Peanut Grower, May 2014

PEANUTGROWERPEANUTGROWERTheThe

THE PEANUT PRODUCER'S MARKETING & PRODUCTION MAGAZINEwww.peanutgrower.com

ONE GROWERPUBLISHING, LLC

THE PEANUT PRODUCER'S MARKETING & PRODUCTION MAGAZINEwww.peanutgrower.com

MAY 2014MAY 2014

Genome SequenceUpdate

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Departments4 Editor’s Note

Signs are all around that acreage may increase.

5 News BriefsAg Chairman Lucas calls passage of Farm Bill a “miracle.”

6 Market WatchA more moderate acreage increase would help with marketing.

20 New ProductsSoil-water monitors help pinpoint the crop’s water needs.

21 Peanut PointersConditions early may warrant an over-the-top application for thrips.

MAY 2014 • THE PEANUT GROWER / 3

The

MAY 2014PEANUTGROWERVolume 26 • Number 5

Cover photo byAmanda Huber

9 Peanut Proud PresentationOn behalf of The Peanut Grower and sponsors of the anniversary issue, a check is presented at the annual festival.

10 Unlocking The Genetic Code In reporting on their success, the International Peanut Genome Initiative has released the first genome sequences.

12 Sustainable Production Practices Employ those disease management strategies that take a long-term view of the farm.

14 Prime Position For ArkansasA new state earns primary status as USDA’s NASS estimates a29 percent acreage increase over all states.

16 Protect Your YieldBe ready for conditions in 2014 that favor the return of foliage feeders.

18 Maintain Propane EquipmentService propane-powered equipment such as irrigation engines,generators and pickup trucks to ensure good performance.

14

Features

21

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Neighborhood Watch programs havenothing on the one in my neighborhood.By neighborhood, I really just mean myhouse and that of my parents and the oneother road that leads into the farm andgoes to my Papa’s old house. During theday, the only “watchers” are my parents,mostly my mother, me and the dog. It’senough. You’d have to be CIA trained toget on our property without us knowingpretty quickly. So when a huge Komatsutrackhoe parked on the next piece of prop-erty, we knew it immediately.

While waiting on my parents to inves-tigate, a call came in to my office. It wasa local Farm Credit representative. He needed information on farmer-stockpeanut prices for 2006 through 2013 to help with some lending situations.He said he had been very busy lately, even describing it as “exploding,” mak-ing loan information available for peanut production.

While I am putting together numbers for him, my house phone rang. Itwas my mother. My father had already been to investigate the Komatsu andhere was his report: A local young farmer had rented that piece of property,which had been vacant for at least 20 years, and was clearing trees to plantpeanuts. Well, I’ll be.

These were the signs I had this spring that peanut acreage would be in-creasing. Sure enough, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service saysacreage will increase 29 percent. I don’t know about that. While I do see ar-eas going into peanut production that haven’t had any crop, I have seen otherareas that are going into rotation crops and not peanuts. I hope it does notmeet USDA’s estimate, but is a little more moderate so that prices have a chanceto rebound. Then again, I won’t begrudge any farmer from trying to make aliving with a crop this year.

John BeasleyExtension AgronomistAuburn UniversityDell CottonPeanut Growers CooperativeMarketing Assn., Franklin, VAKris BalkcomAgri-Program AssociateAuburn UniversityCraig KvienCoastal Plain ExperimentStation,Tifton, GA

Jason WoodwardExtension Plant Pathologist Texas A & M UniversityDavid Jordan Extension AgronomistNorth Carolina State UniversityGlen HarrisExtension AgronomistUniversity of GeorgiaJason FerrellExtension Weed SpecialistUniversity of Florida

The Peanut Grower (ISSN 1042-9379) is an agribusinessmagazine for U.S. peanut producers. Published in eightmonthly issues, January through July and November.Annual subscriptions are $40.00. Single Copy price is$5.00. Annual overseas subscriptions are $70.00, includ-ing Canada/Mexico. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis,TN. Copyright © 2014 One Grower Publishing, LLC, allrights reserved except where otherwise noted. ThePeanut Grower ® is a registered trademark, whichreserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent andTrademark Office in association with the registration.POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO SUN-BELT FULFILLMENT SERVICES, 307 SOUTHGATECOURT, Brentwood, TN 37027-7987. All statements,including product claims, are those of the person or organ-ization making the statement or claim. The publisher doesnot adopt any such statement or claim as its own, and anysuch statement or claim does not necessarily reflect theopinion of the publisher. Printed in the USA.

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

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4/ THE PEANUT GROWER • MAY 2014

Signs Of An Acreage Increase

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Lucas Says Farm Bill Was A Miracle U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.),

Chairman of the House AgricultureCommittee, was disappointed that theAgriculture Act of 2014 was not madepermanent law. That failure, he said,may give some legitimacy to beliefs thatthe recently signed law could be the lastFarm Bill.

Speaking at the Oklahoma PeanutExpo, Lucas said that the AgricultureAct of 2014 continues to provide a farmsafety net and cuts spending, not asmuch as some would have preferred, butmore than some others liked.

“We had to craft a bi-partisan bill,”Lucas said. “The Farm Bill has alwaysbeen a coalition of the middle.” Thatmiddle ground was harder than usual tolocate in a process that defied compro-mise for more than five years. The hardleft and the hard right threatened tocrush the moderate middle.

“The left doesn’t want to spendmoney on rural America,” Lucas said.“The right doesn’t want to spend moneyon anything on any occasion. But theystill have a responsibility to provide forAmerican agriculture.”

Lucas said the process included a veryconservative House, a liberal President,a Senate with no control and a $17 tril-lion debt. Add to that a significantturnover in the House, includingchanges in the ag committee. “We hadabout half the House that didn’t under-stand what we were doing,” he said.

Overall, the final bill offers choices.“Agriculture is too important not to con-tinue supporting it through Congress,”Lucas said. “I will not be Chairman af-ter this Congress, but I will always be onthe House Ag Committee.”

Industry Leaders Support Farm Bill In response to some complaints about

the 2014 Farm Bill, three leading peanutgroups have expressed united support ina letter to U.S. Secretary of AgricultureTom Vilsack for the 2014 Farm Bill.

The letter states that the bill encour-ages flexibility for peanut producers andprovides a healthy marketplace for theU.S. peanut industry in the foreseeablefuture.

“Our organizations support the in-tent of the Conference Committee andits leadership for these new provisions in-cluding the Price Loss Coverage andAgricultural Risk Coverage Programs.The Agricultural Act of 2014 includesnew provisions for base acres for cov-ered commodities and generic base acres.We support the Conference Commit-tee’s intent relative to the implementa-tion of provisions for base acres for cov-ered commodities and generic baseacres,” states the letter.

The letter was signed by the presi-dents of the Southern Peanut FarmersFederation, the National Peanut BuyingPoints Association and the AmericanPeanut Shellers Association. Support insome organizations was not unanimous,but was supported by the majority.

Loan Assistance Program Ready The USDA Farm Service Agency will

begin accepting requests for marketingassistance loans (MALs) and loan defi-ciency payments (LDPs) for eligible2014 commodities. MALs and LDPs forthe 2014 crop year become available toeligible producers beginning with har-vest/shearing season and extendingthrough a specific commodity’s final loanavailability date.

MALs and LDPs provide financingand marketing assistance for wheat, feedgrains, soybeans, and other oilseeds,pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool,mohair and honey. MALs provide pro-ducers interim financing after harvest tohelp them meet cash flow needs withouthaving to sell their commodities whenmarket prices are typically low.

Allowing farmers to store their prod-ucts at harvest facilitates a more orderlymarketing of commodities throughoutthe year. A producer who is eligible to

obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo theloan, may obtain an LDP if such a pay-ment is available. Marketing loan pro-visions and LDPs are not available forsugar and extra-long staple cotton, whichhave new programs.

The 2014 Farm Bill also establishespayment limitations per individual orentity not to exceed $125,000 annuallyon certain commodities for the follow-ing program benefits: price loss coveragepayments, agriculture risk coverage pay-ments, marketing loan gains (MLGs)and LDPs. These payment limitationsdo not apply to MAL loan disburse-ments. Consult FSA for details.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provi-sions were modified by the 2014 FarmBill, which states that a producer whosetotal applicable three-year average AGIexceeds $900,000 is not eligible to re-ceive an MLG or LDP.

The 2014 crop loan rate is $355 perton for peanuts. Differentials for peanutshave not been announced.

In Brief:

MAY 2014 • THE PEANUT GROWER /5

• Failure to make Agriculture Act per-manment law may signal the end.

• Industry organizations say Farm Billprovides flexibility in support letter.

• FSA ready for market loan requests,even as cuts to FSA are discussed.

• Grocery store chain dumps goodSunland peanut butter instead ofgiving it to a food bank.

• Hardy Farms Peanut Rub wins UGAFlavor of Georgia award.

• Cheminova releases new peanutfungicide for use on key diseasessuch as white mold.

• See the Calendar of Events

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6 / THE PEANUT GROWER • MAY 2014

Uncertainty in the peanut mar-ket created by the Farm Bill andthe lack of profitable alterna-

tives has peanut farmers worried aboutthe future and where the industry isheaded.

USDA further doomed market po-tential by estimating that U.S. peanutacreage would rebound by 29 percentthis year, up 309,000 acres, to nearly1.4 million acres. Most states heldacreage to a nominal increase, but Geor-gia showed a 53 percent increase. Mostbuying points reported that level wasover-estimated.

Last year, U.S. peanut acreage fell by37 percent, which led to a considerablysmaller crop. One buying point man-ager said Georgia was just getting backto normal. Since then, a burdensomelevel of peanut stocks has been graduallyreduced, and prices have stabilized.

Even USDA admitted that some ofthe rise in peanut acreage may also be at-tributed to recently enacted farm legis-lation, which revised risk managementpolicies. Producers can now enroll in ei-ther the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) orthe Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)programs.

The Cotton Changer For cotton, the new law created a sep-

arate program and converted the baseacres formerly credited to cotton into“generic base.” Producers may now plantthese generic base acres to any coveredcommodity and receive PLC coveragefor that commodity. Producers may alsoreallocate bases for covered commodities,such as peanuts, based on their 2008-2012 planting histories to better aligntheir crop bases with the actual plantedacreage of recent years.

Formerly, landowners could receive

direct payments on base acres withouthaving to plant a crop. Under the newprogram, the generic base must beplanted and for peanuts a paymentwould be made on 85 percent of thefarm base figured as the difference be-tween the reference price, which is $535per ton, and the national average pricereceived by farmers.

Officials are afraid that farmers heardthe $535 per-ton number and plan toplant peanuts that average that amount;however, contracts were not close to thatnumber and have dropped to about$400 per ton or are not available at all.

Secure Your StorageIf the threat to increase peanut acreage

comes true, peanut farmers are advisedto secure a promise of approved peanutstorage before harvest. A farmer thatcannot secure USDA-approved storagecannot secure a $355 per-ton MarketLoan, and that would be disastrous for

any farmer. Remember, farmers have 27different handlers of peanuts availablewith more than 300 approved ware-houses with a capacity of 3.348 milliontons. But, that storage may not be avail-able near your farm and a buying pointcould reject your peanuts.

Not A Good Peanut StartWinter has been unmerciful down on

the farm. Even into April, early plantingtime, frost has been reported. Winterrains have been good-to-excellent, butfields are too wet and soils are too coldto plant.

The failure to plant corn acreage iscertain to weigh heavily on more peanutand cotton acreage in the Southeast. TheSouthwest continues in drought, andspring rains are needed to get a goodstart.

Extension specialists are even warningfarmers not to plant too early and towait for three consecutive days of 68 de-grees Fahrenheit before planting. A poorstand means poor performance at har-vest. There are reports of poor seed ger-mination in cold temperatures.

Supply/DemandToo many peanuts continue to de-

press market prices. USDA predictspeanut ending stocks about 1 milliontons. Total demand is estimated at2,568,000 tons and that includes about500,000 tons of exports. If farmers plant29 percent more in 2014 off 1,376,000acres and average 4,000 pounds per acre,that’s a potential peanut production of2,752,000 tons.

A big increase in acreage spells doomfor next year’s market. A more modest15 percent increase in acreage, or1,225,000 acres, would yield about2,450,000 tons...just about the total de-

J. Tyron SpearmanContributing Editor, The Peanut Grower

Hope for a more modest increasethan USDA’s acreage estimate

Leading Market Indicators(April 11, 2014)

•2014 - Acreage estimate - up 29% - 1,376,000 acres

•2013 - Production - dn 38% - 2,087,090 tons

•2013 - Harvest Acres - dn 35% - 1,042,000 acres

•2013 Average Yield - 4,006 bs/A

•2013 Market Loan - 1,117,193 tons

•2013 - Loan Redemptions - 435,030 tons

•2013-14 Usage (7 mo.) - up 2.9%

•2013-14 Exports (6 mo.) - dn 2.9%

•National Posted Price (per ton):Runners $424.74, Spanish $404.93,Virginia/Valencia $428.38.

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mand. Peanut prices would not continueto decline.

Domestic And Export MarketsPeanut Stocks and Processing reports

peanut usage up 2.9 percent in the sev-enth month with peanut candy andpeanut snacks up almost 10 percent andpeanut butter down 1.8 percent. In-shells are about even with last year.

USDA’s most recent estimate is a 4.8percent annual increase in food use ofpeanuts. The National Peanut Board’snew campaign plus major advertisingcampaigns are certain to increase that

estimate. Export markets appear promising

again with U.S. peanuts, mostly sold asexport edible, the lowest price in themarket at $1,250 per shelled metric tonmeeting European Union specifications.India is priced lower, but mostly re-stricted for oil use. With big crops inIndia and China last season, U.S. salesmay not develop. Estimates of near500,000 tons in exports are certainlypossible, and the U.S. industry has plen-tiful stocks.

Argentina’s crop is progressing afterabout 20 percent of the crop was under

drought stress early in the season. Offi-cials believe Argentina may have 10 per-cent more in production and will battlethe U.S. for the European markets.

Peanut Program And The FuturePeanut farmers should not plan for a

government payment 18 months fromnow. The Farm Bill was passed as a safetynet, not a government handout, whichno farmer wants. Until the final regula-tions are completed, it is speculation asto how to capitalize on peanut base.Farmers should get with a buyer andgrow for the market in a consistent, qual-ity product.

Next year, peanut farmers will have anew revenue-based insurance programto add to the mix. The market forpeanuts will ultimately drive the indus-try as we individually learn how to makethe many options work on each farm,buying point and shelling plant. It’s frus-trating today not knowing all the rulesof the peanut game, but stay involved.Together, I believe we can survive andprosper. PG


RENEW your subscription online!Peanut Grower is sent free to qualified subscribers. But postal regulations require that we update our subscriber records annually. It only takes a few minutes to renew your subscription online (or to sign up to receive it as a new subscriber).

Simply go to:

www.peanutgrower.comClick on the “Subscribe” tab and fill in the form.

Submit your form when you’re finished!

The Web site has current information from our editors, market news information, archives of past issues and useful links. Sign on today to update your record and see the latest in peanut news!

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FSA Offices May Take Cuts Just when farmers need more help

with the new Farm Bill, the President isproposing to reduce the farmer assis-tance at Farm Service Agencies. ThePresident’s Budget proposed consoli-dating 250 field offices. FSA is propos-ing to reduce non-federal staff by 815FTE’s saving $61.6 million and re-aligning 300 state office oversight to thecounty offices, saving $6.8 million.

The new MIDAS modernizationcomputer system is designed to promoteincreased efficiency when implemented.Sub-committee Chairman Roberts Ader-holt (R-Ala) says fewer offices is con-tingent on successful implementationof new technologies, including MIDAS.

Perfectly Good Peanut Butter DumpedAn outbreak of Salmonella caused the

Sunland Peanut Plant in Portales, N.M.,to close two years ago and owners re-modeled and upgraded the factory. Af-ter Sunland resumed operations in 2013with $20 million in new financing, itwas hoped that the company would beokay. However, that was not to be whenthe company closed and filed for bank-ruptcy in October 2013.

Reports show the bankruptcy judgereconsidered bids after getting a bid of$26 million from Golden Boy Foods ofCanada.

According to Associated Press reports,Costco Wholesalers refused to take ship-ment of $2.8 million worth of SunlandValencia peanut butter, 58 truckloads,and is paying $60,000 to haul the950,000 jars to the land fill. The peanutbutter had been stored in the warehousesince Sunland had declared bankruptcy.However, the court judge said “all par-ties agreed there’s nothing wrong withthe peanut butter from a health andsafety issue,” but court records show thatin a conference call Costco said it wouldnot agree to any disposition other thandestruction.

Melinda Joy Pattison, executive di-rector of the Food Bank of Eastern NewMexico, called the dumping of the

peanut butter “horrendous.” She said aslong as there was nothing wrong withthe peanut butter, her operation wouldhave found a way to store it, remove thelabels and distribute it to the peoplewho depend on the food bank.

Hardy Farms Peanuts WinsHardy Farms Peanuts, of Hawk-

insville, Ga., took home first prize inthe miscellaneous category at the Uni-versity of Georgia’s 2014 Flavor of Geor-gia contest.

Gov. Nathan Deal and AgricultureCommissioner Gary Black were on handto congratulate Robert Fisher and BradHardy, of Hardy Peanut Farms, andother Flavor of Georgia winners as partof Georgia Agriculture Awareness Day atthe Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta.

Hardy Farms Peanut Rub was chosenout of more than 125 Georgia productsto compete as one of 35 finalists in the2014 Flavor of Georgia contest.

Food industry experts, includingchefs, grocery buyers, food service per-sonnel and agricultural marketing exec-utives, rated all of the participating prod-ucts based on qualities like innovation,use of Georgia theme, market potentialand flavor, said James Daniels, a UGAfood business development specialist.

The contest is sponsored by the UGACenter for Agribusiness and EconomicDevelopment in the College of Agri-cultural and Environmental Sciences inpartnership with the Center of Innova-tion for Agribusiness, Office of Gover-nor Nathan Deal, Walton EMC, theGeorgia Department of Agriculture, theGeorgia Agribusiness Council and theUGA department of food science andtechnology.

For more information about the con-test and these products, see www.fla-vorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu.

Cheminova Launches Peanut Fungicide Cheminova, Inc. recently announced

the introduction of Cercobin fungicide,a broad spectrum curative and preven-

tative systemic fungicide with both soiland foliar activity. The active ingredi-ent in Cercobin is thiophanate-methyl.As a FRAC Group 1 fungicide, growersmay use it alone, or as a tankmix or ro-tational partner, as part of a fungicide re-sistance management program in con-junction with strobilurin and azolefungicides.

Cercobin is labeled for use on soy-beans, peanuts, fall wheat and manyother crops. Included among some ofthe key diseases it controls are whitemold, Cercospora blight, frogeye leafspot, Cercospora leaf spot and powderymildew. Cercobin is packaged in 2 x 2.5gallon containers and is on sale now.

“Adding Cercobin to the broadeningfungicide portfolio of Cheminova givesgrowers another option to help managediseases,” said Deneen Sebastian, Di-rector of Marketing, Cheminova, Inc.“Cercobin is the first of three new fun-gicide offerings planned this year.”

For more information, visit their web-site at www.cheminova.com. PG

• June 19-22, 2014 – Peanut Congress,Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville,Tenn. More than 300 industry par-ticipants are expected. Go towww.peanut-shellers.org/Peanut-Congress for information.

• July 8-10, 2014 – American PeanutResearch and Education Society An-nual Meeting, Menger Hotel, San An-tonio, Texas. More than 100 re-search presentations are expected.Go to www.apresinc.com for regis-tration information.

• July 24-26, 2014 – 16th AnnualSouthern Peanut Growers Confer-ence, Edgewater Beach Resort,Panama City Beach, Fla. For more in-formation, visit www.southern-peanutfarmers.org. Registrationopens April 1.

Calendar:


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Peanut Proud Presentation

On behalf of The Peanut Grower and sponsors of the anniversary issue, a check is presented at the annual festival.

To commemorate the 25th An-niversary of The Peanut Growermagazine in November 2013,One Grower Publishing chose

to donate a percentage of all of the con-gratulatory ad revenue to Peanut Proud,the peanut industry’s non-profit human-itarian organization that provides aid tovictims of natural disasters, domestichunger relief and scholarships to studentsstudying food safety.

At the Peanut Proud Peanut Festivalon March 22, 2014, in the town squarein Blakely, Ga., Editor Amanda Huberpresented a check for $2,360 to PeanutProud’s President, Gregg Grimsley.

Just prior to this, Grimsley spoke aboutthe many accomplishments of PeanutProud in 2013, including deliveringpeanut butter to food banks in manystates and providing disaster relief effortsto tornado-stricken areas in Oklahoma.

“It is so very important to have in-dustry wide support for Peanut Proudand this donation given through the adcampaign demonstrates the commitmentfrom the industry.

“One of the founding principles forPeanut Proud is to unite the peanut in-

dustry toward humanitarian efforts,”Grimsley says. “And, it will be through

this broad-based support that PeanutProud will be successful.”

One More ‘Thank You’“Once again, on behalf of The Peanut

Grower, I would like to personally thankthose who purchased a congratulatory adin the anniversary issue to support PeanutProud,” says Lia Guthrie, One Growervice president and publisher. “We are hon-ored to be a part of this industry and ap-preciate your support in helping us pro-vide profitable production strategiesthroughout the years.” PG

• Amadas Industries

• 83 Farms

• National Peanut Buying Points Association

• Birdsong Peanuts

• National Peanut Board

• Novozymes

• Golden Peanut Company

• Kelley Manufacturing Co.

• American Peanut Council

• Southern Peanut Farmer’s Federation

• Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina Peanut Growers Associations

The Peanut Grower Editor Amanda Huber presents a check for $2,360 to PeanutProud’s President, Gregg Grimsley, at the annual festival in Blakely, Ga.

Thank You For Helping Support Peanut Proud:

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The International PeanutGenome Initiative (IPGI) – amultinational group of crop ge-neticists working in coopera-

tion for several years – has successfullysequenced the genome of the peanut.

The new peanut genome sequence willbe available to researchers and plant breed-ers across the globe to aid in the breed-ing of more productive, more resilientpeanut varieties.

Nearly ten years ago, The Peanut Foun-dation embarked on an industry-sup-ported effort to organize and coordinatepeanut genomic research with the goal ofreducing the costs of production and im-proving yield and quality.

Project StartGenomics is the identification and

study of gene sequences in the DNA oforganisms, and this was determined asthe best way to improve the competi-tiveness of peanut by enhancing varietiesfor disease resistance and yield potential.After researching different approaches,the Peanut Foundation selected MarkerAssisted Selection (MAS) as the bestmeans to deliver new varieties. MarketAssisted Selection is a breeding methodthat relies on the use of DNA-markersfound in plants to identify hybrids froma cross that have a desired trait before thehybrids are grown in the field, which givesbreeders a time advantage in variety de-velopment.

The selection of the that approach wasin 2010, and at the time peanut breedershad only about 6,000 DNA-markersidentified and few of those were associated

with selectable or measurable traits. Forcomparison, soybean and corn scientistshad more than 100,000 useful DNA-markers and the reason those researchershad so many markers is because DNA-markers were easier to discover after theDNA sequence of the soybean and corngenome was known.

To find the useful DNA-markers inpeanuts to be able to move forward withMAS breeding, it would be necessary tosequence the peanut genome, which iswhere the project is today.

Both Simple And ComplexThe effort to sequence the genome of

the peanut has been underway for sev-eral years. According to plant geneticist,Peggy Ozias-Akins, University of Georgia,while peanuts have been successfully bredfor intensive cultivation, relatively littlewas known about the legume’s geneticstructure because of its complexity. Two

markers or traits peanut breeders havehad for a several years are nematode re-sistance and high oleic oil chemistry.

“Those are two relatively simple traits,but other traits, particularly disease re-sistance, are much more complex,” saysOzias-Akins. “Knowing the sequence ofthe peanut genome will allow for the com-parison of a lot of different genotypes ofpeanut from the germplasm collection tomodern cultivars and really hone in onwhat variation is there and it will allow usto develop more molecular markers.”

Good For AllScott Jackson, director of the Univer-

sity of Georgia (UGA) Institute of PlantBreeding, Genetics and Genomics at the


Unlocking The Genetic Code

In reporting on their success, the International Peanut Genome Initiative has released the first peanut genome sequences.

A team of researchers looks for wildspecies of peanut in Brazil to use forgenetic testing. Today’s peanut comesfrom a cross of two wild species.

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College of Agricultural and Environ-mental Sciences, serves as chair of the In-ternational Peanut Genome Initiative.

“The peanut crop is important in theUnited States, but it’s very important fordeveloping nations as well,” Jackson said.“In many areas, it is a primary caloriesource for families and a cash crop forfarmers.”

According to plant geneticist RajeevVarshney of India, “Improving peanut va-rieties to be more drought, insect and dis-ease resistant, using the genome sequence,can help farmers in developed nationsproduce more peanuts with fewer pesti-cides and other chemicals and help farm-ers in developing nations feed their fam-ilies and build more-secure livelihoods.”

Plant geneticists David and SorayaBertioli of Brazil expressed their enthusi-asm for the new possibilities offered by thegenome sequence, “Until now, we've bredpeanuts relatively blindly compared toother crops. These new advances are al-lowing us to understand breeding in ways

that could only be dreamt of before.”

Looking To Peanut AncestorsThe peanut grown in fields today is

the result of a natural cross between twowild species, Arachis duranensis andArachis ipaensis that occurred in the northof Argentina between 4,000 and 6,000years ago. Because its ancestors were twodifferent species, today’s peanut is atetraploid, meaning the species carriestwo separate genomes which are desig-nated A and B sub-genomes.

To map the peanut’s genome structure,IPGI researchers sequenced the two an-cestral parents, because together they rep-resent the cultivated peanut. The se-quences provide researchers access to 96percent of all peanut genes in their ge-nomic context, providing the molecularmap needed to more quickly breeddrought-resistant, disease-resistant, lower-input and higher-yielding varieties.

The two ancestor wild species were col-lected from nature decades ago. One of

the ancestral species, A. duranensis, iswidespread but the other, A. ipaensis, hasonly ever been collected from one loca-tion, and indeed may now be extinct inthe wild.

When grappling with the thorny prob-lem of how to understand peanut’s com-plex genome, it was clear that thegenomes of the two ancestor specieswould provide excellent models for thegenome of the cultivated peanut: A. du-ranenis serving as a model for the A sub-genome of the cultivated peanut and A.ipaensis serving as a model for the B sub-genome. Fortunately because of the long-sighted efforts of germplasm collectionand conservation, both species were avail-able for study and use by the IPGI.

Progress Made Toward GoalKnowing the genome sequences of the

two parent species will allow researchersto recognize the cultivated peanut’s ge-nomic structure by differentiating be-tween the two subgenomes present in thiscrop. Being able to see the two separatestructural elements will also aid futuregene marker development: the determi-nation of links between a gene’s presenceand a physical characteristic of the plant.Understanding the structure of thepeanut’s genome will lay the groundworkfor new varieties with traits like addeddisease resistance and drought tolerance.

The International Peanut Genome Ini-tiative brings together scientists from theUnited States, China, Brazil, India and Is-rael to delineate peanut genome se-quences, characterize the genetic and phe-notypic variation in cultivated and wildpeanuts and develop genomic tools forpeanut breeding. The initial sequencingwas carried out by the BGI, Shenzen,China. Assembly was done at BGI,USDA-ARS, Ames, Iowa, and UC Davis,Davis, Calif.

The project was made possible byfunding provided by the peanut industrythrough the Peanut Foundation, byMARS Inc., and three Chinese Acade-mies (Henan Academy of AgriculturalSciences, Chinese Academy of Agricul-tural Sciences, Shandong Academy ofAgricultural Sciences). A complete list ofthe institutions involved with the projectand the other funding sources is availableat www.peanutbioscience.com. PG

Pictured at left is a wildpeanut species, and be-low, wild species to beused in testing are grownin pots. Peanuts grown today arethe result of a naturalcross between two wildspecies, To find the ge-netic sequence of to-day’s peanut, researchershad to sequence the twoparent plants.

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Sustainability means differentthings to different people. It canalso be different depending onwhat aspect of production agri-

culture you are talking about. At the lastSouthern Peanut Growers Conference,following their theme of sustainability,Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Ex-tension plant pathologist, gave a presen-tation on sustainable disease management.

“Why should we care about sustain-able disease control? Disease managementis critical for sustainable agriculture,” saysKemerait. “Sustainable does not mean or-ganic. Organic production can be sus-tainable, but you can be sustainable inconventional agriculture.”

On a broader scale, one definition ofsustainability finds that producers aremeeting the needs of the present, whilemaintaining the ability of future genera-tions to meet their own needs. It meansthinking long term about things.

Look At All Choices The foundation of disease management

is certainly a sustainable practice: croprotation.

“We would like for you to be out ofpeanut for two years, three years is betterand four years is even better than that,”Kemerait says.

“But it is not just being out of peanut.It’s what you plant in place of peanuts. Ifyour choice is between soybeans and corn,what is the better choice? Corn is becausesoybeans share some of the samepathogens and nematode problems.

“Crop rotation is the cornerstone interms of sustainable disease management.”


Sustainable Production Practices

Employ those strategies that take a long-term view of the farm.

By Amanda Huber

When possible, make decisions that maximize effectiveness. For example, sprayingsoilborne disease fungicides early in the morning before dawn has been shown to im-prove white mold control by reaching down into the crown of the plant, which makesthe practice and that fungicide application more sustainable.

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Know Your Risk LevelVarietal resistances are some of the

greatest advances in the last 40 years, saysKemerait. Leaf spot resistance, white moldresistance, nematode resistance are all pos-sible in variety choices and this really pro-vides greater opportunity for differentfungicide options.

“Sustainability means taking the timeto determine your risk and taking themeasures to reduce your risk then reduc-ing fungicides because you are able to livewith that amount of risk,” Kemerait says.

The use of Peanut Rx can help you de-termine risk.

Cheap Can Lead To OveruseWe’ve never had a better arsenal of

fungicides, Kemerait says, and these, too,need to be used sustainably.

“Overuse of a relatively inexpensivefungicide may make economic sense inthe short term, but that’s not what sus-tainability is about and it leads to resist-ance more quickly. Sustainability says torotate chemistries and tankmix partners

where effective,” he says. Additional decisions made in fungicide

application can increase sustainability andefficacy.

“Spraying the soilborne disease fungi-cides early in the morning before dawnhas been shown to be more effective thanspraying the same products during theday. That makes the practice and thatfungicide application more sustainable byconducting it at the time that makes itmore effective. Better management ismore sustainable,” Kemerait says.

“To embrace sustainability in diseasemanagement, producers should use bestmanagement practices, be as timely aspossible, calibrate equipment and pay par-ticular attention to accurate rates by read-ing and following product labels, disposeof the containers properly and, finally,use innovative application strategies. PG

10 points for sustainable disease management:

• Crop rotation is the founda-tion of peanut production

• Use of disease /nematode resistant varieties

• Consider impact of tillagesystems

• Use of Peanut Rx and prescription fungicide programs

• Carefully select fungicides andnematicides

• Practice fungicide resistance management

• Use best management prac-tices for fungicides and nematicides

• Consider impact of planting date on disease development

• Manage irrigation

• Aim for good plant health

Create Sustainable SoilsFor Kip Balkcom, with USDA/ARS at Auburn University, sustainability means

improving the soil quality in production agriculture. “The soils in the Southeast are characterized mostly by low fertility and erod-

ability,” he says. “Our climate works against us with high humidity, high temper-atures, and it burns up organic matter.”

A sustainable goal is to increase soil carbon as much as possible. “Trying to in-crease soil carbon in the top couple of inches of soil makes a big difference in pro-ductivity,” Balkcom says. “Doing this will enhance all other soil-related properties.”

How Do You Do That? 1. Minimize surface tillage by using a strip-tillage implement and maintaining

what residue you can on the soil surface. 2. Have continuous cover with cover crops. Use a crop with the main purpose

of improving the soil, not one to be harvested for feed or sale. A cover crop withhigh residue is an investment in the soil.

3. Rotate crops to break pest cycles and give more opportunity to build organiccarbon matter in the soil.

While peanut digging does disturb the top layer of soil, Balkcom says it is notas detrimental to soil carbon as one might think.

“Through these three practices, you can manage to not lose carbon as rapidlyas you would otherwise. Increasing the biomass of the cover crop helps, and theresidue will help increase water infiltration and reduce erosion.

“To conclude: minimize surface tillage, utilize cover crops and maximize rota-tions to promote sustainability.” PG

Heavy residue cover crops have been studied for improve soil carbon matter andimproved control of Palmer amaranth. Overall, conservation systems absorb rain-fall, cools soil temperatures, lowers evaporation losses, creates greater soil-wa-ter infiltration and increases the plant-available water.

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The United States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA), Agri-cultural Marketing Service(AMS) added the state of

Arkansas as a primary peanut-producingstate under the Peanut Promotion, Re-search and Information Order. The Or-der is administered by the NationalPeanut Board.

The buzz about peanuts in Arkansasbegan in 2012 with producers wantingto know more about adding this poten-tial crop to their mix. Rice had been toovolatile, and producers were looking forsomething to go on their more marginalland.

Arkansas Sticking With ItWhat started with just a few hundred

acres more than five years ago, has turnedinto an average of more than 10,000 acresfor three consecutive years, says USDA-AMS, which qualifies Arkansas for pri-mary-peanut producing state status. Ac-cording to University of ArkansasCooperative Extension Service, averageyields for the state have ranged from 4,250pounds per acre to 4,500 pounds per acrefor the past few years. Peanut productionthus far has been 100 percent irrigatedwith either furrow irrigation or center-pivot irrigation.

Having reached the level of primaryproducer, Arkansas is now eligible for aseat on the National Peanut Board. Thisaction was recommended by the NPBand ensures the board’s representation re-flects changes in the geographical distri-bution of the production of peanuts.

Bigger Producer BoardThe NPB is composed of 11 producer-

members and alternates: One member

and alternate from each primary produc-ing state and one at-large member andalternate collectively from the minorpeanut-producing states. This rule classi-fies the state of Arkansas as a primarypeanut-producing state and specifies theBoard will be composed of 12 peanutproducer-members and their alternatesrather than 11. The members and alter-nates are nominated by state producers orproducer groups.

The Arkansas Peanut Growers Associ-ation will hold a nominations election toselect two nominees each for member andalternate to the National Peanut Board.The nominations election meeting willbe held May 6, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. atWalnut Ridge Country Club, 249Lawrence Road 408; Walnut Ridge, Ark.

Help Select A RepresentativeAll eligible peanut producers are en-

couraged to participate. Eligible produc-ers are those who are engaged in the pro-duction and sale of peanuts and who ownor share the ownership and risk of loss ofthe crop.

Additionally, eligible candidates mustbe current on their assessment paymentsto the NPB and, if nominated, be willingto undergo a Federal background check.National Peanut Board member and al-ternate positions are unpaid.

USDA requires two nominees fromeach state for each position of memberand alternate. The National Peanut Boardwill submit Arkansas’s slate of nomineesto the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, whomakes the appointments. PG


Prime Position For Arkansas

New state earns primary status, while NASS’ Prospective Plantings Reportsays area planted to increase 29 percent over last year.

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NASS Reports Acreage Estimate

The United States Department of Agri-culture’s National Agricultural StatisticsService’s Prospective Plantings Report, re-leased March 31, 2014, says that based onproducer interviews, peanut growers in-tend to plant 1.38 million acres in 2014,up 29 percent from the previous year.

The expected increase in planted areais mainly due to lower corn and soybeanprices. Last year, growers decreased peanutacres in all states because of the oversup-ply in 2012 and strong grain prices.

In Georgia, the largest peanut-pro-ducing state, expected planted area is up53 percent from 2013.

All states are expected to increaseacreage over 2013, except New Mexicoand Oklahoma.

CornCorn planted area for all purposes in

2014 is estimated at 91.7 million acres,down four percent from last year. If real-ized, this will represent the lowest plantedacreage in the United States since 2010;however, it would be the fifth largest cornacreage in the United States since 1944.Expected returns for corn are anticipatedto be lower in 2014 compared with recentyears.

SoybeansSoybean planted area for 2014 is esti-

mated at a record high 81.5 million acres,up six percent from last year. Comparedwith last year, planted acreage intentionsare up or unchanged across all states withthe exception of Missouri and Oklahoma.The biggest increase in soybean acreage isexpected in North Dakota.

WheatAll wheat planted area for 2014 is es-

timated at 55.8 million acres, down onepercent from 2013. The 2014 winterwheat planted area, at 42.0 million acres,is down three percent from last year butup slightly from the previous estimate.Of this total, about 30.2 million acres areHard Red Winter, 8.43 million acres areSoft Red Winter and 3.35 million acresare White Winter.

Area planted to other spring wheat for2014 is expected to total 12 million acres,up four percent from 2013. Of this total,about 11.3 million acres are Hard RedSpring wheat. The intended Durum

planted area for 2014 is estimated at 1.8million acres, up 22 percent from the pre-vious year.

CottonAll cotton planted area for 2014 is ex-

pected to total 11.1 million acres, sevenpercent above last year. Upland area is ex-pected to total 10.9 million acres, upseven percent from 2013. American Pimaarea is expected to total 158,000 acres,down 21 percent from 2013.

In late March, cotton planting in Texaswas three percent complete, the same asthis time last year but one percentagepoint behind the five-year average. PG

Peanuts: Area Planted by State and U.S.

USDA Estimate of Area Planted - March 31, 2014*

State 2012 2013 2014 2014/2013

--------------(1,000 acres)------------- percent

Alabama 220.0 140.0 165.0 118

Florida 210.0 140.0 150.0 107

Georgia 735.0 430.0 660.0 153

Mississippi 52.0 34.0 45.0 132

N. Mexico 10.0 7.0 5.0 71

N. Carolina 107.0 82.0 83.0 101

Oklahoma 24.0 17.0 15.0 88

S. Carolina 110.0 81.0 95.0 117

Texas 150.0 120.0 140.0 117

Virginia 20.0 16.0 18.0 113

US Total 1,638.0 1,067.0 1376.0 129

*USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimate of intended plantings in 2014as indicated by reports from farmers.

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Protect Your Yield

Be ready as conditions in 2014 may favor the return of foliage feeders.

As the saying goes, the only cer-tainties in life are death andtaxes. However, you can prob-ably add to that at least some

level of pressure from worms in yourpeanut field at some point during the sea-son. Will the hungry Lepidopterans,armyworms, bollworms/earworms, bud-worms, cutworms and others, build upenough to reach an economic threshold isalways a consideration, but when theydo, yield can be quickly eaten up. To avoidlosses, be prepared to control worm pestsbefore the buildup happens.

Watch The WeatherInsect pests are driven by weather pat-

terns, and conditions in 2013 did not fa-vor an outbreak of caterpillar pests, whichthrive under hot temperatures and drysoil conditions. If 2014 turns off dry atsome point in late-June and July, look forthese pests to rebound in fields, especiallylesser cornstalk borer (LCB).

The LCB’s prime activity period gen-erally begins in June and continuesthrough the summer months. It will feedabove and below the soil line and can killnewly emerged seedlings, destroy pegsand developing pods, damage plantcrowns and weaken plants that survive.Wilting is one of the earliest signs of LCBinfestation. Withered buds, stunting andplant deformities are also common.

Watch Your FieldsField scouting, along with proper tim-

ing of treatment applications, such as Beltinsecticide, is key to managing LCB andall insect pests. When applied at earlystages of pest infections, Belt insecticideprovides long-lasting worm control of allworm pests, even resistant populationsand late-stage larvae.

Scouting for both soil insects and fo-liage feeders and knowing what to look forgiven the weather pattern is the best wayto find insect pests. Once found, preventthese pests from reaching a potentiallydevastating level by using an inseciticde

that is rainfast and provides residual con-trol while not flaring spider mites or be-ing harmful for beneficials. PG

Information in this article was con-tributed by Rhea + Kaiser.

Be Ready For Insect Pressure:• Scout fields regularly, and talk with your consultant or Extension agentfor advice on spray timing and tankmix options.

• Consider a product that poses minimal risk to beneficial arthropods includingparasitoids, syrphid flies, lacewings, predatory bugs and predatory mites.

• If an economic threshold is reached, use an insecticide product that is rain-fast at drying and provides some residual control.

If weather conditions turn hot and dry, look for foliage feeders to return to more nor-mal patterns in fields.

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We catch all the dirt for you...no good info is left behind.



Maintain Propane Equipment

Service propane-powered equipment such as irrigation engines, generators and pickup trucks to ensure good performance.

As farmers gear up for plantingseason, now is the best time toready equipment following aharsh winter. Maintenance

early in the season lowers overall upkeepcosts and keeps systems operatingsmoothly and efficiently.

More than 865,000 farms in theUnited States use propane to run pumpsand engines, heat buildings and dry andprocess crops. Spring equipment mainte-nance is similar to systems powered byother fuels, but there are key advantagesof propane-powered equipment. Togetherwith leading irrigation engine, generatorand work truck manufacturers, thePropane Education & Research Council(PERC) compiled a list of spring prepa-ration tips.

Irrigation EnginesAfter a long winter, rodents, debris and

exposure to the elements are the mostcommon source of engine issues, says PeteStout, product manager for Origin En-gines. Stout encourages farmers to refer totheir product manuals for maintenanceneeds specific to engine models and offersthese tips for preparing irrigation enginesfor spring planting:

• Disconnect the engine battery andcheck battery voltage.

• Clear away any dirt and debris thathave collected on and around the engine.Pay special attention to clutch bellhous-ings, radiator shrouds and wire harnesses.

• Inspect wire harnesses for cracked orexposed wires and make repairs as needed.

• Check front drive belts for propertension and wear.

“I also urge farmers to place enginesinside of structures, such as a simple car-port style shelter, for the summer grow-

ing season,” Stout says. “UV sunlight andgeneral exposure to extreme weather canbe tough on engine power units.”

GeneratorsPropane-powered standby and portable

generators can keep homes and farmingoperations protected when the grid goesdown. Propane is often easier to accessduring outages and doesn’t degrade overtime, in the same way as diesel, gasolineor ethanol-based fuels.

Art Aiello, public relations manager forGenerac Power Systems, recommends thefollowing tips to ready a propane gener-ator for spring:

• Perform regular maintenance tasks,such as oil changes, on both standby andportable generators to ensure long-termreliability.

• Follow the specific instructions out-lined in your owner’s manual for main-tenance specific to your generator.

• For new generator installations,choose a qualified, experienced propaneinstaller in your area.

“Propane is a safe, environmentallyfriendly and convenient fuel that manyfarmers are already using,” Aiello said. “Apropane generator can be protection

against spring weather-related outages.”

Pickup TrucksPropane-autogas-powered trucks re-

quire similar maintenance procedures asgas-powered trucks, and spring is the per-fect time to assess needs for oil and filterchanges, said Todd Mouw, vice presidentof sales and marketing at Roush Clean-Tech, a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier.

Mouw recommends the following tipsfor prepping trucks for spring:

• Check all air filter and fluid levels, in-cluding oil, antifreeze and washer fluid.Make certain the air conditioner and bothwindshield wipers are in good condition.

• Examine tires for tread wear andproper inflation. Remove snow tires andinstall all-season radials or summer tires.

Additionally, farmers already usingpropane equipment on the farm or in thehome can increase overall energy effi-ciency with the addition of a propane au-togas truck, Mouw said.

“Producers will be using propane yearround, rather than just during peak useseasons, and can leverage better pricesfrom their propane dealer,” he explains.“The total lifecycle costs of fuel andequipment use are in favor of usingpropane.”

Propane Farm Incentive ProgramPurchase incentives of up to $5,000

are available to farmers who upgrade to el-igible propane-powered farm equipment,including irrigation engines, grain dry-ers, generators and other eligible equip-ment through the PERC Propane FarmIncentive program.

Find out about PERC’s incentive pro-grams by visiting agpropane.com andbuildwithpropane.com. PG

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Disaster Assistance Programs Restored By Farm Bill

USDA announces sign-up period at FSA offices.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vil-sack recently announced thateligible farmers and rancherscan sign up for U.S. Depart-

ment of Agriculture (USDA) disaster as-sistance programs restored by passage ofthe 2014 Farm Bill.

Years Of Waiting“We implemented these programs in

record time and kept our commitment tobegin sign-up today,” said AgricultureSecretary Vilsack. “To ensure enrollmentgoes as smoothly as possible, dedicatedstaff in over 2,000 Farm Service Agencyoffices across the country are doing every-thing necessary to help producers thathave suffered through two and a half dif-ficult years with no assistance becausethese programs were awaiting Congres-sional action.”

Depending on the size and type of farmor ranch operation, eligible producers canenroll in one of four programs adminis-tered by the Farm Service Agency.

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program(LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Pro-gram (LIP) will provide payments to eli-gible producers for livestock deaths andgrazing losses that have occurred since theexpiration of the livestock disaster assis-tance programs in 2011, and includingcalendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The Emergency Assistance for Live-stock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised FishProgram (ELAP) provides emergency as-sistance to eligible producers of livestock,honeybees and farm-raised fish that havesuffered losses because of disease, severeweather, blizzards and wildfires.

Producers signing up for these pro-grams are encouraged to contact their lo-cal FSA office for information on thetypes of records needed and to schedule

an appointment. Taking these steps in ad-vance will help producers ensure their ap-plication moves through the process asquickly as possible.

Don’t Forget The DocumentationSupporting documents may include

livestock birth records, purchase and

transportation receipts, photos and own-ership records showing the number andtype of livestock lost, documents listingthe gallons of water transported to live-stock during drought, and more. Croprecords may include purchase receiptsfor eligible trees, bushes or vines, seedand fertilizer purchases, planting andproduction records, and documentationof labor and equipment used to plant orremove eligible trees, bushes or vines.

Producers have three to nine monthsto apply depending on the program andyear of the loss. Details are available fromany local FSA office.

For more information, producers mayreview the 2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, andthe LIP, LFP, ELAP and TAP fact sheetsonline, or visit any local FSA office orUSDA Service Center. PG


GypsumNutri-Source

Dealers are welcome • Licensed in Georgia & Florida

(386)364-8762Pete Collins, [email protected]

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Soil Moisture Monitoring From ValleyValley Irrigation’s SoilPro 1200, pow-

ered by AquaSpy, delivers the most de-tailed soil moisture data in an easy-to-understand format. With just a few clicks,growers can see the depth of their croproot zone, soil moisture levels by depth,soil electrical conductivity, temperatureand water penetration from rainfall andirrigation. This real-time data give grow-ers information needed to make smarterdecisions and irrigate more efficiently.

SoilPro 1200 has 12 sensors at 4-inchincrements that communicate with croproots and collect in-depth data from thesoil about how much water the crop needsand how much it has used.

The information gathered by the sen-sors is analyzed and converted into sim-ple, straight-forward reports and recom-mendations delivered to growers viacomputer, tablet or cell phone. The in-terface is extremely user-friendly and easyto navigate.

SoilPro 1200 allows growers to becomemore efficient in their watering practices,and that efficiency allows them to savemoney and grow a more productive crop.

For more information, please visitwww.ValleyIrrigation.com.

Cheminova With Statement HerbicideCheminova, Inc. announced the launch

of Statement herbicide, a new choice forgrowers looking for control of glyphosate-and ALS-resistant weeds in both soybeansand cotton. A premix with two active in-gredients, metolachlor and fomesafen,Statement may be used preplant and pre-emergence for control of annual grass andbroadleaf weeds on soybeans, while also

providing residual controland reducing early weedcompetition.

Statement may also beapplied postemergence oncotton to control grasses,broadleaf weeds and sedges.It may be tankmixed withother labeled post-directedherbicides to broaden theweed control spectrum incotton.

Statement will be pack-aged in 2 by 2.5 gallon containers. For in-formation, visit www.cheminova-us.com.

Reinke Announces ReinSenseReinke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

introduces ReinSense, a new soil mois-ture monitoring product in partnershipwith Irrometer Company, Inc. and iDUSControls, LTD.

ReinSense is an in-field sensing devicedesigned to monitor and collect under-ground soil moisture data through a smart

radio network. So-lar-powered nodeswork to collect thesite-specific datathat is then trans-ferred and housedon a server, sup-plying the growerwith real-time ac-cess to their soilmoisture datathrough registeredonline or text alerts.

Typical soil moisture monitoring prod-ucts are cellular modems at each site withseparate subscription fees per site. Theuse of a smart radio network with Rein-Sense allows growers to monitor up to 12different soil moisture sites for only onesubscription fee.

ReinSense is easily installed, and grow-ers will able to readily register and activatetheir account online. For more informa-tion, visit www.reinke.com/irrigation-products/soil-moisture.

H.J. Baker Responds To Demand For Tiger-Sul Products With Plant UpgadeAgricultural firm H.J. Baker recently announced an upgrade to its Atmore, Ala.,

fertilizer plant, which will enable the facility to significantly increase productionof its Tiger-Sul products to meet customer demand. The new customized productionbelt is part of H.J Baker’s ongoing capital improvement plan.

H.J. Baker’s Atmore facility manufactures Tiger-Sul’s sulphur bentonite fertil-izer products, including boron, iron, zinc and magnesium. These are specificallyformulated for rowcrops in the South-east United States,including corn, cot-ton, soybeans andpeanuts. In addi-tion, this facilityalso manufacturesfertilizer for spe-cialty crops such ascitrus, vegetables,sugar cane, blue-berries and forageand turf grass.

Another upgradeto the plant was the addition of a 1,500-ton molten sulphur storage tank. This,plus the new production belt will give the facility an overall 50 percent increase inproduction capacity.

For more information on H.J. Baker & Bro., Inc., visit hjbaker.com. PG

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As the 2014 season unfolds,final decisions need to be madeas it relates to the placement ofvarieties and, more important-ly, market types. When itcomes to planting early,peanuts are a little more forgiv-ing than other crops, such ascotton. However, efforts shouldbe made to plant under themost favorable conditions.

It is always important to usehigh-quality seed and check forsplits and immature kernels.

Planting should occur when soil conditions are favorablefor rapid germination of the seed and development of theplant. Recent studies have shown that planting densitiescan be substantially reduced for all market types, but dif-ferences in seed size and seed count may need to beaddressed when calibrating vacuum planters. Adjustmentsin planting depth should be made based on soil type, plant-ing date and moisture conditions. Overall, late plantingdates generally lead to reduced yields and lower grades, aswell as increasing the risk from freeze damage and late-sea-son drought.

Market types requiring more time to mature, as is thecase with most runner and Virginia varieties, should beplanted by the middle of May. Spanish and Valencia vari-eties, which mature earlier, can be planted as late as June 1in the High Plains or later in Central and South Texas;however, late planting dates may increase the risk of lossesdue to tomato spotted wilt. Properly preparing beds canhelp in stand establishment. If soils are extremely dry, pre-plant irrigation should be applied as opposed to dry-plant-ing followed by irrigation, as this may impact the viabilityof rhizobia found in inoculants and subsequent nodulation.

Weed management is oneof the most important tasksduring the month of May. Inconventional tillage systems,incorporating a dinitroanilineherbicide, and in some cases achloroacetamide herbicide, isrecommended.

In reduced tillage, the DNAherbicides will have limitedeffectiveness if placed on thesoil surface. Metolachlor, ofwhich there are several formu-

lations, dimethenamid (Outlook) and acetochlor (Warrant)applied preemergence with flumioxazin (several formula-tions) are available and recommended. Depending on rain-fall, these herbicide combinations may provide excellentcontrol well into the season, or they may be only partiallyeffective.

Applying paraquat within the first three weeks afterpeanuts emerge will help clean up escapes and take pressureoff of herbicides such as Storm, Ultra Blazer, Cobra, Cadreand 2,4-DB. With paraquat, always include at least 0.5pints per acre of Basagran. In weedy fields, including addi-tional chloroacetamide herbicides can be very helpful.Chloroacetamide can also be applied with Storm, UltraBlazer, Cobra, Cadre and 2,4-DB to “shore up” weed con-trol as you move later in the season.

During the first month of the season, there may be aneed to apply acephate (several formulations) to controlthrips, and most folks are going to want to apply this insec-ticide along with herbicides. Certainly the timing works outin most cases for tankmixtures to be effective. However, ifyou see thrips damage, but don’t think it is time for poste-mergence herbicides, you should apply the acephate as soonas needed and then come back with herbicides. Eliminatingthrips feeding and injury to peanut needs to be done assoon as possible, especially in the V-C region where cropdevelopment is essential for optimum yields. We can’tafford delays in crop development.

Keys in May and June are getting adequate stands estab-lished, minimizing thrips injury and keeping fields weed-free. If you are able to achieve an adequate number ofplants, at least four to five per row foot, that are growingvigorously, you’ve given the peanut crop an excellent chanceto yield well in the fall. There is a lot of time left in the sea-son, but this is a great start.

JASON WOODWARDTexas Agri-Life Extension

Plant Pathologist

Jason Woodward David Jordan

DAVID JORDANNorth Carolina State University

Extension Agronomist

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The application rate and tim-ing recommendation for calci-um in peanut have not changed,despite the use of larger-seededvarieties. One thousand poundsof gypsum still works on thelarge-seeded varieties, and fortiming, it’s still lime at plantingand gypsum at bloom time.

What has changed is thenumber of sources for calcium.

Lime is still a mined productthat is either dolomitic or cal-

citic, and either product is usable. It does not have to behigh-calcium or calcitic lime to provide calcium in peanuts.However, it does have to be applied at planting to provideenough time to leach down into the pegging zone to becomeavailable to developing pods.

Calcium sulfate, or gypsum, is now available from manydifferent sources. It may be mined or it may be a by-prod-uct of phosphorous fertilizer mining in Florida. It can alsobe a product scrubbed from smoke stacks or created fromcitric acid production. All these products work just fine assources of calcium for peanut applied at bloomtime. Thecalcium in gypsum is more soluble than that in lime and willmove quickly through the soil profile. Applied any earlier,gypsum may move beyond the pegging zone and out of thereach of developing pods.

Another emerging source of calcium is applied throughthe pivot. Calcium chloride, which goes by the trade name“Hi-Cal,” and calciumthiosulfate, which isknown as “cats” or“Thiocal,” is the mostsoluble form of gypsumavailable. A productapplied through the pivotis put out with so muchwater and force that it isconsidered “soil-applied.”

Products applied to theleaves, or foliar-appledcalcium, are not recom-mended because they donot provide near enoughcalcium and the materialdoes not translocatethrough the peanut plant.

Whatever product youuse, remember that calci-um, with the right rateand timing, is a criticalcomponent of peanutproduction.

Since we are still in the firstof May and the beginning ofplanting for some, I wouldlike to point out a few thingsduring planting season. Youhave all heard and know therecommendations about soiltemperature for plantingpeanuts, along with seedingrates. If conditions are favor-able for planting, I would rec-ommend planting as early aspossible this year. This is due

to the fact that we are predicted to be in an El Niño weath-er pattern, which means a cooler, wetter fall and winter.Therefore, we need the crop planted early so that we haveplenty of time to allow it to mature where it can be harvest-ed before the rainy weather sets in.

If El Niño comes to fruition, we don’t need to be plant-ing way out in late May and early June. Last year, we alsoexperienced some cooler weather during planting season.This delayed thrips flights, which put a lot of pressure onthe crop. Our weather has been very similar this year so beon the lookout in case you need to make a late foliar appli-cation for thrips over the top.

Also, I saw more tropical spiderwort in Alabama last year.If you had this troublesome weed and that land is going topeanuts, I encourage you to be proactive and use Strongarmand/or Dual in your herbicide program to battle against thisprolific weed.

KRIS BALKCOMAuburn University

Agri-Program Associate

Kris Balkcom


Glen Harris

GLENDON HARRIS, JR.University of Georgia

Extension Agronomist

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© 2012 Loveland Products, Inc. Always read and follow label directions. Radiate is a registered trademark of Loveland Products, Inc.All trademarks are assigned to their respected owners.

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Roy Ward – Jay, Florida

To fi nd your local Crop Production Services store, go to www.lovelandproducts.com.

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Documents

Peanut Grower, May 2014