southeastern peanut farmer - april 2016

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Inside:n Disease Guidebook

n Insect Guidebook

7 Florida Peanut ProducersAssociation holds annual meetingThe Florida Peanut ProducersAssociation held their 41st annualmeeting recently where they electednew board members, receivedreports from the National PeanutBoard and presented theOutstanding Young Peanut FarmerAward.

10 2016 Disease GuidebookThe 2016 Southeastern PeanutFarmer’s Disease Guidebook features information on management of leaf spot, southernblight, fungicide resistance, disease control on a budget, andresearch updates on new products.

16 2016 Insect Guidebook The 2016 Southeastern PeanutFarmer’s Insect Guidebook featuresinformation on scouting peanuts, spider mites, three cornered alfalfahoppers, thrips, burrower bugs andleaf loss studies.

Contents

April 2016 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 3

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, typo-

graphical 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 mem-

bers. Such material may, or may not, coincide with offi-

cial 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 Farmermay 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 PeanutFarmer 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 229-386-3690.

April 2016

Joy Carter Crosby

Editor

[email protected]

229-386-3690

Director of Advertising

Jessie Bland

[email protected]

Contributing Writers

John [email protected]

Teresa [email protected]

Southeastern Peanut Farmer

P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793

445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794

ISSN: 0038-3694

D e p a r t m e n t s :Checkoff Report ..................................................................................Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association,

Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Washington Outlook ............................................................................

Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................

8

21

22

Cover Photo: Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension peanut entomologist, discusses the

importance of scouting peanuts at a field day. Photo by Joy Crosby.

4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2016

Promoting Our Crop - The Peanut

(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor at [email protected].

Another National Peanut Month is in the books and the industry

did a great job of promoting peanuts and peanut butter to

consumers. Through a variety of methods, industry organizations

were able to reach out to consumers, food enthusiasts, chefs,

nutritionist and more. I even noticed many farmers taking part in activities

by sharing items on their personal social media pages. As one planning

various events throughout the month of March for National Peanut Month,

this makes me proud.

During the month of March, the findings of a new study conducted by

The Bantam Group, on behalf of the National Peanut Board, were released

during National Peanut Month. The research from the study showed that:

Peanut butter and peanuts are the No. 1 and No. 2 most consumedfor both Millennials and the General Market. The findings are in line with

USDA’s Economic Research Service data, which shows peanuts are the

most consumed nut in America.

Half of Millennials surveyed eat peanut butter at least once a week,and say they are more likely to eat peanuts and peanut butter on a daily

basis

Millennials are also significantly less likely than the General Marketto eat peanut butter on a sandwich with bread or on crackers. Instead, they

are more likely to eat peanuts and peanut butter in non-traditional ways such

as in smoothies and sauces

In the press release issued by the National Peanut Board, Bob Parker,

president and CEO of NPB had this to say, “This study confirmed what we

continue to see every day. No matter how old we are, our love for peanuts

and peanut butter is as strong as ever. It also showed that Millennials are

more aware and informed about the food they choose to consume, and they

eat peanuts and peanut products for their nutritional benefits, versatility and

great taste.”

Studies such as this one, help us see where we are and the difference

we are making as we promote our crop here in the U.S. and abroad. As we

continue our efforts through promotional efforts, I urge you to stay informed

so when you have the opportunity to promote peanuts at a local school, fair,

festival or other event, you are ready and armed with the knowledge to help

continue to increase consumption.

The Bantam study surveyed 750 Millennials (ages of 18-37) and 750

General Market consumers who have eaten peanuts or other peanut products

― and/or purchased any of them for someone in their household ― at least

once in the past month.

In addition to the promotion of peanuts, the industry continues to step

up by supporting Peanut Proud, the humanitarian

relief organization. Peanut Proud continues to lead

the way in donating peanut butter to food banks for

special events and those in disaster situations.

During the month of March, peanut butter was

donated to food banks in Georgia and Virginia. An

additional donation was made to food banks in

Louisiana due to the recent flooding in the area. All

of these donations would not be possible without the

support from individuals, organizations, businesses

and more. So, if you have not made a donation to

Peanut Proud yet, then I encourage you to visit their

website at peanutproud.com and do so. t

u USA Peanut Congress, June 25-29, 2016, Charleston Place Hotel,

Charleston, S.C. For more information visit

peanut-shellers.org or call 229-888-2508.

u American Peanut Research EducationSociety Annual Meeting, July 12-14, 2016,

Hilton Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, Fla. For

more information visit apresinc.com or call

229-329-2949.

u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 14, 2016,Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit

sunbeltexpo.com or call 229-985-1968.

u Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 21-23, 2016, Sandestin Golf and Beach

Resort, Miramar Beach, Fla. For more

information visit southernpeanutfarmers.org or

call 229-386-3470.

u American Peanut Shellers Associationand National Peanut Buying Points

Association Pre-Harvest Meeting,

Aug. 2-3, 2016, Lake Blackshear Resort and

Golf Club, Cordele, Ga. For more information

visit peanut-shellers.org or call 229-888-2508.

u Brooklet Peanut Festival, Aug. 20, 2016.For more information visit the festival’s

website at brookletpeanutfestival.com.

u Georgia Peanut Tour, Sept. 13-15, 2016,Tifton, Ga. and surrounding area. For more

information visit the tour blog at

georgiapeanuttour.com.

u Plains Peanut Festival, Sept. 24, 2016.For more information visit plainsgeorgia.com.

u Central Florida Peanut Festival, Oct. 1,2016, Williston, Fla. For more information

visit willistonfl.com.

u Georgia Peanut Festival, Oct. 15, 2016,Sylvester, Ga. For more information visit

gapeanutfestival.org.

u Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 18-20, 2016,Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit

sunbeltexpo.com or call 229-985-1968.

u Georgia Farm Bureau Annual Meeting,Dec. 3-5, 2016, Jekyll Island, Ga. For more

information visit gfb.org.

Editorial Calendar of Events

Joy Carter CrosbyEditor


Georgia Peanut Commission increasesresearch funding for 2016

The Georgia Peanut

Commission (GPC) board

of directors has approved

$423,036 in research

project funding for the 2016-17 research

budget year. This action was taken during

the commission’s March board meeting.

The research projects approved include

30 project proposals submitted from the

University of Georgia and USDA

Agricultural Research Service.

“We are proud of our close

relationship and partnership with research

institutions in the state,” says Donald

Chase, GPC Research Committee

chairman. “Peanut growers are pleased to

invest in the future by providing monetary

support for research and education that

has continued to demonstrate a return on

our investment. Due to the continuing

success enjoyed by Georgia peanut

farmers over the past few

years, we were able to

increase research funding

again for 2016.”

Georgia’s peanut growers

invest $2 per ton annually

toward GPC programs which

includes research, promotion

and education. Research

comprises 22 percent of

available funds in the

commission’s budget.

The research programs

primarily focus on peanut

breeding for higher yield and

improved quality; economics;

conservation methods; irrigation and

water management; pests, weed and

disease management; and peanut allergy

research.

For additional information and a

complete list of the research projects

funded by the Georgia Peanut

Commission visit www.gapeanuts.com. t

BY JOY CROSBY

The commission approves $423,036 in peanut research projects

Bill Branch, University of Georgia peanut breeder, discusses

some of his research on new varieties funded by the Georgia

Peanut Commission during a field day.

Washington County

farmers James and

Brooke Hitchcock

were among the top

10 finalists from the nation that competed

at the 60th annual National Young

Farmers Awards Congress in Cincinnati,

Ohio. This is the oldest farmer recogni-

tion program in the United States.

The program is sponsored by John

Deere, administered by the Outstanding

Farmers of America and supported by the

U.S. Jaycees and the National Association

of County Agricultural Agents.

James and Brooke were nominated

by Brent Allen, Washington County

Extension Agent, and were named the

Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year by

the Georgia Association of County

Agricultural Agents in November 2015.

Their application was also submitted to

the national competition where they were

selected as one of the 25 semi-finalists

and then as one of the top 10 finalists in

the nation.

Each step in the process required a

lengthy application that looked at details

of the farming operation, conservation

efforts and community involvement. This

competition did not just look at the size of

the operation but included an evaluation

of how well rounded the individuals were.

James and Brooke Hitchcock of

Tennille, Georgia, are the parents of

Moriah, JW and Samuel and farm in

partnership with his father, Waylon and

brother, Jonathan. They currently farm

over 2,000 acres of row crops which

includes corn, cotton, peanuts and

soybeans. They also have a 200 plus head

herd of beef cattle and a bottle calf

operation.

James serves on the Farm Service

Agency County Committee (committee

chair), Washington County Farm Bureau

Board of Directors, Washington County

Cattlemen’s Association Board of

Directors and the Washington County

Extension Advisory Committee. James

and Brooke are also very active members

of Friendship Baptist Church. t


BY BRENT ALLENWASHINGTON CO. EXTENSION COORDINATOR

Hitchcock family compete in NationalYoung Farmers Awards Congress

James and Brooke Hitchcock were recently

named one of the top 10 finalists in the

National Young Farmers Awards Congress.

USDA seeks nominees forPeanut Standards Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural

Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for peanut

producers and industry representatives to serve on the Peanut

Standards Board.

The board consists of 18 members with representation equally

divided between peanut producers and industry representatives.

Representation is divided among three regions: the Southeast

(Alabama, Georgia, and Florida), the Southwest (Texas,

Oklahoma, and New Mexico), and Virginia/North Carolina. Each

region has three producer seats and three industry representative

seats with staggered 3-year terms.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will appoint one producer

and one industry representative from each region to succeed

members whose terms expire on June 30, 2016. The six new

members will serve terms ending on June 30, 2019.

The 2002 Farm Bill established the Peanut Standards Board

to consult with USDA regarding quality and handling standards

for domestically produced and imported peanuts. The board plays

a key role in representing the U.S. peanut industry on issues

affecting quality and marketability.

Nominations are due by May 2, 2016. For nominating forms

and additional board information, call 863-837-1551 or visit:

www.ams.usda.gov/PeanutStandardsBoard.


Alarge crowd of farmers

and their families attended

the 41st Annual

Membership Meeting of

the Florida Peanut Producers Association

recently held in Marianna, Florida. The

evening’s events included the election of

three directors, FPPA and National Peanut

Board activities report and the presenta-

tion of the Florida Young Peanut Farmer

award.

James Marshall, Baker, Florida, was

elected to serve a three-year term on the

FPPA board during the annual meeting.

He replaces Nick Marshall, Baker,

Florida, who retired due to term limits.

Members also reelected Jerry Mills Jr.,

Morriston, Florida, and Bud Baggett,

Marianna, Florida, to serve another 3-year

term. The FPPA officers elected include

President - Andy Robinson, Williston,

Florida, Vice President - Michael Davis,

Graceville, Florida and Sec./Treas. -

David DeFelix, Campbellton, Florida.

Jeffrey Spencer, a Farm Credit of

Florida representative presented the

Young Peanut Farmer of the Year Award

to Blaire Colvin of Micanopy, Florida.

Colvin has been involved in the fami-

ly farm since she was a child. The minute

her legs were long enough to reach the

clutch her father Danny had her move

from riding the fender to being an opera-

tor whether it be tillage work or picking

peanuts. She worked on the farm for

many years growing up and was involved

in many jobs on the farm related to

peanut production.

Following high school

graduation, she began pur-

suing an undergraduate

degree in Agronomy at the

University of Florida.

During her undergraduate

degree Colvin was active

in many agricultural stu-

dent organizations on cam-

pus. She served as presi-

dent of the Agronomy &

Soils Club, president of the

Professional Agricultural

Sorority Sigma Alpha, she

was a College of

Agricultural and Life

Sciences Ambassador, and

a member of the

Agricultural Honors society

Alpha Zeta.

Through all of these

organizations Colvin actively advocated

for and educated others about Florida

agriculture and specifically Florida peanut

production. In addition to her involvement

in student organizations, Colvin was also

actively involved in practical agricultural

research aimed at solving problems that

Florida growers face. She worked on

many projects focused on peanut maturity

and production.

She then continued her education and

received her Master’s degree in

Agronomy from the University of Florida

in 2015. During her Master’s she worked

on a variety of practical research projects

designed to address

challenges facing

peanut growers in the

Southeast. During all

of her schooling she

was still actively work-

ing on the family farm.

After the comple-

tion of her master’s

degree she became an

official co-owner of the

family business and

currently manages all

aspects of the operation

(employees, equipment,

planting, irrigation, fer-

tilization, spraying, har-

vesting, etc.) along with her father Danny

Colvin. This coming year Colvin Farms

will grow 600 acres of high oleic peanuts,

250 acres of snap beans, and 250 acres of

carrots.

She has just recently started pursuing

her doctorate degree in Agronomy and

hopes to use the combination of her scien-

tific knowledge gained at the University

of Florida and her practical real life

knowledge gained on the family peanut

farm to continue to grow her own opera-

tion and to help other farmers in the state

increase productivity and face the many

challenges to come in agriculture. t

Florida Peanut Producers Associationholds 41st Annual Membership Meeting

Andy Robinson, FPPA president, presents

Nick Marshall of Baker, Fla., with a plaque in

recognition of his dedicated service while

serving on the FPPA Board of Directors for the

past six years.

Jeffrey Spencer, (left) Farm Credit of Florida representative,

presents the Farm Credit/FPPA Young Peanut Farmer Award to

Blaire Colvin of Micanopy, Fla., during FPPA’s annual meeting.

Pictured left to right: Spencer, Colvin and Andy Robinson,

president of the Florida Peanut Producers Association.

Members of the Florida Peanut Producers Association board. Pictured

left to right: Joe Tillman, Altha; Michael Davis, Graceville; Bud

Baggett, Marianna; Andy Robinson, Williston; Jerry Mills Jr., Morriston;

David DeFelix, Campbellton; and Chuck Hatch, Branford

Not pictured are: Steven Godwin, Jay; and James Marshall, Baker.

BY KEN BARTON


Checkoff ReportInvestments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.

Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

celebrates National Peanut Month

The Mississippi Peanut

Growers Association cele-

brated March - National

Peanut Month by donating

peanut product gift baskets

to five television stations

across the state. This dona-

tion led to numerous on-air

interviews at the stations

for Malcolm Broome,

MPGA executive director.

The stations included

morning shows in

Columbus and Meridian,

midday show in Jackson,

and the 4 p.m. show on the Gulf Coast.

“It continues to amaze me how many people don’t know

how peanuts are grown, and even that they produce the nuts

underground,” Broome says. “This is the fourth year for this

program which received publicity for the Mississippi Peanut

Growers Association and information on peanut production

and new peanut products, all at a cost the association would

not be able to purchase.”

Broome reports getting emails and telephone calls follow-

ing the programs asking questions from how to grow peanuts,

didn’t know they were so healthy, to where can I find more

information on peanuts.

Steve Schill, (left) of WCBI in

Columbus, Miss., interviews Malcolm

Broome, (right) MPGA executive

director, about peanuts and National

Peanut Month.

The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) promoted peanuts throughout

the month of March through a variety of promotions including a twitter

party, media tours, PB&J Day, welcome center promotion and more.

To kick off National Peanut

Month, GPC sponsored a Twitter

party through Foodiechats. The

event provided GPC an opportunity

to reach consumers, food enthusi-

asts, chefs, nutritionists and more

through an hour long Q&A party on

Twitter. The event focused on

#PeanutPrower with 1,309 tweets and an

estimated 1.7 million impressions.

The GPC also teamed up with Parker

Wallace, an Atlanta based food enthusiast and

chef, for a media tour in six cities throughout

Georgia. Parker is creator of What’s on

Parker’s Plate and she demonstrated a variety

of peanut inspired meals for breakfast, lunch,

dinner and snack on television stations in

Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, Albany

and Macon, Georgia.

The annual Georgia PB&J Day was held

March 16, at the Georgia State Capitol in

Atlanta. Exhibitors from the peanut industry

served PB&Js, grilled PB&Js, country-fried

peanuts, boiled peanuts and more. During the

special program celebrating National Peanut

Month, Sen. John Wilkinson, chairman of the

Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs

Committee, and Rep. Tom McCall, chairman

of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs

Committee, presented resolutions highlighting

the importance of peanuts to Georgia’s econo-

my. The GPC and Peanut Proud donated

10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta

Community Food Bank to celebrate National

Peanut Month and National Nutrition Month

during the annual PB&J Day.

Tourists traveling throughout Georgia

were able to learn more about the importance

of peanuts to Georgia’s economy by stopping

by one of the 11 visitor information centers

entering the state. The GPC provided the visi-

tor information centers with peanuts and

recipes to give to tourists as they stopped to learn more about Georgia.

The GPC also exhibited at the Georgia Ag Awareness Day at the State

Capitol and the Peanut Proud Festival in Blakely, Georgia. View photos

from all National Peanut Month events at gapeanuts.com.

Georgia Peanut Commission promotes peanuts

The Twitter party generated an

estimated 1.7 million impressions.

Parker Wallace, (right) pro-

ducer of What’s on Parkers

Plate, is interviewed by

Karla Heath-Sands, anchor

for WALB’s Today in

Georgia show in Albany.

Georgia Peanut Commission

and Peanut Proud donated

10,080 jars of peanut butter

to the Atlanta Community

Food Bank.

The Georgia Peanut

Commission exhibited at

the Peanut Proud Expo.

March - National Peanut Month promotions across the Southeast

The Alabama Peanut Producers

Association (APPA) celebrated

March – National Peanut Month with

a variety of promotions during the

entire month. In addition to posting

photos and information on social

media, APPA staff members

appeared on various radio and

television stations promoting the

health benefits of peanuts as well as

the farmers that grow them. Peanut

gift baskets from APPA were also

given away at the participating

media outlets.

Alabama Peanut Growers Association

celebrates National Peanut Month

Following a live interview

on WOOF-FM 99.7 in

Dothan, Ala. are (L-R)

John Houston, WOOF

99.7 radio morning host,

Caleb Bristow, APPA exec-

utive director, and Derrick

Jonzun, weekend DJ.

More than 600 high school

students from a seven county area in

southeast Alabama attended an Ag

Career Day recently held at Landmark

Park in Dothan, Alabama. Numerous

company representatives were on hand

to educate the students on a wide

variety of professions related to

agriculture. The Alabama Peanut

Producers Association exhibited at the

one day event.

The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC)

promoted peanuts at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip

500. During the race weekend, GPC distributed

22,500 packs of Georgia peanuts and information to

race fans. David Ragan, Georgia native and driver

of the number 23 car, stopped by the GPC exhibit to

sign autographs

during events on

Friday, Feb. 26. In

addition to the

exhibit, the GPC

will promote

peanuts year-round at the Atlanta Motor Speedway

with a billboard and digital signage at the entrance to

the speedway.


Reports from the:Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association

Georgia Peanut Commission exhibits at Atlanta Motor Speedway

APPA exhibits at Alabama Food Service and Nutrition Exposition

Teresa Mays, (right) APPA information

specialist, visits with students at an Ag

Career Day held at Landmark Park in

Dothan, Ala.

APPA donates gift baskets for

Azalea Dogwood Pageant

The 52nd

Annual Azalea

Dogwood

Pageant, spon-

sored by Dothan

Leisure Services

and the National

Peanut Festival,

was held

Saturday, March

19, at the Dothan

Opera House in

Dothan, Alabama.

There were three

areas of competition: Maid of Honor,

Princess and Queen. Contestants must

maintain a “C” or above scholastic

average. Winners in each of the three

categories received a large peanut gift

basket from the Alabama Peanut

Producers Association.

Amanda Goforth,

administrative secre-

tary for Dothan

Leisure Services, is

pictured with the

baskets donated by

APPA.

David Ragan, signs autographs at the

Georgia Peanut Commission exhibit in

the Fan Zone during race weekend at

the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA)

recently participated in the 38th Alabama Food Service

and Nutrition Exposition held in Montgomery, Alabama,

on March 11, 2016. The theme for this year’s event was

“Home Grown Healthy” and featured a special VIP

breakfast sampling. As part of the morning segment,

APPA staff grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

for foodservice professionals to taste.

“People are more likely to consume fresh fruits and

vegetables when they are of high quality,” says Marget-

Ann Leonard, chairman of the 2016 expo. “When they

are well-nourished, children learn better.”

Leonard also explained that currently, there are several organizations working to

connect farmers to markets for their products. “Whether it’s direct to the consumer,

through restaurants or with buyers for schools, hospitals and other institutions, the time

is now for home grown healthy,” Leonard says.

The meeting is sponsored each year by the Alabama Association of Nutrition and

Foodservice Professionals, the Alabama Dietetic Association and the Alabama School

Nutrition Association.

APPA exhibits at career day

Teresa Mays, APPA information

specialist, exhibits at the Alabama

Food Service and Nutrition Expo

in Montgomery, Ala.

The Georgia Peanut Commission bill-

board at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Florida Peanut Producers Association open scholarship program

The Florida Peanut Producers Association announces the opening of their 2016

Scholarship Award Program. Two $1,200 scholarships will be awarded to deserving high

school seniors and/or college students. The applicant or someone in the applicant’s

family must be an actively producing peanut grower, not necessarily a member of the

FPPA. It is the intent of the Scholarship Award Committee, however, that the award

recipients attend a Florida junior college or four-year university.

For an application contact the FPPA office at 2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 1, Marianna,

Florida, 32448, call 850-526-2590 or download the application online at flpeanuts.com.

The scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than July 1, 2016.

University of Georgia plant

pathologist Albert

Culbreath spent the 2015

growing season evaluating

ten runner peanut varieties to see which

ones have the best resistance or tolerance

to late leaf spot.

The test included new varieties that

have been released in the past few years

as well as the widely grown Georgia-06G.

In the test, the varieties TUFRunner

511 and Georgia-13M had the most leaf

spot damage. The least amount of leaf

spot was seen on the new TifNV High

O/L and Georgia-14M varieties.

TUFRunner 511 and Georgia-13M have

many positive attributes, but growers will

need to stay ahead of the leaf spot

epidemics in these cultivars.

“The new cultivars Georgia-14M and

TifNV High O/L both showed consider-

able resistance to late leaf spot, in

addition to their resistance to tomato

spotted wilt virus and root-knot

nematodes,” Culbreath says. “We’re plan-

ning trials for 2016 to determine how

many fungicide applications will be

needed for leaf spot control in these

cultivars, and whether we can grow them

without fungicides.”

Other varieties were in between these

extremes. These other varieties, rated

from least to the most leaf spot, were

Georgia-12Y, TUFRunner 727,

TUFRunner 297, Florun 107, Georgia-

06G and Georgia-09B. Although

Georgia-12Y doesn’t have a high level of

resistance to late leaf spot, it appears to

have considerable tolerance to the disease.

So it may allow reduction in fungicide

applications for leaf spot control as well.

Planting date also has an effect on

leaf spot damage. Characterization of that

effect is an objective of the thesis research

of Brian Jordan, one of Culbreath’s

graduate students. In a comparison of the

Georgia-12Y and the Georgia-06G

varieties, Jordan and Culbreath reported

that final leaf spot severity was less on

both varieties when planted on April 20.

The severity of the leaf spot for both

varieties increased as planting was

delayed. The final planting on May 25

had the most leaf spot.

The effects of planting date are

almost directly opposite for leaf spot and

tomato spotted wilt. Planting in April

typically represents higher risk to tomato

spotted wilt than later plantings.

However Georgia-12Y, Georgia-14N, and

TifNV High O/L all have resistance to

TSWV that should allow use of earlier

planting dates, thereby allowing growers

to benefit from both resistance and plant-

ing date effects on leaf spot. t

Rating runners on leaf spot resistance

BY JOHN LEIDNER


DISEASE GUIDEBOOK2016

Variety selection can result

in lower disease control

expenditures, according to

Austin Hagan, Alabama

Extension plant pathologist. For instance,

Hagan says the Georgia-12Y variety

could be selected for planting in fields

with a high incidence of white mold.

“The 12Y is white mold resistant,”

Hagan says. “It is late in maturity and a

good variety for April planting.”

In Hagan’s tests, he varied seeding

rates in plantings of the Georgia-06G,

Georgia-09B and Georgia-12Y varieties.

As seeding rates increased from three to

four to six to eight seed per foot, the

incidence of white mold increased for

both 06G and 09B. That’s to be expected,

as white mold is normally worse with

higher seeding rates. However, the 12Y

had uniformly low incidence of white

mold, with less than one percent of plants

infected, even with eight seed per foot.

By contrast, the Georgia-09B,

Georgia-13M, and TUFRunner 511

varieties are especially susceptible to leaf

spot. Hagan adds that TUFRunner 727

and TUFRunner 511 are among the

highest risks for suffering tomato spotted

wilt losses, so reduced tillage, twin row

spacing, delayed planting, and Thimet

in-furrow will reduce the risk for tomato

spotted wilt virus in these varieties.

For fields with severe nematodes, the

Tifguard and Georgia-14N varieties

would be a good choice. “Tifguard and

Georgia-14N may not always yield as

well as Georgia-06G, but both yield best

in fields with high root knot nematode

populations,” Hagan adds. t

Variety selection helps disease program

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Peanut leaf infestation of early leaf spot.


There’s no conclusive proof,

but there’s strong circum-

stantial evidence that leaf

spot is becoming resistant

to widely used strobilurin fungicides.

University of Georgia plant patholo-

gist Albert Culbreath recently tested the

strobilurin peanut fungicides Headline

and Abound. He reports that when these

two fungicides were used alone, they did

not perform nearly as well as they had in

previous years.

In 2015, he also tested the new fungi-

cide Elatus. Elatus contains azoxystrobin,

the same active ingredient in Abound, and

benzovindiflupyr, another active ingredi-

ent fungicide.

“Elatus performed very well for leaf

spot control under heavy late season

pressure in fields where full rates of

Abound did not,” Culbreath says.

Similarly, the fungicide Priaxor,

which contains pyraclostrobin, the active

ingredient in Headline, plus fluxapyroxad,

performed very well in 2015 when

Headline alone did not. Benzovindiflupyr

and fluxapyroxad are both succinate

dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI)

fungicides, and seem to be excellent

mixing partners with strobilurin

fungicides for leaf spot control.

“Although resistance to the

strobilurin fungicides has not been

demonstrated conclusively for the leaf

spot pathogens, it is very much

suspected,” Culbreath says.

“Dr. Katherine Stevenson, also with

UGA, is a plant pathologist who

specializes in fungicide resistance,”

Culbreath adds. “We’re working with her

to determine whether we’re dealing with

resistance to this class of fungicide, and if

so, how widespread it is in occurrence.”

Using fungicides with two different

modes of action should help to prolong

the useful life of fungicides, even when

resistant populations of leaf spot develop

to one of the fungicides, according to

Culbreath. He says that 2015 test results

with Priaxor and Elatus, both examples

of mixtures of two fungicides with

different modes of action, support that

hypothesis. t

Suspected fungicide resistance

BY JOHN LEIDNER


pathologist Albert Culbreath has

examined the fungicide/nematicide

component of the new Velum Total

nematicide, and found that it shows good

potential for helping to control early

season leaf spot.

Fluopyram is the active ingredient of

the fungicide/nematicide portion of

Velum Total. Previous research showed

that Velum Total was active against

nematodes and thrips. The work by

Culbreath indicates that this product can

provide a triple whammy against three

major peanut problems—nematodes,

thrips and also early leaf spot.

Culbreath used in-furrow

applications of Velum Total and compared

these to in-furrow applications of the

fungicide Proline.

To make sure that early leaf spot was

abundant and a threat to peanuts,

Culbreath planted these peanut plots in

August one year and in September the

next year. He said the peanuts were

planted after severe early leaf spot

epidemics were seen in earlier planted

unsprayed border rows.

Following the in-furrow applications

of Velum Total and Proline, Culbreath

measured leaf spot incidence at regular

intervals following planting. He

concluded that the in-furrow Velum Total

provided good early leaf spot control

under heavy disease pressure during both

years of the study.

The in-furrow Velum Total delayed

the onset of early leaf spot in the peanut

plots. Under heavy disease pressure, the

in-furrow fluopyram was similar to the

prothioconazole in Proline during 2014

tests. But during 2015, the fluopyram

provided better results than the

prothioconazole.

Culbreath says use of in-furrow

applications of Velum Total just for leaf

spot control alone would not be justified,

and that banded applications of Proline, at

21 days after planting would probably

provide longer leaf spot control than the

in-furrow Velum Total.

While banded Proline may provide

longer control of leaf spot, the in-furrow

Velum Total may have a place in a leaf

spot management regime.

“I wouldn’t use Velum Total only for

leaf spot,” Culbreath says, “but if you

need it for nematode control or to help

manage cylindrocladium black rot (CBR),

the fluopyram in Velum Total may allow

you to cut out an additional leaf spot

fungicide application.” t

Velum for leaf spotFighting plant diseases can be an

expensive component of growing

peanuts. Austin Hagan, Extension plant

pathologist in Alabama, says fungicides

for leaf spot and white mold account for

10-20 percent of total variable costs.

He says crop rotation and planting

dates are practices that can affect peanut

diseases and overall spending in growing

peanuts. For instance, Hagan says that

by planting early, growers will minimize

leaf spot and risk getting more white

mold and spotted wilt. By planting later,

he says there should be less white mold

and spotted wilt but more leaf spot.

Hagan suggests that Orthene or its

equivalent could be used as a lower cost

control for thrips. “We needed two

applications of Orthene for thrips control

last year,” Hagan says. “We did, howev-

er, not see a yield bump from Orthene

but did with Thimet 20G and Velum

Total.”

Likewise, generic fungicides for leaf

spot and white mold can be used. He

suggests using a fungicide scheduling

program such as Peanut Rx may pay off

for growers who are using premium

fungicides. “Rx will be good for use

with premium fungicides, and it is well

suited for peanuts with good rotations,”

Hagan says. t

Disease controlon a budget

Disease Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

BY JOHN LEIDNER


Nicholas Dufault,

University of Florida plant

pathologist, says crop

rotation is always

important for peanut disease management.

He says it’s possible to get yield-limiting

diseases even when high quality fungicide

sprays are applied.

“Fungicides don’t control all

diseases,” Dufault says. “You also need to

get good leaf coverage with leaf spot

fungicides such as chlorothalonil. It’s like

suntan lotion—don’t leave a bare spot.”

One way to get better coverage is by

increasing your water volume used to

apply the fungicide. He uses 20 gallons of

water per acre in his test plots to make

sure he gets good coverage with

chlorothalonil.

Overall, Dufault believes farmers will

have more success in preventing rather

than trying to cure peanut diseases. For

soilborne diseases it is important to get

the fungicide into the soil, he advises.

Dufault says that rust, early and late

leaf spot will vary by location in Florida.

For instance, in 2015, he notes that rust

was worse in Quincy, while late leaf spot

was worse in Marianna and early leaf spot

was the major leaf disease in Citra.

His research has also observed

considerable differences in the ability of

fungicides to control early leaf spot, late

leaf spot and rust.

Based on data from his tests in 2014

and 2015, Dufault says Abound is weak in

controlling early and late leaf spot but

strong on rust control. Tebuconazole was

weak on late leaf spot but moderate to

strong in controlling rust and early leaf

spot. Headline was weak on early leaf

spot, moderate in controlling late leaf spot

and strong in controlling rust. Tilt was

weak on late leaf spot and moderate to

strong in controlling both early leaf spot

and rust. t

How to get the best use of fungicides

Targeting southern blight or stem rot

Alan Henn, Extension plant

pathologist in Mississippi,

is targeting southern blight

or stem rot in his peanut

tests. This is the disease many farmers

call white mold. Henn doesn’t call it that

because other disease organisms such as

Sclerotinia minor also produce what could

be called a white mold.

Whatever it’s called, the disease is

difficult to control because it is in the soil

and causes yield losses before the above-

ground symptoms are seen. “In heavy

soils, you don’t see it above ground until

later in the season,” Henn says. “This

happens in the silt-loam soils found in the

Mississippi Delta.”

To best control the disease in these

heavier soils, Henn recommends using 30

gallons of water per acre, and/or

nighttime spraying to make sure the

fungicide soaks into the soil where it is

needed. “Get it to the base of the roots,”

he advises. “The more water you use, the

better.”

Henn’s peanut studies are focusing on

application timing and if it makes a

difference what fungicide is applied

when. In his 2015 timing test, he used

Fontelis fungicide at 20 ounces per acre

because it was the most consistent

fungicide among all locations in his 2013

and 2014 tests. He started applications 40

days after 100 percent emergence and

then at two-week or longer intervals. The

test plots received two, three, four or

seven applications.

There were

three of these

fungicide timing

plots in his 2015

tests. One was dug

before he could

evaluate the plots

and the data was

lost. One did not

receive any rain

after late June. A

third plot received

light showers after

late June and

provided Henn with

some useful data.

This plot was

dry. Its rows did not

lap. Yet it had

enough small showers that wilt was not

bad. He concluded that timing does make

a difference. Total kernel weight was a lot

higher for certain treatments, according to

Henn.

He found that two traditional

applications at about 60 and 90 days after

emergence were as good as or better than

any treatment but the seven applications.

The two traditional applications made a

big difference, and produced higher yields

than not treating at all.

“It looks as though almost any time is

okay to apply the Fontelis, but the

applications at 60 and 90 days were

optimal when balancing costs and

returns,” Henn adds.

In another 2015 test, he applied

Abound, Fontelis and Provost fungicides

at the same timings used in the other 2015

study.

“It doesn’t seem to make a difference

which fungicide you use when, as long as

the fungicide is effective on southern

blight,” Henn says.

“Tebuconazole is also reasonably

effective against southern blight,” Henn

says, “but I would not rely on it for leaf

spot control.” For leaf spot, he prefers to

see applications of chlorothalonil

fungicides. t

Early hit of southern blight or stem rot on peanuts can be found in fields

across the Southeast.

Disease Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

BY JOHN LEIDNER


Priaxor is a new fungicide

from BASF designed as a

replacement product for

Headline fungicide.

Headline has been a premium product

for leaf spot control, but it has been erratic

as a control of soil borne diseases,

according to University of Georgia plant

pathologist Tim Brenneman.

Priaxor is a combination of

pyraclostrobin, the active ingredient in

Headline, and a new fungicide with the

common name of fluxapyroxad. Headline

had the tendency to cling to the leaves, and

would not wash off into the ground. That

probably helped its activity against early

and late leaf spot, but may have hindered

its activity against Sclerotium rolfsii, the

fungus that causes white mold.

“The fungicide needs to get to the soil

to provide good control of soilborne

diseases,” Brenneman says.

For peanuts, Priaxor is labeled at four

to eight fluid ounces per application and

up to three applications per year. For

control of both leaf spot and soilborne

diseases, BASF recommends using Priaxor

in two of the first three sprays. The

company says only six sprays for leaf spot

will be needed if Priaxor is the first spray

product.

With in-furrow applications, Priaxor

treatments trailed both Proline and Velum

Total in leaf spot control.

When tested at rates of four, six or

eight ounces per acre, all three Priaxor

rates gave surprisingly similar control of

white mold and leaf spot, according to

Brenneman. However, white mold is a

tougher target, and he suggests the higher

use rates for this disease.


pathologist Albert Culbreath looked

closely at Priaxor as a control for leaf spot.

In his tests, Priaxor was superior to

Headline for leaf spot control.

Brenneman concludes that Priaxor is a

premium fungicide for leaf spot control,

and is a solution for what he calls the

“erosion of efficacy” seen in Group 11

fungicides such as Abound Headline. He

says while Priaxor is not the best choice

for in-furrow applications, it appears to

have good activity on white mold as a

broadcast spray. He plans additional

testing to see how effective Priaxor will be

against other diseases such as Rhizoctonia

limb rot and Cylindrocladium black rot. t

Priaxor vs. Headline

Nicholas Dufault,

University of Florida plant

pathologist, says generic

peanut fungicides may be

less expensive, but they don’t always

produce the highest yields.

He cites a study from Jay, Florida,

conducted by John Atkins. It showed that

the more expensive brand name

fungicides (non-generic) produced higher

yields and net profits than generic

fungicides.

Using data from his various fungicide

trial work in Citra, Florida, he is able to

relatively compare generic and

non-generic fungicide programs. “We get

2,000 pounds more from generic

fungicides than from not spraying at all,”

Dufault says.

He says Provost, Fontelis and Priaxor

are among some of the well known brand

name non-generic fungicides. “Non-

generic fungicides generally give more of

a yield boost,” Dufault says.

Based on his tests, he says the brand

name, non-generic fungicides can increase

spray costs by about $40 to 60 per acre

while potentially adding about 400

pounds per acre to the final peanut yield.

Fungicide rotation is critical for

quality disease control, however, it is

important to consider a spray program

that rotates in non-generic fungicides to

control additional diseases than what is

controlled by generic fungicides alone.

Dufault says that rotating fungicides also

will help prevent the likelihood of

selecting for fungal disease organisms

with resistance.

In his tests at Citra, applications of

chlorothalonil only increased yields by

500 pounds per acre. These tests also

included spray programs based on the

fungicides Abound, Convoy, Provost,

tebuconazole and Fontelis. All of these

fungicide programs increased yields over

that obtained from the chlorothalonil only

with the Provost program tending to

produce the highest yields, according to

Dufault.

His data showed that the Provost-

based program added nearly 2,000 pounds

in yield to the 500 extra pounds produced

chlorothalonil alone. The spray programs

based on tebuconazole, Abound and

Fontelis increased yields by about 1,000

pounds over those from the

chlorothalonil-only program. The Convoy

based programs usually increased yields

the least compared to the other fungicide

programs.

Dufault said one possible reason the

Convoy programs did not increase yields

as much as the other programs is because

there was little white mold observed in

these plots. “Convoy is a better choice for

white mold control than for leaf spot,” he

explains.

“By increasing your crop rotation and

by using non-generic fungicides, you will

increase yields and control diseases,”

Dufault says. “It will only take two or

three sprays to get 500, 1000, or even

2,300 pounds in higher yields when you

use non-generic fungicides.”

“It pays for a farmer to spend a little

more on a brand name fungicide,

especially if you use fungicides at the

right time by using a prescription

approach such as Peanut Rx,” Dufault

says. t

The case for non-generic fungicides

Tim Brenneman, University of Georgia plant

pathologist, has tested Priaxor for white mold

control in peanuts.

Disease Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

BY JOHN LEIDNER


An early-season Proline application is a fairly new

peanut disease control recommendation,

according to University of Georgia Extension

plant pathologist Bob Kemerait.

Proline can provide season-long benefits in white mold

control along with possible control of Rhizoctonia limb rot.

Good results have been obtained with Proline after peanut

emergence at the full rate of 5.7 fluid ounces per acre in a

banded application over the young peanut plants.

Kemerait says such a treatment also represents a significant

financial investment. He says growers should keep in mind that

Proline is not likely to provide all of the white mold control that

is needed, and that early-season Proline should be followed by a

standard soilborne fungicide program.

The full 5.7-ounce rate should be banded over young peanut

plants, whether they are growing in single or in twin rows.

Tests in 2011 suggested that the yield benefits from the

early Proline would be improved with a single treatment at five

weeks after planting. In this test, treatment at the five-week date

outyielded treatments applied two weeks after planting. The

ideal application time will likely vary from one season to

another based on weather conditions, according to Kemerait.

“The ideal application time will likely vary from one season

to another based on weather conditions,” Kemerait says, “but the

optimum window is likely three-to-five weeks after planting.”

The early-season Proline will also give growers a head start

in controlling leaf spot, according to Kemerait. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Make the most of Proline

Europe clamps downon fungicide residue

Disease Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

The European Union has reduced the maximum

residue level for propiconazole on imported

peanuts from the 2016 crop, according to Austin

Hagan, Alabama Extension plant pathologist.

Propiconazole is an active ingredient in Tilt, Tilt-Bravo,

Bumper, Propimax and Artisan.

Hagan says the 2015 crop is unaffected, and no other crops

are affected. The EPA registration for the active ingredient is

also unaffected. Farmers should not apply propiconazole to any

peanuts that have a chance of being exported.

“It is still legal to use propiconazole, but you don’t know if

your peanuts will end up going to Europe, the safe bet is not to

use it,” Hagan says.

Despite the clampdown on propiconazole residues, Hagan

says Syngenta plans to re-register this fungicide product on

peanut in Europe. t

“We do not see enough

scouting of our state’s peanut

acreage,” says University of

Georgia Extension

entomologist Mark Abney.

Clearly, Abney would like to see

more peanut farmers scout their own

acres, or hire competent consultants who

provide professional scouting services.

For example, Abney says it can cost

up to $16 per acre for premium

insecticides that target foliage feeding

insects. “You may be wasting that money

if you don’t scout your peanuts,” he

explains.

Abney says growers often put out

insecticides when they are applying

fungicides. “You don’t always have to

treat for insects,” he adds. “And if you do

treat for insects, that treatment should be

based on the results of scouting.”

Scouting can also pay off when

insects such as spider mites migrate from

adjacent fields into peanuts. In such cases,

the best treatment could be to just spray

the perimeters of peanut fields.

Abney and other entomologists

recommend spraying insect pests when

their numbers exceed those of economic

thresholds. For some insect pests, these

treatment thresholds either do not exist or

are out of date. “Even in the absence of

thresholds, it is important to scout for

these pests,” Abney adds.

According to Abney, scouting will

help ensure that insecticides are applied

only when they are needed. Scouting also

helps to make sure that insecticide

applications will be timely and will

prevent yield losses.

Scouting can save you a lot of money

that you’d be spending if you apply

insecticides based on gut instincts or

based on what your neighbors are doing.

So the biggest value from scouting may

come from savings on insecticide

applications that are not needed. Abney

says, “The recommendation not to spray

may be the most profitable one your

consultant or scout can make for you.”

Ayanava Majumdar, Extension

entomologist in Alabama, has developed a

chart that tells when to scout for major

peanut insect pests.

The chart identifies months when

insect pest activity is considered normal,

and the months when pest activity peaks.

Under normal pest activity, Majumdar

recommends weekly scouting in peanut

fields. Under periods when pest activity

tends to peak, he recommends intensify-

ing crop scouting.

Peak activity for thrips tends to occur

during April. For foliage feeders such as

corn earworm, tobacco budworm, beet

armyworm, fall armyworm, loopers, green

cloverworm and velvetbean caterpillar,

the peak months are likely to be July or

August. Spider mites and burrower bugs

peak during August and September,

according to Majumdar.

August is the peak month for root-

worms, lesser cornstalk borers and three

cornered alfalfa hoppers. t

Scouting Calendar


When to scout for what

April May June July August September

Thrips

Corn earworm

Tobacco

budworm

Beet armyworm

Fall armyworm

Loopers

Green cloverworm,

velvetbean caterpillar

Spider mite

Rootworm

Lesser cornstalk borer

Burrower bug

TCAH

Normal activity period - weekly crop scouting

Peak activity period - intensive crop scouting recommended

2016INSECT GUIDEBOOK

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Spider mites tend to be a

problem on peanuts during

hot, dry weather, especially in

non-irrigated fields. Jeff Gore,

Mississippi State University entomologist

based at Stoneville, says spider mites are

an occasional problem in peanuts, but they

can be devastating when they do occur.

“There are not a lot of spider mite controls

available for their management, making

them even more important,” he says.

Comite II is the only miticide current-

ly labeled for use in peanuts. It’s also true

that spraying insecticides to control foliage

feeding insects and applications of granular

Lorsban can make spider mite populations

worse. These flared populations of spider

mites can be especially difficult to control

in peanuts.

One reason that spider mite control is

difficult is due to the tendency of immature

spider mites to spend most of the time on

the undersides of leaves making coverage

of the product used very important.

Gore has tested several insecticides for

mite control and reports that a combination

of Comite II and bifenthrin (brand name

Brigade) obtained good control. Control of

spider mites was relatively poor when

either of those products were applied

alone. Applying bifenthrin, or any other

pyrethroid, alone when spider mites are

present in peanut can result in rapid

increases in mite populations.

Gore has obtained good results in

trials with several products that are not

currently registered for use on peanut.

With the help of Alan Henn, one of these

products may become available through the

IR-4 program. Henn serves as the IR-4

coordinator for Mississippi. IR-4 is head-

quartered at Rutgers University in New

Jersey and is a cooperative program by

university scientists aimed at getting

chemical controls labeled for use on minor

crops. t

Spider mite controls Leaf loss studies

Three cornered alfalfa hoppers

Ever since he became Georgia

Extension entomologist

several years ago, Mark

Abney has been working

hard to identify practical treatment

thresholds for peanut insect pests.

One of those pests is the three

cornered alfalfa hopper. University of

Georgia graduate student Brendan Beyer

has been part of these studies. The insect

punctures and girdles the peanut stems.

Beyer calls the pest a phloem feeder

because it deprives the plant of the juices it

needs to grow. There are normally two

population peaks of adult hoppers per

season, according to Beyer.

“Three cornered alfalfa hoppers are

abundant in fields, but there has been little

documentation of yield loss,” Beyer says.

He estimates about half of Georgia peanuts

are treated for three cornered alfalfa

hoppers, mostly during July.

To test the treatment threshold, Beyer

built small screened cages and grew three

plants of Georgia-06G peanuts in each

cage. He also added immature alfalfa

hopper nymphs to the cages. The

treatments included zero, one, five, or ten

nymphs per plant. These treatments were

based off of a preliminary threshold of one

nymphs per plant.

He looked at early infestations in June

and late infestations in early September,

and rated the plants as low, medium or

high for girdling. He notes that peanut

plants become tougher late in the season,

and as a result, they are not as easy for the

pests to damage the stems through

girdling.

The studies showed no correlation

between girdling and plant biomass, but a

weak correlation between girdling and

yield was observed. Beyer concluded that

low to moderate infestations will not affect

plant biomass. Based on his data, he said

three cornered alfalfa hoppers could reduce

peanut yield, additional research is still

needed. His later tests will simulate a

heavier infestation by adding 20 nymphs

per plant.

Beyer also notes that it is difficult to

scout three cornered alfalfa hoppers in the

nymph stage because they are so small and

so hard to see. He has also not seen any

connection between three cornered alfalfa

hoppers and peanut diseases, but this pos-

sible relationship needs additional study. t

Insect Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Caterpillar insects

damage peanuts

primarily by

defoliating the plants.

Whether or not to spray for

caterpillars depends on how much

yield loss to expect. It’s also true that

peanuts have a remarkable ability to

outgrow much of the leaf loss caused

by insects without hurting yields.

The question is how much leaf

loss can peanuts stand before they

start losing yield.

Entomology studies in

Mississippi suggest that the yield

losses from foliage feeding insects

will depend on when during plant

growth that the leaves are lost.

Jeff Gore, Mississippi State

University entomologist based in

Stoneville, says that it is not unusual

for two, three or more species of

caterpillars to cause defoliation at the

same time.

“We want to identify our

treatment threshold, and base it on

the defoliation percentage,” Gore

says.

In 2014, he intentionally

defoliated peanut plants in an attempt

to establish treatment thresholds.

Yields decreased from 100 percent

defoliation when the plants were 110

days old. Later in the growing

season, there was little or no yield

reduction from defoliation, according

to Gore.

In 2014, yields were reduced

when defoliation took place at 35, 50,

65, 80 and 95 days after planting. In

2015, yield losses in the test were

greatest when defoliation took place

at 110 days after emergence.

In another phase of the 2015

tests, defoliation at various levels

took place at 40 and 80 days after

planting. Overall, peanuts defoliated

40 days after planting yielded much

higher than those defoliated 80 days

after planting. The lowest yields in

this test came from 100 percent

defoliation 80 days after planting.

“We also saw significant yield

reduction with 20 percent defoliation

80 days after planting,” Gore says. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER



Thrips have gotten strongerT

obacco thrips resistance to

neonicotinoid insecticides

is becoming widespread

across the Southeast and

the Mid-South, reports Ames Herbert,

Virginia Tech entomologist.

So far, resistant tobacco thrips

populations have been identified in

Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi Tennessee,

Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas according

to Herbert. He and his colleagues collect-

ed thrips populations from five locations

in Virginia last year, and found that thrips

were resistant to Gaucho at four locations

with survival rates that ranged from 13

percent to 60 percent, and resistant to

Cruiser at all locations with survival rates

that ranged from 16 percent to 44 percent.

Herbert and his colleagues also

evaluated some newer insecticides for

thrips control. One of these was Velum

Total by Bayer CropScience which

contains the same insecticide as Admire

Pro. Others were Verimark and Exirel

which are products of Dupont. Both have

the same active ingredient but Verimark is

applied as a liquid in-furrow treatment

and Exirel is applied as a foliar spray.

Herbert said both products provide

control of thrips but the foliar applied

Exirel does a consistently better job

compared with Verimark

Radiant by Dow AgroSciences is not

a new product but was also evaluated and

generally performed better at a three-

ounce rate than at one-and-a-half ounces.

“Thimet, and AMVAC products, is

Thimet,” Herbert says. “It has worked for

30 years, and it still provides good

control.”

In their counts of immature thrips

following treatment, the scientists

reported that combinations of Cruiser

Maxx seed treatment, a product of

Syngenta, plus either Thimet or Admire

Pro provided better control than Cruiser

Maxx plus Orthene, or Cruiser Max or

Dynasty alone.

Herbert said the top performing

combinations included Cruiser Maxx plus

Admire Pro in-furrow plus Orthene

broadcast. Also performing well were

Cruiser Maxx plus Admire Pro, Cruiser

Max plus Thimet plus Orthene, and

Admire Pro plus Orthene.

University of Georgia Extension

entomologist Mark Abney says yield

losses from thrips are usually much

higher in North Carolina and Virginia

than what he sees in Georgia.

Though he has not tested Exirel or

Verimark, he has looked at Velum Total,

and it looks to be a good product for

thrips control. “This is not unexpected,”

Abney says, “because the active

ingredient in Velum is the same as that in

Admire Pro. That product has been

around for a long time. I try to remind

growers that Velum Total targets both

nematodes and thrips. For growers who

do not need the nematode control, the

Admire Pro is a much cheaper way to

control the thrips.” t

New viruses from ThripsSpotted wilt is bad enough, but now

there are new virus threats transmitted to

peanuts by thrips. University of Georgia

entomologists Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan

and Mark Abney have seen a spike in what

appears to be spotted wilt incidence or

something similar during 2014 and 2015.

Their latest studies are designed to

find out if close relatives of tomato

spotted wilt virus are causing the increase

in disease incidence, especially that seen

on the widely grown Georgia-06G variety.

In particular, they’re looking for the

Groundnut ringspot virus and the Tomato

chlorotic spot virus. So far, these viruses

have not been found in Georgia, but they

have shown up in South Florida. Like

tomato spotted wilt virus, these viruses

transmitted by thrips, and are called

tospoviruses.

As in many instances before, it may

be a matter of time before these viruses

move from Florida into Georgia, according

to Srinivasan. He suggests that it would be

prudent to start monitoring peanut varieties

for their susceptibility and tolerance to

these new viruses. t

Thrips getting stronger in Mississippi

Jeff Gore, Mississippi State

University entomologist who

works in Stoneville, is

concerned that thrips are

developing resistance to thiamethoxam,

the insecticide component of CruiserMaxx

Peanuts.

At-planting insecticides are

recommended in Mississippi to control

thrips and other early season insect pests.

Gore says CruiserMaxx Peanuts usually

produced similar yields to peanuts grown

with other at-planting insecticides. In tests

conducted during 2015, CruiserMaxx

resulted in a 540-pound per acre yield

benefit over untreated peanuts compared

to 881 pounds for Thimet, and more than

1,100 pounds per acre for both Velum

Total and Admire Pro. However, he notes

that thrips resistance to Cruiser jumped

dramatically from 2014 levels to those

seen in 2015.

Velum Total is a nematicide that

contains the same imidacloprid insecticide

active ingredient as Admire Pro.

“I get questions every year about

spraying thrips in peanuts,” Gore says.

“All of the historical data said don’t worry

about spraying for thrips. That was

because the older varieties were

susceptible to tomato spotted wilt virus

and the virus spread to more plants after

thrips were sprayed.

In tests on thrips control in 2014, he

saw significant yield increases from foliar

sprays with acephate. The test area also

had extensive peanut injury from Valor

herbicide where heavy rains occurred as

the peanuts were emerging and that may

explain why they saw the benefit from the

foliar sprays.

“We saw some depressed yields from

the Valor, but the peanuts can overcome

some of that with a thrips control

treatment,” Gore observed. “Our current

recommendation to farmers will be to use

foliar applications for thrips where we see

any kind of early season stress. Currently,

we are continuing research to look at the

impact of multiple early season stresses,

including thrips, on peanut yields.” t

Insect Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

BY JOHN LEIDNER BY JOHN LEIDNER


A trap for Burrower Bugs

Burrower bugs pose a big threat to peanuts, according to University of

Georgia Extension entomologist Mark Abney. The pest is sporadic

and spends a lot of time in the soil. The pest is difficult to monitor

on a wide scale, and is elusive to scout on a field scale.

Weather also has an impact on burrower bug activity. There seems to be fewer

bugs and less damage during rainy weather.

One of the main ways that burrower bugs hurt farmers is in grading at the

buying point. Peanuts free of burrower bugs often grade seg 1, while those with

burrower bug infestations are classified as seg 2 or damaged peanuts.

“There are relatively few peanuts that are Seg 2 from burrowing bugs, but if

you have them, then it is bad,” Abney says.

Abney says Georgia studies

during 2014 and earlier studies in

Texas indicated that a light trap

might be effective in collecting the

bugs when they are mating or

moving from one location to

another.

Abney says commercial insect

light traps are expensive, about

$500 each. So he worked with

some of his colleagues to come up

with a lower cost light trap, one

that would cost only about $100

each. Abney credits his colleague

Glen Raines for developing the

lower cost light trap.

The traps were equipped with

solar chargers that would turn on

at dusk and turn off at dawn.

During the 2015 tests, they

collected no burrower bugs in the

light traps, mainly because of frequent evening thunderstorms that reduced the

flights of the bugs.

Abney plans to use the light traps again this year, starting in June when the

bug flights tend to peak. He and his colleagues are also looking at alternative

designs to create larger trap openings that might capture more bugs.

If the light trapping is successful, Abney hopes to develop a risk assessment

tool that would advise growers when to use cultural practices such as deep land

turning or irrigation, along with chemical treatments such as Lorsban.

Lorsban, however, is an organosphosphate insecticide that is being targeted by

regulatory officials for elimination. If Lorsban is banned, Abney hopes nighttime

foliar spraying may offer a possible alternative control. t

Insect Guidebook

BY JOHN LEIDNER

For additional information

throughout the growing

season, check out Mark

Abney’s blog at:

blog.extension.uga.edu/peanutent

Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension peanut

entomologist, plans to begin using the light traps in

2016 in June when the burrower bug flights tend to

peak.

House Agriculture Committee reviews

USDA organization and administration of

programsIn two separate hearings, the U.S. House Agriculture

Committee reviewed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

(USDA) current structure and program administration. The

hearings included senior USDA officials from all of the

agencies.

Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, commented, “It is our

responsibility as committee members to work in tandem with

USDA, advocating on behalf of American consumers and

producers. It is also our responsibility to provide rigorous

oversight of USDA activities. On both accounts, I have

enjoyed working with Secretary Vilsack and his team, and I

thank them for their participation this week. Hearing from

every mission area at USDA over a two-day period provides a

unique opportunity to see how all of the various parts of

USDA work together. I hope to continue these conversations as

we move forward.”

USDA recognizes success of school

breakfast programThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) commemo-

rated the 50th anniversary of its School Breakfast Program by

shining a light on the positive impacts of school breakfast.

Over the course of this administration, participation in school

breakfast programs has increased by almost 27 percent; more

than 14 million students are now eating school breakfast each

day.

To help support the ongoing success of the School

Breakfast Program and other child nutrition programs,

Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon announced that

USDA will award up to $6.8 million in competitive Team

Nutrition Training Grants to help schools and child care sites

sustain the implementation of the healthier meals made possi-

ble by the bipartisan Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010.

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the School

Breakfast Program, we reflect on the great strides the program

has made in strengthening the health and nutrition of children

in America. The School Breakfast Program allows millions of

students to start their day with a well-balanced breakfast,

which, in turn, is linked to better performance in the class-

room, better attendance, and better health,” Concannon says.

USDA research found that students with access to school

breakfast tend to have a better overall diet and a lower body

mass index (BMI) than did nonparticipants. Other research has

shown that students who consume breakfast make greater

strides on standardized tests, pay attention and behave better in

class, and are less frequently tardy, absent or visiting the

nurse’s office.

Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.


Senate fails to move the GMO labeling billWith the new Vermont genetically modified organism (GMO)

labeling law set to begin on July 1, the U.S. Senate rebuked the

Senate Agriculture Committee’s effort to head off the impact from

the Vermont law. The Biotechnology Labeling Solutions bill has

not been rescheduled for consideration to date.

Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas,

commented after the 48-49 floor vote failed to invoke cloture:

“For more than a year, I have called on my colleagues across

the aisle to come to the negotiating table to address the problems

facing the nation’s marketplace should states continue to mandate

confusing and differing biotechnology labeling standards. I have

repeatedly put forward proposals to protect farmers, manufactur-

ers, retailers, and consumers. I have been flexible and have

compromised in order to address concerns about making informa-

tion available to consumers. Simply put, if we are to have a

solution, opponents of our bill must be willing to do the same.

And yet opponents of this approach would not put forward a

proposal for a vote. Why is that? Will their proposals pass the

Senate or better yet, the House? In short, where is their solution?

Without their own solution, opponents of this bill must favor

the status quo. We cannot stand on the sidelines and risk

increasing costs for consumers and further uncertainty in the

marketplace for farmers and manufacturers. If we do not act,

everyone loses. I have acted to provide a responsible, enforceable,

scientific and proactive approach to arm consumers with the

information they want to make informed choices about what to

put on the dinner table.

But most important, I respect the work of our farmers and

ranchers that produce the food and fiber to feed a troubled and

hungry world. Farmers, manufacturers and consumers should ask

their Senator if they can say the same.

My approach to labeling acknowledges what many American

consumers forget: our food is abundant, affordable and safe. We

must continue our reliance on science and technology to ensure

our continued prosperity. I remain at the ready to work on a

solution to a critical problem that will face every American every

day.”

Ag Data AvailabiltyA number of farm organizations are showing increased

interest in how new technologies and data are impacting farmers.

This includes issues of security, information availability relative

to equipment repair, ownership of the information, telematics, etc.

Some states are now considering legislation to address farmer

concerns about the availability of information from equipment

and technology providers.

This is an issue that has been debated at great length in the

automobile industry.


Members of Class IX of

the Peanut Leadership

Academy visited

Washington D.C.

Feb. 28 – March 3 for the fourth and final

session of the leadership program before

graduating this upcoming summer. During

the session, attendees had the opportunity

to hear from industry representatives and

discuss policy development, U.S. trade

and export markets, as well as receive

overall updates on the U.S. peanut

industry.

Day one of the session consisted of

meetings with industry representatives

including: Bob Redding, The Redding

Firm; Ashley Jones and Sharon Bomer

Lauritsen, U.S. Trade Representative;

Robbie Minnich, senior government

relations representative, National Cotton

Council; Jay Howell, Howell Associates;

representatives of the U.S. House

Committee on Agriculture; Patrick Archer

and Stephanie Grunenfelder, American

Peanut Council; Richard Flournoy, USDA

Risk Management Agency; and Leigh

Allen, National Black Growers Council.

During this time, participants were able to

learn more about the trade and export

market, particularly as it relates to

peanuts, as well as hear how agricultural

industry groups are working on their

behalf.

Day two kicked off by meeting with

legislators on Capitol Hill. During these

meetings, participants were able to visit

with U.S. senators and representatives

from the peanut-producing states in the

Southeast, Virginia/Carolina area and

Texas. PLA participants were able to

discuss concerns related to their respec-

tive states, as well as express gratitude for

their delegation’s service and support. To

conclude day two, participants had a spe-

cial opportunity to meet with Rep. Mike

Conaway, R-Texas, chairman of the

House Committee on Agriculture and

USDA Farm and Foreign Agriculture

Services chief of staff, Ben Thomas.

The Peanut Leadership Academy,

coordinated by the Southern Peanut

Farmers Federation and sponsored by

Syngenta Crop Protection and the

American Peanut Shellers Association,

provides leadership training for young

farmers and sheller representatives

throughout the peanut industry. Through

the training, participants gain valuable

leadership skills to be used in the future

and gain insight into many different types

of issues the peanut industry faces.

Additional information on the Peanut

Leadership Academy is available online at

www.southernpeanutfarmers.org. t

Peanut Leadership Academy travels to Washington D.C.

BY JESSIE BLAND

Peanut Leadership Academy participants meet with Rep. Mike Conaway, chairman of the House

Committee on Agriculture. Pictured left to right, front row: Jessie Bland, Georgia Peanut Commission;

Russ Walters, Alabama; B. Jones, Mississippi; Brian Byrd, Alabama; Kelton Coleman, Texas;

Congressman Conaway; Jeremy Sessions, Alabama; Shelly Nutt, Texas Peanut Producers

Association; Levi Findley, Florida; Frank Moore, Syngenta; Meredith Rogers, Georgia; back row:

Japheth Saecker, Birdsong Peanuts; Trey Sanchez, Florida; Marshall Speake, Alabama; Paul Huber,

Birdsong Peanuts; Jeremy Rolling, Florida; Mike Wood, Syngenta; Caleb Bristow, Alabama Peanut

Producers Association; Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association; Austin Warbington,

Georgia; Lee Prather, Syngenta; Colton Farrow, Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts; and Bubba Curry,

Georgia.

Peanut Leadership Academy participants meet with USDA FFAS Chief of Staff Ben Thomas. Pictured

left to right, front row: John Powell, American Peanut Shellers Association; Colton Farrow, Golden

Peanut and Tree Nuts; Levi Findley, Florida; Jessie Bland, Georgia Peanut Commission; Chief of Staff

Ben Thomas; Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association; Brian Byrd, Alabama; Frank Moore,

Syngenta; Austin Warbington, Georgia; Jeremy Sessions, Alabama; Lee Prather, Syngenta; back row:

Caleb Bristow, Alabama Peanut Producers Association; Bubba Curry, Georgia; B. Jones, Mississippi;

Russ Walters, Alabama; Paul Huber, Birdsong Peanuts; Marshall Speake, Alabama; Jeremy Rolling,

Florida; Kelton Coleman, Texas; Trey Sanchez, Florida; Meredith Rogers, Georgia; Shelly Nutt, Texas

Peanut Producers Association; Mike Wood, Syngenta; and Japheth Saecker, Birdsong Peanuts.

Southern Peanut Growers and Georgia

Peanut Commission exhibit at the

Southern Women’s Show in SavannahSouthern Peanut

Growers and Georgia Peanut

Commission exhibited at the

Southern Women’s Show

February 26 - 28 in

Savannah, Georgia. Nearly

13,000 people attended the

three-day show at the

Savannah International

Trade & Convention Center.

The exhibit featured the

new peanut field backdrop

and visits with two local

peanut farmers, Joe

Boddiford and Andy Owens.

Guests could pick up recipes and recipe brochures, sample

peanut butter dishes such as Peanut Butter Toffee Dip and

Peanut Butter Gelato, and receive promotional items such as

peanut butter spreaders, cutting boards and measuring cups.

Don Koehler took the Celebrity Cooking Stage each day

to entertain the guests while showing them how to make

Peanut Butter Gelato and Peanutty Peach Crisp, Savannah

Style BBQ gone Nuts and Peanut Apple Chutney, and Spicy

Shrimp with PB Dipping Sauce.

Southern Peanut Growers will exhibit at the Southern

Women's Show in Nashville, Tenn. April 14 - 17. The

Nashville show is one of the largest Southern Women's

Shows with nearly 40,000 people in attendance each year.

Cooking demonstrations each day will feature Mother's Day

Powered by Peanuts with recipes such as the Peanut Butter

Breakfast Bread Pudding.

Southern Peanut Growers

Marketing arm of Southern Peanut Growers1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115

(770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417

email: [email protected]

Visit our website at

http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com

Uncle Maddio’s Pizza introduces Thai flavors

with peanuts and peanut butter sauceUncle Maddio’s Pizza is offering

ThaiTastic Salad and Sriracha Chicken Pizza

in April and May. The two Southeast

Asian-flavored items are inspired by the

complex sweet-sour-salty-spicy flavor of

Thai cuisine. Both items feature a homemade

Thai peanut butter sauce, a sweet and spicy

honey Sriracha dressing and chopped

peanuts.

Uncle Maddio’s has partnered with the

Southern Peanut Growers and is committed

to sourcing its peanuts from American peanut

farmers for the Thai menu items. The

partnership will be supported by a joint

social media campaign between Uncle

Maddio's and the Southern Peanut Growers.

Uncle Maddio’s Pizza currently operates

almost 50 locations in 15 states, with more

than 275 units in development. Making more than 5 million pizzas a

year, Uncle Maddio’s is the category leader of the create-your-own,

fast casual pizza restaurants.

Southern Peanut Growers celebrates March,

National Peanut Month with a Twitter PartyTo celebrate the kick-off of

this year’s PB My Way: For Life

recipe contest, SPG hosted a

Twitter Party to foster online

discussion about peanut butter’s

versatility as an ingredient and

spark recipe ideas that incorporate

peanut butter into snack time,

family-tested, sweet celebrations

and fit fuel recipes. The party also

encouraged participation in SPG’s

PB My Way contest. Co-host Katie

Workman, author of “The Mom 100 Cookbook,” offered her own

creative culinary ideas and photos to this successful social event.

Leading up to the event, SPG promoted the Twitter Party via

targeted Twitter invites, Facebook posts, and Katie’s social media

mentions. By the day of the Twitter Party, fans and followers were

excited to chat about PB. The Twitter Party resulted in a 6 percent

increase in SPG’s Twitter followers and more than 1.7 million

impressions.

Georgia Peanut Commission vice chairman Joe Boddiford (left)

greets a consumer in the new peanut field backdrop while Andy

Owens, GPC advisory board member, (right) visits with consumers

checking out recipes and nutritional information at the Southern

Womens’ Show booth in Savannah.

Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut

Commission executive director,

presents a cooking demo on the

cooking stage during the Southern

Women’s Show in Savannah.

southeastern peanut farmer - april 2016

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