John Beasley, University of Georgia Peanut Agronomist

John Beasley, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist, gave an update on the 2010 Georgia peanut crop during the Hot Topics seminar held yesterday that opened up the 2010 Georgia Peanut Tour. Beasley stressed that farmers were faced with many challenges and that heat was one of the biggest factors this year. During the 92-day period of June 1-August 31 temperatures reached 95 degrees or higher on multiple days on the UGA Tifton, Attapulgus, and Plains farms. Beasley stated that these very high temperatures took a toll on the peanut plants’ ability to develop. Pest problems have also made a major impact on the 2010 peanut crop in Georgia. White mold was a big issue this year because of the idyllic weather conditions that caused the disease to develop rapidly and extend over fields. Beasley also mentioned in his presentation that the rise of insect populations was an issue for peanut farmers this year. Growers had to battle species of insects that had not been a problem before and make room in their budget to properly handle them. “Insecticides are one of the most costly of the pesticides to apply so the extra cost in insecticide applications will make a huge impact on the producers’ chances of profit potential,” Beasley said.

View John Beasley’s presentation on the 2010 Peanut Crop Update (pdf document)