Monday, August 4, 2008

Crop Situation

I was talking with Mr. Frank McGill the other day and he told me he planted peanuts on Friday the 13th of June. Now that is late for a man who when he was in his prime as UGA's Mr. Peanut, followed the research ( and properly so at the time) recommendation of April 15th.

The next day I was speaking with a farmer near Hawkinsville who told me they had a lot of peanuts planted in the county in April again this year. Some of the new varieties with greater TSWV resistance may allow earlier plantings though that is not currently recommended.

I noticed peanuts in many stages today on my trip from Tifton to Cordele. Some are not lapping and others were wilting which would indicate that they are in full pod set. It was hot and rains have been very irregular. Friday night Tifton got 2.5 inches and TyTy just seven miles away got about a half inch. Those variations are common and if I were to say where soil moisture is at this time it is critical in most places and subsoil moisture is non-existent in many places so it is rainfall to rainfall if the peanuts are not irrigated.

We need a good tropical storm in September for those June peanuts but it needs to miss the early planted fields which will be ready to harvest.

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