21 minute read
Checkoff Report
Investments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors Peach Bowl
The Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored and exhibited at the Chick-fi l-A Peach Bowl at the MercedesBenz Stadium in Atanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2021. The game included the University of Georgia and University of Cincinnati vying for the win. During the game, GPC Georgia peanut were promoted through in-game promoted peanuts through an digital ads during the Peach Bowl held Jan. 1, ad in the program booklet, 2021, in Atlanta, Ga. website banner ad and through the videoboard and LED ribbon board in the stadium. Sample packs of Georgia peanuts were distributed to the teams in advance of the game.
There were approximately 15,000 fans at the game. Additional exposure was reached through the national broadcast on ESPN with a viewership of 8.73 million.
The Georgia Peanut Commission held the annual Research Report Day, Feb. 10, 2021, at the GPC headquarters in Tifton, Georgia. The event provided growers and industry representatives an opportunity to hear the latest reports and newest information available on peanut research projects funded by GPC in 2020.
GPC awarded $739,693 to peanut research facilities in the state during 2020. This eff ort funded 40 research projects from the University of Georgia, USDA Agricultural Research Service and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The research programs primarily focus on peanut breeding, conservation methods, irrigation and water management as well as pests, weed and disease management.
The annual research reports are available on the Georgia Peanut Commission website at www.gapeanuts.com.
Online Seed Seminar Available
The American Peanut Shellers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission and Southern Peanut Farmers Federation have teamed up to present the 2021 Peanut Industry Seed Seminar online. Traditionally, the seed seminar is held during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show which was postponed until 2022. The seed seminar features video presentations highlighting seed quantity for 2021, updates from peanut breeders and information on how to maximize your peanut stand and growth. The videos are available on the GPC website at www.gapeanuts.com.
Georgia Peanuts promoted through digital media
Throughout the fall, the Georgia Peanut Commission invested in targeted display digital advertising through Salem Media and iHeart Radio.
The Salem Media campaign, which ran from Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, highlighted peanut harvest, Peanut Butter Lovers Month and the holidays with banner ads refl ecting engaging graphics that led viewers to the GPC website. Overall, the campaign resulted in more than 1.29 million impressions, which were captured via Geofence technology, keyword searches and GPC website visits. The campaign also included YouTube advertising where a :30 second commercial about peanuts was shared with viewers. The YouTube platform garnered more than 250,000 impressions.
The campaign through iHeart Radio focused on a “Pick Your Pie” promotion leading up to Thanksgiving and a Holiday Baking Campaign in December. The campaign included on air radio mentions through Power 96.1, social media advertising, two online contests and digital banner ads. The entire campaign targeted moms in the Atlanta area and reached more than 744,000 impressions.
As part of the “Pick Your Pie” promotion, three farm families were featured with their favorite peanut pie recipe. The families and recipes include the Cromley Family, Brooklet, Georgia, with Peanut Pie, Grimes Family, Tifton, Georgia, with Southern Peanut Tassies, and the Thompson Family, Donalsonville, Georgia, with their No Bake Peanut Butter Pie. Each recipe was promoted on-air through Power 96.1 radio DJs and online through the contest page. Radio listeners were able to pick their favorite pie to enter the online contest for a chance at winning a gift card to purchase groceries prior to Thanksgiving.
As part of the Holiday Baking Campaign in December, iHeart and Power 96.1 followers were encouraged to share baking memories through the online contest. Winners were chosen for a gift card and more than 600 individuals entered the contest. The digital banner ad component of this campaign reached more than 582,000 impressions.
Reports from the: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Florida Peanut Producers Association Georgia Peanut Commission Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
APPA Publishes Production Guide, Provides Virtual Seminars APPA Sponsors Online Cooking
In lieu of face to face grower production meetings Show normally held February through March, the Alabama Peanut The Alabama Peanut Producers Producers Association recorded a virtual peanut production Association sponsored a six-week online seminar and published a peanut production guide. Extension cooking show, “In the Spirit,” with faculty from Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative FEAST magazine. The series ran Nov. 11 Extension System recorded a presentation regarding their - Dec. 22, 2020. The sponsorship includes research fi ndings and recommendations to be viewed by a :15 second opening and closing spot for growers online. In addition, they provided a synopsis of the each video, a four-week social media presentation and best recommendations for the Alabama Peanut campaign, and six full color Production Guide. Marshall Lamb with the National Peanut advertisements in four regional Research Lab was included as well. Each Alabama peanut grower received a copy newspapers. There were more than 40,000 of the peanut production guide. Presentations from the researchers are also available impressions across all the campaign online at www.alpeanuts.com/industry-research/. elements.
APPA advertises in ALFA Magazine
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association advertised in the November 2020 issue of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Neighbors magazine. The issue was delivered to 330,000 households across Alabama. APPA partnered with National Peanut Board and used co-promotion funds to design and run the ad. The ad encouraged consumers to enjoy the simple pleasures of life with peanuts, and included a peanut butter sweet potato bread recipe developed by Stacey Little of SouthernBite.com.
FPPA welcomes Scott Angle as new vice president at University of Florida IFAS
The University of Florida leader in recently named J. Scott Angle, agricultural as the vice president of the science and university’s Institute of Food administration. and Agricultural Sciences (UF/ His passion for IFAS). science, natural
Angle will oversee UF’s resources and College of Agricultural and Life Ken Barton, FPPA executive director, service to the Sciences with more than 6,000 welcomes Scott Angle in his new role community will students, the Florida Cooperative as vice president of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the advance our Extension Service, and the University of Florida. work toward Florida Agricultural Experiment feeding a Station’s network of research growing world centers. population while reducing our use of
The Florida Peanut Producers resources needed to do it,” UF President Association is excited to have the Kent Fuchs said. Angle spent more than opportunity to work with Dr. Angle as the 35 years in agricultural science and vice president for Agriculture and Natural administration, including 25 years as a Resources with UF IFAS. professor of soil science and administrator
“Dr. Angle is a nationally recognized (Director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and Maryland Cooperative Extension) at the University of Maryland. From 2005 to 2015, Angle served as dean and director of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia.
“My experience at NIFA gave me the opportunity to see university agriculture operations across the nation, and UF/ IFAS is simply one of, if not the, best. Agriculture is changing faster than I have ever witnessed in my career,” Angle says. “Many challenges lie ahead, not the least of which is COVID-19, and its long-term implications for agriculture. UF/IFAS, however, is up to the challenge and I am honored to be at the helm during such an important time for agriculture.”
2021 WEED GUIDEBOOK
Program Approach for Peanut Weed Management
As farmers have battled herbicide- resistant weeds the last several years, University of Georgia Extension Weed Specialist Eric Prostko has been promoting a program approach for weed control. The program includes fi ve components which include starting clean (using cover crops, tillage, and/or herbicides); planting in twin rows; using multiple residual herbicides; making timely postemergence herbicide applications; and handweeding escapes before seed is produced.
One program Prostko recommends at planting is a combination of Prowl, Valor and Strongarm. This initial program is followed by a post-emergence application 30 to 40 days after planting of Cadre, Warrant and 2,4-DB and surfactant.
This program has been very eff ective for Prostko in research trials where populations of Palmer amaranth, Florida beggarweed and multiple annual grasses are prevalent.
According to Prostko, farmers can tweak this program by removing Strongarm if there are rotation issues with a sensitive crop like vegetables or dryland fi eld corn. Farmers can also replace Cadre with Cobra or Ultra Blazer, as well as replace Warrant with Dual Magnum, Zidua, Anthem Flex or Outlook.
“This is a very eff ective treatment when you apply your postemergence herbicides on a timely basis and when weeds are very small,” Prostko says.
Another program Prostko recommends is what he calls “the Gramoxone program.” The program consists of Prowl at planting, followed by Gramoxone, Storm and Dual Magnum at 14 days and then Cadre, Dual Magnum and 2,4-DB at 30 to 40 days after planting.
According to Prostko, farmers can also tweak this program by replacing Prowl with Sonalan; replacing Storm with Basagran; replacing Dual with Warrant, Outlook, Zidua or Anthem Flex; and replacing Cadre with Cobra or Ultra Blazer.
“Farmers can tailor either one of these programs to fi t their specifi c needs,” Prostko adds.
Through the years as a weed scientist Prostko has often been asked which herbicide is better, Sonalan or Prowl.
“In my opinion every acre of peanuts in Georgia needs to be treated with one of these products,” Prostko says. However, Prostko notes that he has not been able to consistently prove, scientifi cally, that one is better than the other. His only preference is in striptill fi elds where he prefers for farmers to use Prowl over Sonalan. Over the last few years, peanut farmers have shown a lot of interest in the Group 15 herbicides including Anthem Flex, Dual Magnum, Outlook, Warrant, and Zidua. All of these herbicides provide good to excellent residual control of Palmer amaranth, tropical spiderwort, and many annual grasses. According to Prostko’s research, when these herbicides are used in the recommended UGA peanut weed control programs, there have not been any major diff erences in performance between the Group 15 herbicides.
“I don’t have a preference between any of these fi ve herbicides,” Prostko says. “My preference is that farmers use one or more of these herbicides in their program at least two times. I encourage farmers to utilize our UGA program approach for peanut weed control which includes starting clean, planting in twin rows, using multiple residual herbicides, applying postemergence herbicides to small weeds (<3”) and hand-weeding escapes.”
by Eric Prostko Professor and Extension Weed Specialist University of Georgia
Five Important Things to Consider:
1. Start clean using a combination of tillage, cover crops, and/or herbicides. 2. Use narrow rows (≤ 30”) or twin rows when practical. 3. Use at least 2 residual herbicides in the system. 4. Make timely postemergence applications (tallest weeds ≤ 3” tall, not the average). 5. Hand-remove weed escapes before seed is produced.
Table 1: Herbicide Programs for Peanuts.
System Tillage
Preplant Burndown1 Timing
PPI PRE
EPOST (~10-20 DAP2)
POST (~30-45 DAP)
Non-Irrigated (Dryland) strip-till3
Glyphosate or Paraquat + 2,4-D No Rain in 7-10 DAP
Paraquat + Prowl
Paraquat + Storm or Basagran + Dual Magnum or Warrant or Zidua or Anthem Flex or Outlook
Irrigated conventional
Strip-till3
Conventional
Gyphosate or Paraquat + 2,4-D
Prowl or Sonalan + Strongarm4 Rain in 7-10 DPA
Paraquat + Prowl + Valor
No PRE if rain is not expected in 7-10 DAP
Rain in 7-10 DPA
Valor Paraquat + Prowl + Valor + Strongarm4
Prowl or Sonalan + Valor + Strongarm4
ALS Resistance:
Cobra or Ultral Blazer + (Dual Magnum or Warrant or Zidua) + 2,4-DB
Paraquat + Storm or Basagran + Dual Magnum or Warrant or Zidua or Anthem Flex or Outlook
No ALS Resistance:
Cadred + (Dual Magnum or Warrant or Zidua) + 2,4-DB
** A 4-way tank-mixture can be used if required (Cadre + Cobra or Ultra Blazer + 2,4-DB + Dual Magnum or Warrant or Zidua)
1 Apply at least 7 days before planting. If there will be a long delay between the burndown application and planting (>10 days), add a residual herbicide (Valor or Dual Magnum or Warrant or Outlook) to the burndown treatment. 2 DAP = days after planting. 3 Annual grass control in strip-tillage systems is often more diffi cult thus additional applications of a postemergence grass herbicide (i.e. Fusilade, Poast and Select) will be needed. 4 Before using Cadre and/or Strongarm, rotational crop restrictions must be considered.
**SPECIAL NOTE: Dual Magnum/Warrant/Outlook are in the same herbicide family (chloroacetamide) and have the same mode of action (inhibit very long chain fatty acids). Zidua/Anthem Flex are not in the same herbicide family (isoxazoline) but have the same mode of action. Multiple applications (> 2) of these herbicides in a single year should be avoided to prevent or delay the evolution of resistance. These residual herbicides have no postemergence activity.
REMINDER PARAQUAT TRAINING Pesticide applicators are required by EPA to take an on-line paraquat training every 3 years. Contact your local Extension offi ce for more info.
Grass Control
Evaluation of potential antagonism of Select Max and Fusilade applied with common peanut fungicides on annual grass control
By Steve Li, Auburn University and Connor Ferguson, Mississippi State University
Many farmers routinely apply grass herbicides such as Select Max (clethodim) or Fusilade (fl uazifop) to control annual grasses, such as Texas panicum, crabgrass, goosegrass, crowfootgrass, etc., in their peanut fi elds. Some of them commonly mix a fungicide with the herbicide to control both weeds and diseases and to save a trip to the fi eld.
However, little research has been done to evaluate the grass control effi cacy as impacted by grass herbicide plus fungicide tank mix. Therefore, a study funded by the National Peanut Board was conducted in summer of 2020 at two locations in Alabama and two locations in Mississippi to evaluate how grass control is aff ected by tank mixing a fungicide with either Select Max or Fusilade in fi eld.
In this study, Select Max and Fusilade rates were 16 and 12 fl uid ounces per acre respectively. Either Bravo at 1.5 pints per acre, Elatus at 9.5 ounces per acre, Priaxor at 8 fl uid ounces per acre, Fontelis at 24 fl uid ounces per acre, or Miravis at 24 fl uid ounces per acre was mixed with Select Max or Fusiliade. A NIS (Preference) was added to all treatments at 0.25 percent volume per volume.
Treatments were applied with AIXR 11002 nozzles at 15 gallons per acre output to small plots. Each treatment was replicated four times at each site. Annual grasses were between 8-10 inches in height at application. The main grass species at the Alabama sites, Wiregrass Research and Education Center in Headland and EV Smith Research Center in Shorter, were crabgrass and crowfootgrass, while Texas panicum was the main species at the two Mississippi sites. Visual rating was conducted at 28 days after treatment at all sites.
Study results showed that no fungicide consistently reduced Select Max and Fusilade effi cacy across all three sites. Grass control achieved at the Mississippi sites were consistently higher than Alabama sites with over 80 percent grass control at the Mississippi sites versus below 45 percent control at Alabama sites 28 days after treatment.
It was very clear that Select Max and Fusilade showed increased effi cacy on Texas panicum than crabgrass and crowfootgrass. Select Max and Fusilade alone did not provide more than 45 percent control at Alabama sites on these two species due to combined eff ect of large grass size and drought stress at application, fortunately, addition of a fungicide did not further reduce control effi cacy.
Study fi ndings also suggested peanut growers should spray grass herbicides before crabgrass and crowfootgrass are too big and avoid spraying in a drought period if possible. This study will be repeated in the summer of 2021 to further capture grass responses following grass herbicide plus fungicide treatments.
Image from research plot 209 in Mississippi. The treatment included Fontelis + Select Max which was rated at 99 percent grass control.
Image from research plot 201 in Mississippi. The treatment included Fontelis + Fusilade which was rated at 70% grass control.
Image of the non treated check research plot study funded by the National Peanut Board to evaluate control of Palmer amaranth without using PPO herbicides in Alabama.
Palmer amaranth is the worst weed in peanuts grown in the Southeast. It is very competitive, grows rapidly and utilizes water and sunlight very effi ciently. Currently, most of the Palmer amaranth populations in major peanut production areas around Dothan, Alabama, are glyphosate and ALS resistant.
However, PPO-resistant types are very widespread across the Midsouth. It is estimated by Extension weed scientists that around 80 percent of the Palmer populations are PPO-resistant, and 20-30 percent are DNA herbicide (yellow herbicides such as Prowl, Trefl an and Sonalan) resistant.
The PPO resistant type poses the biggest concern to the peanut industry since they are also resistant to ALS chemistry. ALS-herbicides such as Cadre, Classic and Strongarm have all been lost to Palmer amaranth. If the industry keeps losing PPO herbicides (Cobra, Ultra Blazer, Aim, Valor), controlling Palmer amaranth will be very diffi cult if not totally impossible.
Gramoxone and 2,4-DB use will skyrocket as expected, illegal use of Gramoxone beyond application window will not be rare. Gramoxone is highly toxic to humans and very injurious to peanuts, particularly on older peanuts 30 days after planting (DAP).
Abusing Gramoxone can also lead to the development of paraquat resistance in the future. Therefore, alternative approaches are urgently needed in case PPO-resistance gene fl ows to peanut production area and hybrid with local populations.
A study was funded by the National Peanut Board to evaluate controlling Palmer amaranth without using PPO herbicides in Alabama. Two locations in Alabama at Headland and Shorter, with high Palmer amaranth pressure were used for this study in the summer of 2020.
Half of the study was done in conventional till area and the other half had cover crop residue from cereal rye planted the previous fall. Both tillage types received the same PRE treatments.
The peanut variety, Georgia-06G, was planted between May 12 to June 5, 2020, at both locations. Both single and twin row pattern were used in conventional till area, and only single row was used in cover crop area.
Each treatment was replicated 4 times at both locations. Gramoxone 2lb 12 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Dual Magnum 1 pt/A + NIS was used only on the conventional tilled area around 28 days after cracking. Cadre 3 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Dual Magnum 1 pt/A + NIS was applied only on cover crop area around 35-40 DAP. Select Max + NIS was applied at 51 DAP to control annual grasses.
Study results indicated that cover crop residues at both sites reached 5,0007,000 pounds per acre range. About 50 percent of the residue remained on the soil surface 35 days after termination. Twin row peanuts did not off er signifi cant weed control benefi ts compared to single row peanut in a bare ground area.
Peanut canopy width was widest for peanuts planted in a cover crop
Twin row, conventional till. PRE (May 27): Warrant 3 pt/A + Prowl H2O pt/A POST (July 1): Gramoxone 2 lb. 12 oz. + 2,4-DB 16 oz. + Dual Magnum 1 pt./A + NIS
Twin row, conventional till PRE (May 2): Warrant 3 pt + Brake 24 oz + Prowl H2O 2 pt/A POST (July 1): Gramoxone 2lb 12 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Dual Magnum 1 pt/A + NIS
Control of PPO and ALS resistant Palmer amaranth in Peanuts
- Continued from page 16
compared to conventional single row and conventional twin rows at 65 DAP, possibly due to moisture retention of the cover crop.
PRE treatments containing Warrant, Solicam and Brake provided excellent control of Palmer (>90 percent control) in both tillage systems (Prowl H2O was used only in conventional tilled area). Two PRE treatments in bare ground area and one treatment in a cover crop area controlled Palmer amaranth 100 percent at 130 DAP.
Cover crop residue by itself provided ~75 percent control of Palmer plant number reduction compared to bare ground counterpart when no herbicide was applied.
Preliminary results suggested suffi cient control of Palmer can be achieved with soil herbicides, timely POST applications and cover crops. However, this study was done in small plots (4 rows by 25 ft.) and received
Single row, cereal rye residue PRE (May 27): Warrant 3 pt + Brake 24 oz/A POST (July 3): Cadre 3 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Dual Magnum 1 pt/A + NIS
adequate rainfall/irrigation after planting. The effi cacy of these treatments combined cover crop residues still need to be assessed in dryland fi elds with high pressure of Palmer in 2021. B S L A U
Editor’s Note: Brake is a herbicide without a peanut label yet. However, a section 18 label may be submitted for use in peanut.
Single row, conventional till PRE (June 3): Dual Magnum 16 oz + Strongarm 0.45 oz/A POST 1 (June 26): Gramoxone 2lb 12 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Dual Magnum 1 pt/A + NIS POST 2 (July 16): Cadre 3 oz + 2,4-DB 16 oz + Outlook 1 pt/A + NIS
Looking for peanut effi ciency and a fond return
Many growers say they didn’t realize just how effi ciency their peanut operations were, and other growers found they might could do even better.
The Farm Press Peanut Effi ciency Award is based on production effi ciency, and with it we are honored to honor growers who produce the highest yields by using their way to use inputs the best way. The confi dential program is setup to help the producer look at the entire peanut operation and not on individual farms or small plots.
We’ve had outstanding winners during the program’s more than two decades, including last year’s winners. Kirk Jones said mentors and timeliness are key to his Virginia farm. Alabama’s Mullek family delivered sustainable peanuts with their unique, no-till system. The Martin family have yielded generations of Texas effi ciency winners. Van Hensarling, who has grown peanuts for 23 years on the south Mississippi farm, looked at every aspect — rotation, fertility, weed control, the fungicide program, and harvest effi ciency.
The Farm Press Peanut Effi ciency Awards are presented to winners during the annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City Beach, Fla., each year. We pay for the winner and a guest to attend the conference and to enjoy the best beaches in the country. As we all know, though, 2020 was a monkey wrench of a year. The 2020 conference was delayed until 2021. We are looking forward to getting back to that good industry conference, which is now slated for July 15-1w7.
Awards are presented to growers from the four major production regions: Lower Southeast, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida; the Upper Southeast, including Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina; the Southwest, including Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico; and the Delta, including Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri.
“The elements of production cost and price are equally important factors in our evaluation of nominees. Marketing expertise defi nitely has given an edge to recent winners of the award,” says Marshall Lamb, research director for the National Peanut Research Laboratory and primary advisor of the PEA program.
We try to wrap up nominations by the end of April and contact winners soon after. If you want to fi nd out more about PEA or submit a nomination, email Marshall or me. My email is brad.haire@ farmprogress.com. Marshall’s email is marshall.lamb@usda.gov. We’re happy to talk about the PEA program and anything related.
