A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
CONTENTS//
April 2021
In This Issue 6 / McGill’s Mission Field Remembering the life of J. Frank McGill, also known by many as Mr. Peanut, who passed away in March.
12 / In-furrow Fertilizers Fertilizers when applied in-furrow with peanut seed are not recommended by the University of Georgia. Learn why.
14 / New Type of Seed Coating A new type of liquid seed coating may appear on peanut seed this year in some locations. The new product is a type of polymer coating instead of the traditional pink powder or dry powder formulation.
Departments 8 / Checkoff Report Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association 28 / Washington Outlook 30 / Southern Peanut Growers Update
Joy Carter Crosby Editor joycrosby@gapeanuts.com 229-386-3690 Director of Advertising Jessie Bland jessie@gapeanuts.com Contributing Writers Abby Himburg abby@alpeanuts.com Southeastern Peanut Farmer P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793 445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794 ISSN: 0038-3694
16 2021 Peanut Disease and Insect Guidebook The 2021 Disease and Insect Guidebook features management information for some of the common disease and nematodes issues, as well as insect control. New product information is also included in the guidebook. Cover Photo Remembering the life of J. Frank McGill. Photo by Herb Pilcher.
Southeastern Peanut Farmer is published six times a year (Jan./Feb., March, April, May/June, July/Aug., and Oct./Nov.) by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. The publisher is not responsible for copy omission, typographical errors, or any unintentional errors that may occur, other than to correct it in the following issue. Any erroneous reflection which may occur in the columns of Southeastern Peanut Farmer will be corrected upon brought to the attention of the editor. (Phone 229-386-3690.) Postmaster: Send address changes (Form 3579) to Southeastern Peanut Farmer, P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Georgia, 31793. Circulation is free to qualified peanut growers and others allied to the industry. Periodical postage paid at Tifton, Georgia and additional mailing office. Editorial Content: Editorial copy from sources outside of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may, or may not, coincide with official Southern Peanut Farmers Federation policies. Publication of material does not necessarily imply its endorsement by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. For editorial concerns call 229-386-3690. No portion of this or past issues of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the written consent of the editor. By-lined articles appearing in this publication represent views of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertising: The Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Corrections to advertisements must be made after the first run. All billing offers subject to credit review. Advertisements contained in this publication do not represent an endorsement by the Southeastern Peanut Farmer or the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Use of trade names in this publication is for the purpose of providing specific information and is not a guarantee nor warranty of products named. For advertising concerns call 229-386-3472.
April 2021 Southeastern Peanut Farmer
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Editorial
Calendar of Events
J. Frank McGill - A True Legacy
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was fortunate to know Mr. Frank McGill for the past twenty-one years. He was a fixture in the peanut industry for many years before. I wish I would have known Mr. Frank earlier in his career and before he retired. Even though retired, he still seemed to accomplish much during his day. He stayed busy, whether it was work in the peanut field, calls or visits, travel or writing letters. I was also fortunate to receive some of the famous handwritten notes from his signature notepad that included the words “From the desk of J. Frank McGill” with a peanut silhouette in the background. Those notes were the few handwritten notes I received during my time at GPC. It seems handwritten notes are a lost art with the dawn of new technology. Many of the handwritten notes would be delivered directly to me at the Georgia Peanut Commission instead of being mailed. Sometimes, they included congratulations on the birth of a new child or for an award I received, while other times they were suggestions for magazine articles or other programs at GPC. Mr. Frank was very articulate and precise. He did not stand around long when telling you something either. He would tell you what you needed to know and then move on to his next task on the list. However, he always provided you with a wonderful memory, great story or more knowledge on a particular topic. When we first moved into the new headquarters at GPC, we installed a peanut statue in front of the building. It was a small peanut statue that was more artistic in nature than realistic of an actual peanut. However, Mr. Frank wanted to make sure our peanut was more realistic. So, he set out on a mission to find the perfect peanut for a company to make a 3D replica of it. He searched for many months to find the perfect peanut. Once the peanut was found, he brought it to the office, and we had a 3D company make a new statue. Now the new peanut statue sits proudly out front of our building showing visitors the perfect peanut. His legacy will live on through the lives of so many whether it is family, students that he helped provide an education for through scholarships, peanut research projects and more. What a testament to the wonderful live lived while serving others. Mr. Frank, you will be deeply missed by everyone in the peanut industry!
Joy Carter Crosby Editor
In lieu of flowers, it was Mr. Frank’s desire that you practice random and unexpected expressions of love and compassion to others on a continuing basis.
Memorial donations on behalf of Mr. Frank can be made to either the J. Frank McGill “Up with Peanuts” Scholarship or the UGA Peanut Team Support Fund. Make check payable to UGA Foundation and include designation for J. Frank McGill “Up with Peanuts” Scholarship or UGA Peanut Team Support Fund. Donations can be mailed to: University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Four Towers, Athens, GA 30602. Donations can also be made to Peanut Proud online at www.peanutproud.org or by mailing the donation to Peanut Proud, P.O. Box 446, Blakely, GA 39823.
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Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
Georgia Peanut Commission Kickoff to Planting Peanut Palooza, April 17, 2021, Tifton, Ga. For more information visit the GPC website at gapeanuts.com.
USA Peanut Congress, June 28-July 1, 2021. For information call 229-888-2508 or visit peanut-shellers.org. American Peanut Research Education Society Virtual Annual Meeting, July 13-15, 2021. For more information call 229-329-2949 or visit apresinc.com.
Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 15-17, 2021, Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City Beach, Fla. For more details visit southernpeanutfarmers.org. Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 22, 2021, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit sunbeltexpo.com or call 229-985-1968. American Peanut Shellers Association and National Peanut Buying Points Association Pre-Harvest Meeting, Aug. 10-11, 2021. For more information visit peanut-shellers.org or call 229-888-2508. Brooklet Peanut Festival, Sept. 18, 2021. For more information visit the festival’s website at brookletpeanutfestival.com. Plains Peanut Festival, Sept. 25, 2021. For more information visit plainsgeorgia.com. Georgia Peanut Festival, Oct. 16, 2021, Sylvester, Ga. For more information visit gapeanutfestival.org. Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 19-21, 2021, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit sunbeltexpo.com or call 229-985-1968. National Peanut Festival, Nov. 5-14, 2021, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit nationalpeanutfestival.com. (Let us know about your event. Please send details to the editor at joycrosby@gapeanuts.com.
Correction: The March 2021 cover photo was incorrectly listed as being provided by Eric Prostko, UGA Extension weed scientist. The photo was taken by Greg Sikes in Bulloch County, Georgia.
Peanuts McGill’s Mission Field
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fast walk, humorous stories and handwritten notes are a few of the things family and friends remember about J. Frank McGill, also known affectionately as Mr. Peanut. McGill, 95, passed away on March 3 in Tifton, Georgia. McGill received many awards through the years for his work within the peanut industry from multiple organizations and the University of Georgia, and was the first inductee into the Georgia Peanut Hall of Fame at the Georgia Peanut Commission in 1982. The awards were great, but the memories and lives touched were the best part for McGill. He touched the lives of many within the peanut industry throughout Georgia, the U.S. and the world. McGill was raised on a small family farm near Chula, Georgia, where he learned more about an honest living while being raised during the Depression. He gained honest work ethic on the family farm which led later to a 46 year career as a county Extension agriculture agent, Extension peanut specialist with the University of Georgia and peanut consultant with M&M Mars. At one time in his life, McGill actually questioned whether God was calling him into ministry service. However, McGill’s mission was in the field of peanuts and he fulfilled that mission by serving farmers and teaching all who would listen about peanuts. During McGill’s funeral, his daughter shared a story about how McGill would take family members out to the peanut field and if they were lucky he would crack open a peanut and reveal the seeds inside. With genuine awe in his eyes, he would begin to talk about the power of that seed. McGill would discuss how once the seed was planted in the ground a miracle would occur which would bring new life, and the power to feed hungry people and provide a livelihood for the farmer. He treated his work as a sacred calling and his devotion to it a spiritual one.
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McGill’s first impressions of the University of Georgia happened at the young age of 8 when the university agreed to accept fresh produce and meat for his brother’s college tuition. So, as a young boy he helped his Dad load up two butchered hogs, sweet potatoes and syrup in the families Model T and made the 200mile trek to Athens, Georgia. Those events made a lasting impression on McGill and helped him decide to learn more about UGA which led to his thirty-one year career with the UGA Extension Service. During the time span of 1949 to 1978, peanut yields increased from 800 pounds per acre to more than 3,000 pounds per acre as technology continued to advance within the industry. McGill provided a team approach within the Extension Service which can also be attributed to the increased yield. A quote excerpt within McGill’s book, “From the Mule to the Moon” sums up his love and acclaim for Georgia farmers. The statement reads, “All of the ingredients contributing to this giant step of progress are too numerous, complicated and diverse for me to document adequately. However, the peanut growers of Georgia who consistently embraced a mentality for change during my forty-six years in the business are without a doubt the key ingredient to Georgia’s peanut success story.” McGill also paved the way for an Extension ag engineer to join him at UGA. Initially, UGA wanted to hire a second peanut agronomist to assist McGill but he had other plans and knew the peanut industry really needed an ag engineer. McGill wrote the letter for the Georgia Peanut Commission to send to Athens requesting an ag engineer and the rest is history. McGill continued to make an impact on former and current peanut agronomists at UGA such as John Beasley and Scott Monfort. “I was fortunate and blessed in that Frank and I traveled together to several peanut meetings during my early years
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
J. Frank McGill 1925-2021 when he and I were invited to speak at the same meeting,” says John Beasley, former Extension peanut agronomist at UGA and current department head of crop, soil and environmental sciences at Auburn University. “We spent those road miles talking about family, faith and peanuts. I will always cherish those private moments, laughing at his stories and inspired by his faith and passion for serving people.” Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist says, “Mr. Frank set the bar very high in supporting the needs of the peanut growers in Georgia as ‘the first peanut specialist’. His level of enthusiasm and dedication to supporting the peanut growers in Georgia is something I continue to strive for each day.” Don Koehler, executive director at the Georgia Peanut Commission, first met McGill when he started working at GPC thirty-five years ago. Since then, McGill provided Koehler with historical facts, advice and a life-long friendship. “Over time, he was sparing in his advice and when he did tell me something, I always knew it was very important,” Koehler says. “I remember in one of those rare bits of advice, he told me it would be foolish to predict a peanut crop on the Fourth of July and I never forgot that and thanks to him, I didn’t make a fool of myself doing so.” McGill will leave a lasting legacy among the peanut industry with his humble attitude, humorous and educational stories, inquisitive nature and the team approach for the UGA Extension service. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
J. Frank McGill December 16, 1925 - March 3, 2021
Photos by the University of Georgia or Georgia Peanut Commission.
April 2021 Southeastern Peanut Farmer
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Checkoff Report Investments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.
Georgia Peanut Commission presents awards to school foodservice in “Not All Superheroes Wear Capes!” contest Georgia’s peanut farmers recognize the critical effort school nutrition partners made to feed the state’s most food-vulnerable students when COVID-19 caused a necessary closure of schools. The Georgia Peanut Commission Houston County School System received the worked with the Georgia Peanut Butter Usage award and served nearly School Nutrition 1.5 million meals including thousands of cases Association to seek entries of Smucker’s Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Jelly from school districts Sandwiches. highlighting their efforts in the areas of innovation, volume and community engagement. The winning districts include Coffee County School System, Glynn County School District, Houston County School System and Tift County Public Schools. The Coffee County School System received the School/Community Engagement Award for their efforts. Coffee County’s school nutrition team formed a partnership with their full school system including teachers, para pros, custodians, administrative staff, maintenance and bus drivers to prepare and deliver nearly 570,000 meals to students homes. The Sheriff’s Department even got involved having deputies escort buses on their routes and making special deliveries when a student missed a bus delivery. Glynn County School District received the Most Creative Award. Glynn County’s school nutrition team pivoted quickly to continue serving meals using a drive-through model at various schools throughout the district. Nutrition staff made encouraging signs and dressed in costumes like fruits, vegetables and even superheroes as they served more than 830,000 meals. Houston County School System and Tift County Public Schools received the Peanut Butter Usage Award. Houston County’s school nutrition team left on a Friday not knowing that it was the end of the in-person school year. The Houston County team provided seven days of meals per week to any child under the age of 18 at four drive-through locations where they served nearly 1.5 million meals including thousands of cases of Smucker’s Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches. Tift County’s school nutrition team activated nine drive-through feeding sites as well as eight buses to deliver meals on the first day of the school closure. Nearly 250,000 Smucker’s Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches were served during that time. Each winning district received a trophy, 123 cases of peanut butter to utilize in their feeding program.
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Georgia Peanut Commission exhibits at Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Conference The Georgia Peanut Commission attended the Georgia Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Virtual Conference on March 4, which hosted registered dietitians and nutritionists from across the state. GPC created a dedicated webpage for the meeting, which included a variety of nutrition content for attendees to browse and download. GPC also hosted a live chat session with attendees to answer questions and highlight the new dietary guidelines, which include nutrition guidance for infants and children under two years of age, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding moms. Highlighting these groups includes the early introduction of peanut foods and eating peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Georgia Peanut Commission promotes peanuts through billboards and digital ads In continuation of National Peanut Month promotions, the Georgia Peanut Commission sponsored digital advertising on billboards across the state and in some of the country’s busiest airports. Throughout Georgia, GPC’s “Greatest Snack on Earth” campaign was featured on boards in Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Albany, Alma, Douglas, Cordele, Waycross, Moultrie, Eastman, Tifton, Fitzgerald and Valdosta, garnering an estimated 13 million impressions for the month. In airports, the campaign was featured at Hartsfield Jackson, Chicago O’Hare, Newark, LaGuardia and Washington Reagan on concourses and baggage claims garnering an estimated 24 million impressions for the month. The campaign also aired as digital banner ads through iHeart Media across the state of Georgia and in Washington, D.C. Final impressions will be available in the next issue.
Reports from the: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Florida Peanut Producers Association Georgia Peanut Commission Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
APPA donates peanut butter to 4-H PB&J drive
APPA donates 20 cases of peanut butter to Covington County 4-H. Pictured left to right, Glen Walters, APPA board member and Katie Lee, Covington County 4-H agent.
The 4-H clubs in several Southeast Alabama counties participated in a PB&J Drive to benefit their local food banks. APPA donated a pallet of peanut butter (1,440 jars) to six of the 4-H clubs located in Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties. Each county received 240 jars for their PB&J drive. APPA Board Members who assisted with the delivery of the peanut butter were Glen Walters in Covington County, Jerry Byrd in Dale County, Jesse Scott and Jimmy Royce Helms in Geneva County, Ed White in Houston County and George Jeffcoat in Houston County.
New APPA commercial airs during National Peanut Month The Alabama Peanut Producers Association produced a new TV commercial with Scenic Productions in Dothan, Alabama. It was titled “Peanuts and the Senses.” The commercial aired during National Peanut Month through Spectrum Cable in the Birmingham area. The commercial had potential to reach 336,642 households in March. The commercial can be viewed on the APPA Youtube page.
Alabama Peanut Producers unveil new checkoff stamp The Alabama Peanut Producers Association is proud to roll out a new checkoff stamp for Alabama farmers to identify what their checkoff dollars are funding. Anytime Alabama farmers see the stamp, it means the project is a direct result of their checkoff dollars at work.
GPC promotes peanut menu items at Atlanta restaurants During National Peanut Month, the Georgia Peanut Commission teamed up with Taste of Atlanta to promote peanut-menu items at Atlanta restaurants and encourage patrons to support restaurants with dine-in and pickup options. Throughout the month, eight restaurants and their peanut dishes were highlighted on social media and digital platforms. Two of the participating restaurants participated in PB&J Day at the Capitol and sampled their menu items. Participating restaurants and their peanut-menu items include: Loyal Q & Brew: Boiled in the Shell Peanuts, Salty and Slightly Spicy Just Bakery of Atlanta: Peanut Butter Curry Cookies Blue Moon Pizza: Thai Chicken Pizza South City Kitchen Vinings: Duck Leg Confit with Toasted Peanuts Creamalosa: Peanut Butter Fudge Gelato Atkins Park – Smyrna: Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscuit Pudding with Caramel Hawkers Asian Street Fare: Sichuyan Wontons with Peanut Chili Sauce Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft: Mieng Kum
APPA sponsors Simply Southern TV cooking segment Simply Southern TV is featuring a cooking segment in Season 7 with Southern Bite blogger, Stacey Little of Prattville, Alabama. In coordination with National Peanut Month, APPA sponsored two of the cooking segments featuring peanuts which aired in March. The recipe segment is 3:30 - 4:00 minutes in length. Each segment airs twice with potential to reach over 2.1 million households in six TV markets: Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Dothan and Columbus, Georgia. The segment will also air on national cable network RFD-TV in 2021. In addition, there is Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and website mentions when the segment is posted to Simply Southern’s accounts. There is also cross-promotion with Southern Bite, which has a loyal following at www.southernbite.com and over 300,000 followers on Facebook. The recipes featured in March were Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Bars and No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Pie.
Stacey Little, of the food blog SouthernBite.com, prepares a peanut recipe for Simply Southern TV.
GPC Staff promotions Georgia Peanut Commission staff have recently been promoted. Joy Crosby has been promoted to Assistant Executive Director and Jessie Bland has been promoted to Manager of Promotions & Marketing.
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Checkoff Report Continued Florida Peanut Butter Challenge a success Since 2012, the Florida Peanut Producers Association has partnered with the University of Florida IFAS Extension Northwest District agents to organize the “Peanut Butter Challenge.” The Challenge is an Extension-led food The Florida Peanut Producers Association collection drive of peanut donated 10,080 jars of peanut butter for butter from within each the Peanut Butter Challenge. Ken Barton, of the 16 UF/IFAS FPPA executive director, is pictured with some of the peanut butter collected during Extension Northwest the annual event. District Counties. “The Peanut Butter Challenge continues to raise awareness of the importance of the state peanut industry, and helps provide a healthy product to families who do not have easy access to nutritious food,” said Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the Challenge since its inception. “Our communities come through year after year with tremendous responses to our calls for peanut butter donations, and we thank them.” This year the Florida Peanut Producers Association provided 10,080 jars and the Extension District collected 11,877 jars for a total of 21,957 jars. Escambia County led the collection drive with 2,191 jars collected. All the peanut butter collected from each county plus the jars donated by the Florida Peanut Producers Association is donated to local food pantries in northwest Florida counties from Pensacola to Monticello. “The Peanut Butter Challenge is a wonderful program that creates a friendly competition between county Extension offices and everyone involved, while providing local food pantries with much needed protein,” says Ken Barton, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers Association. “We are happy to be a part of the Peanut Butter Challenge.”
Georgia Peanut Commission announces weekly podcast for farmers The Georgia Peanut Commission has unveiled the “Georgia Peanuts Podcast.” The weekly show is hosted by Bryan Tucker, project coordinator for farm and field services with the Georgia Peanut Commission. The podcast Bryan Tucker (left), Georgia Peanut Commission project coordinator for officially launched at farm and field services, interviews Scott the end of March. The Monfort, University of Georgia Extension purpose of the podcast peanut agronomist, for the weekly is to bring up-to-date “Georgia Peanuts Podcast.” information about what is happening in the fields, research updates, industry and ag policy updates. Each week the podcast will feature a guest including Extension specialists, Extension agents, researchers, industry leaders and more. Guests on the podcast will bring continued education to farmers through an outlet where farmers can listen while in the tractor. “I want this to be a resource farmers can use to get information about what is happening that week with peanuts. It could be new recommendations from peanut Extension specialists, what county agents are seeing in the field at that time or new farm policy that could affect their farm,” Tucker says. “I hope delivering the show in a podcast allows farmers to listen on their schedule and while on the go.” The “Georgia Peanuts Podcast” can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, gapeanuts. com, and other podcast hosting platforms. If you have questions or comments about the “Georgia Peanuts Podcast,” or if you have topics you would like to be discussed, please send an email to Bryan Tucker at bryan@gapeanuts.com or call 229-386-3999.
Richard Barber, FPPA Charter Member, retires Fourth-generation Marion County farmer, Thomas Richard Barber Jr, retires after 57 years of farming. Barber has a rich history of working for the agricultural industry off the farm by taking leadership roles in many organizations and boards. Barber led the effort to create the Florida Peanut Checkoff and was a charter member of the Florida Peanut Producers Association, serving as the association’s second president. He also served on the Marion County Farm Bureau Board of Directors from 1970 to 1983 and then later from 1993 to 2007; serving as county president from 1973 to 1975 and from 1993 to 1995. Other organizations Barber served on include Florida Watermelon Grower’s Association, Florida Peanut Advisory Council, National Peanut Board and Farm Credit of Florida. Barber was recognized as Florida Farmer of the Year and later as Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. He was
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inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2004, and in 2018 received the highest award Florida Farm Bureau awards it’s members, The Distinguished Service Award. Barber is quick to give thanks and praise to the University of Florida for their great contribution to the peanut industry through their peanut breeding program Richard Barber and peanut production research in general. “It has been wonderful to be involved in agriculture for so many years and I will continue to support the ag industry, UF/IFAS and other land grant institutions as they continue to research ways to keep farming profitable,” Barber says.
Georgia Peanut Commission hosts a variety of National Peanut Month events
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors NASCAR Cup Series Driver Anthony Alfredo
The Georgia Peanut Commission promoted peanuts throughout the month of March through a variety of promotions. To kick off National Peanut Month, GPC hosted a Twitter party with Foodiechats that had an estimated 772,454 impressions. The Twitter party also included new peanut recipes from food influencers in Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois who created recipes ranging from Georgia Peanuts Crusted Shrimp to Georgia Peanut Butter Blondies with Sprinkles. The annual Georgia PB&J Day was held March 1, 2021, at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Exhibitors from the peanut industry served grilled PB&Js, country-fried peanuts, peanut candy and more. During the special program, Sen. Larry Walker and Rep. Robert Dickey presented resolutions The Georgia Peanut Commission donated highlighting the importance of 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta peanuts to Georgia’s economy. Community Food Bank for National Also, GPC and Peanut Proud Peanut Month. donated 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to celebrate National Peanut Month during the annual PB&J Day. The Georgia Peanut Commission also donated 10,080 jars of Peanut Proud peanut butter to DC Central Kitchen. The peanut butter donation is enough to make more than 141,000 sandwiches. DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. DCCK’s social ventures include serving scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools, delivering fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets and operating a fast-casual café. GPC sponsored a special series, “Proud to be a Georgia Farmer,” with WTOC-TV in Savannah and WALB-TV in Albany. The program highlighted farmers in the viewing area during the evening news in March and featured a special 30-minute show about the Georgia peanut industry including information on production, research, peanut nutrition and more. GPC teamed up with Parker Wallace, an Atlanta-based food enthusiast and chef, for a March - National Peanut Month media campaign in Georgia. Wallace, creator of Parker’s Plate, demonstrated a variety of peanut inspired recipes featuring Brussels Sprouts with Peanut Chipotle Vinaigrette, Thai Chicken Pizza and Gluten Free Monster Peanut Butter Cookies. The recipe videos are available on the GPC website and aired on television stations in Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah. GPC provided peanuts and recipes to the state’s 11 welcome centers for tourists and provided television media news teams throughout Georgia with a gift basket of Georgia peanut products. Throughout the month, GPC promoted peanuts through television and radio ads with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.
The Georgia Peanut Commission promoted peanuts throughout the NASCAR race in Atlanta, March 20-21. For the first time ever, GPC sponsored driver Anthony Alfredo as he unveiled the Georgia Peanuts-designed Ford Mustang in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Alfredo, known as “Fast Pasta” became known as “Fast Peanut” for the one-race partnership. The week leading up to the race, Alfredo made several social media announcements on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram regarding the promotion, as well as participated in a podcast interview with Casey Campbell. News regarding the promotion was picked up by several NASCAR news sources including Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Motor Sports News, 247Sports. com and Speedway Digest. The race was televised on Fox and Georgia Peanuts gained additional exposure during a pit row incident. The moment was replayed multiple times and made the race highlights reel by NASCAR on Fox and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, which reached more than 3.6 million consumers. As part of the partnership, GPC and the Be Your Own Hero Foundation partnered with Front Row Motorsports’ NASCAR Cup Series driver Georgia Peanut Commission and Anthony Alfredo The NASCAR Cup Series driver Anthony to give back Alfredo donated 1,440 jars of Peanut to the local Proud peanut butter to Canine Assistants. community by donating 1,440 jars of peanut butter to Canine Assistants. Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization, helps train service dogs which are placed with people who have difficulty with mobility, epilepsy/seizure disorders, or Type 1 Diabetes as well as dogs in pediatric hospitals and similar facilities. Georgia Peanut Commission staff also exhibited in the Fan Zone at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and promoted peanuts through a billboard at the race track. During the two-day event more than 9,000 bags of Georgia Peanuts were given away to race fans. April 2021 Southeastern Peanut Farmer
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In-furrow Fertilizers Do they impact seed emergence?
Fertilizers when applied in-furrow with peanut seed are not recommended by the University of Georgia and could be the cause behind some germination issues and late emergence of plant stands.
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n recent years, there has been a rise in seed germination complaints. However, Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist, discovered in some cases the culprit was the addition of in-furrow fertilizers when applied with seed. Monfort wants growers to know in-furrow fertilizers have never been recommended by UGA. “Recently, farmers have used more liquid in-furrow treatments, so it is an easy avenue for growers to try new items such as in-furrow fertilizers,” Monfort adds. Normally, the skippy stands and late emergence of plants would have been noted as a seed quality issue but once Monfort visited the fields, he noticed a difference in certain spots within the field. “There was a row every once in a while, that would come up perfectly fine while the rest of the rows would look bad,” Monfort says. “This was all due to a clogged tube in the planter so the infurrow treatments were not going out on the row, and we discovered it was an issue with in-furrow fertilizers.” Even though UGA did not recommend in-furrow fertilizers, the university did not have any data to show what could happen to the peanut crop. This led to a research project by Monfort and a UGA student where peanuts were grown on the floor of a greenhouse with sandy loam soil in Tifton. The greenhouse
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atmosphere provided a more controlled environment for the research. “We devised a test using a half gallon, 1 gallon, 2 gallons and 3 gallons of in-furrow fertilizers which were applied in-furrow with 7 gallons of water total volume,” Monfort says. Over the course of 14 days, the untreated check came up first, around 5 to 6 days the plant stand started to crack through the ground. Almost all of those plants came up and started to emerge over the course of 14 days, and 30 to 40 percent emerged within 5-7 days. “If you looked at the seed treated with in-furrow fertilizers, there was a decrease in the amount of emergence and in how quick those plants came up,” Monfort says. “The half gallon and the 1 gallon did not look as bad and had just about 3 or 4 points on average lower than the untreated control on total amount of plants that came up. Whereas the in-furrow fertilizer rates of 2 and 3 gallons had quite a bit less.” Approximately 84 percent of the untreated seeds emerged compared to the half gallon and 1 gallon in-furrow fertilizer treatment which resulted in 80 to 81 percent plant stands within 7-9 days. The ones with 2-to-3-gallon rates of in-furrow fertilizers never got above 70 percent plant stand. “So, we lost quite a bit of seed there that never emerged. They rotted because of injury from the in-furrow fertilizer,” Monfort says. “Farmers may think it looks
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
like the half and 1 gallon looks good so they should be okay to use it.” However, Monfort says, growers should look at how quick the seeds emerge out of the soil compared to the untreated check. He adds, even though growers may discover at the end of 14 days the plant stands look comparable, it actually took 2-3 more days for the seeds to emerge. The untreated check came up real quick within 5-6 days while it took 7-9 days before the half gallon and 1 gallon treatment came up and emerged. So, there was about a 2-3 day delay in the emergence rate. According to Monfort, this becomes important when battling tomato spotted wilt virus and can lead to problems. “That’s why we think that no matter what rate you put out, you are doing something to the seed that is slowing it down,” Monfort says. “We are trying to encourage growers to be cautious and aware of the risks since Extension is not recommending the use of in-furrow fertilizers.” Since the greenhouse studies were done in a controlled environment with good warm soil temperatures and good moisture, Monfort is looking to continue the research to see if there are differences in hot, dry soils. He will be adding more studies this season in field trials across dryland and irrigated fields in South Georgia. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
New Type of Seed Coating for Peanuts
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eed quality was a big issue in 2020 but hopefully growers will not have the same issue in 2021. Many of the issues in 2020 stemmed from Aspergillus flavus aflatoxin problems with the 2019 harvest along with resistance issues with the seed treatment product, Dynasty PD. In 2020, many of the peanut seed treaters made a shift from the seed treatment product Dynasty to UPL’s seed treatment product, Rancona VPD. UPL secured nearly 70 percent of the market share in the first commercial launch year with Rancona VPD. “UPL continues to make plans from a manufacturing standpoint to ensure we are a reliable supplier going forward,” says Andy Hurst, UPL marketing manager. “We are committed at UPL, to focus on peanuts as a strategic crop.” UPL is also continuing to work with university researchers on additional active ingredients that could be useful in peanuts ranging from seed treatment, in-furrow applications and foliar spray products. UPL is also developing products and systems for liquid treatment of seeds. Another new product growers may see this year is the way a seed treatment is applied to the actual peanut seed. The new product is a type of polymer coating instead of the traditional pink powder or dry powder formulation. The active ingredients are the same but the way it is applied on the seed may be different moving forward. Liquid seed coating (also known as polymer seed coatings) has been in the works for the past 4-5 years. It is not something new to the world peanut industry, but it is new in the U.S. Argentina and Brazil adopted liquid seed treating systems, as they first needed something to help with the moisture and cooler temperatures in Argentina. “Argentina was first, but U.S. seed treaters are developing specific liquid seed coating formulations to accommodate the conditions and needs here,” Monfort says.
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A new product growers may see this year on peanut seed is a liquid coating or type of polymer seed coating instead of the traditional pink powder or dry powder formulation.
“It should be a pretty big game changer for the U.S. peanut industry.” According to Monfort, he hopes the change to the liquid seed coating will help with the way seed is handled. “We hope the way we handle the seed will be improved. We hope that the liquid seed coating will hold the seed together better since peanut seed is sensitive to that,” Monfort says. “The more and more seed are moved around in the bag during transport, the more it will split. If it splits, most of the time it will not germinate.” Monfort also sees an advantage with the liquid seed coating since seed treatment facilities will now be able to improve accuracy of the fungicide or insecticide active ingredient applied to the seed which should improve the overall effectiveness. The new type of seed coating is also beneficial in potentially reducing dust in treating facilities. Another benefit is identification. According to Monfort, the seed companies may have a different color coating to correctly identify their seed.
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
For 2021, all the seed from the American Peanut Growers Group will be treated with a liquid seed coating. “We think the new liquid seed coating will flow through the planters better and create less downtime for growers cleaning out planters and allow for more accurate spacing and better stands in the field,” says Neal Flanagan, president and CEO of APGG. Birdsong Peanuts is also in the process of testing the liquid seed treatment coating at one facility in 2021. Monfort wants growers to be aware of the liquid seed coating in case they see it this year. “We don’t want anyone to be scared of the liquid seed coating, but we want to make sure growers are paying attention and seeing how their crops are doing with the new type of seed coating,” Monfort says. “We are making sure we have all the information we need to make sure we eliminate any potential problems.” If any issues arise, Monfort encourages growers to contact their local county Extension agent. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
2021 DISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK
Critical Disease Management Points for the 2021 Season
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iseases and nematodes were problematic for many growers in 2020. Tomato spotted wilt, white mold and late leaf spot were of greatest impact across the Georgia peanut production region in 2020. There were a number of reasons for this; however weather (rainfall and temperature) was near-perfect at times for development and spread of diseases. Stand-loss was also a problem, largely the result of seed-quality issues stemming from the 2019 harvest season.
Tomato spotted wilt Tomato spotted wilt continued to cause significant damage. Region-wide losses were estimated at 4 percent; however losses were much greater in some fields. Growers are encouraged to make sound-management decisions at planting. Growers should consult the 2021 version of Peanut Rx for tactics to reduce risk to tomato spotted wilt disease. Once the furrow is closed, the die is cast for management of tomato spotted wilt.
Nematodes Losses to nematodes, both the peanut root-knot nematode and lesion nematodes, occurred across the state. Growers should recognize that important management options for the root-knot nematode include crop rotation, resistant varieties and use of nematicides at planting. A later application to reduce damage to the pods and pegs does not replace management decisions made before the furrow is closed.
Peanut rust Peanut rust was more severe in 2020 than it has been recent years. Peanut rust can be a very damaging disease; however rust generally did not cause problems in fields already protected with a good leaf spot program that included a mixture of products.
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Leaf spot diseases Peanut leaf spot diseases, especially late leaf spot, were severe in a number of fields in 2020. Reasons for such included environmental conditions favorable for development and spread of disease, weather that affected a grower’s ability to make timely fungicide applications and short crop rotations. Combinations of these factors put tremendous pressure on some fungicide programs. Critical components of a leaf spot fungicide program include variety, crop rotation, timeliness of fungicide application and selection of fungicide. In UGA small plot research trials from 2020, fungicide programs that were assessed for management of leaf spot performed as they have in previous years of study. In large plot, on-farm fungicide studies conducted by county agents, leaf spot was generally well-controlled by all programs. Late leaf spot was severe in some fields in southwestern Georgia. Growers there are encouraged to consult with UGA Extension and with ag-chemical representatives to best understand modifications to fungicide programs during the 2021 season. To prevent losses to leaf spot, especially late leaf spot, it is imperative to stay on a timely, proven program and select fungicides or mixtures of fungicides based upon threat of disease in the field and continue appropriate management programs through the end of the season.
White mold White mold was severe in many fields in 2020 due in part to warm conditions throughout much of the season. Also, with peanuts staying in the ground for nearly 150 days, more attention must be given to protecting the crop from white mold even after the traditional “4-block, 60 to 104 days after planting” window ends. Critical components of a white mold fungicide program also include timeliness
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
White mold in peanuts.
of application and timelines of irrigation or rainfall following applications, preferably within 12 to 24 hours. Management of white mold can be improved by early season banded applications of Proline and protecting the crop during the critical time 60 – 105 days after planting. Also, initiating a program prior to 60 days after planting and extending beyond 105 days after planting when conditions favor development of white mold or where disease is active in the field later in the season. Additional management tips include using products known to be more effective against white mold, timely irrigation between 8 -24 hours after a fungicide application and applying fungicides for white mold control at night. Growers should continue to use Peanut Rx to develop strategies to reduce risk to tomato spotted wilt, white mold and leaf spot in their peanut crop. Peanut Rx has been fully updated for the 2021 season. Prescription fungicide programs based on Peanut Rx are an effective way to reduce costs of a fungicide program. Specific prescription programs based upon your results from Peanut Rx will be available from companies including Syngenta, Corteva, Valent, Bayer CropScience, Nichino, BASF and SipCam. An on-line calculator for Peanut Rx is available at www.peanutrx.org. Bਙ Bਏਂ Kਅਅਁਉਔ Eਘਔਅਓਉਏ Pਁਔ Pਁਔਈਏਏਇਉਓਔ Uਉਖਅਓਉਔਙ ਏਆ Gਅਏਇਉਁ
2021 DISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK
2021 Fungicide Product Updates
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ob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist, provides some updates for 2021 with crop protectant products to help manage diseases and nematodes. According to Kemerait, not all products he is discussing are “new” but they may be products farmers have not used in the past.
Excalia A new fungicide for white mold control is Excalia from Valent. Kemerait points out that Excalia is not for leaf spot control, so farmers will need to tank mix something with it for more complete disease control. “Excalia may be in limited supply in 2021, but it will be a top contender in white mold control as we move forward this year,” Kemerait says.
Provysol Provysol from BASF was released in 2020 and will be more available in 2021. According to Kemerait, Provysol is an excellent leaf spot material. The product has very little white mold control but it is used primarily in a fungicide program to establish and maintain control of early and late leaf spot.
Velum Bayer CropScience is moving from Velum Total to a newly formulated product, Velum. Velum Total, a combination of fluopyram and imidiclopird, has been a flagship product for Bayer Crop Science. Fluopyram offers nematode, seedling disease and
early-season leaf spot control while imidacloprid is for thrips control. According to Kemerait, the new product, Velum, provides peanut growers with greater flexibility. Since Velum only includes fluopyram, growers will still get the nematode, early season disease and leaf spot control, but they will have the flexibility to mix another product for thrips (and possible tomato spotted wilt) control with this liquid in-furrow product. “Growers will have to add another product with Velum for thrips control, whether that is Thimet or another product,” Kemerait says. “In the past growers did not have the flexibility to do so but now they will.”
Mazinga ADV Mazinga ADV from Sipcam is a fungicide with the active ingredients of tetraconazole and chlorothalonil. According to Kemerait, since Tilt Bravo is no longer used by most peanut growers, this product may be one to consider. Mazinga ADV provides curative and protective activity against leaf spot control in peanuts. Domark from Gowan is another tetraconazole product available to peanut growers in 2021.
Sulfur Sulfur could be an increasingly important mix-partner in 2021 for leaf spot control, according to Kemerait. He notes that Albert Culbreath, UGA plant pathologist, has conducted a great deal of research with Microthiol Disperss. Recent research has shown that in addition to Microthiol Disperss, other
Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist, provides growers with 2021 fungicide product updates.
sulfur products, to include Microthiol 80W, Drexel Sulfur 80W, Drexel Suffa 6F, TechnoS 90W and Accoidal 80 WG, provide increased leaf spot control when tank mixed with products like tebuconazole, azoxystrobin (Abound), pyraclostrobin, Headline or Umbra from Nichino. According to Kemerait, five pounds of these sulfur products as mix-partners can give farmers increased leaf spot control. “In fact, the sulfur products help to bring back the leaf spot control to some of our older products like Abound or tebuconazole to levels near what they had in the past,” Kemerait says. “So, it is an inexpensive way to improve leaf spot control.” Research is continuing to evaluate efficacy of other sulfur products and to determine if (and when) rates can be reduced from 5 pounds per acre. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
2021 Georgia Pest Management Handbook The Georgia Pest Management Handbook gives current information on the selection, application and safe use of pest control chemicals. Recommendations are based on information on the manufacturer’s label and on performance data from research and extension trials at the University of Georgia and sister institutions in surrounding states. Because environmental conditions, the severity of pest pressure, and methods of application vary widely, recommendations do not imply that
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performance of pesticides will always be acceptable. These publications are intended to be used only as guides. Specific rates and application methods are on the pesticide label. Always follow the use instructions and precautions on the pesticide label. Trade and brand names are used only for information. The University of Georgia does not guarantee nor warrant published standards on any product mentioned; neither does the use of a trade or brand name imply approval of any product to
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
the exclusion of others which may also be suitable. The two-volume set is available for $75 and is not sold separately. Contact your local county Extension agent to place an order or order online at www.extension. uga.edu. Additional information on control of insects, plant diseases, and weeds is available in bulletins and circulars published by UGA Extension. The free publications are available at the county UGA Extension offices.
2021 DISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK
Root Knot and Lesion Nematodes
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The underground culprit for yield loss
ematodes are a common problem among farmers in southeastern states. These microscopic round worms commonly infect peanuts and can take a substantial toll on a farmer’s peanut yield. There are two different types of nematodes often associated with southeastern peanut production - root knot and lesion. Until recently the effects of the lesion nematodes were often considered to be largely cosmetic, as they resulted in pods covered with dark “freckles.” Events over the last several years suggests that when there are large populations of lesions nematodes in a field, the peg stems of the infected peanut plants can be weakened such as to increase digging losses at harvest. According to Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist, losses associated with weakened peg stems have, in some cases, amounted to an estimated 1,000 pounds per acre of peanuts left in the field at harvest. Farmers need to prepare for both root knot and lesion nematodes this growing season. According to Auburn University plant pathologist Amanda Scherer, some management tips include crop rotation, using nematode resistant varieties or a good nematicide program. Several peanut varieties are resistant to the root-knot nematode; however, none are resistant to the lesion nematodes.
“Moisture and soil type drives nematode pressure and nematodes can first appear in localized areas or ‘hot spots’ within the field,” Scherer says. “The nematodes are then spread to other parts of the field through tillage equipment.” Good cultural practices such as cleaning farm equipment to remove soil or plant material may slow nematode movement. Once nematodes are established in a field, farmers need to look at multiples solutions to help manage the nematode pressure. Planting peanuts every third year in a rotation with cotton helps reduce peanut root-knot nematode populations. Choosing root-knot nematoderesistant varieties is another step farmers can take instead of using nematicides. Three peanut varieties which offer nematode resistance include Tifguard, TifNV-HiOL and Georgia-14N. “All of these varieties can protect your peanut crop in the current year from root-knot nematodes, but they can also help reduce nematode populations for future years,” Scherer says. According to a study by Scherer, choosing a resistant variety helps with overall yield. In the study, Georgia-14N and TifNV-HiOL had a greater yield and reduced soil counts of root-knot nematodes when compared to Georgia 06G, a variety to susceptible to root knot-
nematodes. In terms of nematicides, Velum Total and Ag Logic did provide some yield protection with Georgia 06-G but did not impact the total root-knot nematode population at the conclusion of the study. “If you have high root-knot nematode pressure in a given field, we recommend planting a resistant variety; if you do plant a susceptible variety make sure you protect it with a good nematicide program,” Scherer says. “The bottom line - don’t guess, get a soil test,” Scherer adds. “If you don’t have nematodes you won’t get a yield gain by applying nematicides. Nematicides are a very important tool but should only be applied when and where they are needed.” There are a variety of nematicides available for 2021. These options include AgLogic, Telone II, Velum, Propulse and Vydate-CLV. According to Kemerait, Telone II is a fumigant and a very strong option for nematodes. AgLogic and Velum can be applied at-plant, in-furrow. Propulse and Vydate-CLV can be applied at pegging time to help extend protection provided by earlier treatments and further protect pods and pegs from lesion and root knot nematodes. Bਙ Dਅਖਁ Hਏਇਅ
Cਏਕਉਃਁਔਉਏਓ Iਔਅ Gਅਏਇਉਁ Pਅਁਕਔ Cਏਉਓਓਉਏ
New Extension Entomologist in Alabama
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cott Graham joined Auburn University and Alabama Extension as an assistant professor and Extension entomologist in April of 2020. His position includes research and extension appointments focusing on developing insect pest management strategies in cotton, soybean and peanuts. His program’s overall focus is on helping growers address current and emerging insect pest management issues to increase both economic profitability and environmental sustainability. Graham’s educational training is
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in entomology with a master’s degree from Mississippi State University and a doctorate from The University of Tennessee. His doctoral project focused on evaluating a new Bt technology to manage thrips and tarnished plant bugs in cotton. Prior to joining Auburn, he spent a brief stint in the private industry as a product development manager. Graham uses his research appointment to support his Extension work. Currently, his program is working on evaluating recommended thresholds and collecting insecticide efficacy data to provide up-to-date management
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
recommendations. One of his key focuses is on managing insecticide resistance for the major insect Scott Graham Entomologist pests of Alabama Extension Auburn University row crops. He is Office: 334-844-5503 Email: scottg@auburn.edu also interested in understanding Twitter: @ScottGraham72 the role of various tillage and cover cropping systems and their impact on the early season insect pest spectrum.
2021 DISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK
Insect Management 101
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Keep Money in Your Pocket
eeping more money in the farmers’ pocket is one goal Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension entomologist, hopes farmers will consider when managing insects. “The goal of insect management is not to kill bugs or have the prettiest peanut field in the county,” Abney says. “The goal of insect management is to keep more of your money in your pocket by preventing yield and quality losses.” Abney encourages farmers to use thresholds to determine if the loss from insect pressure will be greater than the cost of the control. He explains, if a farmer has an insect that will cost $5 in damage and it costs $10 to control the insect then a farmer should leave it alone and not control it. “That’s insect management 101,” Abney says. In 2021, Abney says, not every peanut field will need to be treated for insects after planting. He does highly recommend for farmers to use an insecticide at planting for managing thrips. “If you are treating every peanut field every year for insects other than thrips, you are probably over treating and you’re putting money on the table that could be in your pocket,” Abney adds. He encourages farmers to either scout their fields or hire a scout, to scout correctly and use thresholds for insect management. “It’s the single most important thing you can do to prevent insect management mistakes and mistakes mean you are spending money you don’t need to spend or you’re losing money because insects are robbing you of yield and or quality.” Based on previous year’s questions from farmers and county Extension agents, Abney says most of the questions he receives revolve around five issues including thrips and spotted wilt, lesser cornstalk borers, velvetbean caterpillars, spider mites and threecornered alfalfa hoppers. Abney provides tips to manage these insects for 2021.
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Thrips Injury
Tobacco thrips Tobacco thrips are present in every peanut field and transmits spotted wilt virus. Farmers can utilize the Peanut Rx to assess their risk of thrips and spotted wilt while making management decisions to reduce risk of thrips injury. One recommendation to reduce risk of thrips injury is to plant after May 10 and to plant in twin-rows. When choosing insecticides for thrips management, Abney says growers have in-furrow options including phorate (Thimet), imidacloprid (Admire Pro) and aldicarb (AgLogic) as well as a foliar spray option with acephate (Orthene). According to Abney, Thimet provides excellent thrips control and is the only insecticide that reduces the risk of tomato spotted wilt virus. Thimet is a granular product and in some cases growers get Thimet burn on their peanuts. The Thimet burn does not negatively affect yield, Abney says, but some farmers do not like it. Imidacloprid is a liquid in-furrow product which is easy to handle. Farmers can mix the product in with their liquid inoculants. The cons, according to Abney, are that it does not reduce tomato spotted wilt virus risk and, in his opinion, it is just barely good enough at reducing thrips injury to be worth using. Aldicarb is another product with excellent thrips control but it does not reduce your risk of tomato spotted wilt virus. “Farmers need to consider if convenience and time are more important, or if thrips control and tomato spot wilt virus management is more important to
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
them when making at plant insecticide decisions,” Abney says. If farmers get in a situation where they need to control thrips with a foliar spray, then acephate (Orthene) is an option. Farmers need to make sure they don’t use the three-ounce cotton rate when spraying. “Farmers need to use a peanut rate, and we need to be on the high end of that peanut rate to get good control,” Abney says. In 2020, UGA Extension agents conducted a survey to assess the incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus in Georgia. The survey included 292 fields in 34 counties. The survey showed 35.27 percent of the fields had less than 5 percent spotted wilt while 54 percent had 5 to 20 percent of spotted wilt and 10 percent had greater than 20 percent. “If you are having greater than 15 to 20 percent spotted wilt then you are losing yield, and you may want to look at what you could do different to reduce your risk,” Abney says. “One out of every 10 fields in the survey had greater than 20 percent spotted wilt.”
Lesser Cornstalk Borer Moth
Lesser Cornstalk Borer
Lesser Cornstalk Borer According to Abney, lesser cornstalk borer is the most important, most serious economic pest of peanuts in the Southern Continued on page 24
2021 DISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK Continued from page 22
United States. The lesser cornstalk borer thrives in hot and dry areas. According to Abney, if it is a hot dry spring, then farmers could see the pest as early as May and if the weather continues to be hot and dry, then the lesser cornstalk borers will remain all summer long. If the weather is hot and dry in June and July then there is potential for an outbreak across the state, he adds. According to Abney, the most important management practice farmers can do to keep money in their pocket when it comes to lesser cornstalk borer is to scout. “We want to find infestations in June and July and treat them with Prevathon or Diamond,” Abney says. “They’re good products and they don’t flare secondary pests. Usually, one application is enough but sometimes we must treat twice. Either way we usually do a good job of cleaning them up.” If a farmer does not find lesser cornstalk borers until August, but the pest has been in the field since June, then the pest can still be treated and killed. However, the farmer has already lost a lot of yield and will probably have problems with quality and aflatoxin. According to Abney, the key points for management of lesser cornstalk borers are to know the conditions that favor them, scout for them and treat in a timely manner.
Velvetbean Caterpillar
Velvetbean Caterpillar Velvetbean caterpillar is the most common caterpillar in peanuts that causes severe defoliation. There are a variety of different species, but this caterpillar is one that can hurt farmers really quick, Abney says. Crop consultants, scouts, and agents may begin seeing the velvetbean caterpillar moth in peanut fields in June. Growers usually will not see large numbers of caterpillars until much later in August and early September. According to Abney, it is important for farmers to correctly identify
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velvetbean caterpillars. He has received numerous calls where velvetbean caterpillars have been misidentified as fall army worms or green clover worms. Misidentification also leads to more money spent on insecticides to kill the wrong pest. “The insecticide used to kill fall army worms will also kill velvetbean caterpillars, but it usually costs more than what the farmer needed to spend in order to kill velvetbean caterpillars,” Abney says. “Pretty much everything kills velvetbean caterpillars.” According to Abney there are a range of prices for insecticides that will help manage velvetbean caterpillar. “Dimilin is cheap and works good,” he says. If farmers choose to use Dimilin in a preventative program, then Abney recommends for farmers to not start before July or use with every fungicide spray. According to Abney, if farmers are not going to scout, then using Dimilin in a preventative program can keep velvetbean caterpillars under control. The product does not have to be used preventatively and Abney has had success with cleaning up existing velvetbean infestations with 4-ounces of Dimilin. Abney encourages farmers to continue paying attention for other caterpillars like soybean looper and army worms.
Two Spotted Spider Mites Two spotted spider mites are another pest that hits peanut fields when it’s hot and dry. Normally, Abney receives calls in August due to two spotted spider mite infestation. The mites start at the field edges. “Farmers need to scout, find this pest early and get our applications out to the field if we’re going to treat it,” Abney says. We need those applications to go out early.” Abney continues to warn growers about pyrethroids and how they can flare spider mites. “Pyrethroids have their
Two Spotted Spider Mites
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
place, and in irrigated peanuts they have more of place,” Abney says. “I really caution farmers to avoid those pyrethroid insecticides on non-irrigated peanuts, especially in hot and dry conditions.” When it comes to management of spider mites, there are two miticides registered for use in peanuts, Portal and Comite II. Abney encourages growers to avoid using the pyrethroid insecticide, Bifenthrin, regardless of what the label says.
Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper
Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper Threecornered alfalfa hoppers are abundant and in almost every peanut field every year. According to Abney, populations start building up in June and they are noticed more in the fields as the summer progresses. “It’s common, but it’s not a serious pest. It can cause yield loss though,” Abney says. “If we had an insecticide option that was cheap and effective and didn’t flare mites, then I would tell farmers to spray for threecornered alfalfa hopper, but we only have pyrethroids.” The pyrethroids are only moderately effective against threecornered alfalfa hopper and they have a very short residual so farmers can get reinfestation in their fields. In dryland fields, Abney does not recommend spraying pyrethroids for threecornered alfalfa hoppers. If a farmer has threecornered alfalfa hoppers in irrigated peanuts, then Abney recommends adding a pyrethroid with a fungicide spray. However, he says farmers should not make a special trip across the field just to kill the threecornered alfalfa hoppers. Throughout the 2021 season, Abney plans to post up to date information on the Peanut Entomology Blog at https://blog. extension.uga.edu/peanutent. Farmers are encouraged to check out the blog for information and ways to keep more money in their pocket. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
Florida Timber and Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Application Extended to April 30
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he Florida Timber and the Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Programs are available to farmers and forest landowners who suffered damage from Hurricane Michael. The deadline to apply for these recovery programs has been extended through April 30, 2021. To be eligible for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program (TRBG), a producer must be the owner of record or the lessee who has rights to the timber crop at the time of application of a minimum of 10 acres of timber that sustained a minimum of 25 percent loss due to Hurricane Michael. The timber land must be located in one of the following counties: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton and Washington. To learn more and register for the TRBG,
visit FloridaDisaster.org/timber To be eligible for the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program (IRBG), a producer must be the owner of record of the center pivot irrigation infrastructure at the time of application and document that the crop growing under the center pivot as of October 10, 2018, sustained a minimum 15 percent crop loss due to Hurricane Michael. To learn more and register for the IRBG, visit FloridaDisaster.org/irrigation. The block grant registration deadline
has been extended to April 30, 2021. Please click the link above to complete the online registration form, or call our hotline for assistance: 850-270-8317. Registration is the first step toward receiving recovery block grant funds, and should only take a few minutes to complete. The deadline to register for these programs is Friday, April 30, 2021. Once you register, you will be assigned to an account manager who will contact you within 15 business days to start the application process.
Farm Recovery Block Grants Timber Application at FloridaDisaster.org/timber. Irrigation Recovery Application at FloridaDisaster.org/irrigation. Application Assistance Hotline: 850-270-8317 Application deadline extended to April 30, 2020.
Georgia Peanut Commission Increases Funding for Research Projects in 2021 Board approves $886,235 in research projects
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he Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors has approved $886,235 in research project funding for the 2021-22 research budget year. This action was taken during the commission’s March board meeting. The research projects approved include 42 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Fort Valley State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. “As a peanut grower, I’m proud to invest in the Georgia Peanut Commission and in the future of the peanut industry by supporting research that continues to demonstrate a return on our investment,” says Donald Chase, GPC Research Committee chairman. “We are proud of
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our partnership with research institutions and look forward to seeing the results which will benefit farmers in the state and the entire peanut industry.” Georgia’s peanut growers invest $2 per ton annually toward GPC programs which includes research, promotion and education. The research programs primarily focus on peanut breeding, conservation methods, irrigation and water management, as well as, pests, weed and disease management. Additionally, GPC manages funding for the Southeastern Peanut Research Initiative which includes research funding of $1,823,198 for projects in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. These projects are funded through the National Peanut Board checkoff dollars from farmers. For additional information
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
and a complete list of the research projects funded by the Georgia Peanut Commission visit www.gapeanuts.com. Bਙ Jਏਙ Cਏਓਂਙ
April 2021 Southeastern Peanut Farmer
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Washington Outlook by Robert L. Redding Jr.
USDA Extends Quality Loss Adjustment Program Application Deadline As previously reported, the Georgia Peanut Commission contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency regarding issues with the Quality Loss Adjustment Program. USDA has announced that the Quality Loss program application deadline has been extended through April 9, 2021. The GPC applauds the extension and is hopeful that more information about the Quality Loss program can be provided to county FSA offices and peanut growers.
U.S. House Passes Workforce Modernization Act The U.S. House of Representatives, in a bipartisan vote of 247 to 174, passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Congress has struggled for numerous cycles to pass ag labor reform legislation. The passage of the Farm Workforce legislation is the first step in completing the process for much-needed ag labor reform. U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman David Scott supported the legislation and commented, “A stable supply of labor is essential to our U.S. agriculture industry thriving in the face of ongoing competition. I will be a passionate voice for a workable resolution to a problem that for too long has been ignored. I want to thank Chair Lofgren and Rep. Newhouse for their leadership on this bipartisan compromise bill, and I will continue to work with them and our stakeholders as we engage our Senate colleagues to make improvements to this needed legislation.” The bill will now go to the U.S. Senate for consideration. A number of democratic senators are reaching out to republican members to try and reach agreement on key provisions of the legislation that have raised concerns amongst agricultural organizations.
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Secretary Vilsack Announces Implementation of the Latest CFAP Program Round USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs. USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion toward the new programs. What does this mean for peanut growers? The U.S. Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted in December 2020 requiring specific payments to producers according to a formula. • Additional CFAP assistance of $20 per acre for producers of eligible crops identified as CFAP 2 flat-rate or price-trigger crops beginning in April. This includes alfalfa, corn, cotton, hemp, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat, among other crops. FSA will automatically issue payments to eligible price trigger and flat-rate crop producers based on the eligible acres included on their CFAP 2 applications. Eligible producers do not need to submit a new CFAP 2 application. For a list of all eligible row-crops, visit www.farmers.gov/cfap. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $4.5 billion to more than 560,000 producers, according to the mandated formula. • Also, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other protective measures for food and farm workers and specialty crop and seafood producers, processors and distributors is included for assistance.
Growers Have Opportunity to Provide Climate Program Input Online USDA Provides Climate Questionnaire In an effort to gain more input on future agricultural climate initiatives USDA submitted a questionnaire, published in the Federal Register, requesting public input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. The questionnaire is part of the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. President Biden’s order, signed on January 27, states: “America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have an important role to play in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by sequestering carbon in soils, grasses, trees, and other vegetation and sourcing sustainable bioproducts and fuels.” USDA was directed to solicit input from stakeholders in developing their approach to climate-smart agriculture and forestry initiatives. Secretary Vilsack stated, “USDA is committed to addressing climate change through actions that are farmer, rancher, and forest landowner-focused and that create new market opportunities for the sector in a fair and equitable way. We want your ideas on how to position the agriculture and forestry sectors to be leaders on climate smart practices to mitigate climate change. This includes making the most of USDA programs, developing new USDA-led climate strategies, strengthening existing markets and developing new markets that generate income.” Peanut growers have until April 29, 2021 to provide USDA comments. To review and submit comments, visit the website, www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. USDA-2021-0003.
Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2021
Southern Peanut Growers Peanut Butter Stars on National Nutrition Month Satellite Media Tour Southern Peanut Growers worked with A-1 Broadcast to conduct a Satellite Media Tour on March 1 for National Nutrition Month along with partners The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Minute Rice Brown Rice, and Pearls Olives. March 1 also marked the beginning of National Peanut Month. Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN did 28 interviews with television, radio and online media outlets. The cumulative broadcast audience reached was nearly 14 million with a comparable advertising value of more than $360,000. Cumulative online reach is more than 116 million. Frances is a New York Times best-selling author and nationally recognized health expert who is a frequent guest on national television shows. Frances loves peanut butter and considers it a ‘go-to’ food for healthy eating because it is so versatile and offers protein, healthy fats and 30 vitamins and minerals in every bite. She began each segment talking about peanut butter and many of the show anchors quickly jumped in to say it was also National Peanut Butter Day which they were just talking about on the show. Frances had peanut butter spread on whole grain toast, a Peanut Butter Chia Pudding, and a Peanut Butter Pad Thai on the set as examples of healthy peanut butter options.
Chef Amy Sins Hosts Virtual Cooking School - Brunch New Orleans Style! On March 18, Southern Peanut Growers teamed up Chef Amy Sins to host a virtual cooking school on the Eat Y’all and Find Family Farms social media platforms. Peanut Butter was the star of the show which featured Brunch New Orleans Style! Chef Sins is the founder of Langlois - a traveling culinary entertainment group, cookbook author, and host of the weekly radio program “New Orleans by Mouth”. Chef Amy offered a fun class where she taught 100 participants some great cooking and entertaining techniques while she made Peanut Butter French Toast Muffins with a Bananas Foster Sauce and Peanut Butter Milk Punch. The cooking class will be posted to YouTube for further viewing.
Peanut Butter French Toast Muffins Ingredients: Non-stick cooking spray 3 cups heavy cream 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup sugar ¾ cup creamy peanut butter ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 ½ cups whole milk pinch Kosher salt 10 – 12 cups day old French bread, cut in ½ inch cubes
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins or bundt cake pan with cooking spray, In a large bowl, combine heavy cream, eggs, sugar, peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, milk and salt. Toss in French bread cubes. Mix gently until liquid is evenly distributed over bread. Fill muffin tins or bundt pan 3/4 of the way with mixture. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool slightly to remove from pan. Top with Bananas Foster sauce.
Bananas Foster Sauce Ingredients: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 ½ cups light brown sugar ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 bananas, firm ripe, sliced ¼ cup banana liqueur ½ cup dark rum ½ cup heavy cream pinch Kosher salt
Directions: In a large, non-stick saute pan, melt the butter. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir often until the sugar dissolves. Add bananas and cook on both sides, turning until they start to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Add banana liqueur and stir to blend. Carefully add the rum and shake it back and forth until there is a flame. (You may have to light it on fire if it doesn’t produce a flame on its own.) Baste bananas until the flame dies. Add salt and cream. Remove from heat.
Southern Peanut Growers
Visit SPG online at www.peanutbutterlovers.com for additional recipes.
1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115 Phone: (770) 751-6615 email: lpwagner@comcast.net Visit our website at http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com
