Peanut grower november 2015 by One Grower Publishing

The

PEANUTGROWER ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

NOVEMBER 2015

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

Rain Chances Drive

HARVEST

Inoculants: Always A Smart Investment

PG1115 Layout_CF 11/13 template 10/19/15 4:15 PM Page 2

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NOVEMBER 2015 EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION

Volume 27 • Number 8

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 (615) 377-3322 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

Departments

Features

Editor’s Note A time to reflect on 2015

News Briefs New specialist in South Carolina

I-1 Inoculant Guide Getting a great return on your inoculant investment.

Market Watch How will weather affect the market?

Corn Hybrid Preview for 2016 Look for the CornSouth supplement following page 12 in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi version of The Peanut Grower.

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

12 New Products Anchor to irrigate around corners

2015 Crop Update Harvest conditions deteriorated quickly in the Southeast and V-C.

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A Time To Reflect On 2015

Amanda Huber

Editor, The Peanut Grower

Stay Connected www.peanutgrower.com Follow The Peanut Grower on Twitter @PeanutGrower

ith few exceptions, I have been on the Georgia Peanut Tour every year since the early 90s. This year stood out as particularly good for the opportunities to gather new information and be reminded of information known, but perhaps forgotten. At a visit to the Attapulgus Research and Education Center, located in the southwest corner of Georgia close to the Florida line, Abraham Fulmer, a University of Georgia plant pathology graduate student, talked about his research on early and late leafspot and, specifically, understanding how these diseases progress under various field conditions. In introducing his topic, Abraham, who one would think looks like what Abraham might would look like at an early age, said “in quoting the Great Book of Wisdom, ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’” He went on to say that much of managing peanuts is based on timing, and he’s certainly right about that, but his introduction sent me looking up and being reminded of all the things there is a “a time to.” You can look those up as well, unless you have them all memorized, but there were a few that correlated to the peanut industry in 2015.

A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted

is specific enough to peanuts. With this late crop, producers are having a time trying to get their crop harvested between rain showers and before the first frost.

A time to die makes me think of the severity of white mold in 2015 because of the extremely warm weather and abundance of rain. Bob Kemerait, UGA Extension plant pathologist, talked about his research on this disease and some new and exciting products that have been labeled recently, which we hope to hear more about in the near future. A time to search is what Mark Abney, UGA Extension entomologist, is telling producers they need to do in their fields. Scouting is vastly underused and blanket sprays are made when not needed, says Abney. He’s working on economic thresholds that will help producers make decisions on when to spray, but that is all dependent on the producer knowing how many insect pests are present per row foot. A time to heal makes me think of the final judgement of the Peanut Corporation of America case, and although I am hesitant to mention it, this does represent a closing of that chapter and a time to move forward. Just as I was wrapping this up, I received by email an invitation to Rome Ethredge’s retirement celebration. Is that fitting or what? Rome has been a county agent in Georgia for 27 years, with 22 years in Seminole County. He has been a valuable source of information to me and so many other people. Although I am truly going to miss his work as a county agent, I, along with many others, wish him the very best in the future.

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THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

Crop Insurance Update

The 2015 crop is the first year that peanut producers could insure their crop with the same options offered for other crops. Peanut revenue insurance options were introduced through the cooperative efforts of AgriLogic Consulting, Georgia Peanut Commission, Western Peanut Growers Association, key industry representatives and the USDA Risk Management Agency. The revenue insurance options allow for growers to insure against losses in revenue caused by yield losses, falling prices or both. Growers are still able to insure solely against yield losses as in previous years, but this year, approximately 70 percent of the total insured peanut acreage is covered under revenue coverage options. This corresponds to almost 80 percent of the total peanut crop insurance premium for 2015. Assessing peanut prices for valuing the insurance was a significant obstacle in developing revenue coverage options. With support from participants in production and marketing, information has been made available to determine prices based on indices from other commodities traded on futures exchanges. This year, the price used to value the initial guarantee for runner peanuts for most of the Southeast and parts of Texas was $424.60 per ton. The price used to value harvest production would not be finalized until after October. If the final price for runner peanuts was $414.00 per ton, a grower with an approved yield of 1.5 tons per acre who elected the 85 percent coverage level Revenue Protection and ended with a harvest yield of 1.25 tons per acre would receive a $24 per acre insurance indemnity payment. Had this grower elected the same coverage but chosen Yield Protection, the indemnity payment would be $11 per acre. Aditional revenue insurance options provide a wider range of choices when making risk management and production decisions in the years to come.

2015 Peanut Acreage Estimate

The Farm Service Agency estimates that the 2015 U.S. peanut acreage is up 22.7 percent based on FSA records as reported by farmers for a total of 1,601,718 acres, a 14,297 acre increase over the August estimate. If farmers can average 3,996 pounds per acre, as estimated by National Ag Statistics Service, U.S. production would be 3,200,232 tons, a 22.8 percent increase in production over last year. Some surprises in the acreage estimate were: Georgia is up from the last estimate by 3,035 acres, Florida was higher than expected, up 11.2 over last year; Mississippi is up 44.6 percent over last year and Texas also increased from last month by 4,871 acres, up 36.6 percent over last year.

Stopping EPA On WOTUS Forty seven U.S. Senators, including many from peanut regions, are co-sponsoring a joint resolution to nullify the “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule published in June by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The rule became effective Aug. 28 and is the subject of numerous lawsuits filed by states, including Georgia. “Georgia farmers and landowners are outraged that Washington is trying to regulate how they maintain streams, ditches and runoff water on their land,” said Sen. Perdue, a member of the Senate Ag Committee. “The EPA’s rule is a blatant government overreach that is causing confusion, uncertainty and unnecessary red tape.” The resolution was introduced in September by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), using the Congressional Review Act as justification. “This is yet another step in our fight against the administration’s ‘Waters of the United States’ rule, which allows federal bureaucrats to assert control over thousands of streams, creeks, wetlands, ponds and ditches throughout the country,” Sen. Johnny

In Brief: • Insurance example outlines risk management options • Acreage estimate up from August’s yield numbers • Bill seeks to stop EPA on WOTUS • New, modern shelling plant to be done by Spring • South Carolina names new peanut specialist • New company to re-open plant in New Mexico • NPB gets new slate of board members • Calendar of events

Isakson, (R-Ga.) said, “This tool will delay and prevent development and land-use activities on property owned by homeowners, farms, small businesses and municipalities. This rule harms not only landowners, but our entire agriculture industry in Georgia.”

Strong El Niño Predicted For several months, water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean have been warming at an increased rate, building one of the strongest El Niño’s in decades, says David Zierden, state climatologist of Florida. The event is on track to make late fall, winter and spring weather similar to that experienced during the strong El Niño events of 1997-1998 and 19821983. The last El Niño event took place in the winter of 2009-2010 but was considered mild. From a weather perspective, rain amounts in some locations could be 30 to 50 percent more than during non-El Niño times. Producers are advised to plant cover crops as soon as harvest is complete to protect against erosion. 5

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New Facility Ready By Spring Premium Peanut LLC, in Douglas, Ga., a modern shelling facility like no other in the nation, represents a $50 million investment and 100 new jobs for Coffee County. The plant is a product of the partnership between Premium Peanut’s Board of Directors: Steve Dixon, Dixon Farm Supply; Gabe Evans, Irwinville Peanut and Grain Co; Ralph G. Evans Sr., Douglas Peanut and Grain Co; Kent Fountain, Southeastern Gin; Gene Waldron, Deep South Peanut Co; Drew Walker, Jeff Davis Peanut and Grain; Scott Williams, Dixie Peanut Producers; and Gary Evans, Premium Peanut, LLC. While the facility is currently operational, construction crews will be working to add offices, complete storage facilities and will be adding railroad tracks in order to be able to ship the shelled peanuts by rail cars. Construction is on schedule to be completed in February of 2016. Production Manager W.A. Carver says the plant will be able to store up to 8,000 tons of peanuts and can process 720 tons of peanuts each day.

New Appointments To NPB Secretary Tom Vilsack recently appointed four members and five alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board. The appointees will serve threeyear terms beginning Jan. 1, 2016, with the Florida alternate beginning immediately and ending on Dec. 31, 2017. For Florida, William Carte of Live Oak is the new alternate member. Carte produces peanuts and sesame and has a cattle operation. From Georgia, Andy Bell of Climax is the new board member after serving six years as alternate. Bell’s operation consists of peanuts, cotton, corn, pine timber and 200 head of cattle. Neil Lee of Dawson is the new Georgia alternate member. Besides peanuts, Lee Farms also grows cotton, corn, pecans, wheat, soybeans and llama calves. 6 /

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For the At-Large position, Eileen Jordan of Rayville, La. is the newly appointed member. She has been in farming for 35 years and grows peanuts, corn, soybeans, rice, timber, pasture and has a cow/calf operation. Micah Barham of Oak Ridge, La. is the new at-large alternate and is in his fourth year of farming peanuts, corn and cotton. For South Carolina, Bud Bowers of Estill is the new board member after serving as alternate for six years. Owner and operator of Corrin F. Bowers & Sons Farm, Bowers began farming in a partnership in 1976 in peanuts, cotton and corn.

Calendar • Dec. 8-10, 2015 - American Peanut Council Winter Conference and 75th Anniversary Celebration, W Atlanta Midtown, Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.peanutsusa.com. • April 13-15, 2016 - International Peanut Forum, Madrid, Spain. For more information, visit www.peanutsusa.com/ipf2016. • July 12-14, 2016 – American Peanut Research and Education Society Annual Meeting, Hilton Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, Fla. For more information, go to www.apresinc.com.

New S.C. Peanut Specialist

Steven Neal Baxley Jr. of Alcolu is the newly appointed South Carolina alternate member. Baxley, along with his father Steve and brother Gene Robert, owns and operates Baxley Farms LLC, where they grow peanuts, corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat and rapeseed and have a cattle and hog operation. For Texas, Peter Froese Jr. of Seminole is the new board member after serving six years as alternate. Froese owns and operates Froese Land and Cattle and produces peanuts, wheat, cotton and sorghum. Bob White of Clarendon is the new Texas alternate member, after serving as board member for six years and chairman in 2015. Farming for 38 years, White and his wife Pat own and operate White Land Farms and produce peanuts, cotton, wheat, sorghum, potatoes and cattle. The nine appointees will be sworn in by USDA for their new terms at the December 2015 NPB meeting.

A plant pathologist with a background in research and educational outreach has joined Clemson University as South Carolina’s new peanut specialist. Daniel Anco, an Illinois native with master’s and doctoral degrees in plant pathology from Ohio State University, will work from Clemson’s Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville to provide assistance to peanut growers across the state. “I am excited to join Clemson University and the precision agriculture team at the Edisto Research and Education Center and look forward to helping peanut growers in South Carolina by providing new and updated management recommendations, evaluating cultivars and products for performance under South Carolina conditions, and determining ways to improve peanut production and disease and pest management by making resource use more efficient and effective,” Anco says. South Carolina growers harvested 108,000 acres of peanuts in 2014 with a value of $91.1 million, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Yields averaged 3,800 pounds per acre.

Company Opens N.M. Plant Ready Roast Nut Co. officials announced plans to create up to 200 jobs at the site of the former Sunland Peanut Co. Sunland’s bankruptcy and permanent closure followed a temporary shutdown after a salmonella outbreak in 2012. The local peanut plant sold to Golden Boy Foods Ltd. for $26 million in March 2014, which was then purchased by Ready Roast Nut Co. Co-owners of the California-based Ready Roast, Thomas Finn, Ann Billek and Tyler Angle, have said they plan to do things differently. “We supply major food manufacturers in the world. We’re the largest supplier to the ice cream industry of dice roasted almonds.” Finn said his two partners are food industry veterans with Billek being a food scientist that has developed many new peanut products with major food manufacturers. Ready Roast, which was established in 2006, has three facilities in California and employs over 500 people, according to Finn. Officials said the New Mexico location will begin by employing between 50 to 75 people with up to 200 employees during harvest season. “We believe in the Valencia peanut, and we hope to do good things here,” Finn said. Jim Lucero, who worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company for 20 years and at Sunland for a short time after the product recall, will operate the New Mexico location.

Duvall Runs For AFBF President Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall announced his intention to run for president of the American Farm Bureau Federation at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in July. “Agriculture is not only essential for life, it is essential for the security of our nation,” Duvall said, “I understand what it takes to keep Farm Bureau strong and extend our role as the

(From left ) Producers Brent Cogdill and Monty Rast join Ag Commissioner Hugh Weathers to see the delivery of peanut butter to the Harvest Hope Food Bank.

respected, trusted voice of agriculture in America.” Duvall has served nine years as president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and has been on several international trade missions on behalf of the Georgia Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau. He and his wife of 36 years, Bonnie, farm in Greene County, Ga. The election comes during the American Farm Bureau Convention in Orlando, Fla. in January 2016.

Peanut Butter To Flooded Areas Peanut producers and peanut butter manufacturers donated 62,010 jars of peanut butter to Harvest Hope Food Bank through Peanut Proud, a non-profit organization of the U.S. Peanut Industry. The retail value of the donation is estimated at $180,000. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers and South Carolina peanut producers Monty Rast and Brent Cogdill visited Harvest Hope Food Bank in Colombia, S.C., as the last shipment

was delivered. “So many people have been terribly affected by the recent rains and flooding. This donation by peanut producers and processors, some of whom are facing losses themselves, is a humbling display of generosity and resiliency. And we thank Harvest Hope for getting food to the folks who need it,” said Weathers. The shipment included peanut butter manufactured by J.M. Smucker Company, Algood Foods, Golden Boy Foods, The Kroger Company and John B. Sanfilippo & Sons. The National Peanut Board, the Georgia Peanut Commission and the Virginia Peanut Growers Association and North Carolina Peanut Growers Association were gracious in their donations to help with disaster relief in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Peanut Board are appreciative of the peanut industry’s donation. To learn more about Peanut Proud, visit peanutproud.com. 7

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Quality And Quantity Affected By Poor Harvest Conditions

own on the family peanut farm, there is much unhappiness. Commodity prices are the lowest in two decades; peanut contracts are at or below the cost of production, and that’s if you can find one. Input costs were higher than last year, and the peanut program regulations have been almost impossible to fully understand. Just trying to survive, too many peanuts were planted, and now Mother Nature is trying to even the score. If that isn’t enough, the Farm Bill eliminated cotton base to piggyback with peanuts. More insult to injury? Loan peanuts are being redeemed at $100 per-ton below loan level and now that is charged against the payment limit. No doubt, all this is enough to make the producer quit or at least go on an extended vacation. 2014 Crop Movement While the 2015 peanut crop was being planted, the industry was trying to move the 2014 peanut crop. Western peanut farmers, especially in Oklahoma, were faced with the bankruptcy of Texoma Peanut Company, but USDA and other shellers came to the rescue and helped the farmers survive. By August, USDA noted that 326,000 tons remained in the loan, and 6,647 tons had already been forfeited. The peanut program states that the Secretary may set the rate to minimize potential loan forfeitures and the accu-

8 /

mulation of peanut stocks by the federal government, plus minimizing the cost incurred by the federal government in storing peanuts.

J. Tyron Spearman

Contributing Editor, The Peanut Grower

August-maturing loans and Sept. 1 to lock in the lower repayment rate on later-maturing loans. The lower repayment rate can be locked in for up to 60 days. ‘Market Gain’ Issues This worked for USDA, but there was a problem. The difference in this new Farm Bill is that the “market gain” after paying the loan ($355$255 = $100 per ton) will be applied to the farmer’s $125,000 individual payment limit for the crop year since the farmer has retained “beneficial interest,” while the buyer got the savings. Farmers with peanuts already redeemed or not in the loan were not affected. But for some farmers with a share of the 300,000 tons of 2014 loan peanuts, the impact could be a major blow. Forfeitures are not subject to the payment limit, hence some farmers, who were understandably trying to not exceed the $125,000 payment limit, wanted shellers to forfeit their peanuts. And that’s exactly what USDA had hoped to avoid.

Suddenly in August, USDA lowered the loan repayment rate for two weeks to $254.51 per ton for runners, $237.34 per ton for Spanish and $259.28 per ton Virginias. Buyers had until Aug. 31 to repay

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New Crop Strategy At planting time, peanuts were the best option under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program when compared to other commodities. Economists told producers that if the average price is $440 per ton or 22 cents per pound, the farm base would receive about $100 per ton. The PLC payment applies to 85 percent of the base and will

likely face a 7.3 percent sequestration reduction, reducing the payment to about $75 per ton. Contracts were near $400 per ton in the Southeast for runners, $425 per ton for V-C region Virginias and $400 per ton in the Southwest region for high oleic peanuts. With a good yield and $100 per ton PLC, a farmer could survive. Things were looking better. Producers increased acreage 22.7 percent up to 1,601,718 acres versus 1,305,493 acres last year. The big surprise was Georgia was up 33 percent. Texas acreage was up 36.6 percent in traditional cotton-growing areas because, in this Farm Bill, the old cotton base became a generic base and could be applied proportionally as peanut base, but it had to be planted. The base change encouraged more peanut planting. Growing Season And Estimates Most states experienced a wetter-than-normal growing season and, coupled with new, higher-yielding varieties, the 2015 peanut crop estimate was astounding. USDA estimated 1,601,718 acres of peanuts averaging 3,996 pounds per acre or a crop of 3,200,232 tons, a modern record. The crop potential essentially pushed prices lower, but also pushed the need to get new storage space approved by USDA for loan peanuts. Growth in peanut demand will not keep pace with the supply. Limits on domestic shelling capacity and storage will make it even more crucial to broaden export markets this year. U.S. peanut exports in 2015/16 are hoped to exceed last year’s total by more than 100 million pounds and nearly matching the 2012/13 record at 1.19 billion pounds. A growing 13-percent increase is forecast for domestic use of peanuts. While food use of peanuts is forecast up 4.6 percent, most of the increase in domestic use is expected to be the gains for crushing, up 115 million pounds or up 17 percent, and seed and residual, up 260 million pounds or 73 percent. Despite increased demand, season-ending peanut stocks for 2015/16 may climb to 2.84 billion pounds or 1,421,000 tons.

LEADING MARKETING INDICATORS (As of Oct. 7, 2015) 2015 Acreage (USDA) Up 22.7% ................................... 1,582,000 acres 2015 Est. Peanut Production (3,996 ac) .......................... 3,160,500 tons 2014 Market Loan .............................................................. 2,122,852 tons 2014 Market Loan Redeemed ........................................ 2,054,950 tons 2014 Forfeited ......................................................................... 111,125 tons 2015-16 Domestic Usage (1 Mo.) ........................................... Down .9% 2014-15 Exports (Aug-Jul) ............................................................ Up 9.1% NATIONAL POSTED PRICE Runners -$424.51 ton, Spanish - $407.34 ton, Valencia and Virginias $429.28 ton

Weather Stalls Market The predicted bumper crop in the United States has been damaged by Mother Nature bringing wet conditions and flooding as peanut harvest opened in September. A misty, low pressure visited Georgia, Alabama and Florida for three weeks in late September, and then Hurricane Joaquin added flooding to sections of South Carolina and North Carolina. Sunshine finally returned the first week in October. However, losses are

expected in quality and quantity in all three growing regions. Dryland peanuts have suffered especially and grades are lower with some aflatoxin reported by inspectors. As one sheller noted, “Right now, we are trying to quickly harvest this crop before we get more rain. We anticipate having lots of peanuts, but weather has reduced volume, and quality is certain to be damaged. Never seen a peanut harvest quite like this!” PG

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Rain Chances Drive Harvest Weather threatens crop yields in the East, while the West starts harvest with a month of good field conditions. By Amanda Huber

ith a crop that was good in many areas, fair in others most of the season, the weather at harvest reminds us of the first line of the old Whitney Houston song, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” which says, “Remember when we held on in the rain.” Rain has had most producers on hold at some point during digging, with the Virginia-Carolina region in grave jeopardy from rains before, during and after Hurricane Joaquin. V-C Area Underwater Dell Cotton, Virginia Peanut Growers Association executive director, says the dry weather through much of the season has resulted in mostly a tap-root crop, which producers started digging a little early. “We had quite a few on top of the ground when it started raining, and now it has rained for a week,” he says. Then Hurricane Joaquin happened. While the storm not coming ashore was a blessing, it still sent bands of rain onto the coastal states soaking areas that were already water-logged and causing flash flooding in others. “It’s a real mess now. We need sunshine and we need it bad,” Cotton says.

Peanuts sit neatly in rows for the eighth day in a row on Glen Heard’s farm. Harvesters moved slowly beneath the threatening skies to get what they could.

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All’s Quiet In Texas In Texas, Jason Woodward, Texas A&M University Extension plant pathologist, says that the most common theme of the early growing season was weed issues. “Disease pressure has been extremely low with only a few isolated occurrences of Sclerotinia blight and pod rot being observed over the past few weeks,” he says. “Harvest is just getting under way with a few Valencia fields having been dug and thrashed. The prospect of rain over the weekend hindered many producers from getting in the field last week. Rain was widespread throughout the High Plains with accumulations of as much as an inch and a half being received in places. Forecasts over the next several days are calling for additional rain. Hopefully, digging will resume the first to middle part of next week.” Woodward says it is too early to tell what yields will be; however, maturity is as variable as he had seen it in his nine years in Texas peanut production. “Maturity is the big unknown as Texas’ producers begin harvesting, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the yield estimates from fields we have been monitoring over the past several

weeks,” Woodward says. Georgia Harvesting Between Showers In late September, with harvest running wide open on the earlier-planted peanuts, Scott Monfort says what he had seen looked pretty good. “This doesn’t look like a bumper crop or as good as the 2012 crop by any means, but dryland peanuts range from fair-to-good and irrigated fields look good, too. “Diseases have hurt some fields, and we’ve had a spike in tomato spotted wilt virus.” he says. “With 770,000 acres, we have peanuts behind peanuts and in some areas peanuts three years in a row.” White mold is particularly bad this year because of the warm, moist conditions, but Monfort says he hasn’t seen any really bad situations yet. “Overall, though, it’s nothing terrible or widespread, and we can’t complain too much.” In early October, cool fronts began to move through the Southeast following rain storms of one to two inches. A lot of peanuts were dug and on the wet ground. Sunshine was needed for farmers to get back to digging and drying full time.

Warm temperatures and an abundance of rainfall leads to more white mold in peanuts. This picture shows the possible devastation of this disease.

The less-than-ideal harvest weather has many producers concerned about the loss of peanuts on the ground and the cost of drying. Alabama Expecting Big Crop Alabama Extension Regional Agent

Kim Wilkins says she has been pod-blasting in fields throughout her area helping farmers get ready for harvest. Wilkins says weather this growing season has been conducive for peanut growers in her area. “Although the weather impact varies because my area is large, overall this growing season has been better suited to growing peanuts than last growing season,” Wilkins says. Last year, rain fell at planting time and at harvest with very little moisture in between. She says this year the rain showers came at the right time for farmers without irrigation. Several farmers in her area have irrigated peanuts and generally see a flourishing crop, but with ample rainfall this season Wilkins says the current crop is similar across the board. Wilkins says the earliest fields have been harvested, while other farmers will begin digging peanuts in upcoming weeks. Alabama producers planted 200,000 acres of peanuts this year, with a forecasted harvest of 709 million pounds, up 28 percent from 2014. PG

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To learn more visit us at www.AccuField.com 11

NOVE MBE R 2 015 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

Ag Rubber Tracks From Firestone Firestone Farm Tires, a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC announced the addition of Firestone-branded agricultural rubber tracks to the Firestone Farm Tires product portfolio. The introduction of tracks solidifies the company’s commitment to the North American farmer. New Firestone tracks for high-horsepower tracked tractors deliver performance and durability. Notable features of Firestone agricultural rubber tracks include: vulcanized lugs made of wear-resistant rubber compound for added durability; high-performance steel cables offering a precise balance of tensile strength and flexibility for exceptional durability; cut-resistant rubber compounds vulcanized as one piece with a seamless molded radius which enables the tread bars to remain steadfast to the rubber track. Firestone tracks are available in three design options: All Traction Class 4 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Peanut Grower 2. Publication Number: 1042-‐9379 3. Filing Date: 9/3/15 4. Issue Frequency: Jan -‐ July & Dec 5. Number of Issues: 8x/year 6. Annual Susbcription Price: Free to qualified subscribers 7&8. Mailing Address of Known Office/Headquarters: 1010 June Rd., Memphis, TN 38119 Contact Person: Kathy Killingsworth (901-‐767-‐4020) 9. Publisher: Lia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 Editor: Amanda Huber, 11490 NE 105th St, Archer, FL 32618 10. Owners: Cornelia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 Dr. David Scott Guthrie,Sr., 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 Morris Ike Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159 Mary Jane Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning/Holding 1% or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: July 2015 15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 9,562) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 9,734) 15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 5,993) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 6,089) 15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 5,993) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 6,089) 15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 3,321) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 3,217) 15.d.(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 53) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐200) 15.e. Total Nonrequested Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 3,374) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 3,417) 15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 9,367) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 9,506) 15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 195) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 228) 15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 9,562) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 9,734) 15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months -‐ 64.0%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -‐ 64.1%) 18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete. Lia Guthrie, Publisher

12 /

provides excellent ride comfort and high traction with more ground contact points; All Traction Class 5 provides excellent ride comfort and high traction with more ground contact area; and All Traction Class 6 provides better mud release and is suitable for softer soil conditions. Firestone agricultural tracks come with a warranty program of four years or 4,000 hours. To learn more about Firestone agricultural rubber tracks and other farm tires, visit www.firestoneag.com.

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

Syngenta Receives Fungicide Registration Syngenta recently announced that its newest succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide – Solatenol – has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is now available in four product offerings, pending individual state registrations. Solatenol fungicide offers U.S. growers of a dozen major crops, including peanuts, an outstanding new option for disease control through several features. In peanuts, Elatus fungicide, a combination of Solatenol fungicide and azoxystrobin, provides peanut growers with the disease control they need to maximize yield potential and their return on investment. Elatus provides application flexibility and reliable, long-lasting residual control of yield-robbing peanut diseases, such as Southern stem rot (white mold), leaf spot, limb rot and rust. For more information about Solatenol fungicides or Elatus for peanuts, visit www.syngentacropprotection.com.

New Anchor Package For Pivots Valley Irrigation is expanding its Bender product line with a new anchor package that extends the reach of irrigation machines even further. Valley Bender products allow a center pivot to bend and wrap around in-field obstacles, irrigating the acres behind it. Valley Benders can be easily, and inexpensively, added to an existing or new center pivot to put those acres into production. Valley Bender options can be installed on any span tower, and multiple Benders can be added to the same pivot for maximum benefit. With the new Bender Anchor, producers can use Valley Benders on longer machines, as well as on rough or rolling terrain, up to 2,000 feet to irrigate additional acres at a low per-acre cost. The new barricade keeps the front tire positioned on a hard surface to prevent sliding during bending and anchors the back tire close to the ground. Once the anchor package is installed, no grower intervention is needed in the field. Learn more about Valley Irrigation’s Benders and the new Bender Anchor at www.valleyirrigation.com.

Inoculant Guide November 2015

Sponsored by BASF

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Plan Ahead, Plan for Success What does the coming season hold for you? How can you prepare for success? What production management strategies and tools can help increase your yield?

Here’s what you’ll discover in this issue of The Peanut Grower Inoculant Guide: The economics of inoculants — learn more about the potential for increasing yield and getting the most out of your investment. BASF solutions for peanut growers, including an update on products registered for use in peanuts, including Prowl® H2O herbicide, Outlook® herbicide and Cadre® herbicide. 2016 planning and preparation overview — things to know. Interviews and insights from Justin Clark, BASF Technical Market Specialist, and Sandy Newell, BASF Senior Technical Service Representative. An overview of the Grow Smart™ approach — learn how it can help you achieve more and move beyond the status quo. We hope you find this year’s Inoculant Guide to be a valuable resource. Let’s Grow Smart together and get you the most, acre after acre, season after season. Here’s to a successful 2016.

Grow Smart is a trademark, and Biostacked, Vault and Integral are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2015 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. APN 15-MKT-0093 Grow Smart is a trademark, and Cadre, Outlook and Prowl are registered trademarks of BASF Corporation. © 2015 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. APN 15-MKT-0093

Always read and follow label directions.

Inoculant Guide SPONSORED BY BASF

The Potential For Top Yields

ne small peanut seed contains all of the potential for a top-yielding crop of healthy, delicious and nutritious peanuts. However, planting the seed is not enough to achieve all of that potential. Producers must make sound planting decisions prior to putting the seed in the ground. At planting, the seed must be surrounded with inputs that allow for quick, uniform germination and robust early growth. Just after germination, the seedling should be protected and nurtured to move it quickly along with the goal of vigorous growth leading to canopy closure. This is the way to keep every bit of the potential that seed has to offer. Vigorous Potential Because it is a legume, the peanut seed is unique in that, given the right conditions, it can provide its own nitrogen. More accurately, it needs a little help and that’s where the “right conditions” come into play. Rhizobia bacteria enter the roots and begin multiplying; this bacteria colony takes in nitrogen from the atmosphere and makes it available to the plant. The “right conditions” are when the seed comes into contact with the bacteria from the start and that happens with the application of fresh, high-quality, peanut-specific inoculant product,

which is applied in a concentrated area around the peanut seed. Applying an inoculant at planting is the only way to make certain the bacteria needed by the seed are available in sufficient quantity and quality to get the seed off to a good start. Enhanced Protection One of the biggest benefits of using an inoculant is that, by putting the rhizobia into the soil, it benefits the plant’s health from the time it is planted. Inoculants are more cost effective – it’s a natural way to do things, it’s more cost effective and the plants benefit from day one from the inoculant. Plus, with a product like Vault Liquid with Integral bio-fungicide, plants are also protected by suppression of seedling diseases such as Rhizoctonia and Fusarium. With extended protection against these diseases, nodulation is enhanced and the result is more vigorous roots and greater nutrient uptake. In this 2015 Peanut Inoculant Guide presented by The Peanut Grower and BASF, producers can learn more about the return on investment inoculants offer, plus the new Grow Smart approach to crop production management being offered by BASF. Together, the 2016 crop can be one of the best, but it all starts with the potential of a seed.

Contents I-3 The Potential For Top Yields Inoculants are a great way to start the seed off right 1-4

What Is The Inoculant ROI? It pays for itself and then some

1-6 Helping You Grow Smart Get the most of every acre, season after season I-8

Planning For 2016 Start out the right way

1-10 Q & A: Inoculants So much to know about rhizobia bacteria

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Inoculant Return On Investment

rofitability involves putting all the pieces together in a timely manner to bring about a quality product that yields above what is needed to cover costs. From planting through harvest, there is a set schedule of management steps that need to be taken to bring about a return on investment in the crop. Research has shown time and again that inoculants are a sound investment that bring about a clear return in dollar value. Multi-year trials conducted in various states have shown that inoculants increase peanut yield versus both untreated acres and nitrogen fertilizer. Nothing beats the competitive advantage and return on investment as the use of inoculants. In one such study at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Moultrie, Ga., it was found that Vault inoculants increased peanut yields by as much as 1,203 pounds per acre versus untreated acres and by 419 pounds per acre versus a major competitor. Vault Liquid with Integral biofungicide has enhanced root vigor, increased nutrient uptake and provides disease suppression for the peanut crop. Proven Profitability Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia cropping systems agronomist, researched the profitability of inoculant products and found that liquid inoculant products increased profitability by $164 per acre. In a test on new ground with liquid inoculants applied in-furrow at planting, Tubbs says, “The inoculated products out-yielded the uninoculated products, and whereas the difference may not have been a statistical difference as far as data analysis, it would have been an economical difference to the producer; enough of a difference to have paid for the use of the product. I-4 /

Peanut Yield Response in Fields Without a History of Peanuts Versus Fields with Frequent Plantings of Peanuts (1999-2014) New Peanut Fields

Fields With A Recent History Of Peanuts

No inoculant

3,507

4,256

Inoculant

5,072

4,454

Difference

1,565

198

1999-2014

Inoculant Use

Number of Trials Years

Source: David Jordan, 2015 NCSU Peanut Information.

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

University Extension peanut specialist, says growers should inoculate their peanut seed or fields to ensure that adequate levels of rhizobia are present in each field. “The research data demonstrates that while peanut response to rotation is often predictable, response to inoculant and rotation combinations is less predictable. Therefore, peanuts should be inoculated in all years regardless of previous rotation history to minimize risk and maintain yield,” Jordan says.

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

Why Mess With Perfection? It may seem obvious as to why the use of inoculants is the economical choice for supplying nitrogen to the plant. For one, nitrogen fertilizer is expensive and the price volatile. However, research has also shown that the addition of fertilizer at planting has a detrimental affect on the peanut’s natural ability to fix nitrogen. Justin Clark, technical market specialist, BASF, explains, “The plant takes up the nitrogen that’s been added to the soil, and it doesn’t utilize the symbiotic relationship with the rhizobia bacteria in the soil. In turn, that can affect nodulation and long-term nitrogen fixation. As the growing season progresses, the nitrogen fertilizer dissipates and you end up with a rhizobia deficiency and lower yields.” Added Value In This Product Once the seed germinates and begins to grow, an inoculant that provides added protection to the seedling can bring producers additional peace of mind that their crop is being guarded against disease. “That’s what Vault Liquid with Integral biofungicide can do for producers,”

Inoculant Guide SPONSORED BY BASF

Clark says. “Our inoculant products combine multiple biologicals into one package for suppression of seedling diseases such as Rhizoctonia and Fusarium. The fungicide component provides two to three weeks longer protection above the seed treatment and is another mode of action against the more common seed-

ling diseases. “With extended protection against these diseases, nodulation is enhanced and the result is more vigorous roots and greater nutrient uptake.” When you combine the yield increase over no inoculant and the savings in fertilizer application, plus the extended pro-

tection of the seedling, there is no doubt that inoculants are worth the input cost. “We have a fresh, one-year product with proven yield results,” Clark says. “The combination of higher yields and reduced fertilizer expenses makes an inoculant a good investment for your peanut crop.” IG

Peanut Response to Ammonium Sulfate in New Ground with Observable Nitrogen Deficiency in Leaves Data Pooled Over 10 Experiements from 2007-2014. Ammonium Sulfate Cost: $0.29/lb; Peanut Price: $0.28/lb ($560/ton).

Ammonium Sulfate Rate lbs/A

Actual Nitrogen Rate lbs/A

Ammonium Sulfate or Inoculant Cost $/A

Actual Peanut Yield lbs/A

Peanut Yield Above No Inoculant and No Ammonium Sulfate lbs/A

Economic Return Above Inoculant or Ammonium Sulfate Cost $/A

3,161

285

$83

3,867

692

$111

428

$124

4,163

991

$154

571

120

$166

4,225

1,061

$131

714

150

$207

4,261

1,094

$99

4,335

1,261

$345

Inoculant

Source: David Jordan, 2015 NCSU Peanut Information.

I-5

NOVE MBE R 2 015 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

Helping You Grow Smart

arming may seem to be a solitary occupation, and while producers do spend long hours in the field by themselves, every producer knows there is a team of people he works with to be successful. There is the crop consultant, the Extension agent, the parts dealer, his banker, of course, and the agrichemical retailer, just to name a few. Together with this team, peanut producers grow the tonnage needed to provide consumers with delicious and nutritional peanuts. As a part of the team, BASF wants to help producers grow their crops, their business and their knowledge, through Grow Smart – a total experience combining people, personalized plans, risk protection tools and their product portfolio. Getting The Most Out Of Every Acre Caren Schmidt, BASF technical marketing manager, says at the heart of the Grow Smart go-to-market strategy, BASF wants to work with growers on a personalized basis trying to The Grow Smart pair BASF experts and their Strategy Combines: portfolio of products, im• People plementing that knowledge • Portfolio in the fields to meet various • Personalization • Protection goals, whether it is yield or otherwise. “Growers plan, plant, manage and harvest making so many decisions along the way. BASF strives to work with producers through the Grow Smart strategy to help them manage their crops and make those decisions,” Schmidt says. On-Farm Program Comparison One part of the Grow Smart strategy involves BASF’s onfarm trials and small plots to help producers see the difference in this management program with the use of BASF’s expertise, plus their portfolio of products. “We have on-farm trial programs in many crops, such as corn and soybeans, looking at side-by-side comparisons with the BASF Grow Smart management plan to show producers how the Grow Smart management plan will compare to the grower’s standard,” Schmidt says. “The Grow Smart plots are showing great results, and we’re excited to share those with producers.” Schmidt says BASF hopes to have formal Grow Smart onfarm trials in peanuts eventually. Strong Portfolio Of Products Even without formal Grow Smart on-farm trials specifically in peanuts, producers know that BASF offers a strong portfolio of products from planting to harvest. The inoculants, herbicides and fungicides help producers grow and protect peanut yield. Vault Liquid inoculant for peanuts offers highly effective rhizoI-6 /

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

Producers have the added benefit of expertise provided by BASF through the Grow Smart management strategy.

bia bacteria produced fresh each season and ready to colonize the roots quickly to begin fixing nitrogen to help the seedling get off to a good, healthy start. The addition of Integral biofungicide to the inoculant gives early and extended suppression of Rhizoctonia and Fusarium root rots, which helps to further enhance nodulation and nutrient uptake. BASF’s herbicides offer flexibility along with efficacy through customized programs that can help producers control tough weeds, grasses and the emerging generation of herbicide-resistant weeds. For disease control, fungicides with advanced chemistry provide powerful tools designed to protect crops from a large variety of fungi with long-lasting disease protection, post-infection disease control and advanced plant health benefits. Together, in the Grow Smart management plan, these products provide consistent performance to deliver high-quality crops and higher potential yields. The Grow Smart approach is geared toward one goal: helping producers get the most, acre after acre, season after season. IG

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your business by leaps and vaults.

If you’re a peanut grower looking for a yield-boosting inoculant, look no further than VAULT Liquid plus INTEGRAL® biofungicide. This rhizobial inoculant has BASF’s exclusive Biostacked® technology, which helps maximize nitrogen fixation. INTEGRAL biofungicide enhances nutrient uptake and helps suppress root rot for improved peanut nodulation. And that helps protect your yield potential for every acre. Talk to your BASF Authorized Retailer today. Learn more at agproducts.basf.us.

PLANNING FOR

ith harvest incomplete and some areas declaring disaster from flooding, the outlook on 2016 is full of too many unknowns. However, peanuts will be planted to meet the robust demand for peanut butter and other peanut products. In many instances, rotation schemes have already dictated how many acres you will be able to plant to peanuts next year. With that in mind, consider some of the following points in your crop planning. Add Fresh Product At Planting Growers looking to optimize next year’s peanut crop also need to consider the effects of this year’s crop and that I-8 /

2016

of the weather, particularly areas that got too much rain or parts of Hurricane Joaquin, had on the soil in many areas. Flooding depletes the soil of oxygen and creates conditions under which bacterium, a living organism, will die. “Flooding will have a definite impact on the rhizobia population below the soil surface,” says Justin Clark, technical market specialist, BASF. “Even if your fields did not flood, previous peanut crops can take a lot of nutrients and rhizobia out of the soil, so it’s important to put fresh, robust rhizobia back into the soil at planting.” The importance of good rhizobia inoculation should be a priority at planting. When good nodulation is achieved, the

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

maximum yield potential is still possible. Don’t miss out on that yield potential. Starter Fertilizer Can Be Costly ‘If some is good, more is better’ is one philosophy on inputs at planting. In the case of starter fertilizer, research has shown that this input does more harm than good in most peanut fields. Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia cropping systems agronomist, found in his research that the use of starter fertilizer decreased profitability. “In most years, it takes only a 50-to 80-pound-per acre increase in yield to cover the cost of the inoculant application at planting.” Starter fertilizer will decrease profitability anywhere from $15

Inoculant Guide SPONSORED BY BASF

Nodulation achieved through inoculation of peanut plants has been one of Tubbs’ many studies into inoculants. “We conducted an experiment where the roots of the peanut were carefully cut off of the plant, and then the nodules were slowly and carefully pulled off of the root cuttings. We then weighed the nodules from the different plants. “As expected, the plants that had an inoculant applied had much more nodulation than the untreated check plants. The inoculated peanuts did better than the untreated check on all variables.” Tubbs’ advice, “Do not depend solely on foliage color to determine an inoculant failure. Get below the surface to see that the nodules are forming and that they are active.”

to $54 dollars per acre, he adds. Jay Chapin, Clemson University Extension specialist, who retired and then came back out of retirement because he was needed, previously found that with no inoculant and no additional nitrogen application, a producer could lose as much as $390 per acre. However, with no inoculant applied and 180 units of nitrogen applied as a rescue, the producer could still lose $236 per acre. It pays to apply an inoculant at planting, and starter fertilizer only serves to hurt that symbiotic relationship between the rhizobia bacteria and the emerging seedling. Foliage Color Not Accurate Indicator Producers know that a dark green crop is usually a sign that everything is going well, but yellowish foliage could be a sign of many different problems. Don’t rely on foliage color to determine inoculant success or even failure. Get down into the root of the matter.

Solutions For The Complete Crop Starting the crop off right at planting is, unfortunately, not all that producers have to worry about. Peanut production must be approached as a system with many parts, inoculation being one of the many parts. Other key elements producers must be timely with include weed and disease control. For all of these management challenges, there is someone you can go to.

Sandy Newell, technical service representative, says BASF has one of the most extensive product lines available for peanut producers to choose from. “There’s Prowl and Cadre herbicides, Headline and now Priaxor fungicides and Apogee the plant growth regulator. There is Poast herbicide for use on grasses and Outlook herbicide that can be applied over-the-top for residual control of pigweed, not to mention Vault Liquid with Integral biofungicide to get the crop off to a good start. “We offer a variety of herbicides, fungicides and inoculant technologies, plus other products for other crops, that provide the highest level of crop protection.” Newell says the BASF team of experts is always ready to work with peanut producers and aims to deliver products and services that not only meet the needs of producers, but also exceeds their expectations. “Our customer focus and broad product line backed by university-tested research will help you get the most from every acre, season after season.” He adds, BASF Crop Protection will help you find the solutions you need to achieve healthier plants, higher yields and increased profit potential. “That’s our commitment to you.” IG

BASF Solutions For Your Peanut Crop • Vault Liquid Inoculant – With Integral biofungicide technology for improved nodulation, root vigor, nutrient uptake, seedling disease suppression and protection so that peanuts can reach maximum yield potential. • Cadre Herbicide – Controls more than 34 grasses and broadleaf weeds, including nutsedge, pigweed and morningglory. • Headline Fungicide – Helps control disease and improve overall plant health for higher yields. • Pursuit Herbicide – Proven, relentless control of the toughest broadleaf weeds and grasses, including nightshade, for a wide variety of crops. • Endura Fungicide – Features active ingredient Boscalid, which offers growers a unique mode of action with superior disease control in many important crops. • Prowl H20 Herbicide – A water-based formulation that helps maximize herbicide availability for residual weed control through excellent surface stability and reduced binding to field residue. • Outlook Herbicide – Powerful, consistent control of grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds, such as pigweed, while delivering excellent crop safety. • Priaxor Fungicide – Powered by Xemium fungicide, an active ingredient that continuously distributes its unique chemistry throughout the leaf to deliver long-lasting disease protection. I-9

NOVE MBE R 2 015 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

Q & A:

INOCULANTS Q. A.

Well-nodulated peanut plants

What is the benefit of using an inoculant? As a legume crop, peanuts can supply their own nitrogen, but only if rhizobia bacterium is available in the root zone and in close proximity to the emerging seedling to enter into the root and begin fi xing atmospheric nitrogen. To do this successfully, there must be a sufficient quantity of fresh, vigorous bacteria ready to move into the roots and multiply quickly. This is the most efficient and sustainable means of supplying nitrogen to the peanut plant. Today’s inoculant products also may contain more than the peanut-specific robust bacteria the plant needs. It may also contain protection against seedling disease. For example, Vault Liquid Peanut plus Integral combines BioStacked technology with Integral biofungicide for enhanced root vigor, nutrient uptake and suppression of Rhizoctonia and Fusarium root rot, providing even more protection for peanut yield potential.

Q. A.

Should I apply an inoculant every year? Bacteria can survive in the soil for many years, but today’s inoculant products are far superior to bacteria found natively in the soil. Producers need a product that is ready to colonize in the root, form nodules and begin fi xing nitrogen as quickly as possible. Because it is a live organism, rhizobia already in the soil and not applied fresh at planting has spent its energies just trying to survive in the soil and may not be the vigorous product producers need. In the Southwest, fresh inoculant must be added every year because of the

I-10 /

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 015

harsh field conditions. Liquid, in-furrow products have been found to work best in arid, dry soils. In the Virginia-Carolina area, where flooding has occurred, water-logged soils will have depleted oxygen levels making it impossible for rhizobia to survive. In the Southeast, a combination of high temperatures and/ or water-logged soils may create conditions wherefore applying an inoculant is simply a sound investment into the crop.

Q. A.

Will soybean inoculant work in peanuts? No. The product may be similar in name, but the species of bacteria needed for these two legume crops are different. Bacteria know what their primary host is and the signal chemicals sent out from the roots of the soybean are different than those sent out by peanut. The soil is full of many different types of bacteria, but those signal chemicals tell exactly which bacteria to respond. Putting a soybean inoculant on peanuts is simply wasting money. To get the benefits of nitrogen fi xation and the resulting vigorous root growth, disease protection and, ultimately, a boost in yields, an inoculant specially produced for peanuts should be used.

Q. A.

What is important about the handling and application of an inoculant product? An inoculant should be bought fresh each year for maximum viability. Inoculants should be kept completely away from direct sunlight, and are best stored at temperatures from 40 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not freeze the product. Once a package has been opened, use it within 24 hours. At application, make sure the inoculant is placed in direct contact with the seed for maximum uptake. If planting conditions are less than ideal, consider using a little more than the recommended rate. If water is used as a carrier for the inoculant, chlorine-free water, such as well or rain water, should be used. Refer to the product label for further care and handling instructions and for application rates.

Inoculant Guide SPONSORED BY BASF

Q. A.

How can I get the best efficacy from an inoculant product at planting? Rhizobia want to be in the soil and ready to move into growing peanut seedling roots to begin converting atmospheric nitrogen into something usable for the plant; it’s the sole purpose of their existence. This all starts with selecting the right product fresh every year. Then, it needs to be stored and handled properly in that time between delivery and planting, as mentioned above. At planting, proper calibration of application equipment is important. Check all nozzles and spray tips, and make sure everything is clean, in working order and calibrated correctly. Remember that heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer too soon after planting may hurt or lessen the activity of the rhizobia bacteria. Nitrogen-fixation through the symbiotic relationship with peanut-specific bacteria is the best, most efficient and sustainable way to supply the plant with nitrogen.

Q. A.

How do I choose the right product for my fields? Inoculant products are thoroughly field tested. Evaluate university field trials, in your area if possible, to determine what inoculant product might work best in your production system. Without adequate nodulation, you won’t have the yields you need. What a grower should look for in an inoculant product, first and foremost, is something specific to peanuts. You need a product with a high volume of rhizobia in it – such as can be found in liquid inoculant products, which provide a lot more rhizobia than other formulations.

Q. A.

How do I know the inoculant is working? Peanut growers should target two key times to scout their nodulation. First, scout five to six weeks after planting to assess early nodulation in advance of decisions about applying mid-season nitrogen. Second, checking late-season nodulation from mid-August to early September will confirm early observations and or flag fields that nodulat-

Conditions Affecting Rhizobia Viability In The Soil • Acidity: Rhizobia and/or their effectiveness may be reduced in soils with a pH below 5.5 or above 8.0. • Competition: Other strains of bacteria and soil organisms competing for moisture and nutrients may reduce the amount of rhizobia.

Active nodules

ed poorly. For poorly nodulated fields, try to examine why nodulation did not occur to the amount desired and what can be done to enhance nodulation in next year’s crop. Obvious signs where the inoculant was misapplied are yellow rows or even spotty green/yellow areas throughout the field or light pea-green field color suggesting nitrogen deficiency. Common causes of minimal to no taproot nodulation despite inoculant application are as follows: • Poor placement of in-furrow granular or liquid inoculant. Make sure the liquid stream is coming right in on top of the seed and that granular drop hoses do likewise. • Shallow planting, less than one and a half inches, especially at one inch, particularly for liquid inoculants, where surface soil may become hot or dry out. Death of inoculum and reduced nodulation may also occur when little soil is drug back over the seed even if planted deeper. • The use of starter fertilizer near the seed at rates beginning near 30 pounds per acre. This will reduce nodule development, and larger applications of mid-season nitrogen can reduce peak nodulation as peanut plants take the lazy approach and use the fertilizer before fostering nodule development. • Incompatibility with other products applied at planting. Always read and follow the label for product compatibility or consult your inoculant company representative. IG

• Drought: Moisture is needed for rhizobia to survive. Prolonged drought, combined with high temperatures, can reduce levels. • Flooding: In contrast, flooding and the depletion of oxygen in the root zone will also kill or greatly reduce bacteria in the soil. • Nitrogen level: Applying a starter fertilizer in an amount as low as 30 pounds per acre, as research has shown, will reduce nodule formation and the plant’s ability to fix its own nitrogen. • Organic matter: Rhizobia survive better in soils with increased organic matter. • Plant stress: Any practice or condition that puts stress on the plant can reduce the nutrients available to the bacteria thereby reducing formulation of nodules. • Seed treatments or pesticides: Some products are toxic to the bacteria. Read product labels for compatibility. • Soil conditions: Compaction and erosion may reduce rhizobia populations. • Temperature: Rhizobia populations can be reduced in hot, dry soils, particularly at planting, or may not be available to shallow-planted seed. Cool soil temperatures may slow bacteria movement into the roots. Applying a fresh, robust rhizobia through a quality inoculant product will help ensure that these conditions do not affect the potential return on investment in the peanut crop.

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a more effective approach to weed control.

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