Peanut Field Day draws more than 150 producers

As farmers rode around together in wagons Thursday on their annual Peanut Field Day trek, the overcast skies above them held both a promise and a threat.
Rain is a good thing for their crops in these last few weeks of growth, but with Tropical Storm Fay expected to drench the Panhandle, too much of a good thing is on the horizon. Rainfall predictions vary widely, from two to 12 inches, but 6-8 inches is the probable range.
If the soil stays too wet for too long, peanut plants become more vulnerable to diseases like white mold, a soil-borne fungus that thrives on moisture and can cause the plants to wither and die.
When one of the wagonloads of producers stopped by her station on field day, University of Florida associate professor Dr. Amanda Gevens warned producers to be vigilant about making sure they’ve adequately protected their plants.
Their best defense at this stage of the season is to make sure they’ve applied the proper amount of fungicide to ward off disease, she said.
Not that producers were going clueless into the rainy weekend – a quick show of hands revealed that a good third of producers in one group were more than a little worried about the coming rain.
Ken Barber, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers association, said he’s keeping a close watch and is prepared to take action.
“It’s important to stay on the right (application) schedule before and after the storm,” he said.
Put on by the North Florida Research and Education Center-Marianna and the Jackson County Extension Service, Peanut Field Day drew more than 150 people to the event.
The producers visited a number of research peanut plots in the fields that lie outside the NFREC. Just as Gevens geared her talk to disease management, each of the other presenters talked about issues in their field of expertise.
Dr. Barry Tillman, of the NFREC, talked about new peanut varieties being tested for disease resistance, heartiness and yield data.
Dr. Bob Kemrait of the University of Georgia, spoke about nematode management.
Dr. Albert Culberth, also of UGA, talked about tomato spotted wilt virus, a disease so virulent and destructive that it warranted its own spot on the itinerary.
Dr. David Wright of the NFREC-Quincy, spoke about sod-based rotation strategies.
Dr. Jay Ferrel of the University of Florida in Gainesville, spoke about weed management.
Clyde Smith, Jackson County Extension pest management agent, talked about pesticide safety issues.
Dr. Ed Jowers, Jackson County Extension Director, oversaw the field day, which concluded around noon with a catfish luncheon.