An Early Look At 2022 Stay on top of scouting this season as pests and diseases seem to be striking earlier. By Amanda Huber
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Dry Planting Conditions Conditions were uncomfortably dry, while not yet considered a drought, for row-crop producers at planting time in Alabama, says Kris Balkcom, Alabama Extension peanut specialist. Whereas cotton seed can be “dusted in,” peanut seed can be planted deeper in the soil where adequate moisture could still be found, which is an advantage for peanut producers. “Peanuts can stay in the ground until there is adequate moisture to make a stand,” Balkcom says. The longer seed have to wait, the less likely seedlings will be as strong and healthy. Quick germination and vigorous growth is always the preferred outcome. Overall, Balkcom says in a normal year with high input prices, farmers tend to gravitate toward peanut production so they can apply minimal fertilizers and avoid the risk of high-priced inputs. “This year I expect to see less peanut acreage and more cotton acreage,” Balkcom says. “With $1.20 to $1.30 cotton, producers are going to say cotton production feels like it is worth the gamble.” 10 /
THE PEANUT GROWER • JULY 2022
PHOTOS BY DAN ANCO, CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
lanting conditions around the peanut belt varied from cool and dry to rain delays and drought. In Florida, it was low temperatures in the Panhandle that slowed planting. From Mississippi to North Carolina, it was dry at planting. Ongoing drought has engulfed Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Owing to the resilience of the peanut, stands are now looking good in each of these areas. Unfortunately, pest pressure arrived early this season with the hot, dry weather.
Thrips injury on peanut was a common sight on volunteers and peanut not treated with an in-furrow insecticide.
Adding To The Research Base While dry conditions are unfortunate, Balkcom says researchers make note of weather patterns and conditions as they plant peanut variety trials across Alabama. Research station and on-farm trials are important tools to help farmers determine the right variety for their location and accompanying crop pressures. “We plant on-farm variety trials on eight farms across the state,” Balkcom says. “The same six varieties will be planted at each farm location. We can use data from the eight locations to determine how each variety responds to different soil types, weather patterns, pests and disease pressures.” The more information researchers are able to provide, the better prepared pro-
ducers are to manage the crop throughout the year. Heavy Thrips Pressure Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension entomologist, says the value of at-plant insecticides for thrips management was readily apparent in UGA trials by late May in Tifton. While untreated peanuts were getting hammered by thrips, those treated with in-furrow insecticides were holding up pretty well. “Thrips injury generally peaks around 28 days after planting, and if the growing environment is favorable, the condition of plants rapidly improves after that,” Abney says. “The recent rains help peanuts that experienced heavy thrips PEANUTGROWER.COM
