly basis.

Extension Agronomist I know growers are extremely busy and do not have the extra time to scout their crop. This is where a county agent, consultant or crop scout can help monitor the crop and advise growers when a problem arises and whether a control measure is warranted. This could save a grower thousands of dollars in input costs and/or loss of yield potential.

We talk a lot in meetings about how inputs affect yield. A peanut’s maximum yield potential is determined by genetics and is set before the seed is even planted. The farmer’s job is to provide an environment that allows the plant to achieve its potential without spending more money than the crop is worth.

Everything growers do affects how much yield and revenue are retained or reduced as a result of the cost and effectiveness of the management strategies they choose.

Scouting fields on a weekly basis will provide information about what problems are developing and help determine the correct action to take to manage the situation.

Already in 2019, weekly scouting helped some growers manage lesser cornstalk borers in non-irrigated acres in southern Georgia. This is just one instance where scouting resulted in quick identification of a problem and allowed growers to manage a pest before it severely affected the crop.

Stay informed. Contact your local ag Extension agent if you need further information.

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