CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 12/25/17

'Very good crop' of Georgia peanuts expected

By Clint Thompson

Georgia’s dryland peanut crop excelled this year, while irrigated fields lacked in comparison to past years, said University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort. The result is a crop estimated to average 4,400 pounds per acre.

This year, Georgia’s peanut crop is the largest in more than 20 years. Some 714,168 acres of peanuts were grown last year in Georgia and 828,000 certified peanut acres were planted this year, the state’s highest amount since the early 1990s.

“Based on what I’ve heard and seen, overall, we’re probably going to have a very good crop as far as the state average is concerned. We had a very good yield across the state. We had very good grades, the quality was good,” Monfort said.

Monfort said farmers who irrigate their fields typically yield in the range of 7,000 pounds per acre. This season, they are reporting between 5,500 and 6,500 pounds.

He added that Georgia producers overcame bad plant stands, diseases and nematodes that contributed to the yield decrease.

“We had multiple factors working against us, from the beginning of the year, when we experienced poor (plant) stands due to seed quality or had good stands that were taken away from us because of Aspergillus niger (fungal pathogen). Poor stands also contributed to our farmers experiencing a little bit of tomato spotted wilt here and there. It was a slow start to the season,” Monfort said. “Then at the end of the season, we noticed a lot of pegs that lost their strength, a lot of pods came off early and we had higher nematode issues than we’ve had before.”

A lack of sunlight in June and July, critical months for the development of a peanut plant, may have also contributed to decreased yields. Parts of Georgia received at least 20 percent less sunlight than normal in both of those months.

“What does that do overall to blooming? We’re trying to figure that out,” Monfort said.

Georgia farmers also encountered disease issues like early and late leaf spot disease. Almost all varieties grown in Georgia, Alabama and north Florida are susceptible to leaf spot, including Georgia-06G, the predominant variety grown in Georgia.

Leaf spot disease exploded this year after Tropical Storm Irma moved through Georgia in early September.

“The one thing that Irma did for sure was get leaf spot stirred up quite a bit. If you were caught behind on fungicide applications, it showed,” Monfort said.

To learn more about this year’s peanut crop and what to expect during next year’s growing season, the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center will host the annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2zc5y08.

Clint Thompson is an agriculture writer based in Tifton, Georgia.

Authors:
Clint Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Scott Monfort
UGA Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort says that this year, Georgia producers overcame bad plant stands, diseases and nematodes that contributed to the yield decrease in irrigated fields.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Helenedamage web CAES News
Hurricane Helene: Preliminary damage assessment on Georgia agriculture and forestry industry 10/10/24 Claire S. Kinnard, Matthew Agvent
Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, in coordination with Governor Brian P. Kemp, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Georgia Forestry Commission, announced the preliminary estimate of Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture is $6.46 billion. This figure represents the sum of direct crop losses, losses to businesses that support agriculture and forestry, losses to workers in those related industries, and estimated recovery and restoration costs that agricultural businesses will face.
Most of Georgia’s vegetable crops are grown in the southern part of the state, which, similar to California, faces drought risks. However, as the climate warms, the area is expected to receive slightly more rainfall than usual, according to CAES economist Jeff Mullen. If vegetable production in California decreases and prices rise elsewhere, Southeast producers may consider shifting from row crop to vegetable production. CAES News
Georgia vegetable production may expand as a result of climate change 09/17/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Changing weather patterns are influencing cropping systems and where certain crops can be successfully grown. Researchers in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently published a study in the journal Sustainability examining the feasibility of expanding fresh vegetable production in Georgia as increased temperatures and more frequent and extreme droughts threaten producers in the Western United States.
Nino Brown stands in front of a peanut field holding up a red net bag of harvested peanuts above his head as he speaks to participants in the Georgia Peanut Tour in 2022. CAES News
CAES experts study oil production to boost Georgia’s peanut power 09/05/24 Maria M. Lameiras
A new study by experts in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is seeking to increase the value of Georgia’s peanut crops for new markets while reducing losses caused by aflatoxin, a consistent threat to the No. 1 peanut-producing state in the United States. The four-year, $490,000 grant will take a systems-based approach toward developing high-oil peanut varieties bred to withstand the unique climate and pest pressures of the Southeast.
An employee of Pyxus Agriculture Malawi shows a map explaining the various sites where the Feed the Future Peanut Innovation Lab works with 147 local farmers, Pyxus and the national agriculture program in Malawi. The demonstration was part of the 2024 Groundnut Tour in Malawi, a three-day event modeled after the Georgia Peanut Tour. CAES News
Georgia Peanut Tour inspires Malawi to host first groundnut tour 05/01/24 Allison Floyd
Ten years ago, the Georgia Peanut Tour welcomed its first visitor from the southern African nation of Malawi, where peanuts are part of the local cuisine but are only grown in small gardens or bought in informal markets. Over the next decade, visitors from Malawi attended the tour every year, traveling halfway around the world to see how farmers, shellers, researchers and others work together to get a large crop of peanuts to consumers every year.
Peach growers are looking forward to a fruitful season as the weather this winter and spring have been near-perfect for the sensitive crop. This year is projected to be a much-needed comeback from the disastrous season they experienced after a late freeze in March 2023 took out more than 90% of the state's crop. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA) CAES News
Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023 04/10/24 Emily Cabrera
Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.
IdaliaDamage CAES News
UGA Extension offers disaster support throughout the state 01/03/24 Emily Cabrera
Georgia’s geographic diversity — from beaches and swamps to mountains and flatlands —makes the state an attractive place to live, but each region is vulnerable to weather-related emergencies year-round. When disasters strike, navigating the milieu of steps to recover and rebuild can be difficult. With a presence in all 159 Georgia counties, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is uniquely positioned to help communities prepare for and rebound from calamity.