JULY 15,2022
Hot and Dry = Insects
With hot, dry weather we don't worry about disease problems, but we must be watching for insect issues.
Grasshoppers, we are already seeing grasshoppers moving from neighboring pastures and fence rows. Females lay more than 100 eggs in the Spring, these are now adults and difficult to control - keep an eye one the borders of your fields. They don't prefer peanuts, but eat them as other food sources disappear.
Spider Mites, we are not getting reports of spider mites but we expect to soon. The two-spotted spider mite is the most common mite we find on peanuts. In hot, dry conditions the females will lay about 50 eggs. On peanuts they start at the bottom of the plant, sucking plant juices and making the leaves a grayish color- but they tend to stay primarily on the underside of the leaf where you will also see some webbing. Once numbers are heavy you will begin to see areas of the field that look dry as they spread throughout the entire plant, and soon leaf-drop occurs. Field scouts will often find them before they reach the top of the plant where mite numbers are a little easier to control with miticides. So scouting is important. A 10X or 20X hand lens is helpful for seeing the mites.
July 5, 2022
Art Kell of Chickasha begins his term as Oklahoma Peanut Commissioner.
We are glad to welcome Art Kell as a new Oklahoma Peanut Commissioner. Art and his wife Sherri farm peanuts, cotton, and alfalfa east of Chickasha, Ok. Art began farming peanuts when he was only 10 years old and is a 4th generation peanut farmer. He served as Grady County Sheriff for several years and now is farming full time. Art will be a good addition to the Oklahoma Peanut Commission.
July 27, 2022
Applying Fungicides on Peanuts Before a Rain
This question that comes up is 'How many hours before a rain do I need to apply a fungicide?' And of course the answer is... it depends on the fungicide. The fungicide label will usually tell you. But there are some general guidelines. If a fungicide has been applied early enough before a rain we say the fungicide is 'rainfast'. For a protectant type fungicide to be rainfast - wait 24 hours, less than 24 hours usually reduces effectiveness. For systemic type fungicides many pathologists say at least 12 hours. The South Carolina Pest Management Handbook for Field Crops says: wait 24 hours after applying a fungicide to irrigate as well. Which I think most growers try to do.
So now, bring on the rain!!
Postings from David's Blog July 2022
July 6, 2022
Hot Weather and Peanut Pollination
Research from Clemson University states: Peanut pollination and seed set hold up well under hot weather as long as daily maximum temperatures do not exceed 97° F. Even under optimum conditions seed set is about 90%. If daily high temperatures reach 104° F. pollination can drop to 70% and seed set to 50%.
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