Weed Management & Control

General Information

Successful weed management in peanut requires timely, effective herbicide inputs or cultivation to reduce weed competition for space, light, water, and nutrients. Peanuts do not compete well with weeds and should be maintained weed-free for 45 days after planting and monitored for escapes until canopy closure. Late season weeds may not be as competitive, but can cause digging loss, reduce grade by increasing loose shelled kernels (LSKs), and replenish the weed seed bank for subsequent years.

A successful weed management plan will use multiple production methods to keep weed populations low. Tillage and seedbed preparation or effective burndown herbicides should eliminate all emerged weeds prior to planting. Never plant peanuts into green pigweeds and expect to apply glyphosate pre-emergence. Soil will cover small pigweeds during planting and they will escape control to be a problem all year. The following sections will guide you in the decision making process.

Cultivation

Cultivation is an economical method for early season weed control in peanut and needs to be performed prior to canopy closure and/or when peanuts begin to peg. Mechanical cultivation is beneficial when herbicides are not effective or if an organic production system is required. Do not throw soil to the peanut crown during cultivation.

Weed Management Strategies

The following weed management plans are recommended for peanut production in South Carolina. Remember, it is important to understand the weed spectrum in your production system. Each herbicide program has strengths and weaknesses. These recommendations can further be tailored to suit your particular weed spectrum needs based on the Weed Response to Herbicides for Peanut table. Please refer to the tables in the production guide for use rates and precautions for these products, or for more information, read the Peanut Weed Management Guide.