University of Georgia extension specialist and plant pathologist Bob Kemerait works with diseases and nematodes affecting peanut crops. During the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour visit to the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville, Kemerait discussed the disease challenges Georgia peanut growers face and the importance of protecting the crop’s yield potential.

“When we bring people on this Georgia Peanut Tour, they seem to see some of the best of the best peanuts grown anywhere in the world,” Kemerait says. “And it’s easy when you see the peanuts growing, it’s easy to underestimate just how hard our growers have to work to make them look as good as they do.”

Georgia’s hot, humid weather creates ideal conditions for fungal diseases, including leaf spot and white mold. Growers also have to manage tomato spotted wilt virus. Kemerait says growers must invest in the right varieties, crop rotation and fungicides to protect their crop throughout the growing season.

“Right now, our peanut crop has the opportunity to make 6,000 pounds per acre or more with the good varieties we have,” Kemerait says. “But if you do not manage disease, it could take it down to 4,000, 3,000, 2,000 pounds per acre.” Effective disease management is critical to protecting the yield potential of Georgia’s peanut crop.

Kemerait also highlighted the importance of the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center at Midville, where researchers from multiple disciplines work together to address challenges facing growers. Plant pathologists, entomologists, weed scientists, agronomists and agricultural engineers conduct research at the station to develop solutions for crop production in southeast Georgia.

“The most important thing about this station is whether you are an entomologist, a weed scientist, an agronomist, an agricultural engineer, a plant pathologist, we all do research here with Anthony Black and his team to try and find solutions to what the growers face in this area,” Kemerait says. “It’s a jewel we have hidden here.”

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Photo Album.

During the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour, Scott Mumford, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist, provided an update on the peanut crop and some of the challenges growers have faced throughout the season.

According to Mumford, the 2026 crop is about 110 to 120 days into the growing season and has experienced both favorable and challenging conditions.

“We have had a lot of good things that happen for most of the growers in the state, but we also have had some bad things happen,” Mumford says. “It’s kind of an average year for us. We’ve struggled from planting all the way to now, and a large part of that struggle has been the weather.”

One of the biggest challenges this season has been sporadic rainfall. While irrigation has helped growers manage conditions in some areas, Mumford says irrigation alone cannot fully meet the crop’s needs. As a result, dryland fields across the state have responded differently depending on the rainfall they have received.

“You’re going to see some dryland crops that don’t look too good, and then we’re also going to see some that do,” Mumford says. “It’s not been a great season, but it’s been a good average season for us. Been a little bit better than the last two seasons has been for us.”

Growers have also had to manage diseases, insects and other production challenges throughout the season. Despite those issues, Mumford says growers have stayed on top of their management practices, helping the crop maintain its yield and quality potential.

“We are fighting diseases. We’re fighting insects, as well as some other issues, like I mentioned,” Mumford says. “But for the most part, our growers have stayed on top of those. And at this point, we think we’re going to have a pretty good crop yield-wise, but also quality-wise, and hopefully you’ll get to see that on this tour.”

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Photo Album.

Mark Abney, peanut entomologist at the University of Georgia, provided an overview of his work during the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour. He receives the question many times from people asking, what does the peanut entomologist at the University of Georgia do?

According to Abney, his research and extension responsibilities center on helping growers manage insects in ways that protect their crop and improve profitability.

“We’re really interested in now is continuing to work on lesser cornstalk borer,” Abney says. “That’s an insect that affects all of our growers wherever they are in the state.”

Abney conducts research across Georgia because peanut production occurs in a variety of environments throughout the state. Research is conducted at locations including Tifton, Plains and Midville to better understand what growers in different areas need to do to manage insects most effectively.

“When you look across the state, you’ll see that there’s a lot of different environment,” Abney says. “We grow peanuts in different kind of places. It’s really important that we do research all over the state.”

That is where Abney sees his role as the peanut entomologist in helping growers. His research focuses on the insects that occur in peanuts, developing thresholds and evaluating insecticides and other management tools to determine what works best and what is most economical for growers.

The goal is to help farmers reduce the risk of insect injury, protect yield and make profitable decisions about when and how to manage pests.

Every year is different in terms of insect and disease pressure and 2026 is no different. The production year started out cool and with thrips pressure and tomato spotted wilt virus. Later in the season, farmers dealt with foliage-feeding caterpillars, including velvetbean caterpillars, which came into some areas during the last few weeks of the growing season.

According to Abney, the 2026 peanut season has been an average year in terms of insect pressure. Conditions have varied across the state, with some areas experiencing more foliage-feeding caterpillars while other areas have experienced less pressure.

Overall, Abney says growers have been able to manage insects pests effectively.

Abney’s research and extension program ultimately focuses on providing growers with the information they need to make effective pest-management decisions.

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Photo Album.

Nino Brown, University of Georgia peanut breeder provided an update on the university’s peanut breeding program during the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour. Brown develops new peanut varieties for growers in Georgia as well as surrounding states, with a focus on developing varieties that meet the needs of growers and others throughout the peanut industry.

“Our primary customer is the grower, and that’s who we really strive to serve first and foremost,” Brown says. The breeding program focuses on improving yield, grade, disease resistance and agronomic characteristics, while also addressing traits such as nutrition, flavor and composition. Brown says the goal is to develop varieties that serve the needs of growers, shellers, manufacturers and consumers.

Because peanuts are grown across many different environments in Georgia, Brown says the varieties developed by the breeding program need to perform well throughout the state. That makes stability an important consideration in the breeding process. Brown defines stability as a variety’s ability to perform at a high level across many different environments. Researchers test new varieties at as many locations as possible to identify lines that can consistently perform well under different growing conditions.

The University of Georgia’s research and education centers provide a network of locations across the peanut-growing region for those trials. Brown says the breeding program has trials in Attapulgus, Camilla at the Stripling Irrigation Park, Plains, Tifton, Chula and Midville. Testing varieties across these locations allows researchers to evaluate how they perform under a range of environmental and growing conditions.

Midville is a particularly important testing location for the breeding program. Brown describes it as a unique environment for Georgia and one of the program’s largest yield trial locations. A major focus is ensuring that varieties developed in Tifton can also perform at a high level in Midville and other areas of eastern Georgia.

Developing varieties with those traits requires significant effort and financial investment, making support for the breeding program an important part of the process. “It takes a lot of effort, a lot of money to be able to achieve those things, and so we’re really grateful for the support from the Georgia Peanut Commission to achieve those goals that we’re trying to accomplish,” Brown says.

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album

Attendees had the opportunity to learn about research at Midville on a variety of topics, including the wild peanut lab, peanut breeding, pod blasting and the maturity board. University of Georgia peanut breeder Nino Brown spoke with attendees about the research being conducted at Midville and its importance to peanut production.

The wild peanut lab gave attendees an opportunity to learn about the role of wild peanut species in peanut research. Wild peanuts can provide researchers with genetic traits that may be useful in developing new peanut varieties and improving characteristics of cultivated peanuts.

The peanut breeding program focuses on developing new varieties that meet the needs of growers and the peanut industry. Brown discussed how researchers evaluate traits such as yield, grade, disease resistance and agronomic characteristics. New varieties are tested at multiple research locations across Georgia, including Midville, to evaluate how they perform in different growing environments.

Pod blasting allows researchers to examine peanut pods and kernels to better understand their development. By removing the outer layer of the pod, researchers can observe the kernels and use that information when evaluating peanut maturity.

The maturity board is used to help determine the maturity of peanuts by organizing and evaluating pods based on their development.  Extension agents explained how examining maturity can help growers and researchers determine when peanuts are ready to be dug and better understand the maturity of the crop.

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Photo Album.

We would like to welcome you to the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour. Whether this is your first time joining us or you are a “Peanut Tour Veteran,” we are very happy to host you on our 38^th tour. As in previous years, you will be immersed in the production of one of Georgia’s most important agricultural crops. We hope this experience gives you greater insight into the challenges our farmers face, as well as the many reasons we proudly say that the world’s best peanuts are produced in Georgia. On this year’s tour you will be see peanut production from A to Z. It is our hope that you will come away with a great understanding and appreciation of the legacy, hard work, and dedication that go into peanut production in our state. Those engaged in the peanut industry, including farmers, buyers, processors, researchers, Extension personnel, and representatives of the Georgia Peanut Commission, are proud that Georgia is the leading peanut-producing state in the United States, and we are excited to share this year’s crop with you.

The 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour is staged in the south-east region of our state’s production area and begins on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 22, with a “Hot Topics” symposium. Expert speakers will provide updates on the status of this year’s peanut crop, with a special focus on enhancing the resilience of the peanut industry.

The next two days of the tour will provide opportunities to learn more about peanut production, research, processing and more. Field visits will give you a glimpse of peanut production, digging, and harvest. You will also learn about the important role research plays in the peanut industry, from improving crop production in Georgia to managing pests and addressing other challenges facing growers. The tour will also take you through several important parts of the peanut industry and production chain, including stops at the Ports of Savannah, the Southeast Research and Education Center, Mana Nutrition and other locations.

Again, on behalf of the Peanut Tour Committee, with members from the USDA-ARS Peanut Lab, the Georgia Peanut Commission, and the University of Georgia, I warmly welcome you to the 38^th Georgia Peanut Tour! We hope that over the next few days you will better appreciate the complexity of the peanut industry in Georgia and the personal commitments from all involved in producing the world’s finest peanuts! We hope our events will allow for fellowship and that you enjoy Georgia’s hospitality exploring a beautiful, rural part of our state. We offer our sincere thanks to all the sponsors, who through their generosity, help make this tour possible. Please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you as we travel the highways and byways of our state’s production area. We are proud of our peanut farmers and our peanut industry, and we are happy that we can share them with you.

View the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album

The thirty-eight annual Georgia Peanut Tour will be held Sept. 22-24, 2026, in Savannah, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties in South Georgia.

Attendees can expect to see first-hand nearly every aspect of peanut production in the state. This year’s tour hosts many exciting stops including on-farm harvest demonstrations and clinics, research at the University of Georgia Southeast Research and Education Center, Georgia Ports Authority and MANA Nutrition.

The tour kicks off this year with the Hot Topics Seminar on Sept. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at The Clyde Venue in Savannah, Georgia. The seminar topics include an update on the 2026 Georgia peanut crop and a special focus on production challenges, enhancing production and climate issues with emphasis on irrigation, fertilizer and other inputs.

For attendees flying, the closest airport is the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah, Georgia. Hotel accommodations can be made at the host hotels, Embassy Suites Savannah Historic District or the Hampton Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District in Savannah, Georgia, by calling 800-548-8690 and mention the code 90P for Embassy Suites and 90W for Hampton Inn. Reservations can also be made online. The room block’s deadline is Aug. 7, 2026.

For specific tour info or details, contact David West at 229-386-3470.

The Georgia Peanut Commission, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the USDA-ARS National Peanut Laboratory coordinate the tour.

Register online  (Online Registration Now Closed)
Print Registration Form
Download Tour Schedule
Driving Directions & Maps – Wednesday
(Thursday map not available since everyone will be riding the buses)
Download Sponsorship Packet

We would like to welcome you to the 2025 Georgia Peanut Tour. Whether this is your first time with us, or you are a “Peanut Tour Veteran,” we are very happy to host you on our 37^th tour. As in previous years, you will be immersed in the production efforts of one of Georgia’s most important agricultural crops, and we hope this gives you better insight not only into the challenges our farmers face, but also reasons why we say that the world’s best peanuts are produced in Georgia. It is our hope that you will come to better understand and appreciate the heritage of peanut production in our state. Those engaged in the peanut industry, including farmers, buyers, processors, researchers, Extension personnel, and Georgia Peanut Commission representatives, are proud that Georgia is the leading peanut-producing state in the United States, and we are excited to share this year’s crop with you.

The 2025 Georgia Peanut Tour is staged in the south-central region of our state’s production area and begins on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 16, with a “Hot Topics” symposium. Expert speakers will address the status of our peanut crop and provide a special focus on enhancing the resilience of the peanut industry.

The next two days of the tour provide you an opportunity to learn more about production, research, processing and more. Field visits will provide you with a glimpse of peanut production, digging, and harvest. In addition, you will learn about the importance of on-farm research collaborations between the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and commercial peanut farmers. The tour also includes visits down the supply chain to Tifton Quality Peanut’s shelling plant and Douglas Peanut’s buying point. Attendees will also tour Columbo, MANA, BCT Gin, and more!

Again, on behalf of the Peanut Tour Committee, with members from the USDA-ARS Peanut Lab, the Georgia Peanut Commission, and the University of Georgia, I warmly welcome you to the 37^th Georgia Peanut Tour! We hope that over the next few days you will better appreciate the complexity of the peanut industry in Georgia and the personal commitments from all involved in producing the world’s finest peanuts! We hope our events will allow for fellowship and that you enjoy Georgia’s hospitality exploring a beautiful, rural part of our state. We offer our sincere thanks to all the sponsors, who through their generosity, help make this tour possible. Please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you as we travel the highways and byways of our state’s production area. We are proud of our peanut farmers and our peanut industry, and we are happy that we can share them with you.

The thirty-seventh annual Georgia Peanut Tour will be held September 16-18, 2025, in Valdosta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties in South Georgia.

Attendees can expect to see first-hand nearly every aspect of peanut production in the state. This year’s tour hosts many exciting stops including on-farm harvest demonstrations and clinics, as well as, research projects through the University of Georgia Extension Service.

For attendees flying, the closest airport is the Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia. Hotel accommodations can be made at the Hampton Inn & Suites, 2 Meeting Place Drive, Valdosta, Ga. 31601 by calling 229-241-1234 or Fairfield Inn & Suites at 2010 W. Hill Ave., Valdosta, Ga. 31601 by calling 229-242-1225. Reservations can also be made online. The room block deadline is Aug. 18, 2025.

For specific tour info or details, contact David West at 229-386-3470.

The Georgia Peanut Commission, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the USDA-ARS National Peanut Laboratory coordinate the tour.

Online registration is closed. Individuals can register on-site.
Tour Schedule
Map & Driving Directions: Wednesday, Sept. 17 & Thursday, Sept. 18
Download Sponsorship Packet

The first stop of the 2024 Georgia Peanut Tour was a stop at the 102 year old farm, Davis Farms, in Terrell County, Georgia. Davis Farms is owned and operated by Glenn and Riley Davis. They farm peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans and pecans on approximately 4,500 acres. Riley is a fourth generation farmer and feels very fortunate that his father helped him get a start in farming once he finished college. Riley hopes to be able to pass the love of farming onto his three boys, Luke, Drew and Landon.  Learn more about Riley and why he is proud to be a Georgia farmer from a WALB News Interview.

This stop highlighted the first step of harvesting peanuts which includes digging the peanuts up out of the ground. The field of the runner type of peanut, Georgia-12Y, was planted April 15 and is currently 152 days old. According to recent maturity tests of the field, the field has about 10 to 14 days until it reaches full maturity. Digging too early can cause a loss so farmers use the peanut maturity board and pod blasting to determine the optimum time for digging their peanuts.

The field was planted behind a cover crop of black oats and radish. Riley strip tilled the peanuts in at planting. Throughout the season, Riley has an issues with drought in the dry corners of the field where the irrigation does not apply water to the crop. He has also had issues with spider mites which thrive in dry conditions.

Terrell County, Georgia is in the heart of peanut production in the state. According to Seth McAllister, Terrell County Extension agent, the county has 60,000 acres of row crops. Many farmers in the county plant using a 3-year rotation of corn, cotton and peanuts.

To learn more about peanut production in the state of Georgia, click here.

View the 2024 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album.