2013 Peanut Production Guide

The keys to high quality, two-ton plus peanuts are:

1. A well drained soil
2. Suitable rotation crops – cotton, corn or other grasses
3. Water during pod fill
4. Good harvest weather
5. Timely management operations.

The one factor that growers have the most control over is #5 – timely management. Peanut is a relatively high-input, high management row crop. But profit is not determined by spending more money or adding one more product to the spray tank that “might help”. It’s about doing the fundamentals on time and getting the most out of every dollar invested.

This is a guide for making timely peanut management decisions. The intention is to lay out a step-by-step “game plan” for peanut production under South Carolina conditions, and to provide growers, county agents, private consultants, and industry representatives with a reference that will answer most practical questions about peanut production.

Where possible information is summarized in table format (“Fertility Checklist”, “Guide to Peanut Fungicides”, etc.) to present topics briefly, but in sufficient detail. Summaries of the most important steps are also given in the “Top Ten List” and “Peanut Management Calendar” on the final pages of this guide. Comments, suggestions to continually improve this production plan are welcome.

Peanut Photo Gallery

-Deficiencies                                           -Herbicide Injury Symptomology

-Diseases                                               -Insects

-Maturity Classification