Peanut grower november 2017

The

PEANUTGROWER ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

NOVEMBER 2017

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

Research Review Sponsored by National Peanut Board

A Look At The V-C Crop

New Tools From The Seam When Digging, Speed Matters

PG1117 Layout_CF 11/13 template 10/16/17 10:18 AM Page 8

At Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, we’ve made a commitment to providing the highest quality, best performing peanut seeds in the market. And we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for trusting us as your partner. Together, we’re setting new standards for success.

If you’d like to partner with Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, call your local buying location.

Or, visit us at goldenpeanut.com.

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The

NOVEMBER 2017

PEANUTGROWER ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

NOVEMBER 2017

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

New Tools From The Seam

Research Review Sponsored by National Peanut Board

Volume 29 • Number 8

When Digging, Speed Matters

A Look At The V-C Crop

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Departments 4 5

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Editor’s Note Why is everyone panicking?

News Briefs Damage allowance unchanged from 2016.

Market Watch Another double-digit record-breaking crop.

17 New Products Irrigation management tools.

24 Peanut Pointers Make notes on this crop to help plan 2018.

Supplement

Good yields are expected across the Carolinas and in Virginia.

12 USDA Issues Farm Safety Net

We share a responsibility to leave the land in better shape for the next generation. - Sonny Perdue.

R ES E A R

13 Research Review

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November 2017

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SPO N SO R E D B Y

NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD

From grower investment to cutting-edge research.

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@PE ANUTGR

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NAT ION

SPON SORE D BY

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CornSouth Southern Production & Marketing Strategies

10 A Look At The V-C Crop

T WIT

Corn Hybrid Preview

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Features

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18 New Tools For Producers And Handlers Information on your peanuts sent directly to you from The Seam.

20 Crown Rot Disease On The Rise

Why are fungicide applications no longer providing control?

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and The Peanut Grower Magazines

2018 Corn Hybrid Preview Look for the Corn South supplement following page 24 in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi versions of The Peanut Grower.

T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

22 When Digging, Speed Matters

Keep these factors in mind when setting tractor speed at digging.

Cover photo provided by Maria Balota, Extension specialist, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Experiment Center.

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

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

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

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

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

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President The Peanut Grower (ISSN 1042-9379) is an agribusiness magazine for U.S. peanut producers. Published in eight monthly issues, January through July and November. Annual subscriptions are $40.00. Single Copy price is $5.00. Annual overseas subscriptions are $70.00, including Canada/Mexico.

Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. Copyright © 2017 One Grower Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved except where otherwise noted. The Peanut Grower ® is a registered trademark, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with the registration. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 600651388. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim.

The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claim as its own, and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Printed in the USA.

Nobody Panic

F

or the past several years, those of us living in a coastal state were plenty happy with predictions of hurricanes that never came to pass. This year, my luck ran out as Irma seemed determined to make up for the past 12 years of no hurricane making landfall in Florida. What was more stunning than the size of this record-breaking storm was the panic it created in the week to 10 days before it could get here.

I have been through every hurricane Amanda Huber to hit my part of Florida since I was Editor, The Peanut Grower born, and that was a few years ago.

More than that, my family has been in Florida for more than 230 years, and it’s only been about the last 60 to 70 of those that we could know a hurricane was coming.

Making our normal preparations for Irma was made considerably more difficult with a run on everything, especially gas and non-perishables.

Thanks to GPS now, when the interstates and primary roads turned into parking lots, many people took the smaller county roads, which made getting anywhere a major task. I guess one benefit from this is that city folks saw a part of Florida they probably didn’t know existed.

I’m glad all of that is behind us now, but it does make me, once again, thankful to work with farmers. You folks don’t panic. In fact, some of you are downright unflappable. Sure if something happens to a family member, that’s a different situation altogether, but other than that, you really take most everything else in stride. Most of what happens you have anticipated, if not that specific pest, disease, breakdown or weather situation, you knew many things throughout the crop year would present challenges you have to deal with.

Based on this hurricane experience, I know what changes I need to make in storm preparations for next time. As many Extension specialists say, taking an assessment and making records of this year’s crop will help you with decisions on future crops. No matter what 2018 throws at us, nobody panic.

One Grower Publishing, LLC, also publishes Cotton Farming, Rice Farming, Soybean South and Corn South.

One Grower Publishing, LLC

6515 Goodman Rd., Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 Phone: 901-767-4020

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Blanched Peanuts Reclassified After diligent work from the American Peanut Council, the World Customs Organization has determined that blanched peanuts should be considered as raw product and will be placed under the tariff classification code 12.02 where other raw peanuts are categorized.

The action reverses the decision last September to classify blanched peanuts as “processed,” and thus subject to import duties in many countries.

The APC worked to establish a coalition of organizations and countries to oppose this action and reverse the initial decision. The APC appreciates the efforts of everyone who worked toward the change as well as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the changed determination.

New Grading System Moves Ahead T. E. Moye, CEO of the GeorgiaFederal-State Inspection Ser vice, reports that an agreement has been signed with Georgia Tech to move ahead with developing a new grading process with new technology. Partners uniting in the project include Georgia Tech, Federal State Inspection Service, Lewis Carter Manufacturing Co. and USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Athens.

Work on the project has already begun, but was delayed because of contracting and subcontracting rights, which has since been cleared. Moye said that progress is being made on imaging using a camera to detect damage. With various samples, work is being done on calibrating the imaging machine to specifications from the USDA peanut grading program.

No Change In Damage Allowance In May 2017, the Peanut Standards Board proposed a rule change that revised the minimum quality standards for domestic and imported peaT WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

nuts. The Board advised the Secretary of Agriculture to increase the allowance for damaged kernels in farmer-stock peanuts when determining segregation.

The change increased the allowance under Segregation 1 from not more than 2.49 percent to not more than 3.49 percent. Segregation 2 would also be changed accordingly. Comments to the proposed rule change were accepted until June 26.

As of the beginning of harvest of the 2017 peanut crop, there has been no statement from USDA on the recommended change and if and when it will be implemented. Although it took quite a while to confirm the Secretary of Agriculture, reports are that Sec. Perdue has signed the recommendation. Some producers are disappointed that the change was not in the guidelines this season and hope they will be implemented next season.

Reaching Ag Committee Members The Southern Pea nut Farmers Federation, National Peanut Buying Points Association and the American Pea nut Shellers A ssociation met recently with Capitol Hill policymakers on the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill.

The organizations pointed out for members that the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program has worked for rural economies encouraging local jobs. In addition, the 2014 Farm Bill peanut provisions continue to assure consumers a safe, affordable food supply.

The peanut organizations emphasized maintaining the current PLC program in the 2014 Farm Bill, including these key provisions: • Current Reference Price for Peanuts • Separate Peanut Payment Limit (as established in the 2002 Farm Bill) • Storage and Handling Provisions During the visit to Washington D.C., the House passed a fiscal 2018

In Brief: • Blanched peanuts now classified as raw; tariffs reduced.

• Calibration of grading imaging machine underway.

• Damage allowance unchanged from 2016, despite apparent approval.

• Ambitious Farm Bill timeline from ag committee chairman.

• FDA approves infant-friendly peanut food introduction product to follow new quidelines.

budget resolution that would require a $10 billion cut in agriculture spending. The Senate version of the resolution would require no cuts to the Farm Bill, and Chairman Mike Conaway of Texas expects that to be the case in the final budget.

Conaway believes that the cut will disappear during negotiations with the Senate. The bill’s architects on the Senate and House Ag Committees were hoping to convince Budget Committee leaders to increase funding to help revamp cotton and dairy supports and tweak the subsidy system for grain farmers.

Nearly 80 percent of the projected spending on the current 2014 Farm Bill is for nutrition programs. That leaves roughly $6 billion per year for conservation programs, $8 billion for crop insurance, $5 billion for commodity programs and $1 billion for other programs.

As for date of approval of the Farm Bill, Rep. Conaway wants a bill on the President’s desk by Christmas, but others predict late February or March of 2018. There is some speculation that party conflicts could result in a one-year extension.

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Researchers have acknowledged since 2015 that early introduction of peanut foods reduces the risk of developing peanut allergies based on the results of the Learning Early About Peanut allergies (LEAP) study.

In January, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases released guidelines with detailed instructions on when and how to introduce peanut foods to prevent peanut allergies. Promoting these guidelines is one of the National Peanut Board’s primary goals in 2018.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is charged with overseeing health claims on foods, and in September granted a qualified health claim for ground whole peanuts – which includes powdered peanut butter, peanut flour or peanut paste/peanut butter – linking early peanut introduction and a reduction in the risk for developing peanut allergy.

The qualified health claim means that companies who develop products using ground peanuts (as peanut flour or powdered peanut butter) meant to meet the need for early introduction to high-risk infants can use this qualified health claim for promotion, as long as the product(s) meet FDA’s Letter of Enforcement Discretion.

The approved qualified health claim is as follows: “For most infants with severe eczema and/or egg allergy who

Easy Introduction Of Peanuts The FDA recently approved the first commercial product, Hello, Peanut!, to help parents introduce peanut foods into the diets of their children. The Hello, Peanut! introduction kit offers packets of peanut powder blended with oat to be mixed with other foods, hot or cold, and given in increasing quantities for seven days, as long as children tolerate it well. After which maintenance packets are recommended for use up to three times a week.

The introduction kit is $25, and the maintenance kit sells for $20 for eight packets.

Having convenient, infant-safe foods available is a positive step toward making early introduction of peanut foods easier for parents and infants.

Yet, introducing peanut foods requires no special foods. Peanut butter, which is found in 90 percent of households, 6 /

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD

FDA Approves Health Claim

are already eating solid foods, introducing foods containing ground peanuts between four and 10 months of age and continuing consumption may reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy by five years of age. FDA has determined, however, that the evidence supporting this claim is limited to one study.

The claim goes on to say that if your infant has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts.

Several companies are developing infant-friendly foods to meet the growing interest and demand for easy, safe infant foods to make early introduction simple.

or powdered peanut butter is also available in most supermarkets.

Stirring two teaspoons of peanut butter or powdered peanut butter into two tablespoons of applesauce, infant cereal or thinning with the same amount of breastmilk or formula creates a safe and tasty mix to feed babies. Whole peanuts or unthinned peanut butter are not safe and may cause choking in infants.

NPB Strategy Using $10.6 Million The FY-18 program of work continues to implement NPB’s strategic plan by improving the economic condition of USA peanut farmers and their families through compelling promotion and ground-breaking research.

An overarching strategy for FY-18 will be to connect and engage with millennial parents emphasizing the

new NIAID guidelines recommending the introduction of peanut to infants.

“The NIAID guidelines are the best news to come out of the allergy community to date,” says Bob Parker, president and CEO of the National Peanut Board. “The new guidelines have the potential to dramatically reduce the incidence of peanut allergies in the future, so we’ve made education, support and promotion of early introduction a top priority.”

An NPB study found that just 44 percent of young parents say they have heard the guidelines.

Also for FY-18, the Peanut Vendor (@PeanutsHere) will continue to share fun and relatable content with millennial consumers on Twitter and Instagram, while NPB’s business development, college dining and production research programs will continue to be priorities.

PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

Georgia Young Farmer Award Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer. The state winner will be announced during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thurs., Jan. 18, 2018, in Tifton. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) and BASF. The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award is based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership, civic, church, and community service activities.

“We have so many young peanut farmers making a difference in their communities, and I consider this awards program a great opportunity to recognize one young peanut farmer for their contributions to the agricultural industry,” says Armond Morris, GPC chairman.

The award is open for any active Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45 years of age as of Jan. 18, 2018. An individual may receive the

award only once. There is no limit on the number of applicants from each county.

Applications are due to the GPC office by Dec. 15, 2017. The application is available on the GPC website at gapeanuts.com or by calling the GPC office at 229-386-3470.

The award winner receives registration and hotel accommodations to attend the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in July 19-21, 2018, at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Fla., and a sign to display at his or her farm.

Promoting The Peanut Program The Southern Pea nut Farmers Federation recently launched a campaign website, www.PeanutProgram Works.com, and video to showcase the benefits of the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program in the 2014 Farm Bill and highlight its importance to farmers, their families and communities.

The website, through a series of farmer profiles, an informational video and

fact points, demonstrates how peanut farmers rely on the stability brought to their market through the peanut program and why it should be retained in the upcoming Farm Bill.

“The Peanut Program works,” says A rmond Morris, GPC chairman and member of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. “It creates stability giving farmers the ability to secure loans, contract with shellers, buy from chemical and feed companies and invest in farm capital equipment.”

According to the SPFF, the peanut program is a sound, market-based solution that offers farmers a necessary price f loor to support continued stability and access to lending, regardless of what is happening in the larger market. The program also helps to meet the ever-increasing demand for peanuts both domestically and internationally. Peanuts have seen continued per-capita consumption growth for years, jumping from 6.60 pounds per capita to 7.41 between 2012 and 2016.

Producers can fine-tune their farming operation with information gained at the 42nd Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference, held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, Jan. 18, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Peanut farmers and those involved in the peanut industry will be able to learn more about the latest products, services and peanut research. The show is sponsored and coordinated by the Georgia Peanut Commission.

The one-day show offers farmers a full day to view the products and services of more than 100 exhibitors and a day of education. A free luncheon begins at noon for those in attendance and peanut producers will have an opportunity to win more than $40,000 in door prizes.

The University of Georgia’s production seminar is from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., followed by an industry seed seminar from 10:35 to 11:35 a.m. sponsored by the American Peanut Shellers Association Committee on Variety & Seed Development, The Peanut Foundation, Southern Peanut Farmers Federation and the Georgia Peanut Commission. Growers will be able to learn about

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PHOTO BY GEORGIA PEANUT COMMISSION

Farm Show Set For Jan. 18

farm-saved seed and peanut varieties for 2018. The Georgia Peanut Commission’s program begins at 12:15 p.m.

Producers can earn credit toward their private or commercial pesticide applicator certification.

The Georgia Peanut Commission, in cooperation with One Blood, will also hold a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the show.

For more information on the show, contact GPC at 229-386-3470 or online at www.gapeanuts.com.

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Crop Expected To Top Previous Record By 15 Percent

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ow. What a peanut crop! It is difficult to be critical of over production knowing that the world needs your nutritious product to help solve hunger. One in every nine people goes to bed hungry each night.

One cannot criticize Mother Nature for blessing the peanut nation with the ideal growing season, which produced a top quality crop. Records were made to be broken, and the peanut producers of America have raised the bar. One cannot blame farmers for responding to markets with better contract prices and poor prices for competing crops.

U.S. peanut production for 2017/18 is forecast to expand to 7.78 billion pounds or 3,893,000 tons. If realized, this year’s peanut crop would be 15 percent higher than the previous record in 2012/13 and exceed last year’s harvest by 2.1 billion pounds or 37 percent.

Record Average Yield Probable Harvested area is expected to total 1.83 million acres, up 19 percent from 2016. The average yield for the United States is forecast at 4,257 pounds per acre, up three pounds per acre from September and up 623 pounds per acre from the 2016 average yield of 3,634 pounds per acre. The average U.S. yield will be the highest on record if farmers can get them in the warehouse.

Based on the current production forecast, season-ending peanut stocks are seen accumulating to a five-year high.

Inventories could nearly double to 2.7 billion pounds from the final 2016/17 carryout of 1.44 billion.

Carryover To Affect Contracts Domestic food demand for peanuts in 2017/18 is forecast up only 3.6 percent to 3.2 billion pounds. Strong export 8 /

J. Tyron Spearman

Contributing Editor, The Peanut Grower

Leading Marketing Indicators (Oct. 12, 2017) 2017 Acreage Planted Up 19 % ...................................... 1,829,000 acres 2017 Production Est. (Avg. 4,257 lbs/A) ............................ 3,893,000 tons 2017 FSIS Inspections (10/12/17) ....................................... 1,335,953 tons 2016 Market Loan (10-6-17) ............................................... 2,269,962 tons 2016 Loan Remaining (10-6-17) ............................................. 18,010 tons 2016-17 Domestic Usage (12 Mo.) ............................................... Up 1.3% 2016-17 Exports (12 Mo.) ........................................................ Down 23.7% NATIONAL POSTED PRICE (per ton) Runners - $424.43; Spanish - $409.00, Valencia/Virginias - $429.97

demand for U.S. peanuts may continue as well–the level predicted is 1.5 billion pounds (750,000 tons). Ending stocks are sure to impact contracts for next season. With a need of about 500,000 in the carry forward, the industry will have an excess of 1,344,000 tons, over 30 percent of the peanuts needed for next season.

The answer is clear…sell more peanuts at home and abroad or negotiate lower contracts in the spring. Since 2017, contracts were higher and prices for shelled peanuts can only decline so low or the owner will be in jeopardy. The government does not want excess peanuts forfeited to them but if stocks accumulate, loan peanuts may be offered for less than price support. That is a government cost that needs to be avoided while the Farm Bill is being negotiated.

Unfinished Business When the prospects for a bumper crop became apparent, my prediction that all 2016 peanut tons would be redeemed did not come true. Some shellers had some

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

lower-quality peanuts that they decided to forfeit to the government, about 40,000 tons. But that’s pretty good since loans of 2,269,962 were repaid to the government. The Commodity Credit Corporation will offer those for liquidation/sale in the next couple of months either in a barter or restricted use.

Farmers are looking for their Price Loss Coverage payment for last season.

USDA reports that the national average price for marketing year 2016-17 was $394 per ton. When the national average price is below the Farm Bill peanut reference price, farmers are eligible for a payment on 85 percent of the farm base.

With a $535 per-ton reference price and a $394 per-ton average price, farm base will qualify for a $141 per ton payment. The estimated payments are before application of sequestration and other reductions and limits, including adjusted gross income limits and payment limitations. With higher averages on contracts, the PLC payment will be much lower next October for 2017-18 peanuts.

PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

Domestic Market News Studies on peanut allergies are urging parents to offer peanuts early in life – between four and six months and continue regular consumption to prevent peanut allergies. That is big for the industry, and a lot of doctors and government agencies are supporting and promoting the studies.

USDA reports that peanut usage last year was up 1.3 percent for edible peanuts, with peanut candy up 8 percent, snack peanuts down 7 percent and peanut butter up 3 percent. USDA earlier predicted a 3.4 percent growth rate, but when prices increased for raw peanuts, some manufactures withdrew their advertising campaigns.

The entire peanut industr y has embraced the sustainability campaign.

The idea of sustainable products and companies has become increasingly important to consumers and particular-

ly the millennial generation. They care about a company’s transparency, consciousness and understanding of health.

Peanuts have a tremendous story to tell and all segments are preaching the peanut sustainability story.

Big Question On Exports Will China be back to buy more American peanuts? Last season, China was the number one buyer of U.S. peanuts. China has dropped to No. 3 (Jan-Aug) behind Canada and Mexico.

China is buying U.S.-produced peanuts on a very high level. The USDA says it will continue.

The jump in peanut exports to China actually began just last year. China ramped up its imports during the summer of 2016, with the total imports last year at $172 million. That’s about a 700 percent increase from the $22 million China imported as recently as 2015.

“

Last season, China was the No. 1 buyer of U.S. peanuts, but has now dropped behind Canada and Mexico.

Some Good News Good news on blanched peanuts, the World Customs Organization (WCO) agreed they are a raw product and tariffs will be much lower.

Then there is the Farm Bill. The peanut organizations are united and emphasize maintaining the current PLC program in the 2014 Farm Bill including these key provisions: 1) current reference price for peanuts, 2) separate peanut payment limit as established in the 2002 Farm Bill and 3) storage and handling provisions. Look for approval in early 2018. PG

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A Look At The V-C Crop Good yields are expected across the Carolinas and in Virginia.

By Amanda Huber

C

rop conditions from South Carolina, through its norther n nei g hb or a nd i nto Virginia were good this year with only a few problems here and there.

Ma rie Ba lota, a ssociate professor and Extension specialist, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Experiment Center, says 2017 was a good year for peanut production in Virginia. USDA’s National Ag Statistics reported that Virginia producers planted 25,000 acres of peanuts this year, up from 21,000 last year.

Balota says a few peanut acres were planted in the last week of April, followed by the majority of peanut seed getting in the ground by mid-May and a few the last week of May. “Not only was this late, but also this year’s weather was not conducive to early maturation of the pods,” she says.

“For the Virginia market-type, 2,600 DD56 heat units, degrees Fahrenheit, are required to reach optimum maturity consistently across the current cultivars Bailey, Sullivan, Wynn and Emery.”

Delayed Maturity In Virginia Balota says this need is typically reached by mid-September, but cool, wet soils from mid-August on, cloudy days and big vines obstructing the sun to warm the land delayed maturity to October for even early planted fields.

“Not just the degree day numbers are important, but also the quality of the heat units is important.”

Balota says another issue with the crop is that by end of August, some fields showed yellow plants with no 10 /

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Right: Maturity of Bailey planted on May 3 and picture taken on Oct. 6. 

Left top: Maturity of Bailey planted on May 3 and picture taken on Sept. 6. Maturity photos provided by Dr. Balota. Left bottom: Maturity of Bailey planted on May 3 and picture taken on Sept. 20.

obvious cause. Additions of ammonium sulfate or potash corrected this.

“Wet and cool mid-season temperatures triggered Sclerotinia and leaf spot in September, but this was limited to only a few fields.”

For the most part, Virginia producers had good moisture for most of the season with variation among fields. But some were hoping rain from Hurricane Nate would help make it possible to dig. By about the first week of October, approximately 60 percent of the crop had been dug and 30 percent picked.

“From what I’ve seen so far, yields will be high again in Virginia this year,” Balota says.

S.C. Expects Good Yields South Carolina increased planted acreage to 135,000 acres in 2017, and harvest of those peanuts were well under way by the f irst week of September says Dan Anco, South Carolina Extension peanut specialist.

“Hurricane Irma gave us some much needed rain and thankfully spared us the worst of its wrath,” Anco says. “The crop, overall, looks very good and yields could average 4,000 pounds per acre statewide.”

are moving to replace the Bailey. “They are doing so without giving up the disease control package and yield potential of Bailey,” he says.

Production under varied weather conditions is another important factor. “As we push for higher yields, there are risks of a variety failing to perform under dry conditions.”

Barrow reminds producers to make notes of specific disease and weed problems in specific fields during harvest.

“Most growers are on long rotations

of three to four years, but many of our soil-borne diseases, such as Sclerotinia, will occur even with long rotations,” he says. “Good records will give you a heads up on potential problems for that crop next time.”

Barrow says he has seen numerous Sclerotinia infestations and heavy leaf spot pressure in many fields this year.

“With that information what would you change? Records will give an idea of what worked and what didn’t,” he says. PG

Make Records To Make Changes North Carolina producers also hope to average around 4,000 pounds per acre on the 120,000 acres planted in the state. Billy Barrow, Extension director for Bertie County, says there are numerous fields in his county expecting this yield and more.

Barrow says Baileys have been the main variety for the past several years, but recent advancement of the high oleic varieties, Wynne and Sullivan, and in a couple years Emery and Bailey 2, T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

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USDA Issues Farm Safety Net, Conservation Payments

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griculture Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced that more than $9.6 billion in payments would be made to producers through the Agriculture R isk Coverage (A RC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Conservation Reserve (CRP) programs. The United States Department of A griculture (USDA) is issuing approximately $8 billion in payments under the ARC and PLC programs for the 2016 crop year, and $1.6 billion under CRP for 2017.

“Many of these payments will be made to landowners and producers in rural communities that have recently been ravaged by drought, wildfires and deadly hurricanes,” Perdue said.

“I am hopeful this financial assistance will help those experiencing losses with immediate cash flow needs as we head toward the end of the year.”

Program Payments The ARC and PLC programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in revenue or prices for covered commodities. Over half a million producers will receive ARC payments and over a quarter million producers will receive PLC payments for 2016 crops, starting in October and continuing for the next several months.

Payments are being made to producers who enrolled base acres of barley, corn, grain sorghum, lentils, oats, peanuts, dry peas, soybeans, wheat and canola.

In the upcoming months, payments will be announced after marketing year average prices are published by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service for the remaining covered commodities.

Those include long and medium grain rice (except for temperate Japonica rice), 12 /

which will be announced in November; remaining oilseeds and chickpeas, which will be announced in December; and temperate Japonica rice, which will be announced in early February 2017. The estimated payments are before application of sequestration and other reductions and limits, including adjusted gross income limits and payment limitations.

Conservation Incentives Also, as part of an ongoing effort to protect sensitive lands and improve water quality and wildlife habitat, USDA will begin issuing 2017 CRP payments this week to more than 375,000 Americans.

“American farmers and ranchers are among our most committed conservationists,” said Perdue. “We all share a responsibility to leave the land in better shape than we found it for the benefit of the next generation of farmers.

This program helps landowners provide responsible stewardship on land that should be taken out of production.”

Signed into law by President Reagan

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in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers, ranchers and landowners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species.

In return for enrolling in CR P, USDA, through the Farm Ser vice A genc y (FS A) on beh a l f of t he Commodity Credit Corporation, provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Participants enter into contracts that last between 10 and 15 years.

CRP payments are made to participants who remove sensitive lands from production and plant certain grasses, shrubs and trees that improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and increase wildlife habitat.

For more details regarding ARC and PLC programs, go to www.fsa.usda. gov/arc-plc. For information about CRP, contact your local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. PG PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

RESEARCH REVIEW NOVEMBER 2017

SPONSORED

BY

NA TI O NAL PEANUT B OAR D T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

NOVE MBE R 2 017 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

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magine what peanut farming would be like had a group of farmers not come together to create the National Peanut Board. Without that reinvestment of more than $30 million back into peanut production research, what would peanut farming be like today?

Fortunately, we will never know.

The very mission of the National Peanut Board, as it has been since its inception, is to improve the economic condition of USA peanut farmers and their families through compelling promotion and groundbreaking research.

The purpose of this NPB Research Review is to highlight some of the production research presented at the American Peanut Research and Education Society Meeting this past July.

Water efficiency, pest management and peanut breeding are topic areas that can make the most significant impact for peanut producers and their bottom line. While research studies do not always yield essential nuggets of information for peanut producers to implement immediately, it does help to build on the body of knowledge of the peanut.

Water Efficiency Issues Find ways to reduce the amount of water necessary to produce peanuts, develop a more drought tolerant peanut variety or develop efficient agronomic methods that decrease the amount of water used in peanut production.

One important focus for peanut research is improving the water-use efficiency of peanut production. Whether it is through innovative tools or methods that mitigate the loss of yield, and therefore revenue, by a more efficient use of water, or through the development a more drought-tolerant peanut variety, the overall goal is to reduce the amount of water needed for peanut production.

A research project by Maria Balota, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Experiment Center, looked at peanut canopy temperature as a means of determining drought tolerance in peanut breeding lines.

In this project, canopy temperature information was collected in research plots from the ground or from the air, using an unmanned aerial vehicle, at several times during the day and during the growing season. This data was compared with other observations such as leaf wilting because of water deficit stress or defoliation due to leaf disease.

Later, canopy temperature, wilting and defoliation were compared with yield values to develop estimates of yield using indirect evaluations. Using estimates such as this can make selection decisions for yield and stress tolerance happen even before harvest. After harvest, breeders can better manage time and resources by concentrating only on the most promising varieties estimated during vegetation. Other applications use canopy temperature to select varieties more tolerant to drought and less susceptible to diseases.

On 23 peanut varieties under two different water regimes, 14 /

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

well-watered and water deficit stress, a correlation was found in that hotter canopies were wilted more and had less yield, sound mature kernels and crop gross return than cooler canopies.

Similarly, we found that peanut varieties with severe leaf defoliation because of late leaf spot disease were hotter than less defoliated varieties with better resistance to the disease.

Therefore, canopy temperature can serve as a more precise evaluation tool for late leaf spot disease in breeding nurseries instead of a visual rating performed by different people with different visual perceptions.



Key Finding: Canopy temperature is a more precise evalu-

ation tool for peanut breeders than visual inspection.

Economic Considerations Of Irrigation Scheduling is one way to make efficient use of irrigation, but cost is also an important consideration. Adam Rabinowitz, University of Georgia Extension agriculture economist, looked at the economics of irrigation scheduling methods in the following study.

Irrigation provides many economic benefits including improving crop production, reducing yield variability and increasing profits. However, there are costs involved to obtain these benefits, including substantial fixed costs for equipment PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

R E S E A R CH REV IEW SPONSORED BY NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD

and different levels of variable costs and management expenses depending on complexity.

Different irrigation methods have substantially different costs associated with them, from free or inexpensive online or paper tools to more complex methods using sensors.

A variety of irrigation scheduling methods were tested from 2014 to 2016 at the Stripling Irrigation Research Park near Camilla, Ga. The scheduling methods tested included the UGA Smart Sensor Array (SSA), a SmartCrop canopy temperature sensor utilizing a Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI), the UGA EasyPan, the UGA Peanut Checkbook Method, 50 percent of the UGA Peanut Checkbook Method, USDA-ARS IrrigatorPro and PeanutFARM. Fou r c u lt i v a r s , G A - 0 6 G , G A -12Y, TUFRunner 511, and TUFRunner 727, were planted in two-row plots within each irriga-

tion treatment zone. Rabinowitz established a return to capital investment from different scheduling methods in addition to a net dollar benefits controlling for differences in irrigation costs, variations in weed and disease control, and the opportunity cost of management.

Results showed irrigation net benefits of vary significantly, depending on rainfall amount and distribution and the scheduling method selected. During wet periods, irrigation can result in a net loss compared to rainfed crops. Results can help growers understand how different scheduling methods affect profitability in addition to water use efficiency.

Key Finding: Net benefits of irrigation vary, but utilization of a scheduling method helps potentially increase yield and reduce the amount of irrigation applied to the crop.

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Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems Develop innovations in management of diseases and pests that are costly deterrents to achieving sustainable yields and high quality in peanut productions.

Disease Interaction of Late Leaf Spot and Stem Rot on Peanuts was the title of a research project from Clemson University’s Dan Anco, Clemson University Extension peanut specialist, and Misbah Munir, doctoral student. This interaction was looked at because under field conditions, peanuts are commonly exposed to multiple diseases and the occurrence or severity of one disease can potentially affect the development of another disease through such mechanisms as microclimate modification.

In this study, they found that the late leaf spot management program had no significant effect on stem rot severity. Peanut variety was significantly affected by stem rot severity and in this study Ga12Y exhibited the lowest stem rot severity compared to other varieties.

In conclusion, no significant interaction was observed between late leaf spot and stem rot under the conditions experienced in the trial.

However, late leaf spot developed late in the trial fields and an earlier development of the disease could potentially affect canopy microclimate and yield different results.

Key Finding: No significant interaction was found between late leaf spot and stem rot, but further study with different field condition is needed.

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T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

Advocating for Important Resources Because the genetic makeup of the peanut is so complex, a database is needed to hold the information.

Researchers can use the database in various ways to assist with their studies.

PeanutBase, found at www.peanutbase.org, is a resource for the peanut research community. The main features include genome browsers, genetic map viewers, sequence search tools, a database of traits and QTLs, marker-assisted selection pages, geographical maps of germplasm accessions, and gene expression information for peanut tissues and conditions.

The website and database hold the genome sequences of the two closest ancestors of cultivated peanut (Arachis duranensis and Arachis ipaensis – progenitors of the cultivated tetraploid, Arachis hypogaea ).

Learning More About Burrower Bug The peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus, has become an annual pest of peanut in the Southeast capable of causing significant economic loss.

Our understanding of where and why peanut burrower bug infestations occur is lacking and presents a challenge for the development of pest management tools. This work from Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension entomologist, was undertaken to improve knowledge of the pest’s distribution and biology and to evaluate the effectiveness of potential management tactics.

This study used light traps to monitor P. bilineatus f light activity across two growing seasons at commercial peanut fields in Georgia. On-farm replicated studies in 2015

Important research tools such as this require funding.

PeanutBase is funded by The Peanut Foundation as part of the Peanut Genomics Initiative with additional support from USDA’s Agriculture Research Service. Peanut producers, and all industry segments, have readily supported The Peanut Foundation; however, advocacy on behalf of producers for the government-funded portion is also important to continue this valuable resource. RR

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R ES EARCH R E VIE W SPONSORED BY NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD

Funding Partners Are Appreciated Production practices used every day during the crop year and certainly the seed planted in the ground are the products of years of peanut research.

Peanut farmers have stepped up to the plate with funding production research through the National Peanut Board and state grower associations, but that alone is not enough for the work that is needed to move peanut research forward to feed an ever-growing world population. Outside funding resources are more difficult to find.

In 2014, the Farm Bill included a provision for commodity boards to obtain matching funds from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Beginning in 2015, NPB was one of two national commodity boards to submit applications for research topics to NIFA, which were accepted.

Since that time, NPB has collaborated with three additional peanut industry funding partners, Southeastern Peanut Research Initiative, The Peanut Foundation and The Peanut Institute, for funding of research topics, which NIFA has matched dollar-fordollar.

Continuation of this funding source in the next Farm Bill will be critical for the progress of peanut research. RR

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and 2016 evaluated the effect of tillage practices, insecticide active ingredient and insecticide application timing on P. bilineatus abundance and damage to peanut at harvest. Deep tillage prior to planting and the application of granular chlorpyrifos were shown to reduce the incidence of damage at harvest.

Pangaeus bilineatus was most abundant in light traps in June, though flight activity was recorded throughout the summer. Studies to further characterize environmental risk factors associated with pest abundance and damage and to develop management tools are ongoing.

Key Finding: More needs to be known about this pest to develop control tactics.



Plant Breeding for Agricultural Productions Develop and implement breeding measures for improvements in yield, aflatoxin resistance, disease resistance, size and shape, flavor, nutrient content, or drought tolerance.

At the A PR ES meeting, Mark Burow presented a study entitled “Development of SNP-Based Molecular Markers For A Peanut Breeding Program”, which offered the following update on peanut genome sequencing.

The Peanut Genome Initiative has been successful at producing whole genome sequences of peanut wild species, and is working towards

a sequence of cultivated peanut. We are currently working towards development and employment of cost-effective markers for a peanut breeding program.

We are currently using a combination of SSR- and SNP-based markers to select for the high oleic trait, resistance to root-knot nematodes and tolerance to water-deficit stress.

Markers for oil content and composition, and leaf spot resistance have also been developed.

Key Finding: New, lower-cost methods of finding genetic markers for key agronomic traits are being discovered.



Better-Yielding Cultivars In a study by Jason Woodward, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Texas Tech University, the yield performance of runner, Spanish and Virginia cultivars was compared specifically for the West Texas region.

Woodward found that higher yields were achieved in runner trials, whereas trial averages were similar for Virginia and Spanish trials. In the runner trial, an experimental line yielded best, followed by Lariat and Webb.

The lowest yields were from Quick Runner 14 and ACI 808.

In the Virginia cultivars, yields were greatest for Florida Fancy and ACI 442 and lowest for Sullivan. Stand issues within the Spanish trials affected yield variability.

Newer cultivars or breeding lines, such as Lariat and Webb (runners) and ACI 442 (Virginia) appear to have yield potential greater than the standard cultivars. Additional information on quality and reaction to diseases common to the region is needed. Testing will be repeated in subsequent years, contingent upon seed availability.

Key Finding: New breeding lines in Texas are showing greater yield potential in initial testing.



Year after year, research presented at the APRES meeting continues to build. There is still much to learn about the peanut. Often this research filters out ready-to-use information for producers, but in other cases it will take many years of research to bring a finished product to the farmer. In all cases, research scientists greatly appreciate the support of peanut farmers for their work.

To learn more about the American Peanut Research and Education Society, go to www. apresinc.com. Click on “Peanut Science” to view the on-line research journal dedicated to publishing the results of research, education and Extension projects and programs related to the production, storage, processing, manufacturing or marketing of peanuts. RR

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

Deere Offers Hurricane Support Deere & Company made a $1 million cash donation to support Habitat Hammers Back, a long-term recovery initiative organized by Habitat for Humanity International to help repair and rebuild communities ravaged by Hurrica nes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

The $1 million commitment to Habitat Hammers Back is another step in the response by Deere and its Foundation to the hurricane disasters, including: • An annual $500,000 contribution by the John Deere Foundation to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program that helps the Red Cross pre-position supplies, secure shelters, maintain vehicles and train volunteers, so response can begin immediately.

• Personal employee contributions of more than $100,000 to the Red Cross, local food banks and other aid organizations – a total matched by the John Deere Foundation.

• Deployment of heavy equipment by John Deere’s business divisions and dealers to help in the recovery efforts.

Habitat’s three-phase disaster response focuses on immediate relief, community stabilization and long-term recovery.

The organization is in its immediate response phase – including damage assessments and clean-up – in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. Deere will encourage and organize individuals and teams of employees to support the recovery efforts through the company’s employee volunteer program.

Valley Run Time App With the launch of the new Valley Irrigation Run Time app, growers can now easily calculate their pivot irrigation cycle time and eliminate the need for hand-written calculations.

Reinke’s New Remote Management Reinke introduces RC10, a remote monitoring device providing advanced control options for improved irrigation management and better overall water management.

“When we talk with growers about their irrigation system needs, saving time and increasing efficiencies and productivity are often at the top of the list,” said Reinke President Chris Roth. “RC10 is designed to address these needs and more with its ease of use and advanced command and control capabilities.”

RC10 is cellular or satellite based, providing 24/7 mobile access from anywhere. Growers can monitor and control their irrigation system using the advanced control features such as sector, end gun and auxiliary programming.

The device is the latest addition to the ReinCloud platform, Reinke’s ag data service. ReinCloud allows growers to manage and monitor their irrigation system, analyze soil moisture data, check the weather and more from a single mobile web application. Through the platform, irrigation T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

This free app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It is a calculation-driven tool that allows growers to see pivot irrigation cycle time completion, when each machine is running, and how long it will take to complete the irrigation interval. Valley Irrigation Run Time is not limited to use with Valley brand center pivots; it can be used in conjunction with any brand of pivot. “ T h i s a pp w i l l reduce inefficiencies and eliminate miscalculations,” explains Valley product manager Ashley Anderson.

“Nearly every grower already carries a smartphone, so it just makes sense that they can use it to monitor and track all of their irrigation machines.”

The app does not communicate with the irrigation machines themselves; rather, the grower simply enters pertinent data, such as start time and percent timer, and the Valley Irrigation Run Time app will complete the calculation to estimate the end time. Growers can check on their run time anytime, ensuring they get back to their pivots at the right time. They can also keep a running log of pivot run time notes to refer back to time and time again. Not everyone wants complete monitoring and control of their pivots from their phones, but they do want the ability to accurately track irrigation run time.

For more information on the app and other Valley products, visit www.valleyirrigation.com.

system data is collected, stored and analyzed for the grower.

RC10 is housed within Reinke’s patented, double wall tower box and can be mounted at the main control or end of the system. The device is compatible with most irrigation systems.

For more information on RC10, visit www.reinke.com.

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NOVE MBE R 2 017 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

New Tools For Producers And Handlers Information on your peanuts sent directly to you from The Seam.

By Amanda Huber

T

he Sea m, a provider of agribusiness software and trading solutions, recently launched new business intelligence tools geared to the peanut industry. The tools will provide peanut producers and handlers with actionable data for changing or improving practices both on and off the farm.

Modernized Flow For producers, instant grading and inspection information is now available through automated text messaging. The information includes grade, moisture level, foreign material and other attributes important to producers regarding their tonnage.

A new online Producer Portal provides access to graphical metrics and more detailed intelligence, including inspection certificates, contract documents, farm purchase reports, electronic warehouse receipts and so forth. This technology, which is the first of its kind in the peanut industry, comes at the optimal time with this year’s historic-sized crop.

Expertise Expansion In December 2000, The Seam began operating the world’s first online, anonymous exchange for cotton trading. Since that time, the company has leveraged its software and application development expertise in agriculture to expand into other commodity segments, including cocoa, grains, dairy and now peanuts.

The Seam has cleared or processed more than $8 billion through its platforms.

For more information on The Seam: Visit online: www.theseam.com

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www.facebook.com/ TheSeam/

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

Follow on Twitter @TheSeam

www.linkedin.com/ company/the-seam-llc

Telephone: 901-374-0374 PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

BY THE NUMBERS

5 The number of shelling plants using the platform.

42 The number of peanut buying point customers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

100s The number of SMS text alerts being sent daily to farmers with real-time, actionable data.

1000s The number of producers the software is currently available to.

1,000,000 tons The amount of farmer stock peanuts The Seam is anticipating to process through its platform during this year’s historic harvest.

For producers, instant grading and inspection information is now available through automated text messaging.

Information Instantly “Just as businesses rely on instant, meaningful data for making sound decisions, so do farmers,” said Mark Pryor, Chairman and CEO at The Seam.

“Peanut producers have always relied on sound information to drive their farming operations. This information has typically been communicated by a phone call or through paper-based documents that may take days to receive.”

The need for instant information is more important than ever for producers, particularly with large or challenging crops, he says. “ T h is tech nolog y prov ide s t he insights needed to quickly adjust practices ‘on-the-spot’ for increasing efficiency and value, thereby saving time and money,” Pryor says.

“Extending the software to peanut producers was a natural next step for the cloud-based platform. Shelling organizations, plants, buying points, warehouses, trucking and now producers can inter-operate through common and modern software, while gaining efficiencies and insights along the way.”

T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

“

Just as businesses rely on instant, meaningful data for making sound decisions, so do farmers.”

MARK PRYOR Chairman and CEO at The Seam

System Integration The new business intelligence tools were added to The Seam’s Peanut Commodity Management Platform, which was released a year ago. This webbased platform provides purchasing, inventory management, logistics, receipting, document digitization and more, while integrating with USDA and other industry systems and organizations.

Pryor says, “We’re excited to get this software into the hands of more producers and handlers, as it pushes us another step toward our mission of investing in the industry, providing modernization to agriculture and being a truly collaborative partner to our customers.” PG

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Peanut Grower 2. Publication Number: 1042-9379 3. Filing Date: 9/15/17 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: 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 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 2017 15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 9,522 (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 9,750) 15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 5,614) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date - 5,641) 15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 5,614) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date - 5,641) 15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 3,714) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 3,692) 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 - 3,767) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 3,892) 15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 9,381) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 9,533) 15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 141) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 217) 15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 9,522) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 9,750) 15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 59.8%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 59.2%) 18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete.

Lia Guthrie, Publisher

NOVE MBE R 2 017 • THE PE ANUT GROWE R /

19

Crown Rot Disease On The Rise

A

spergillus crown rot disease is on the rise in Georgia peanut fields, and University of Georgia researchers are working to pinpoint why. At present, university scientists recommend that farmers encountering this problem in their fields stop saving seed from year to year in an effort to reduce the disease until better control methods are found. The first line of defense has been fungicide application either in furrow or directly to the seed.

Control Methods Coming Up Short UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences plant pathologist Tim Brenneman is using applied research to determine why peanut farmers aren’t achieving control through fungicide applications.

Incidences of crown rot disease have increased over the past few years and if UGA researchers can’t determine why treatments are not working as consistently as they used to, the problem will only worsen, Brenneman says.

“I could have shown you plots not too many years ago where we used only an in-furrow Abound fungicide application. Those plots looked as good as if we were treating the seed with our best, complete mix of multiple fungicides. This year, though, that treatment alone led to nearly a complete wipeout. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on here,” Brenneman says.

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THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

“

I could have shown you plots not too many years ago where we used only an in-furrow Abound fungicide application.

Those plots looked as good as if we were treating the seed with our best, complete mix of multiple fungicides. This year, though, that treatment alone led to nearly a complete wipeout. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on here.”

TIM BRENNEMAN Plant pathologist, UGA College of Agricultural Environmental Sciences

PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

Aspergillus Crown Rot Aspergillus crown rot causes pre- and postemergence damping off and sometimes kills up to five weeks after planting.

Seedlings rapidly collapse and die. Dark brown discoloration is common on decayed roots and hypocotyls. Later, these areas often are covered with masses of black spores.

Aspergillus crown rot was especially severe in some fields, most commonly on fields planted with “farmer-saved” seed.

Hot-and-dry conditions at planting greatly increases risk to Aspergilllus crown rot, as do use of poor-quality seed and lack of fungicide seed treatment or a poorly-applied seed treatment.

Current management techniques to reduce seedling diseases primarily caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Aspergillus niger, are as follows: 1. Rotate peanuts with grass crops to reduce the populations of Rhizoctonia solani.

2. Plant the peanut crop when soil temperatures are warm enough to produce rapid, vigorous germination and growth. This can help protect the plants from disease. Excessive moisture at planting will also increase the risk of seedling diseases.

3. Planting seed into droughty, hot soil greatly increases risk to Aspergillus crown rot. Irrigation and rainfall help to reduce risk to this disease.

4. Use quality seed that has a good germination rating and

Pathogens In The Seed, Soil While Georgia’s peanut farmers are harvesting their crop right now, the time will come next spring when producers again put peanuts in the ground.

That’s when crown rot, a disease that affects peanut plants early in the growing season, can strike.

Peanut plants are most susceptible to crown rot between 30 and 50 days after planting.

Growers traditionally rely on fungicide treatment applied to commercial peanut seed to combat the disease. For extra protection, they use in-furrow fungicides.

The seed-applied and in-furrow treatments are still beneficial, but growers sometimes see more erratic control from chemical applications, Brenneman says.

He is studying why this haphazard control seems to be the case.

“Why (do chemical applications) work in some cases and not in others?

Do we need to use different seed treatment technology or chemistry mixes in the seed treatments (on commercial seed)?” Brenneman says. “The pathogen is in the soil. On some level, it’s in every field in the state. Some fields have been historically worse than others.”

T WIT TE R: @PE ANUTGROWE R

will grow vigorously. As mentioned above, farmer-savedseed is most affected by Aspergillus crown rot.

5. Choose varieties that are known to germinate and emerge uniformly and with vigor.

6. Use only seed treated with a commercial fungicide seed treatment. The seed treatments that are put on commercial seed prior to purchase are outstanding and provide protection for the seed and seedling. Seed treatments include: Vitavax PC; Dynasty PD (azoxystrobin + mefenoxam + fludioxonil) 7. Use an in-furrow fungicide where the risk of seedling disease is great or where the grower wants increased insurance of a good stand. a. Abound at 6.0 fl oz/A in the furrow at planting can provide increased control of seedling diseases, including Aspergillus crown rot. b. Terraclor (64 fl oz/A) also provides additional control of seedling diseases when applied in-furrow. c. Growers who are most likely to yield benefits from these in-furrow fungicides are those that have poor crop rotation and a history of seedling disease in the field. PG Information from the University of Georgia 2017 Peanut Update

Saving Seed A Risk In an effort to reduce expenses, some farmers save seed from one year to the next. This exacerbates the problem of crown rot, especially if that seed was lower quality or had higher infection levels of the disease. However, even higher germinating seed can sometimes have high levels of undetected crown rot.

“I think that the problem gets worse if you have an issue with a particular lot of seed. Then every seed coming

out of the field can potentially have it.

With commercial seed, it’s blended from different sources, and you’re a lot less likely to get a real severe disease issue,” Brenneman says.

The pathogen can be housed in the seed itself and grow into the hypocotyl, the portion of the plant found just below the soil line. The fungus can quickly destroy this tissue.

“When this happens, it’s over. The plant dies very quickly,” Brenneman says. “We need to understand more about whole-seed quality aspects and how the fungus can infect and be in the seed any time from the previous growing season through storage.”

Brenneman says that anything that impairs seed quality is going to stress the plant and increase the likelihood that a disease like crown rot will be able to attack and kill it. He stresses the need to take care of the seed before it’s put in the ground.

“If you don’t get a stand, you’re not going to have a peanut crop,” Brenneman says. PG Article by Clint Thompson, news editor, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 21

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When Digging, Speed Matters

Peanuts are dug at the Clemson University Edisto Research and Education Center.

D

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

Farmers often push digger speeds to save time or to outrace inclement weather, but driving too fast can reduce yield, Kirk says. Conversely, driving too slowly can rip vines apart and increase costs.

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

Establishing Optimal Speed A peanut digger unearths peanut plants while a blade at the bottom of a conveyor belt cuts the tap roots and shears the soil to leave the peanut plants on the ground to be picked up later. The speed of this process matters.

Peanuts left underground or detached from plant vines cannot be collected.

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

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

Synchronize With Equipment Growers should also synchronize the speed of their digger’s shaker chain, or conveyor belt, to their ground speed. If driving 2 miles per hour, for example, the conveyor belt should be set to a speed of around 2 miles per hour. A conveyor belt running about 20 percent faster than ground speed can result in yield loss of 100 to 200 pounds per acre, Kirk says.

The average peanut yield per acre in South Carolina last year was 3,300 pounds per acre, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Growers in the state harvested nearly

THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

350 million pounds of peanuts that year at a value of more than $65.7 million.

Kirk conducted the study at the request of South Carolina peanut growers looking to optimize profits.

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

Dig At A Slower Speed With: • • • •

Larger pods Suboptimal maturity Heavier soils Drier soils

“Slower speeds should be used where digging losses are more likely, such as with larger pods, suboptimal maturity, heavier soils and drier soils,” Kirk says. “Driving too slowly will reduce your ability to dig on a timely basis, but driving too fast can cause higher yield losses.” PG Article by Scott Miller, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Public Service and Agriculture PE ANUTGROWE R .COM

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NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2017 CCOY MY TURN: DOROTHY YOUNG

Horizon Ag, BASF ink pact to launch Provisia Rice System Handheld device helps predict midseason nitrogen needs

TURNAGE FARMS Cotton Legacy Thrives In The Missouri Bootheel

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Prepare Your Equipment For Harvest

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■ Target spot outbreak in trial sheds light on disease’s complexity

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February 2017

Questions For 2018 The 2017 growing season is slowly coming to an end with Georgia growers producing another high-yielding crop with remarkable quality. Like every year, growers faced many obstacles to produce this crop.

The planting season had its issues with fluctuating weather conditions (moisture and temSCOTT MONFORT perature) causing slower than University of Georgia normal emergence and growth.

Extension Agronomist This slowed growth allowed for elevated problems with Valor injury and aspergillus crown rot resulting in some stand loss.

Growers also faced elevated disease and nematode issues resulting from the warm winter and spring. Conditions were also ideal for disease pressure during the growing season. Although these issues did impact the crop, growers did a great job managing them, thus limiting the effects on yield and quality.

What’s in store for 2018? Will Georgia growers plant another 700,000+ acres? Time will tell. Start planning for next year now. Ask yourself a few questions: What sort of problems did I have in 2017? What worked and what did not in 2017? How much did I spend to produce the 2017 crop? Am I going to be faced with shortened rotations to

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plant the peanut acres needed to make a profit in 2018?

What kind of budget can I afford in 2018 (likely to depend on contract prices)? What are the essentials needed to produce a crop in 2018?

Consider the answers to these questions as you begin to map out next years’ crop. Another key ingredient in planning for next years’ crop – get informed. Attend your local peanut production meeting hosted January through March by your county Extension agents and the UGA peanut team.

Slipping On Leaf Spot While the results of a very good year for peanuts are behind us for most farmers, we are already turning our attention to 2018. How will high yields and a lot of acres affect contract prices in 2018?

Will the price for peanuts be more or less competitive with other crops, and how will this DAVID JORDAN impact crop selection and North Carolina State pressure on well-established, University positive rotations for peanuts?

Extension Agronomist These are good questions that will find answers in the spring.

With the 2017 crop fresh on our minds, what were some

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Our family of publications provides profitable production strategies to our farmers with information to improve their bottom lines. We cover every stage of production — from land preparation, seed selection, crop protection to harvest. In addition, our editors have their fingers on the pulse of the industry and are experts on marketing and legislation that is critical to our subscribers.

of the challenges we experienced and how can we make adjustments and improvements to a crop that was quite good? This is an important question to answer because Mother Nature cooperated with folks in the V-C region quite well – both during the growing season and during harvest.

One issue that comes to mind is leaf spot control. For a number of years we have had good rotations in the V-C region, good field resistance (but not complete) with our varieties and a group of fungicides that are very effective in controlling leaf spot. With CBR and tomato spotted wilt at low levels, although Sclerotinia blight has been an issue for some, our ability to manage leaf spot with fungicides, rotations and variety resistance have given us excellent plant protection and great flexibility at harvest. In some areas of the region this slipped in 2017, and we found ourselves making decisions on when to dig peanuts early, before optimum maturity, due to leaf spot.

This decision was being made by some of the very best peanut farmers. When combined with a large number of acres and strains on digging, harvesting, drying and hauling capacities, the consequences of rapid defoliation created considerable anxiety.

Now is the time to write down some of the things that happened in 2017 with respect to this disease so “cause and effect” can be sorted through and adjustments made

Preventative Fungicides Widespread rainfall and cloudy, overca st conditions experienced in late September and early October slightly delayed peanut harvest across the Southwestern region. However, harvest operations quickly resumed after a few days of open weather. As a result, much JASON WOODWARD progress was made regarding Texas Agri-Life Extension harvest.

Plant Pathologist Overall, pod yields were at or slightly above longterm averages. Peanut quality was excellent with good grades being achieved across the board. Furthermore, there was no evidence of aflatoxin in the 2017 crop.

Damage from excessive rain at the end of September had little effect on the overall quality. However, the conditions experienced throughout the latter part of the growing season were ideal for foliar diseases such as early and

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THE PE ANUT GROWE R • NOVE MBE R 2 017

in 2018. Just as farmers will be considering the things that worked well in 2017 and some that did not, research and Extension folks, consultants and agribusiness companies will be putting the pieces together to determine why some breakdowns in leaf spot control occurred in 2017 and how to address this issue for the 2018 crop. PG

While weather contributed greatly to disease development during the 2017 growing season, producers should be mindful of the potential for similar outbreaks to occur and budget for fungicides accordingly. late leaf spots, web blotch and pepper spot.

The occurrence and severity of these diseases reminded many producers of the importance of preventative fungicide applications, especially when growing Spanish and Valencia cultivars, which are inherently more susceptible to foliar diseases.

Evidence of pod rot was apparent in many fields, but damage was minimal where fungicide applications were made compared to fields that were left untreated.

While weather contributed greatly to disease development during the 2017 growing season, producers should be mindful of the potential for similar outbreaks to occur and budget for fungicides accordingly.

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Every day, the National Peanut Board works to help America’s 7,000 peanut-farming families improve production practices and put the world’s highest-quality peanut

can continue to farm the land you love. Learn what we’re doing to improve economics

By Growers For Growers For The Future

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