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PEANUTGROWER The
ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC
MARCH 2015
THE PEANUT PRODUCER'S MARKETING & PRODUCTION MAGAZINE www.peanutgrower.com
Consider Storage Before Planting Four Production Tips For 2015
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MARCH 2015
22
PEANUTGROWER The
Volume 27 • Number 3
Departments 4 Editor’s Note Anything less than complete support could become a foothold for detractors.
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5 News Briefs Know the Farm Bill conservation requirement. 6 Market Watch Payment limitations will come into play for larger producers. 20 New Products Velum Total will be available for insect and nematode management. 21 Peanut Pointers A disk harrow through the field is like gas on a fire for bringing weed seed to the top.
Features 10 Marketing Factors A larger crop changes the dynamic and producers need to be aware of contract poundage limits and storage in their area.
14 2015 Production Tips Four management reminders spring from issues encountered in the last crop.
16 Managing Moisture And Molecules Agronomist Wayne Nixon field tests Quick-Sol soil amendment in the Carolinas. Cover photo by Amanda Huber
18 Quick Tips For Inoculant Use Remember how important this one input is to a top-yielding crop.
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EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Copy Editor Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com
Finding Our Priorities
Art Director Carol Watson
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 © 2015 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 • MARCH 2015
“Nine billion people are expected to inhabit Planet Earth by 2050. Without agricultural research, there is little hope of sustaining this population surge, given that arable land and water supplies are fixed commodities. Yet for decades the agricultural sector has suffered from neglect. If we want to combat new strains of pests that destroy crops, find new crop varieties enriched in nutritional value, improve yields, develop resistance to disease and drought and provide environmentally sensitive cultivation practices, then agricultural research must be a priority. Why isn’t it?” wrote Donald Kennedy, president emeritus at Stanford University, in an editorial in the journal Science. The editorial was sent to me and others from the Senior Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Florida, Jack M. Payne. Vice President Payne went on to say that most public-funded university research is provided with federal dollars through a competitive grants process where scientists compete to have their studies funded. Although there are other “pots” of federal dollars for research, the big three are the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a $31 billion budget, the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a $6 billion budget and the Agriculture Food and Research Initiative (AFRI) with a $400 million budget. As a matter of explanation, NIH provides grant dollars to solve cancer, heart disease and many other medical issues. NSF funds basic science questions, such as the composition of comets. “AFRI funds the studies that will keep our agriculture successful, competitive and find the answers to the problems that will arise in feeding and providing energy and shelter to the more than nine billion people in 40 years,” Payne says. With so little being applied to the agriculture research pot compared to other research areas and unless more is invested, how long will our universities be able to sustain all of the agriculture departments we depend on now? Will keeping agriculture viable to our university presidents and boards become similar to educating our Congress members, who are so far removed from the farm, about the importance of agriculture? With this in mind, anything less than complete support for the work of our researchers and universities could become the foothold detractors need to eliminate agriculture departments in favor of medical or general science. Kennedy finished his editorial with this, “The much-needed revolutions in agriculture can only come about through the investments that we make now. Nine billion people will, we hope, reap the benefits of today’s wise decisions.” In the basic necessities of life, what comes first? Food. Without it, nothing else matters.
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Farm Bill Conservation Requirement
Fire Destroys Peanuts In Cordele
The 2014 Farm Bill implements a change that requires farmers to have a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification (AD-1026) on file. To be eligible for premium support on their federal crop insurance, that certification is required. The 2014 Farm Bill continues the requirement that producers adhere to conservation compliance guidelines to be eligible for most programs administered by FSA and NRCS. This includes most financial assistance such as the new price and revenue protection programs, the Conservation Reserve Program, the Livestock Disaster Assistance programs, Marketing Assistance Loans and many other programs. It also includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program and other conservation programs implemented by NRCS. When a farmer completes and submits the AD-1026 certification form, FSA and NRCS staff will review the associated farm records and outline any additional actions that may be required. FSA recently released a revised form AD1026, which is available at USDA Service Centers or at www.fsa.usda.gov. The deadline is June 1, 2015.
GFA Peanut Company of Cordele, Ga., reports that a silo filled with approximately 900 tons of peanuts caught fire on February 2 and required fire departments from three counties to work over three days to extinguish the fire. Officials said a chemical on the peanuts caused them to heat up igniting the fire. Firefighters with the Crisp, Worth and Sumter Counties all assisted. According to SGT Ben Bray of the Crisp County Sheriff ’s Office, an explosion occurred within the silo causing the top to come off. Officials pulled peanuts out of the silo in an attempt to slow the fire and managed to contain the fire to the one silo.
Seed Prices Announced Producers have begun to think about seed quantities needed and are contacting their seed dealers. Some seed dealers published prices when contracts became available, while others are waiting. Runner prices announced were as follows: 67 cents per pound certified nonhigh oleic cash to grower and 70 cents per pound fall payment; registered seed at 69 cents per pound, non-high-oleic, cash to grower and 72 cents per pound fall payment; high-oleic certified varieties at 70 cents per pound cash to grower and 72 cents per pound fall payment; registered high-oleic seed at 72 cents per pound cash to grower and 75 cents per pound fall payment.
In Brief: • Producers have until June 1 to file form AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification, with their FSA office. • Fire destroys a silo full of peanuts, but others are saved by fire department efforts. • Steve Brown, former UGA Extension entomologist, to take the reigns at The Peanut Foundation. • Lonnie Fortner is new alternate member to National Peanut Board from Mississippi.
Brown To Head Peanut Foundation Steve L. Brown, who retired from the University of Georgia in December 2014, has become the new executive director of the Peanut Foundation. At UGA, Brown was the Extension entomologist for peanuts and stored agricultural products. He spent much of the 1990s working on solutions to tomato spotted wilt virus, which threatened the industry at the time, and he worked with the American Peanut Shellers Association to provide training on the management of pests in farmer-stock peanuts.
New Member Appointed To NPB Board Lonnie Fortner, Port Gibson, Miss., was recently appointed to serve as the alternate member for Mississippi on the National Peanut Board. Fortner’s term will begin immediately and end on Dec. 31, 2016. Fortner operates Rock Lake Planting Company and grows runner peanuts in addition to cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Fortner is a third generation farmer who earned his Ag Economics degree from Mississippi State University. After working for the USDA Farm Service Agency, Fortner had the opportunity to help manage a farm, and he has worked his way up to a farming
• Construction of peanut shelling plant, which hopes to employ 100 people, underway in Cordele, Ga. • Record attendance is set at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show; show winners announced. • Southern Peanut Growers Conference will move to Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga., in 2015.
partnership. Fortner is a 2012 graduate of the Peanut Leadership Academy. He is a board member of the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association and the Farmers Coop. Fortner is also vice president of the Claiborne County Farm Bureau, chairman of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Peanut Advisory Board and chairman of the Mississippi Peanut Promotion Board. Additionally, he served as a member Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation State Committee and current member of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Crop Insurance and Transportation Committees. Fortner and his wife Karen have two children, Beth and Lee. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting.
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Payment limitations will affect larger producers he real peanut market has been quiet as industry players strive to determine their future in the U.S. peanut business. Farmers have been studying the new Market Assistance Loan program and the new rules that were issued from the 2014 Farm Bill. USDA has done an excellent job in interpreting the new Farm Bill and smoothing out the explanations so farmers can understand and make decisions that will impact them the next five years. Farmers that have grown peanuts over the years and retained peanut base acreage are pleased they will have some payback and protection season after season. However, new farmers with no peanut base and especially with no generic cotton base remain disappointed. They know they are at the mercy of the supply/demand balance, and when the peanut program encourages an oversupply, prices are certain to be lower and chances of failure increase.
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Farmer Preparedness To be eligible for a Market Assistance Loan, a farmer must comply with conservation and wetland protection requirements. (AD-1026 Certification). Visit your FSA office to submit an acreage report to account for all cropland and update yields on those acres. A farmer may retain current yields or update using the average yield from 2008 through 2012 times 90 percent. February 27 is the final date to update base and yield, and March 31 is the final date to select Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). Any cotton base acres become generic base. Generic base acres may receive payment under ARC or PLC for the acres planted to a covered commodity, but it must be planted.
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PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
Leading Market Indicators (Feb. 11, 2015) •2014 - Acreage estimate up 27% - 1,325,000 acres •2014 - Production estimate up 25% - 2,605,050 tons •2014 -Average yield estimate 3,932 lbs/A - dn 69 lbs/A •2014 - Market Loan - 2,121,235 tons in storage •2014 - Market Loan - 433,340 tons redeemed •2014-14 Domestic Usage (5 mo.) - + up 5.9% •2014-15 Exports (Aug.-Nov.) dn - 1.7% •National Posted Price (per ton): Runners $424.86, Spanish $403.91, Virginia/Valencia $427.79.
Each year, the generic base acres can increase the covered commodity base acres or add a new base to the farm, but again, it must be planted. Generic base to a covered commodity is prorated based on plantings. If no decision is made by a grower or owner, the farm will retain current base acres and yields. Peanut Crop Insurance Peanut crop insurance sales closing is February 28 for the Southeast and Virginia-Carolina area and March 15 for the Southwest region. Crop insurance coverage levels will be 50 to 80 percent increasing in five-percent increments, and growers are encouraged to insure as an enterprise unit resulting in much lower premiums (about half ). Contact your crop insurance agent for details and whether you have selected yield protection or revenue protection. Peanut Contracts Early Southeast contracts for $400
J. Tyron Spearman
Contributing Editor, The Peanut Grower
per ton were withdrawn with rumors of major acreage increases. To allow the farmer to ride the market, one sheller has announced a new peanut “flex” contract, The Option Contract, offered at $355 per ton plus $20, or $375 per ton, on non-high-oleic runner-type peanuts. The floor price of $375 per ton is equal to a 47 cents per pound raw-shelled market price. The sheller will publish weekly a shelled-market price and for each onecent that the shelled-market price increases, the farmer can add $13.50 to the contract price. The farmer may option to price the peanuts anytime in the season up to two weeks prior to forfeiture. For high-oleic peanuts, the floor price is $400 per ton with the same market advances. The contract has a maximum payout of $500 per ton. Some shellers agreed to match this contract to keep their customers. No mention of Virginia-type contracts as of mid-February. Seed Prices Some shellers offered seed prices when contracts were issued as part of the contract. Later, runner prices were announced at 67 cents per pound certified non-high oleic cash to grower and 70 cents per pound fall payment. Registered seed is 69 cents per pound, nonhigh-oleic, cash to grower and 72 cents per pound fall payment. High-oleic certified varieties are priced at $.70 lb. cash to grower and 72 cents per pound fall payment. Registered high-oleic seed is 72 cents per pound cash to grower and 75 cents per pound fall payment. 2015 Peanut Acreage The Congressional Budget Office predicts for 2015 the program will have 1,476,000 base acres, estimating that plantings will be 1,500,000 acres pro-
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ducing 3,838 pounds per acre leaving a carry-forward of 2,089,000 pounds, and the estimated average price is $.2065 per pound or $413 per ton. Peanut program costs in 2014 were $65 million. The U.S. peanut crop for 2014/15 is estimated at 2,605,959 tons based on harvesting 1,325,000 acres averaging 3,932 pounds per acre. The supply chart shows ending stocks of 980,000 tons, 40,000 tons more than last month. If farmers increase acreage 25 percent, as some have predicted, that's 1,600,000 acres, and with an average yield of 3,800 pounds per acre, that’s a 3,040,000-ton crop. With that, the industry has a storage problem and lower prices for 2016. Payment Limitations Many larger producers will face payment limits. The total amount of payments received by a person or legal entity for PLC is limited to no more than $125,000 annually. If a producer exceeds this limit, the farmer can still receive a market loan but must repay at principal plus interest. Also remember
that if USDA lowers the price below the $355 per-ton loan rate creating a market gain, the gain will be applied to the payment limit. Farmers may request that loan peanuts be purchased early to prevent a potential market gain.
heavy buying last year. The 2014 crop in China is down in quality and quantity because of area reduction and drought, then rain at harvest. India reduced plantings when U.S. peanuts became the lowest-priced peanut in the world trade.
Peanut Market Potential December was another good month for peanuts, with usage up 9.9 percent for the month, increasing usage almost six percent for the year. Peanut butter continues to lead the way, up 12.1 percent in December, now up 9.6 percent for the year. All categories showed an increase except in-shells with December information withheld. Keep up the promotion efforts because the domestic market for peanut products is excellent. November exports from the U.S. were up 1.2 percent and down for August through November, only 1.7 percent. China is back buying in-shells, making in-shell exports up 30.2 percent versus last year. After four months, raw shelled is now up three-fourths of a percent. Peanut butter is down 22 percent after
Other Potential Income Peanut farmers with a base are expecting a PLC payment for the 2014 crop. Farmers will sign-up for the PLC prior to March 27 for 2014 and 2015. The payout will be determined by the national average price of peanuts. However, some experts are predicting $80 to $100 per ton based on an average price of $425 per ton. Exciting Time With an acreage increase, more expansions are underway. More shelling and blanching capacity and more buying points are needed to handle the 2015 peanut crop. Lower prices will help regain market share, but, remember, a profit for each segment is the only thing that will sustain growth. PG
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Calendar: • March 19 - Florida Peanut Producers Association Annual Membership Meeting, Jackson County Agricultural Complex & Conference Center, Marianna, Fla. For more information call 850-526-2590.
Premier Peanut’s board of directors are as follows: (seated L-R): Gabe Evans, Steve Dixon, Gene Waldron, Ralph Evans; (standing L-R): Griffin Evans, Scott Williams, Ben Evans, Gary Evans, Drew Walker. (not shown – Kent Fountain)
Shelling Plant Going Up In Georgia Premium Peanut has announced plans to build a $50 million peanut shelling plant in Coffee County, Ga., that will employ 100 people. Coffee County Development Officials said that initial work has already begun on the 42-acre site on Barrington Road off Georgia Highway 32 west of Douglas, explains JoAnne Lewis, executive director Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority. “A commitment of 100 new jobs is just what we need to kick-start the economy in 2015,’’ Lewis says. “The investment will reach far beyond our county lines: This project is regional. The im-
Record Attendance At Farm Show More than 2,100 producers and guests attended the 39th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference in January at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. The show is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission in cooperation with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus and the Southeastern Peanut Farmer. The Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to the following recipients: Distinguished Service Award Birdsong Peanuts; Research and Eduction Award - Steve Brown, retired University of Georgia interim associate dean for Extension; Media Award - 92.5 The Farm, WKZZ; and Special Awards to Steve Spooner, S&S Marketing, Peanut 8/
THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
pact will be felt by many counties in South Georgia.” The owners of seven peanut buying points in Coffee, Jeff Davis, Berrien, Irwin and Appling Counties formed Premium Peanut as a limited liability corporation in November 2014. The companies will warehouse peanuts and then supply them to the shelling plant during the year, according to the development authority. Using modern shelling equipment, the plant is expected to begin with 110,000 tons from the 2015 crop and grow to 140,000 tons in its first three years. The plant will have a capacity of 200,000 tons.
Proud, Inc. and Debbie Cannon, retired representative for Sen. Chambliss. The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award was presented to Andrew Grimes of Tifton, Ga. The award was sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF. The Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply presented the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmers of the Year Award to the following: District 1 Wayne Carr, District 2 - Ralph Underwood, District 3 - Olin Boyd, District 4 - James Warbington, District 5 Jimmy Curry. The Grand Door Prize, donated by Kelley Manufacturing Co., was presented to Jared Cross, Unadilla, Ga. Cross received one season’s use of a
• March 28 - Peanut Proud Festival, Town Square in Blakely, Ga. For more information, visit peanutproudfestival.com. • June 13-17 - USA Peanut Congress, Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C. For more information, go to the website www.peanut-shellers.org. • July 14-16 - American Peanut Research and Education Society Annual Meeting, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, S.C. For more information, visit www.apresinc.com. • July 23-25 - 17th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga. For more information, go to the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation website at www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.
new six-row KMC peanut combine and the option of purchasing the combine from a KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price at the end of the 2015 season. Another part of the Grand Door Prize package offered by KMC was $1,000 cash and it went to Drew Whigham, Cairo, Ga. Amadas Industries provided a Grower Door Prize of one season’s use of a new Amadas four-row or six-row peanut inverter or a certificate good for the amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of any Amadas pull-type peanut combine. This prize went to Steve Shivers, Ft. Gaines, Ga. For information or photos, visit their website at www.gapeanuts.com.
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Southern Peanut Growers Conference Is On The Move The 17th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference is moving to Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga., for 2015, but the program line up and social events offered will still be stellar. The conference is planned for July 23-25. Owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, Callaway Gardens includes a garden, resort, preserve and residential community on 13,000 acres. Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails and special events throughout the year. In addition, Callaway Gardens offers nearly 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 685 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more. Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,610-acre forest preserve, which is sustainably-managed for biological studies and environmental education programs, and has provided a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world for millions of visitors. As for the conference, producers will continue to have an opportunity to learn more about legislative issues, marketing opportunities, production issues and promotional efforts. Additional information, including registration details, will be available soon.
Southern Ag Carriers Reach New Level The largest hauler of farmer-stock peanuts has been certi- has been completed and actions taken to prevent incidences fied for a major food safety initiative. EAGLE Certification of poor quality have been implemented. “Our company is committed to Group, a third-party certification food safety and quality objectives that body that audits businesses to inmeet customer and regulatory externational quality and food safety pectations for the transportation of standards, certified Southern AG food products,” said Brooke Johns, Carriers Inc., in Albany, Ga., to the Director of Administration/HR for Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3 Southern AG Carriers, Inc. “We have standard. SQF is a globally accepted developed a standard, written procefarm-to-fork food safety standard dure for every aspect of our business recognized by the Global Food to better serve our customers, which Safety Initiative (GFSI). takes our certification to the next Southern AG Carriers, who prilevel and confirms our commitment marily transports agriculture foodto quality service.” grade products as well as frozen As the only trucking company to foods, has been certified to SQF Level 2 since 2010. The company A Southern Ag Carriers truck brings Peanut achieve SQF certification, Southern Proud peanut butter to the tornado relief effort AG Carriers is setting the standard made a commitment to take the cer- in Oklahoma in 2013. for the food transportation industry. tification to the next level during this year’s recertification process. SQF Level 3 adds a com- More information on certification can be found at www.eaprehensive quality management system indicating that a food glecertificationgroup.com or by contacting EAGLE Certiquality risk analysis of the product and its associated process fication Group directly at 800-795-3641.
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Market Factors With a big crop expected, make arrangements for storage prior to planting. By Amanda Huber
he market situation for peanuts has been the talk of all winter meetings because the lack of competitive prices for other row crops. The result will likely be too many peanuts, a plunge in the price and continued volatility in the peanut market.
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Supply And Demand Nathan Smith, University of Georgia Extension peanut economist, says 2014 was a balanced year for production and use with domestic use increasing a little from the year before and exports being down a little. “We are the low-cost producers with the best quality,” Smith says, which will help to keep the export market from dropping off. “Our issue is not really demand,
Export Growth: Inshell $35.5 million in 2008 $82.3 million in 2013 Shelled $197 million in 2008 $415 million in 2013 Peanut Butter $ 53.3 million in 2008 $152.9 million in 2013
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except that we really can’t grow demand enough to take up all the peanuts we could grow in the field,” Smith says. Tipping The Balance “When supply and demand gets out of balance, it’s the grower that takes the first hit,” says Dell Cotton, Virginia Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association executive director. “We are increasing acres and increasing pounds that come off those acres. We could decrease acres and still get the same poundage.” The average yield has increased because of newer varieties and improved rotations, Cotton says, especially in Virginia, which is now close to four- or even five-year rotations on peanuts. “2014 was a record year again, and we have had two of the biggest crops in the last three years,” he says. Program Options, Limits Smith says growers are leaning more toward PLC in peanuts and ARC-County
Peanut Situation: • • • •
U.S. Planted Acreage in 2014 – 1,354,000 acres U.S. Yield – 3,932 pounds per acre USDA projects overall peanut use down by 1.9 percent Peanut butter use shows increase of 9.75 percent in first four months
Peanut Outlook: • Early contracts are not likely to go up much, if at all. • A premium on high-oleic varieties is unlikely. • Prices will be influenced by generic base plantings. • U.S. acreage is expected up at least 15 to 20 percent. • Expected 2014 PLC payment rate is $105 per ton. • Expected 2015 PLC payment rate is $120 per ton. • Yields will be affected by shortened rotations. • Fewer acres will be needed to reach a payment limit. • Overplanting leads to the risk of excessive program cost.
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Average Yield 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2,800 2,800 3,000 2,928
2,750 2,700 2,840 3,200 2,808
2,500 2,500 2,780 2,900 2,640
2,600 2,700 3,150 3,300 2,910
3,300 3,200 3,400 3,900 3,364
3,100 3,200 3,530 3,000 3,390
2,600 3,400 3,560 3,500 3,336
3,000 3,500 3,520 4,000 3,413
4,000 3,900 4,550 4,400 4,335
3,550 3,950 4,430 3,500 4,135
3,200 4,000 4,100 4,000 3,916
Southwest NM OK TX Average
3,500 3,100 3,300 3,288
3,500 3,270 3,750 3,690
3,600 2,850 3,550 3,216
3,500 3,400 3,950 3,832
3,200 3,500 3,400 3,401
3,100 3,300 3,500 3,469
3,200 3,200 3,600 3,536
2,700 2,700 2,400 2,518
3,200 3,800 3,500 3,520
3,300 3,700 3,700 3,680
3,100 3,800 3,850 3,818
V-C region NC SC VA Average
3,400 3,400 3,250 3,371
3,000 2,800 3,000 2,929
3,200 3,000 3,200 3,070
2,800 3,100 2,700 2,772
3,700 3,900 3,300 3,721
3,700 3,100 3,700 3,471
2,800 3,400 1,800 2,921
3,600 3,200 4,100 3,448
4,100 3,800 4,200 3,971
3,900 3,500 4,000 3,730
4,322 3,671 4,517 4,012
Average U.S.
3,057
2,989
2,785
3,054
3,416
3,412
3,311
3,315
4,192
4,006
3,912
Southeast AL FL GA MS Average
Acres AL FL GA MS SE Total
2009 152,000 105,000 505,000 18,000 780,000
2010 185,000 135,000 555,000 18,000 893,000
2011 166,000 157,000 465,000 14,000 802,000
2012 219,000 200,000 730,000 49,000 1,198,000
2013 138,000 130,000 426,000 33,000 727,000
2014 172,000 160,000 585,000 29,000 946,000
NM OK TX SW Total
7,000 13,000 155,000 175,000
10,000 21,000 163,000 194,000
6,600 22,000 97,000 125,600
10,000 22,000 145,000 177,000
7,000 16,000 117,000 140,000
5,000 16,000 122,000 143,000
NC SC VA V-C Total
66,000 48,000 12,000 126,000
86,000 64,000 18,000 168,000
81,000 73,000 16,000 170,000
106,000 107,000 20,000 233,000
81,000 78,000 16,000 175,000
92,000 110,000 18,000 220,000
U.S. Total
1,081,000
1,255,000
1,097,600
1,608,000
1,042,000
1,309,000
SE SW VC
2009 1,321,925 303,550 218,700
2010 1,489,400 343,000 245,000
2011 1,368,500 158,144 293,086
2012 2,596,665 311,520 462,622
2013 1,503,040 257,600 326,450
2014 1,894,475 253,403 442,994
U.S. Total
1,844,175
2,077,800
1,819,730
3,370,807
2,087,090
2,590,872
Production (tons)
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Runner Production SE SW VC US
2009 1,319,356 162,414 14,075 1,495,845
2010 1,473,991 163,173 29,538 1,666,702
2011 1,360,244 89,191 41,212 1,490,647
2012 2,577,036 150,515 103,421 2,830,972
2013 1,499,734 94,352 37,040 1,631,126
2014 1,883,770 83,114 83,091 2,049,975
Demand Over/under
1,807,000 -311,155
1,848,000 -181,298
1,700,000 -209,353
1,900,000 +930,972
2,080,000 -448,874
2,113,000 -63,025
Virginia Production SE SW VC US
2009 9,380 70,298 200,331 280,009
2010 5,437 100,970 206,437 312,844
2011 6,240 44,460 251,875 302,575
2012 775 86,401 345,226 432,402
2013 823 90,931 269,210 360,964
2014 10,161 110,344 359,806 480,311
Demand Over/under
320,000 -39,991
315,000 -2,156
325,000 -22,425
377,000 +55,402
386,000 -25,036
381,000 +99,311
Information courtesy of Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association, Franklin, Va.
“Also keep in mind, contracts may be limited in poundage and you may not get anything for your extra peanuts,� he says. Any number of situations can happen from now until harvest, but the expectation of a larger crop changes the dynamic for producers who need to be aware of poundage limits on contracts and storage in their area. PG
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on other covered crops. “If peanuts trigger a PLC payment, you can pretty much count on ARC-County triggering a payment,� he says. Cotton base is available as generic base to be planted under another of the covered commodities. “We’ll have more peanuts, soybeans and some cotton,� Smith says. “The payment limit will come a lot quicker on fewer acres of peanuts, too.� Cotton says it is a mistake to be under the impression that you will receive $535 per ton. “The payments are there, but overplanting will catch up to us,� he says. Where Will Your Crop Go? Another primary concern should be storage availability. Many experts are urging producers not to plant without making arrangements for approved storage prior to planting. Don’t assume storage will be available in your area. Storage capacity two states away won’t help you very much at harvest. “Don’t plant if you do not have arrangements to store those peanuts,� Cotton says. “Know that before planting. Virginia types are very easy to over produce. There will likely be fewer Virginia-type contracts and for less than you’d like to see.
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MARCH 2015 • THE PEANUT GROWER /
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2015 Production Tips Four management reminders spring from issues encountered in the last crop. By Amanda Huber
real roller coaster of a year is how Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension agronomist, describes 2014. Hoping the coaster-ride is over and 2015 will be smooth sailing, some of the highs and lows from last year will affect production efforts this year. Shortened rotations, variety options, a reminder to keep up the fight against pigweed and be mindful of calcium applications are some of the hotter topics in producer production meetings.
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Thoughts On Rotation One of Monfort’s primary concerns for 2015 is that producers’ rotation schemes will be shortened because of the market situation. “Rotations will be strained. Try to manage your rotation knowing the longer, the better,” Monfort says. “If you shorten it, be sure you know your increased risk by using the Peanut Rx Disease Risk Index.” Scott Tubbs, UGA Extension agronomist, has conducted studies on the impact of rotation on peanut production. He found no significant difference in yield between three and four-year rotations, but yield was lowered an average of 300 to 600 pounds per acre when the rotation was shortened to two years. Fields with continuous peanut dropped nearly 2,000 pounds per acre. He also found that shortened rotations could cause longterm pest problems and a loss of efficacy of resistance management tools. “The yield difference was greater than 2,000 pounds per acre in 14 out of 19 rotations that had three- or four-year rotations between peanut plantings. There were few differences observed whether corn or cotton or some combination of the two was 14 /
THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
used in the rotation, although peanut immediately preceded by cotton was inferior to the corn-corn-peanut three-year rotation in 2014. “Peanut also did not produce as well following a weedy fallow in comparison to several of the row crop rotations in 2013,” Tubbs says. Variety Opportunities Despite quality issues in 2014, partly because of an increased incidence of pops and incompletely filled out pods, Monfort says the seed supply looks good. Additionally, some newer varieties have returned to a smaller-size seed, which means producers will not need to plant as many pounds per acre. “Variety Georgia-12Y has superior white mold resistance and a smaller seed,” he says. “Georgia12Y can be five to 10 days later in maturity.” According to Bill Branch, UGA peanut breeder, Georgia-12Y is a high-yielding, TSWV and white mold-resistant, medium seeded, runner-type variety. Released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations in 2012, it was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton Campus. “Georgia-12Y is most similar to Georgia-10T in later maturity,” Branch says. “Both should be excellent varieties for an early planting date option in the southeast U.S. peanut production area.” Many of the University of Florida-developed seed mature five to 14 days later and can be used to help spread out harvest. Monfort says. He also reminds producers to know the soil temperature be-
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fore planting and to know what’s ahead weather-wise. Continue Pigweed Fight UGA Extension weed specialist, Stanley Culpepper, is urging peanut and cotton producers to not let up on the fight against glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, better known as pigweed. Culpepper says he fears low crop prices and high treatment costs will cause farmers to be lax this year and, “We will go back to where we were.” During the past decade, Culpepper says, Georgia growers have spent more than $1 billion fighting the weed. Costs range from $75 to $100 per acre for adequate control. “Improved management practices, coupled with research findings, have provided better management of the weed than any other time since it was discovered 11 years ago in Macon County,” he says. Culpepper credits producers with doing a good job in reducing the weed-seed bank. “Always remember, a mature female plant can produce one-half million
2015 Production Reminders: • • • • •
Shorter rotations increase disease risk Continuous peanut greatly reduces yield Georgia-12Y has good resistance to disease Don’t let up on pigweed to keep seedbank reduced Provide the calcium needed to avoid pops
seed and can reach heights of seven to 10 feet.” Skipping a year or two, he says, would be just like starting over with the amount of seed that could be produced. Don’t Neglect Calcium Needs Despite the fact that newer varieties are smaller in size, it doesn’t mean calcium can be skimped on. Last season’s quality problems should be a vivid reminder to take pegging zone calcium soil samples and make sure ample calcium is available to the crop. Of course, if it doesn’t rain and move calcium into the pods, there is little that can be done for dryland fields.
Even with the newer varieties, 1,000 pounds of gypsum per acre is the recommendation, according to Glen Harris, UGA Extension agronomist and soil fertility specialist. Timing recommendations also have not changed. “It’s lime at planting and gypsum at bloom time,” Harris says. “The calcium in lime is not as soluble as the calcium in gypsum, so you have to put it out at planting so that it has time to solubilize in the soil and move down into the pegging zone.” With a keen focus on being timely with applications and in managing inputs, hopefully 2015 will be a smooth and successful year production-wise. PG
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MARCH 2015 • THE PEANUT GROWER /
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Managing Moisture And Molecules Wayne Nixon, agronomist, talks about field testing soil amendment product, Quick-Sol, in the Carolinas.
n increase in peanut yield of 1,500 pounds per acre from technology that costs less than one fungicide application was more than veteran North Carolina agronomist Wayne Nixon was prepared to understand and accept. “I’ve been conducting grower tests most of my professional life, and in this case I planted the peanuts, treated the peanuts and harvested the peanuts, so I know it was done correctly, and I know the results are accurate,” he stresses. Nixon has been around peanuts and peanut farmers all his life and has been an active advocate for both during his professional career, which includes being a field crops agent in Gates County, N.C. and a Regional Agronomist for 16 years with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. During his years farming alongside his father, Thomas Nixon, they won four county peanut production championships. He retired from the Department of Agriculture, and then landed what he says is the perfect job working as an agronomist for Severn Peanut Company. Most of his time is spent helping peanut producers grow better peanuts and be more profitable doing it.
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Helping With Product Selection One of Nixon’s many duties with Severn Peanut Company is to conduct grower cooperative trials with new and old products and try to help growers determine the most optimum, cost-effective ways to use 16 /
THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
Severn Peanut Company’s agronomist, Wayne Nixon, right, helps check the results of Quick-Sol trials ahead of a field day in Robersonville, N.C. , in 2014.
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technology. While still at NCDA, Nixon did some work with a new soil amendment product, Quick-Sol, which improves soil quality and helps with the translocation of moisture and nutrients from soil to plant. Nixon admits he was skeptical when it came to accepting the claims made by the new soil amendment. Despite this, Nixon says he and his colleagues at the NCDA did see some advantages of using Quick-Sol on a number of crops around the state. Field Tests In South Carolina Last year, one of the first tests he conducted in his new position with Severn Peanut Company was a two-state trial with Quick-Sol on peanuts. “In South Carolina, I worked with Brian McClam, who farms near Kingstree,” Nixon says. “I planted the peanuts, applied the Quick-Sol and dug the peanuts on a 1.5-acre corner of a 40plus acre peanut field.” This was part of a test to evaluate 16 different fungicides and biological products, so Nixon handled the fungicide application on the test plots, and Brian handled fungicide application on the rest of the field, plus weed and other pest management applications on the entire field, he explains. “We planted Bailey cultivar in standard 38-inch rows at about 140 pounds of seed per acre. “There was really nothing special or different about how we planted, managed and harvested this 40-acre field of peanuts,” he adds. Nixon notes that these peanuts were not planted in ideal conditions and that he didn’t use Quick-Sol in an ideal way. “First, this was one of the driest areas in the Carolinas. For about 90 days, we got little, if any, rainfall. These peanuts were grown behind double-crop soybeans and grown in a strip-tillage system – not the ideal way we have all been taught to grow high-yielding, high-quality peanuts, Nixon says. To add to the challenge, he applied Quick-Sol about 50 days after the crop was planted, instead of five to 10 days before planting, as is recommended in the application sheet. “I did clean and re-clean the spray tank, filters and nozzles to be sure there was no
Quick-Sol Soil Amendment: • Creates openness in the soil through the shrinkage of clay molecules • Helps to restore microbial activity and make nutrients available • Increases availability of soil moisture • Promotes root formation and increases the root mass
contamination issues. I mixed and sprayed the product exactly as suggested,” Nixon explains. Trials In North Carolina In North Carolina, Nixon worked with Robersonville grower Charles James, who along with McClam are excellent growers and always do things in a timely and precise way. Because of this, Nixon says he feels like these tests got a more than fair representation by the grower. The North Carolina tests were done under opposite weather conditions: very wet throughout the growing season. “In fact, that is one reason we had to wait so long after planting to apply QuickSol. Again, not ideal timing of application, but how we applied the product was exactly as recommended, Nixon says. “As I understand it, Quick-Sol is a true soil amendment and as such works at the soil level and basically works the same way, regardless of what crop is planted on treated soil.” How It Works Pablo Gomez, CEO of Miami-based Beyond International who owns the global marketing rights for Quick-Sol, says the product is activated when mixed with clean, nearly potable water. When the activated product is applied to the soil, it creates openness in the soil through the shrinkage of clay molecules, which restores microbial activity and makes nutrients already in the soil bio-available. In South Carolina, he says, the yield increase is most likely due to better moisture availability. According to Gomez, Quick-Sol supplies silicic (Si) in different forms a plant can absorb. Each molecule of orthosilicic acid contains 120
molecules of water. This is why QuickSol-treated soil consistently absorbs water and holds it until the plant needs it. Quick-Sol promotes the formation of plant root systems and increases the root’s mass so the plant is better able to absorb and translocate nutrients and crop protecting chemicals, all of which work together to reduce plant stress and generally produce a healthier, more productive plant, Gomez concludes. Yield Increases Achieved Nixon says exactly how Quick-Sol works to improve crop production is still a learning experience for him and likely for any grower who uses it, even for veteran researchers who test it in universitysanctioned experiments. “In our South Carolina test, QuickSol clearly provided some means of getting moisture to these drought-stressed peanuts,” he says. “In this test, the treated plots out-yielded untreated peanuts in other parts of the same 40-acre field by 1,500 pounds per acre.” In North Carolina, in very wet conditions, the product produced 500 pounds per acre more peanuts, Nixon says. “The dynamic nature of the product and the ‘new’ part of this technology will make it difficult for peanut growers to accept. However, once they learn how to use Quick-Sol and understand that on peanuts it has the potential to make them $300 to $400 per acre above the cost of application, plus reducing their input costs, the economics will overcome all the challenges of using this product,” Nixon predicts. PG Article written and submitted by Roy Roberson. MARCH 2015 • THE PEANUT GROWER /
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Quick Tips For Inoculant Use Remember how important this one input is to a top-yielding crop. noculants are an essential input on peanuts. How often to apply an inoculant likely depends on each producers preference for making certain that fresh, viable, peanut-specific, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are in close proximity to the seed so that when germination occurs, the bacteria can readily enter the roots and begin turning atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use. The following are reminders for 2015.
elements for long periods. Prevent the product from freezing. Avoid exposure to fumigants during storage and use. Know the compatibility with fungicide and insecticide products to be applied. Use and mix inoculants only with non-chlorinated water. Regularly check calibration of application equipment.
I
Spend On Inoculants First To provide nitrogen for your crop, the first money you should spend should be for a peanut inoculant. In some areas, an inoculant is needed every year because of hot, dry conditions. Conversely, waterlogged soils may also lack viable rhizobia. Whatever the conditions, providing the bacteria needed by the crop in order to fix nitrogen through applying an inoculant is much more cost effective than supplying nitrogen through fertilizer applications. Research has shown that trying to catch up nitrogen management through fertilizer applications has already cost you valuable yields. Find That Proper Place Placement of the inoculant is one of the most important points. Ensure that the inoculant is placed in the furrow with the seed. The stream jet, not a fan nozzle or any kind of spray nozzle, for in-furrow liquid application or the drop tube for granular application must place the inoculant directly in the furrow where the seed is placed. You do not want to be shooting at the furrow from 10 to 12 inches away, especially from the tip of a drop tube for granular inoculant. 18 /
THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
Throughout planting, check nozzles and tubes to make sure they are neither plugged nor shooting off to the side. Planters can be outfitted with sensors that will alert the driver to a plugged tube. Finally, ensure that the furrow is covered by soil properly. Sometimes the planter doesn’t drag enough soil back over the seed where the furrow opener is located. Planting at higher speeds may compound this. Make sure the seed is covered. If you plan to irrigate and are relying on the soil wall of the furrow to collapse over the seed, this is not sufficient because the seed and bacteria may dry out before the irrigation system comes around. Follow Label Instructions Inoculants are live bacteria and require special care. To maximize the effectiveness of rhizobia-containing inoculants, follow the recommended handling, storage and application directions for each inoculant product. Apply only an inoculant product specific to peanuts. Avoid storing outside or unprotected from the
Scout For Nodulation Use a shovel and dig, don’t pull, at least 10 plants among a couple of rows from four different sites in the field about six weeks after planting. Look for evidence of nodulation development on the tap root, which is direct evidence of inoculant use. Slice open a few nodules and look for a pink to red inside, which is evidence of nitrogen fixation. Nodules that are white or a light shade of green may not have started fixing nitrogen. Repeat the nodulation assessment about mid-August to see what peak nodulation may have occurred. Again, look for nodulation on the taproot. You may also notice a lot of nodules on the lateral roots. These nodules are likely from native or background rhizobia bacteria, which may or may not contribute to nitrogen fixation. Nodulation of the taproot is much more likely to fix the desired nitrogen for your peanut crop. Adding nitrogen fertilizer at planting or in a mid-season application will curtail nodulation, especially if applied early. If mid-season nitrogen is applied, delay it for six weeks or long enough that nodulation has at least started. Consider delaying fertilization until a nodule assessment can be conducted, which may enable you to reduce mid-season nitrogen fertilizer applications. PG
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SCIENCE CENTERED ON THE SEED
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Velum Total Registered For Insect/Nematode Control Bayer CropScience has received registration for their newest insecticide/nematicide for the 2015 cotton and peanut season in the Southeast. Velum Total insecticide/nematicide will deliver wide-spectrum, long-lasting control of nematodes and early season insects for better return-on-investment. Velum Total is a unique blend of active ingredients that works together to combat nematodes and stop insect damage. Applied in-furrow at planting, university trials show that Velum Total enhances root health and helps establish strong early season growth, decreasing the need for additional foliar sprays to control damaging insect pests. When used in cotton and peanut university trials, Velum Total provided greater yield response than the historical standard Temik, which is no longer available for sale or use in the United States. Velum Total is safe for use on crops in a tankmix with a variety of other agricultural products. “Bayer CropScience is excited to offer growers another tool in their tool box as we look to combat insect pressure for southern row crops,” said Lee Hall, Bayer CropScience product manager. “Velum Total offers growers a unique combination of long-lasting insect control and nematode management for a more efficient program that maximizes yield.” Velum Total will be available in the Southeast for cotton and
More Nimble Self-Propelled Sprayer For crop producers and commercial applicators wanting a smaller, lighterweight and competitively priced self-propelled sprayer, John Deere adds the R4023 to its Four Series Sprayer lineup.
The John Deere R4023 Sprayer features four-wheel hydrostatic drive; 600gallon poly tank and 80-foot booms that can fold to 60 feet for tight conditions. It also has durable, vibration-resistant CChannel chassis frame with a suspension dampening Soft Shock option for optimal operator comfort and sprayer perform20/
THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
peanuts in 2015, with a full launch in 2016 with expanded crop-use labels. For information regarding Velum Total or other Bayer products, please contact your Bayer CropScience representative, call 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit www.bayercropscience.us/products.
ance in rough terrain, plus IF tire options that provide a larger footprint with less compaction. The R4023 also features air springs, optional ventilated seat and additional cab soundproofing, auto-leveling package and sprayer-specific CommandARM for fingertip control and monitoring of all machine functions. The latest technologies integrated into the sprayer include AutoTrac, SprayStar, BoomTrac Pro, John Deere Section Control and Boom Return to Height. For more information on the new John Deere R4023 and other Four Series Sprayers, see your local John Deere dealer or visit www.JohnDeere.com/AG. Topguard Fungicide Expands Label The Environmental Protection Agency has expanded the list of crops for which
Topguard Fungicide can be used to effectively prevent and control a wide variety of economically important diseases, announces Cheminova, Inc., maker of Topguard. The EPA approved the addition of grain sorghum and the foliar use in cotton to the Topguard label. This move follows another recent label expansion that added wheat, triticale, pecan and other tree nuts, cucurbits, peppers and eggplant. Topguard, with the active ingredient flutriafol, already had labelling for soybeans, corn, peanuts and sugar beets. “Topguard exhibits excellent systemic activity and its residual control lasts longer than most other available fungicides,” says Deneen Sebastian, Cheminova marketing director for North America. “These properties, plus its two-hour rainfastness, make disease control more effective, complete and longer-lasting.” For more information about Topguard fungicide, growers are encouraged to contact their local crop protection specialist or visit the Cheminova web site at www.cheminova-us.com.
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Foundation For Weed Control Since first being identified in 2011, the incidence of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth or pigweed in the High Plains of Texas has steadily increased. Weed management in peanut affords producers the opportunity to use additional herbicide modes of action to manage herbicide-resistant weeds. JASON WOODWARD In general, dinotroaniline Texas Agri-Life Extension or “yellow” herbicides, such as Plant Pathologist Prowl H2O, Sonalan and Treflan, provide a good foundation for weed control and effective control of annual grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds. It is important to use proper application rates and incorporation techniques to maximize efficiency.
Pre-plant burndown applications of herbicides, such as Gramoxone Inteon and Roundup, can be used to provide a clean, weed-free seedbed. Use of at-plant herbicides, such as Valor, Dual Magnum or Parallel, serves to extend the level of control by lengthening the level of residual activity well into the growing season and eliminating weed competition. Additional products are registered for use in peanut and can be used in-season as the need arises to manage broadleaf
weeds or grasses. Remember to read and follow all label recommendations when using herbicides. Replacing worn nozzles, properly calibrating equipment and paying attention to environmental conditions during applications will help improve efficacy.
Grower Meeting Points During the past few weeks, we have been conducting our traditional grower meetings in North Carolina and Virginia. I always discuss the relationship of realistic yield potential, cost of production and price in order to determine net return. Growers are making these comparisons, especially in relation to net returns for other crops, and planting DAVID JORDAN decisions. A yield of two tons North Carolina State University with a production cost of Extension Agronomist $900 per acre and a price of $535 per ton will result in a profit of $170 per acre. How does that compare to other crops and the risks associated with growing other crops? With the widespread presence of Palmer amaranth, using an intensive soil-applied herbicide program at planting and timely sprays of contact and residual herbicides within the first few weeks of the season can be the most effective approach. Limitations exist with postemergence herbicides when forced to rely on them early in the season and a great deal of the season remains until harvest. Several insecticides are available as in-furrow options to control thrips, including acephate, imidacloprid and phorate. Each can be successful but in many instances will require a timely follow-up application of acephate. Apogee effectively controls vegetative growth of our rankest varieties. But this improvement in row visibility does not always translate into increases in yield. While we can spread out our planting dates and use different varieties, it is amazing how often peanuts reach optimum maturity at about the same time when it comes to digging. Ensure that your digging and harvesting capacities are in line with acreage and focus on the need to dig as precisely as possible. This is the short version of my presentation to growers during the past few weeks. I’ll touch on Dr. Barbara Shew’s key points relative to disease management as we move toward that part of the season.
MARCH 2015 • THE PEANUT GROWER /
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Seed Considerations
SCOTT MONFORT University of Georgia Extension Agronomist
The impact of the Farm Bill on peanut acres in Georgia will soon be determined. In all likelihood, Georgia will increase acreage up to 20 percent compared to 2014. With contract prices continuing to decline as a result of the carryover from 2014 and a predicted increase in 2015, growers will need to minimize costs while maintaining yield potential. This is not an easy task. One suggestion is to invest in a crop consultant or scout to assist in making
production decisions. Growers also need to take soil samples and correct any fertility and pH issues prior to planting. Appropriately adjusting soil fertility, based on soil sample analysis recommendations, will provide a solid start for your crop and ensure maximum yield potential. Take advantage of this downtime to perform needed maintenance and calibration to planters and application equipment. As you prepare to plant, consider these points: 1. Soil temperature in the top four inches of soil should be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive days with no predicted cold snaps within five days after planting. Check the average soil temperatures for your area online at the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network at www.griffin.uga.edu/aemn. 2. Use high-quality seed. Seed is one of your largest investments. Take time to visibly inspect your seed. Your seed is alive! Protect your seed by storing it in a cool, dry place until ready to plant. 3. Use appropriate seeding rates. Recommended rates for runner-type peanuts are five to six seed per foot for single row and three to four seed per row for twin rows. At these rates, you should average four to five plants per foot.
4. Test seed quality if stand issues arise. Seed quality should be good for the 2015 season. To help diagnose potential stand problems, growers should keep a one -pound sample of each lot of seed purchased until stands can be assessed. Place sample in a paper bag and store in a cool, dry place. If a stand problem develops, submit the sample for a germination test with the assistance of your local Extension office. Dispose of samples if stands are successful.
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THE PEANUT GROWER • MARCH 2015
A Case For Conservation Tillage Most growers are skeptical when it comes to conservation tillage. However, it is becoming more popular with many producers. Research has shown a yield drag due to conservation tillage when compared to the moldboard plow. Resistant weeds, such as Marestail and Palmer amaranth (pigweed), have brought on new challenges. Deep tillage is KRIS BALKCOM not the answer to those trouAuburn University Agri-Program Associate blesome weeds. The continuous tillage stirs the soil and allows for the weed seed to germinate and emerge. Disk harrows are like putting gasoline on a fire to stirring the soil for weeds to germinate. Conservation tillage with a thick cover helps block sunlight to the soil and prevents some of the weeds from germinating. It also helps keep the soil cooler. Preparing only a narrow strip of soil for the seedbed so you are not disturbing much soil and leaving a good thick mat of cover in the middles is important and will help block the sunlight, increase water infiltration and help with erosion control. Even if you have grazed the land early, you could still remove the cows and fertilize again as we recommend for cover crops, allowing the cover time to grow some size before you terminate it. Our test last year showed a 730pound yield increase for peanuts where we had a cover crop versus no cover.
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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. It’s easy staying informed on everything happening in the world of peanuts. The Peanut Grower E-News will help keep you plugged in.
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