Wes Porter of the University of Georgia discussed the importance of irrigation management and water conservation during the Georgia Peanut Tour, emphasizing how critical efficient water use is to Georgia’s peanut industry.
Porter highlighted Georgia’s extensive irrigation infrastructure, with approximately 1.4 million irrigated acres and nearly 27,000 center pivots across the state. With that level of irrigation, he stressed the importance of using water efficiently and making informed decisions about when and how much to irrigate.
Porter encouraged growers to move beyond waiting for visible crop stress before irrigating. He outlined several tools available to producers, including checkbook methods, smartphone apps, computer models and soil moisture sensors. Newer technologies are also combining soil moisture data with crop-growth models and artificial intelligence.
For peanuts, finding the right balance is especially important. Under-irrigation can reduce yields, while over-irrigation can waste water and money and lead to excessive vegetative growth rather than productive growth.
Cost is another major consideration, particularly with diesel-powered irrigation systems. Porter noted that irrigation can represent a significant production expense, making efficient management increasingly important.
He also discussed the dry conditions leading into the 2026 growing season. Much of Georgia entered planting season with below-average water levels, creating additional challenges for growers.
For peanut growers, the goal is finding the right balance: providing the crop with the water it needs without over-irrigating or adding unnecessary costs.