southeastern peanut farmer - april 2014
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A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
Inside:n Grimes recognized
as Georgia Farmer of
the Year
n 2014 Disease and
Insect Guidebook
n Peanut Leadership
Academy meets in D.C.
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2 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
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10 Grimes recognized as Georgia Farmer of the YearPhilip Grimes was recently recognizedas the Georgia farmer of the Year atthe Georgia Ag Day event in March.Through the years, Grimes has beenrecognized at the district or state levelfor producing top peanut yields for 20straight years.
12 Peanut Leadership Academyholds session in D.C.Peanut farmers and shellers fromthe Southeast participated in an educational session in Washington,D.C. to learn more about the legislative process, internationalpeanut markets, government affairs and more.
13 2014 Disease and Insect GuideThe Disease and Insect Guidebookcontains information on managingwhite mold, CBR, leafspot and rhizoctonia, as well as fungicideresistance, defining insect treatmentthresholds and thrips control.
Contents
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 3
Southeastern Peanut Farmer is published six times a year(Jan./Feb., March, April, May/June, July/Aug., and
Oct./Nov.) by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
The publisher is not responsible for copy omission, typo-
graphical errors, or any unintentional errors that may
occur, other than to correct it in the following issue. Any
erroneous reflection which may occur in the columns of
Southeastern Peanut Farmer will be corrected uponbrought to the attention of the editor. (Phone 229-386-
3690.)
Postmaster: Send address changes (Form 3579) to
Southeastern Peanut Farmer, P.O. Box 706, Tifton,Georgia, 31793.
Circulation is free to qualified peanut growers and others
allied to the industry. Periodical postage paid at Tifton,
Georgia and additional mailing office.
Editorial Content: Editorial copy from sources outside
of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is sometimes
presented for the information and interest of our mem-
bers. Such material may, or may not, coincide with offi-
cial Southern Peanut Farmers Federation policies.
Publication of material does not necessarily imply its
endorsement by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
For editorial concerns call 229-386-3690. No portion of
this or past issues of the Southeastern Peanut Farmermay be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the
written consent of the editor. By-lined articles appearing
in this publication represent views of the authors and not
necessarily those of the publisher.
Advertising: The Publisher reserves the right to refuse
any advertisement. Corrections to advertisements must be
made after the first run. All billing offers subject to credit
review. Advertisements contained in this publication do
not represent an endorsement by the Southeastern PeanutFarmer or the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Useof trade names in this publication is for the purpose of
providing specific information and is not a guarantee nor
warranty of products named. For advertising concerns
call 229-386-3690.
April 2014
Joy Carter Crosby
Editor
229-386-3690
Contributing Writers
JohnLeidner
Teresa Mays
Jessie Turk
Southeastern Peanut Farmer
P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793
445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794
ISSN: 0038-3694
D e p a r t m e n t s :Checkoff Report ..................................................................................Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association,
Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
Washington Outlook ............................................................................
Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................
8
20
22
Cover Photo: Philip Grimes from Tifton, Ga., was recently recognized as the 2014 Swisher
Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Georgia Farmer of the Year for 2014. Grimes grows peanuts, snap beans,
cataloupes and broccoli. Photo by Clint Thompson, University of Georgia.
Photo
by C
lint
Thom
pson,
Univ
ers
ity o
f G
eorg
ia.
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4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Farmland, Boiled Peanuts & Nutmobile
(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor, using the following e-mail address:
In case you havent heard theres a new movie coming to select theaters
across the U.S. This is one movie you would like to see. The movie,
Farmland, takes an intimate look at the lives of farmers and ranchers in
their 20s, all of whom are now responsible for running their farming
business. This film will be an important way to tell the agricultural story since
most Americans have never stepped foot on a farm or ranch or even talked to the
people who grow and raise the food we eat.
Through this film from award-winning director, James Moll, viewers will be
able to step inside the world of farming for a first-hand glimpse into the lives of
young farmers and ranchers.Viewers will be able to learn about the farmers
high-risk/high reward jobs and passion for a way of life that has been passed
down from generation to generation, yet continues to evolve.
The film was released following a busy March with all of the National
Peanut Month events and Agricultural Week celebrations. All of the events help
provide an avenue for the agricultural industry to share their message about pro-
ducing a quality crop and nutritional beneifts of
peanuts and peanut butter.
During the Georgia Ag Day celebration in
Atlanta, Hardy Farms from Hawkinsville, Ga.,
were awarded first place in the Miscellanous
Category of the Flavor of Georgia contest for their
Siracchi peanut rub for boiled peanuts. Hardy
Farms Peanut Rub was chosen out of more than
125 Georgia products to compete as one of 35
finalists in the 2014 Flavor of Georgia contest.
They are continuing to develop new tastes for the
boiled peanuts and according to their Twitter page
they are trying out a chocolate covered boiled
peanut now.
Near the end of March, Mr. Peanuts Nutmobile made two stops in the
Southeastern peanut belt. The Nutmobile stopped in Dothan, Ala. and
Blakely, Ga. as part of the Peanut Proud Festival. Mr. Peanuts Nutmobile,
fueled by biodiesel and powered with solar
energy, will travel to selected cities across the
U.S. throughout 2014.
In case you havent seen the Nutmobile,
then heres a few facts that you may find inter-
esting. The Nutmobile utilizes many sustainable
features including solar panels on the roof,
wind turbine and it runs on biodiesel.
Bascially, a two-hour drive in the Nutmobile
will generate and store
enough wind energy to power a one-hour tour stop
event. The Nutmobile also uses reclaimed wood
from a 1840s barn that was being torn down for
interior flooring and reclaimed headlights, windows
and a windshield frame.
So, as you can see there are some good things
happening in the agriculture world with the release
of a new movie, new rub for boiled peanuts and the
traveling Nutmobile. I hope the good things continue
on your farm this season as you begin to plant your
2014 crop of peanuts. t
u USAPeanut Congress, June 19-23, 2014,Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. For
more information call 703-838-9500 or visit
www.peanutsusa.com.
u American Peanut Research andEducation Society Annual Meeting,
July 8-10, 2014, Menger Hotel, San Antonio,
Texas. For more information visit
www.apresinc.com.
u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 10,2014, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit
www.sunbeltexpo.com.
u Southern Peanut Growers Conference,July 24-26, 2014, Edgewater Beach Resort,
Panama City Beach, Fla. For more information
visit www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.
u American Peanut Shellers AssociationPre-Harvest Meeting, Aug. 5-6, 2014, Lake
Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, Cordele, Ga.
For more information, call 229-888-2508 or
visit www.peanut-shellers.org.
u Southeast Georgia Research andEducation Center Field Day, Aug. 13, 2014,
Midville, Ga. For more information call
478-589-7472.
u Southwest Georgia Research andEducation Center Field Day, Aug. 20, 2014,
Plains, Ga. For more information call
229-824-4375.
u Georgia Peanut Tour, Sept. 16-18, 2014,For more information visit the tour blog at
www.gapeanuttour.wordpress.com.
u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, Oct. 14-16,2014, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit
www.sunbeltexpo.com.
u National Peanut Festival, Oct. 31-Nov. 9,2014, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit
www.nationalpeanutfestival.com.
u Georgia Farm Bureau, Dec. 7-9, 2014,Jekyll Island, Ga. For more information visit
www.gfb.org.
u American Peanut Council WinterConference, Dec. 10-13, 2014, Washington
Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Joy Carter CrosbyEditor
Editorial Calendar of Events
Hardy Farms celebrate their first
place win in the Miscellaneous
category of the Flavor of
Georgia contest. Pictured left to
right are, BradHardy, Ken
Hardy and Robert Fisher of
Hardy Farms.
The Planters Nutmobile recently
made a stop in Blakely, Ga., for
the Peanut Proud Festival.
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April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 5
Agriculture iconpasses away
Ben Frank Bowden, Jr., of Eufaula, 80, passed
away on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. He and
his wife, Mary Ann Collins Bowden, farmed
together for 61 years.
Ben was devoted to agriculture and farmed in Russell
County and Barbour County for 61 years. He was inducted into
the Auburn University School of Agriculture Hall of Honor in
2012. Bowden was a director of the National Peanut Board, the
Alabama Peanut Growers Association and secretary of the
National Cotton Board. He was chairman of the Alabama
Cotton Commission. He served on the state board of the
Alabama Farmers Federation for 18 years, was chairman of the
Cotton Committee, and served as the Russell County director
for nearly forty years.
He was committed to
conservation and served as
president of the Tri-Rivers
Waterway Association,
chairman of the National
Watershed Commission
and was a member of the
Advisory Board for
Forever Wild. He served
on the Alabama Water
Resources Committee and
Citizens Advisory
Committee for the
Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service.
He received the
Distinguished Service
Award from Russell
County Soil and Water
Conservation District, where he was district supervisor and
chairman for 20 years.
Bowden served as agricultural liaison to several members
of the United States Congress from Alabama. Locally, Bowden
served on the Board of Directors for Eufaula Bank & Trust and
the Lakeside School. Bowden was a member of the Eufaula
Commercial Club and Eufaula Heritage Association. He was
an Elder and active member of the First Presbyterian Church,
Eufaula.
Survivors in addition to his wife, Mary Ann Collins
Bowden, are daughters Franke Speake (Charlie) of Eufaula,
Kathryn Bowden Gale (Hugh) of Birmingham; sons Ben
Bowden, III (Jere) of Auburn, and Nick Bowden (David) of
Washington, DC; grandchildren Mary Kathryn Speake Adams
(Dennis), Marshall Speake, Jennings Bowden, Merrell
Bowden, and step-grandchildren Tracey Gale, Nicholas Gale
and Haley Stacey; 2 great grandchildren, Hayden Stacey and
Brantley Adams; and sister, Ann Bowden Corcoran. t
Ben Bowden was devoted to
Agriculture and farmed in Russell
County and Barbour County for 61
years.
Photo
by A
labam
a F
arm
ers
Federa
tion.
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6 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Approximately 300 peanut
farmers and their families
attended the Florida
Peanut Producers
Association Annual Membership Meeting
recently held in Marianna, Fla.
During the evenings events, two
members were elected to serve three-year
terms on the FPPA Board of Directors:
Chuck Hatch of Suwannee County and
Andy Robinson of Levy County. They
replace the two positions vacated by Bob
Barnett and Scott Robinson due to term
limits.
The Farm Credit/FPPA Young Peanut
Farmer Award was presented to Alex
Murphy. Murphy is a native Floridian,
who grew up in Hamilton County where
he graduated from Jasper High School in
2011. Murphy grew 205 acres of peanuts
in 2013 yielding 4,500 pounds per acre.
He also grows corn and soybeans on his
farm. In addition to his own farming
operation, he assist his two uncles, Jimmy
and Stan Murphy on their farms.
Together they have a long history of
participating in various row crop variety
trails on their farms. In 2013, the family
won top grower for no-tillage/strip-till
corn with an average yield of 310 bushels
per acre.
Being a fourth generation farmer,
Murphy plans to slowly expand his
operation and continue to diversify his
crop rotation to take advantage of markets
that other commodities offer.
Murphy received a beautiful plaque
and $200 from Farm Credit in recognition
of being selected the 2014 Young Peanut
Farmer of the Year.
The evenings program also consisted
of promotional highlights from Leslie
Wagner, executive director of Southern
Peanut Growers. Bob Parker, president
and CEO of the National Peanut Board
discussed some of the new marketing
initiatives underway at the NPB.
Stanley Fletcher gave a presentation
on the new farm bill and how it may
impact farms for the next five years. t
Florida Peanut Producers Associationholds 39th Annual Membership Meeting
Florida Peanut Producers Association board
members retire at annual meeting. Pictured
left to right:Scott Robinson and Bob Barnett
receive plaques in recognition of their
dedicated service while serving on the FPPA
Board of Directors for the past six years.
Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers
Association executive director, presents the
Farm Credit/FPPA Young Peanut Farmer Award
to Alex Murphy (left) of Hamilton County,Fla.,
duringFPPAs annual meeting.
Members of the Florida Peanut Producers
Association elects new board members.
Pictured left to right:Andy Robinson of Levy
County, Fla., and Chuck Hatch of Suwanee
County, Fla., were elected to serve during
FPPAs annual meeting.
BY KEN BARTON
2014 FPPABoard of Directors
President- Steve Jordan, Bascom, FL
V. President- Nick Marshall, Baker, FL
Sec./Treas. - Henry McCrone, Blountstown, FL
David DeFelix, Campbellton, FL
Steven Godwin, Jay, FL
Bud Baggett, Marianna, FL
Jerry Mills, Jr., Morriston, FL
Chuck Hatch, Branford, FL
Andy Robinson, Williston, FL
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April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 7
The Mississippi Peanut
Growers Association held
its annual meeting Feb. 12-
13, 2014, at the Lake
Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg,
Miss. During the meeting, Mississippi
peanut growers had the opportunity to hear
from peanut industry representatives and
specialists, as well as visit with
agricultural companies during an exhibit
trade show.
During the early bird topics session on
Feb. 12, Mississippi peanut growers heard
presentations from Mississippi State
Universitys new peanut agronomist, Jason
Sarver, and what his upcoming goals are
for peanut research at MSU; Bronson
Strickland, wildlife specialist from MSU,
and his recommendations for wild hog
management; and Alan Henn, extension
plant pathologist with MSU, and his
suggestions for a profitable disease control
program.
Day two of the MPGA annual meeting
began with a program consisting of
updates from MSU and peanut industry
groups, University of Georgia peanut
research, outlooks on the 2014 peanut
market, as well as a 2014 Farm Bill
update. Presentations included the
following speakers: Gregory Bohach,
MSU; John Powell, The Peanut Institute;
Glenn Harris, UGA; Scott Tubbs, UGA;
Marshall Lamb, USDA ARS; Stanley
Fletcher, UGA; Don Self, National Peanut
Board.
The Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association also recognized the high yield
winners for 2013 and elected the 2014
board members during the annual meeting.
For the yield contest, the 2013 state winner
in the 100-400 acres division was Norton
Farms, with a yield of 5,414 lbs/acre; the
2013 state winner in the 401-800 acres
division was Red Oaks Farm, with a yield
of 5,512 lbs/acre; the 2013 2nd place state
winner in the 401-800 division was Kyles
Farm Services, LLC, with a yield of 4,622
lbs/acre; the 2013 state winner in the 801
acres plus division was M&M Farms, with
a yield of 5,444 lbs/acre; and the 2013 2nd
place state winner in the 801 acres plus
division was Seward Farms, with a yield
of 5,237 lbs/acre.
The 2014 MPGA board members
elected are Daniel Parrish, Lonnie Fortner,
Don Self, Steve Seward, Joe Morgan,
Corley Moses and Alan Atkins. t
Mississippi Peanut Growers Associationholds annual meeting Feb. 12-13
Mississippi peanut growers 2013 high yield winners Pictured left to right: Norton Farms, Kyles
Farm Services, LLC, Seward Farms, Red Oaks Farm and M&M Farms.
Mississippi Peanut Growers Association Board of Directors (pictured left to right) Daniel Parrish,
District 4 director, Lonnie Fortner, vice president and District 2 director, Don Self, District 3 director,
Steve Seward, at-large position B, Joe Morgan, president and District 1 director, Corley Moses,
at-large position A. Not pictured - Alan Atkins, at-large positionC.
BY JESSIE TURK
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The Alabama Peanut Producers
Association recently exhibited at the
Alabama School Food Service and
Nutrition Expo held March 13-14, 2014,
at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
in Birmingham, Ala. Peanut samples and
peanut recipes, including school
foodservice recipes, were distributed to
the hundreds visiting the show.
A new peanut butter promotional
banner was displayed for the first time at
the show that served as both an
educational prop and a photo background.
The theme for the banner, A Healthy
American Classic:
PB&J, delivered
a nutritious
message and
featured a framed
photo of a child eating a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich. A special photo frame was
used as a prop for people who wanted to
pose by the pb&j banner photo.
Those attending the expo included
members from the Association of
Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals,
Alabama Dietetic Association and the
Alabama School Nutrition Association.
8 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Checkoff ReportInvestments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.
Peanuts are a big hit at the Alabama School Food Service and
Nutrition Expo
Alabama Peanut Producers Association
(APPA) exhibits at the Alabama School Food
Service and NutritionExpo, March 13-14,
2014. Pictured left to right: Becky Register,
APPA volunteer, and Teresa Mays, APPA
information specialist, hand out peanuts and
recipes to attendees at the expo.
School lunchroom
staff took a moment
to pose for a group
photo at the
Alabama Peanut
Producers
Association exhibit.
Taste of Alabama reception
Members of the Alabama Farmers
Federation served home-grown food to state
legislators and other elected officials at the
organizations annual Taste of Alabama
legislative reception at the home office Jan.
21. The event allowed more than 150
farmers to connect with elected representa-
tives while sharing the bounty of Alabama-
grown and -produced foods.
Farmers and elected officials mingled
while sampling foods such as grits, catfish,
barbecue pork, fried chicken strips, turnip
greens, sweet potato fries, fried green
tomatoes and cornbread. To top all of the
food off, staff members from the Alabama
Peanut Producers Association served Nutter Butter Fudgeslides from Logans
Roadhouse, which received raving reviews!
Alabama Peanut Producers Associations
(APPA) food station. Pictured left to right: Carl
Sanders, APPA president, Carole Granger,
APPA office manager, Jimmy Parnell, Alabama
Farmers Federation president, Teresa Mays,
APPA information specialist, and Jim Cravey,
APPAexecutive director.
The Georgia Peanut Commission
(GPC) now has a 3-D video featuring
Georgia peanut production available at its
headquarters off of Interstate 75 in Tifton,
Ga. Farmers, local Tifton residents, as
well as tourists traveling through South
Georgia are encouraged to stop by the
GPC office to witness the video first-hand
and see how the new technology is being
used as an educational tool for all ages.
All video footage was taken at the
farm of Rodney Dawson, row crop farmer
from Hawkinsville, Ga. Dawson serves as
the District four representative for GPC,
as well as the treasurer on the GPC board
of directors.
I think the 3-D video will be a great
tool in educating others about modern day
peanut production in Georgia, Dawson
says. It gives those who are unable to
visit a peanut field an opportunity to see
how peanuts are grown and harvested in a
way they have never experienced before.
The 3-D video, which is the only 3-D
footage of peanut production known to
GPC, began in April 2013 and ended in
October 2013. Stages of the film include:
land preparation, planting, peanut
cracking, land plaster application,
digging, combining, drying and cleaning.
Total runtime of the video is just under
eight minutes.
Georgia Peanut Commission
produces 3-D peanut production
video for the educational lobby
A group of FFAstudents fromVirginia visited
the Georgia Peanut Commission, March 4, and
were the first group to be able to watch the 3-D
video in the GPC educational lobby.
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The Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association (MPGA) participated in the 2014
Mississippi Diabetes Foundation Super
Conference in Jackson, Miss., Feb. 22, with
a booth and handed out educational booklets
on peanuts and diabetes, diabesity and heart-
healthy peanuts.
There were 435 people registered for the
one-day conference and a surprising number
of the attendees were not aware of the role
peanuts or peanut butter could play in their
diabetes management. This was the third
year MPGAparticipated in the event. The
MPGA also provided complimentary 1-ounce
peanut bags with the American Heart
Association - Heart Check mark and the
Mississippi Diabetes Foundation logo. The
response was positive toward peanuts with
many saying they were going to include
them in their daily menu which they had not
done before receiving this information.
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 9
Reports from the:Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association
March is National Peanut Month, a
time to celebrate one of Americas favorite
foods! The Georgia Peanut Commission
promoted peanuts through the month of
March by hosting the annual PB&JDay,
participating in the Georgia Ag Day and
distributing peanuts at the states welcome
centers.
The annual Georgia PB&JDay was
held March 17, at the Georgia State
Capitol in Atlanta, Ga. Exhibitors from
the peanut industry served PB&Js,
grilled PB&Js, country-fried peanuts,
boiled peanuts and more. During the
special program celebrating National Peanut Month, Sen. John Wilkinson,
chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, and
Rep. Tom McCall, chairman of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs
Committee, presented resolutions highlighting the importance of peanuts to
Georgias economy. Sen. Dean Burke, physician and member of the Senate
Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and Health and Human Services committees,
presented a resolution highlighting the nutritional importance of peanuts and
peanut butter.
Sponsors and exhibitors of PB&JDay include the Georgia Peanut
Commission, National Peanut Buying Points Association, The Peanut Institute,
Kroger, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Hardy Farms,
Peanut Proud, Southern Peanut Growers, University of Georgia Extension Peanut
Team and the Atlanta Community Food
Bank.
Attendees at the Georgia Ag Day
event held March 18, in Atlanta, Ga.,
learned more about agriculture and the
peanut industry. TheGeorgia Peanut
Commission presented information along
with peanut recipes and peanuts.
Hundreds of legislators, FFA and 4-H
members attended the event. Following
the event, the Georgia Peanut Commission
presented a peanut gift jar to Comm. of
Agriculture Gary Black.
Tourists traveling throughout the state
were reminded to Travel Light and Pack Peanuts as they stopped at the states
welcome centers. The GPC provided welcome centers with peanuts and recipes to
give to tourists as they stopped to learn more about Georgia. Thousands of visitors
visited one of the eleven welcome centers during the month of March - National
Peanut Month.
View photos from all National Peanut Month events, www.gapeanuts.com.
Georgia Peanut Commission promotes peanuts during National
Peanut Month across the state
The Georgia Peanut Commission, along
with Southern Peanut Growers, attended the
Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Conference, March 20, in Atlanta, Ga. The
Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is
an affiliate of the American Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics and is the largest
organization of food and nutrition
professionals in the state of Georgia.
During the exhibitor portion of the
conference, representatives from GPCand
SPG had the opportunity to visit with
attendees about peanuts and peanut nutrition.
Peanut samples, peanut recipe cards and recent
peanut nutritional research information were
provided to approximately 300 attendees.
Georgia Peanut Commission and
Southern Peanut Growers
participate in nutritional conference
Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association teams up with the
Mississippi Diabetes Foundation
at the Diabetes Super Conference
The Georgia peanut industry presents
House Speaker David Ralston with a
Georgia peanut jar filled with peanut
products during the annual Georgia PB&J
Day at the Georgia State Capitol in March.
Armond Morris, Georgia Peanut
Commission chairman, and Jessie Turk,
GPC project coordinator, visit with FFA
members during the Georgia Ag Day held
March 18, in Atlanta, Ga.
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Philip Grimes, who grows
peanuts, cotton, snap beans,
cantaloupes and broccoli in
Tift County is dedicated to
achieving maximum yields through sound
conservation practices. The 2014 recipient
of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo
Georgia Farmer of the Year award has
long been the envy of Tiftons agricultural
neighborhood.
One of the neighbor farmers, who
farmed many acres, he
passed away from a
sudden heart attack. His
wife wrote Phillip a
letter and said, You
know, he always liked
to ride around and look
at crops on Sunday
afternoon, says
Grimes wife, Jane
Grimes. She said, He
didnt want to go
around and look at his
own crops (though), he
wanted to go look at
Philips crops I
think that speaks highly
for Philip. Hes just
dedicated to what he
does.
Dedication aptly
describes Grimes work
ethic. Whether its by
detailed record keeping
or sound conservation practices, Grimes
possesses leadership skills admired by
Steve Brown, UGAs associate dean for
Extension and organizer of the search for
Georgias farmer of the year.
The winners are always leaders,
Brown says. Other farmers look up to
them and follow their lead on things. You
dont have to be a mega-farmer to win,
but you have to have those leadership
qualities.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal
recognized Grimes at the Georgia Ag Day
at the State Capitol event on March 18.
Grimes will represent Georgia at the
Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie in October
when the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo
Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award is
presented.
I love to farm and am real
passionate about my crops, Grimes says.
Ive been blessed by God, and hes
guided me for years and years. Its just a
blessing that I have what I have.
Grimes has also proven to be a
willing listener. Even after almost 40
years of farming, Grimes is attentive
when Tift County Extension agent Brian
Tankersley and other UGA Extension
researchers are discussing the latest
cropping trends and developments. A
trusting relationship has developed
between Grimes and the Extension
community, and it has contributed to
Grimes success in the field.
I listen to the experts and go to the
meetings. They can tell you if a new
product is coming out and whats working
and whats not, Grimes said. Theyre
just an important part of farming now.
His receptiveness to this information
has paid off. Grimes has been recognized
at the district or state level for producing
top peanut yields for 20 straight years.
Grimes vegetable crops can be spotted at
the most popular grocery stores in the
South, including Food Lion, Wal-Mart
and Kroger. Grimes also operates Docia
Farms, which has been a stop for
numerous farm tours and visited by
Congressional leaders and UGA
personnel.
The researchers and Extension
personnel, they love coming out here and
working with Philip, because hes a high
yield grower; they like to come out and
tour his farm. If the Georgia
Peanut Commission wants
to show off some top-notch
peanuts, theyll come out
here, Tankersley says.
Year after year, (Grimes
and his family) have been
very sustainable in terms of
profitability.
While Docia Farms
has proven to be sustain-
able, its also a family-run
organization. Jane Grimes
is in charge of record keep-
ing, bill paying and
answers phones. Grimes
son, Andrew, and son-in-
law, Gator Walker, are
actively involved in the
farms day-to-day opera-
tions. The Grimes familys
farming business has grown
impressively since it started
out renting 200 acres of
farmland in the mid-70s. Its most farmed
crop is cotton, which is grown on 850
acres.
Grimes also owns a state-of-the-art
cantaloupe packing shed, which features
handling facilities and focuses on food
safety practices.
Of course, being admired for highly
productive farming practices does have its
disadvantages. Grimes has set high
standards for himself to produce high-
quality crops year after year.
Its gotten to where I cant mess up
anymore, Grimes jokes. t
BY CLINT THOMPSONUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
10 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Tift County farmer recognized asGeorgias farmer of the year
Georgia Farmer of the Year Philip Grimes receives a plaque from Gov. Nathan Deal,
on right, and Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, on left, during the Georgia Ag Day
Celebration, March 18, 2014.
Photo
by M
err
itt
Mela
ncon,
Univ
ers
ity o
f G
eorg
ia.
-
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 11
USDA-AMS rules Arkansas a primarypeanut producing state
The United States
Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS)
ruled, effective March 24, 2014, to add
the state of Arkansas as a primary peanut
producing state under the Peanut
Promotion, Research and Information
Order (Order). The Order is administered
by the National Peanut Board.
This rule also adds a seat on the
National Peanut Board for Arkansas.
Under the Order, primary peanut
producing states must maintain a three-
year average production of at least 10,000
tons of peanuts. Primary peanut produc-
ing states also have a seat on the board.
Currently, the board is composed of
11 producer-members and alternates: one
member and alternate from each primary
producing state and one at-large member
and alternate collectively from the minor
peanut-producing states. This rule
classifies the state of Arkansas as a
primary peanut-producing state and
specifies the board will be composed of
12 peanut producer-members and their
alternates rather than 11. The members
and alternates are nominated by state
producers or producer groups.
Arkansas Peanut Growers Association
Seeks National Peanut Board
Nominees
Arkansas Peanut Growers
Association will hold a nominations
election to select two nominees each for
member and alternate to the National
Peanut Board. The nominations election
meeting will be held May 6, 2014, at
6:00 p.m. at Walnut Ridge Country Club,
249 Lawrence Road 408; Walnut Ridge,
Arkansas, 72476.
All eligible peanut producers are
encouraged to participate. Eligible
producers are those who are engaged in
the production and sale of peanuts and
who own or share the ownership and risk
of loss of the crop. USDA requires two
nominees from each state for each
position of member and alternate. The
National Peanut Board will submit
Arkansass slate of nominees to the U. S.
Secretary of Agriculture, who makes the
appointments.
Anyone interested in being nominat-
ed as a National Peanut Board member or
alternate may attend the meeting or
contact Greg Gill, president of Arkansas
Peanut Growers Association or Greg
Baltz, vice-president of Arkansas Peanut
Growers Association. t
Southern PeanutGrowers Conferenceset for July 24-26
The 16th
Annual Southern
Peanut Growers
Conference is set
for July 24-26,
2014, at
Edgewater Beach
Resort, Panama
City Beach, Fla. The three-day event
provides farmers an opportunity to
learn more about the industry and
issues affecting them while also
enjoying a relaxing time at the beach.
This years conference offers
farmers an opportunity to learn more
about legislative issues, long-term
market growth, consumer demand and
production research.
In addition to the conference
sessions, the event focuses on the
family by offering a ladies program
and a golf tournament.
Conference registration
information is available online at
www.southernpeanutfarmers.org or by
contacting your state grower
organization. Deadline to register is
June 30, 2014. t
The Georgia Peanut
Commission and Peanut
Proud donated 18,720 jars
of peanut butter to the
Atlanta Community Food Bank during
March, National Peanut Month. The
$50,000 peanut butter donation will help
provide a staple food to many families in
the North Georgia area.
According to Ben Burgess, food
sourcing specialist with the Atlanta
Community Food Bank, the food bank
serves 29 counties in Northwest Georgia
and feeds approximately 59,000 people
per week.
Im always excited to come to a
place where Ifeel like we are doing
something and making a difference
in peoples lives, says Donald
Chase, GPCboard member. Im
proud that the entire peanut industry
continues to join together to support
Peanut Proud efforts like this today.
Individuals and businesses are
able to make donations throughout
the year to Peanut Proud on their
website at www.peanutproud.com or
send their check made payable to
Peanut Proud and mail to Peanut
Proud, P.O. Box 446, Blakely, Ga.,
39823. t
Peanut industry donates 18,720 jars of peanutbutter to Atlanta Community Food Bank
Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) and Peanut Proud
donates 18,720 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta
Community Food Bank during March, National Peanut
Month. Pictured left to right: JoyCrosby and Donald
Chase with GPC, Mark Gambardella and Ben Burgess
with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Armond Morris
and Jessie Turk with GPC.BY JOY CROSBY
-
Peanut farmers and shellers
from Alabama, Georgia,
Florida and Mississippi
visited Washington D.C.
during the Peanut Leadership Academy
held in March. The program is sponsored
by Syngenta Crop Protection and the
American Peanut Shellers Association.
During this trip, participants had the
opportunity to attend meetings with
legislators and participate in meetings
related to government affairs, international
peanut markets, policy development and
the U.S. peanut industry. This session is
the fourth and final component of the
Peanut Leadership Academy before
graduation in June 2014.
Day one of the session consisted of
meetings with industry representatives
including: Bob Redding, The Redding
Firm; Reece Langley, USA Rice
Federation; Dr. David Graves, Crop
Insurance; Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss.;
and Patrick Archer, American Peanut
Council. During this time, participants
were able to learn more about the 2014
Farm Bill, particularly peanut provisions,
ask questions related to their individual
states, as well as hear how peanut industry
groups are working on their behalf.
Meetings with state legislators began
day two in Washington, D.C. where
participants were able to visit with senators
and representatives from each of the
Southeastern peanut-producing states.
During these meetings, they were able to
express concerns related to their state, as
well as express gratitude for their
delegations service and support. Lunch on
day two included a meeting with guests
from the House Ag Committee, where
more discussion on the 2014 Farm Bill
took place. To conclude day two, growers
had a special opportunity to meet with
Krysta Harden, deputy secretary for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Peanut Leadership Academy,
which is coordinated by the Southern
Peanut Farmers Federation, provides
leadership training for young farmers and
sheller representatives throughout the
peanut industry. Through the training,
participants gain valuable leadership skills
to be used in the future. Additionally, it
gives growers and industry representatives
an insight into many different types of
issues the peanut industry faces.
Additional information on the Peanut
Leadership Academy is available online at
www.southernpeanutfarmers.org. t
12 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Leaders participate in D.C. session
BY JESSIE TURK
The Peanut Leadership Academy held a legislative session in Washington, D.C., March 2-5, 2014,
and visited with Krysta Harden, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pictured
left to right, front row: Frank Moore, Syngenta; Jessie Turk, Georgia Peanut Commission; John
Powell, American Peanut Shellers Association; Harden; Don Koehler, GPC; Randy Johnson,
Syngenta; second row: Cole McNair, Birdsong Peanuts; Sam Hattaway, Georgia participant; Daniel
Parrish, Mississippi participant; Reed Rogers, Golden PeanutCompany; third row: Alan Davis,
Florida participant; Jamison Cruce, GPC; Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association;
Steven Byrd, Alabama participant; back row: Will Ellis, Georgia participant; Damon Griswold,
Florida participant; Jim Cravey, Alabama Peanut Producers Association and Mike Wood, Syngenta.
Class VIII Participants
Grower Representatives
Steven Byrd, Ariton, Ala.
Alan Davis, Cottondale, Fla.
Damon Griswold, Jay, Fla.
Will Ellis, Douglas, Ga.
Sam Hattaway, Blakely, Ga.
JustinJones, Leesburg, Ga.
Daniel Parrish, Greenwood, Miss.
EC Harlan, Brownfield, Texas
Sheller Representatives
Reed Rogers, Golden Peanut Company
Cole McNair, Birdsong Peanuts
Growers interested in applying forClass IX of the Peanut LeadershipAcademy should contact their stategrower organization or download an
application online at www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.
-
White mold continues to
be the major disease
threatening peanuts
grown in the
Southeast.
University of Georgia plant
pathologist Tim Brenneman offers several
tips to help growers get a head start in
controlling this disease. Consider starting
earlier, possibly by banding the first
spray, says Brenneman. Also consider
using nighttime or early morning sprays
to get maximum coverage where it needs
to be, in the plant crown, pegs, pods and
lower limbs.
Timing the fungicide applications is
important in controlling white mold.
White mold epidemics have been
starting earlier in some recent years due
to our warm weather, adds Brenneman.
He also notes that white mold infection
can begin below the ground on very
young plants. Choosing and using
fungicides that are active in controlling
white mold early in the season can help
prevent this. Concentrating these early
sprays by banding a product such as
Proline has been very effective, says
Brenneman. Broadcast applications of
white mold fungicides will also help.
Brenneman also reminds growers to
use crop rotation, the Risk Index and
disease-resistant varieties to stay ahead of
white mold.
One of the best ways to improve
spray penetration of the canopy is to
spray at night when the peanut leaves are
folded, Brenneman says. There is also
less wind and evaporation at that time.
Studies show that more and larger spray
droplets reach the lower stems giving
greatly improved spray deposition in the
lower canopy. Exposure to direct sunlight
also decreases the active life of
fungicides, so the product deposited in the
lower canopy lasts longer and provides
extended disease control.
Brennemans first studies in 2007
showed the improved white mold control,
and resulting higher yields, from
nighttime sprays. In these earliest studies,
both Abound and Folicur produced higher
yields and better control when sprayed at
night.
His later studies showed that disease
control with any fungicide could be
improved by spraying at night. Systemic
fungicides such as Abound, Prosost and
Evito also give good control of leaf spot,
Brenneman says.
Early morning when the leaves are
wet and folded is actually the best time
for white mold sprays. However,
chlorothalonil, which is mainly used to
control leaf spot, produces best results
when sprayed during the daytime when
the leaves are fully open.
Brenneman says white mold control
has been greatly improved since the 1994
season with the introduction of Folicur
fungicide. Other new fungicides
followed such as Abound, Moncut,
Provost, Convoy and Fontelis that further
increased our ability to manage white
mold, he says.
The pods are also susceptible to
white mold and are difficult to treat
because they are located below the
ground. Thick plant canopies late in the
growing season also interfere with the
movement of fungicide to the pods and
pegs. Brenneman says irrigation can help
wash fungicides down to the pods, but
that using irrigation this way may be too
late to help fungicides such as Headline,
which is rapidly absorbed by the plant.
Thus, he suggests using nighttime
spraying.
University of Georgia Extension
plant pathologist Bob Kemerait says crop
rotation will help with white mold
management. Rotate away from peanuts
and soybeans, Kemerait adds. He says
that following the Peanut Rx program will
also help growers make best use of their
fungicides.
Brenneman adds that most of the
newer high yielding varieties are
susceptible to white mold damage, and
that hot weather during recent years has
been favorable for white mold outbreaks.
Better white mold resistance is one of
the selling points of some of the newest
varieties. Among varieties, Georgia-12Y
and TUFRunner 727 have the best
resistance to white mold, according to
Kemerait. t
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 13
White mold remindersDISEASE & INSECT GUIDEBOOK
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Top photo:White mold in peanut.
Left photo:Wilted peanut plant from white
mold damage.
-
Applied in-furrow at
planting, Proline helps in
the management of
Cylindrocladium black rot
(CBR).
However, when Proline is applied in
a band on emerged peanuts at a broadcast
rate of 5.7 fluid ounces per acre, then
Proline can provide season-long benefits
to the management of white mold, and
possibly Rhizoctonia limb rot.
The early-season application of
Proline for disease control is a new
recommendation from the University of
Georgia. Proline also represents a
significant financial investment early in
the season, according to University of
Georgia Extension plant pathologist Bob
Kemerait.
While Proline contributes to overall
management of
white mold,
Kemerait says it is
unlikely to provide
all of the control
needed for this
disease. Early
season Proline use
should be followed
by a standard
soilborne fungicide
program.
If Proline is
applied during the
early season,
Kemerait reminds growers that they need
to complete the white mold program
with fungicides such as Artisan, Convoy,
Fontelis, Abound, Headline, Provost,
Evito, tebuconazole or other white mold
material.
When using Proline at the 5.7-ounce
rate in a band, Kemerait says a total spray
volume of 10 to 20 gallons of water will
be needed. For twin rows, the fungicide
can be applied with either a single nozzle
covering both twins at once, or with a
single nozzle over each of the twin rows.
Timing for early-season applications
of Proline has also been evaluated. In the
tests, the Proline was applied at two or
five weeks after planting. Although each
of these timings can offer increased white
mold protection, in 2011 the best results
were observed five weeks after planting.
The best time for this application will
probably vary from season to season
based on planting date and weather
conditions early in the season.
Kemerait says these early-season
applications of Proline can provide
protection against leaf spot, as well as
against white mold.
For growers who use Proline
followed by Provost, Bayer CropScience
recommends waiting 21 days and then
simply making the first Provost
application at about 55-60 days after
planting.
The active ingredient in Proline is
prothioconazole. Keep in mind that
prothioconazole and tebuconazole are the
active ingredients in Provost fungicide.
For general fungicide programs, an
early season application of Proline can be
followed 3-4 weeks later with a fungicide
application for leaf spot. Kemerait says
the full-season white mold program
should commence about 60 days after
planting. t
Alan Henn, Mississippi
Extension plant
pathologist, warns
peanut farmers, or those
open to growing peanuts in the future,
to be on the lookout for
Cylindrocladium black rot (CBR).
Cylindrocladium black rot in
peanuts and red crown rot in soybeans
are both caused by the same fungus,
according to Henn.
He says red crown rot infections in
soybeans moved from one county in
Mississippi to seven counties last year.
Both peanuts and soybeans are grown in several of the newly infested counties.
This is a significant disease that can threaten your peanut production, Henn says.
Yield losses from CBR in peanuts can be significant, while losses in soybeans
may be minimal. Management of the disease in peanuts is expensive and not
reliable.
The fungus can move from infested soybean fields to nearby peanut fields in
wind-blown soil or infested soybean residue. To prevent the disease from spreading
into peanuts, he cautions farmers to be careful when moving equipment from
soybeans to peanuts.
You need to thoroughly clean the equipment, he says. Use a high volume
but low pressure spray to remove most of the soil followed by a pressure wash (low
volume but high pressure) to remove soil from equipment seams and other recessed
areas.
Henn is testing disinfectants in his laboratory to see if they will offer additional
cleaning of the fungus from equipment beyond what can be removed using a heavy
volume of water and pressure washing. t
14 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Proline pointers
Alan Henn says the fungus that causes CBR is
spreading in soybeans and could threaten
peanuts.
Prevent CBR
Applied in-furrow at planting, Proline helps in the management of
Cylindrocladium black rot in peanuts.
BY JOHN LEIDNER BY JOHN LEIDNER
Disease & Insect Guidebook
-
Peanut farmers in the
Southeast still need
fungicides to control early
and late leaf spot, according
to University of Georgia plant pathologist
Albert Culbreath.
In-furrow or early-season Proline
fungicides help control soilborne diseases,
and Culbreath aimed to find out if early
use of this fungicide would also help with
leaf spot control. We wondered if that
Proline would substitute for one leaf spot
spray, he adds.
In his tests, he used 5.7 ounces per
acre of Proline at planting for the
in-furrow treatment. He also used Proline
in 12-inch bands over the row that would
be the easiest for growers to use. We
found that Proline in-furrow offered some
control of leaf spot, Culbreath adds.
Proline in-furrow gave 21-30 days
of excellent leaf spot suppression, he
says. In banded applications of Proline
and Headline at 21 days after planting, we
received 28 days more protection for
peanuts from leaf spot.
The Headline or Proline applied at 21
days after planting will provide a strong
base for disease control, according to
Culbreath. He says these applications
could substitute for one or two leaf spot
sprays, plus provide the benefits of
soilborne disease control. He says the
early season advantage for soilborne
disease control comes with the banded
application based on Tim Brennemans
research at UGA. But if a grower uses
broadcast, then there will still be good
leaf spot control, he adds.
To fully test the ability of the
fungicides as a leaf spot control, these
peanuts were planted during August or
September next to rows of peanuts where
leaf spot epidemics were severe. In the
band applications three weeks after
planting, leaf spot infections were already
present, and the Proline or Headline
prevented leaf spot for three weeks or
longer. Culbreath says results from 2012
and 2013 indicate that banded
applications of these fungicides three
weeks after planting may provide
adequate control of leaf spot until
subsequent applications are needed for
white mold control.
Late season levels of leaf spot control
with banded applications of Proline were
similar to those in the Headline
treatments. Leaf spot control with Abound
was not as good as with Proline or
Headline.
He also conducted trials at Plains in
2013 to see how well leaf spot could be
controlled in areas where the infection
was well established. Culbreath called
these tests, delayed application
treatments. He found from 2009 through
2013, applications of Proline alone or
Proline plus Topsin showed potential as
an alternative to Headline for use where
epidemics of leaf spot are already in
progress.
He indicated growers should not
count on using any fungicide in a curative
situation (after infections have occurred).
Culbreath says, leafspot can get out of
hand quickly, so its good to know how
best to stop it, or at least slow it down
once you have a problem.
Culbreath and his colleagues also
evaluated several peanut varieties that
received zero, four and seven fungicide
applications. Varieties in the 2013 test
included Goergia-06G, Georgia-07W,
Georgia Greener, Georgia-09B,
Georgia-10T, Georgia-12Y and Tifguard.
The fungicide treatments included
chlorothalonil plus tebuconazole. His
results showed final leaf spot severity was
highest in Georgia-09B in nontreated
plots. Midseason leaf spot severity for
Tifguard, Georgia-10T and Georgia-12Y
were lower than for Georgia-06G or
Georgia Greener with the four-fungicide
treatments. In nontreated plots, yields of
Tifguard and Georgia-12Y were the
highest. There was little difference in
yield among Georgia-06G, Georgia
Greener or Tifguard in the
seven-application treatment. t
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 15
Still need fungicides for leaf spot
Albert Culbreath, University of Georgia plant
pathologist, found that a fungicide application
21 days after planting could substitute for one
or two leaf spot control sprayings.
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Tebuconazole precautions
Generic tebuconazole
products are among the
most popular fungicides
used on peanuts today.
Tebuconazole was the active
ingredient in Folicur and is now found in
Tebuzol, Monsoon, Savannah, Muscle,
Orius and other fungicides sold in
peanuts.
University of Georgia Extension
plant pathologist Bob Kemerait says
tebuconazoles popularity with peanut
growers was enhanced by lower costs for
these products compared to other
fungicides. He cautions growers to keep
in mind that tebuconazole can be
overused.
Tebuconazole remains an effective
fungicide for managing soilborne
diseases, and in managing leaf spot when
tank-mixed with other fungicides.
Kemerait strongly cautions against
using tebuconazole at rates higher than
the labeled 7.2 fluid ounces per acre. He
says that using tebuconazole higher than
7.2 fluid onuces per acre is off-label and
research to support applications at higher
than the recommended rate has not been
conducted. He adds that before a grower
increases rates for use of tebuconazole,
the grower would be better advised to
consider use of another more effective
fungicide. t
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Disease & Insect Guidebook
-
Rhizoctonia solani is a
fungus that can attack all
parts of the peanut plant,
and at all stages of
growth.
The pods and the leaves can all get
symptoms, says University of Georgia
plant pathologist Tim Brenneman. In the
early days, we thought Rhizoctonia was
only a seedling disease. Early planting in
cool, wet soils can lead to seedling
diseases caused by Rhizoctonia, either
alone or in concert with other fungal
pathogens.
In addition to seedling disease,
Rhizoctonia also causes aerial blight and
limb rot.
One factor that favors Rhizoctonia in
peanuts is the increase in irrigation. The
more you irrigate and fertilize, the more
likely you are to have Rhizoctonia,
Brenneman says. Rhizoctonia is a
problem on our best managed fields.
Yet when he looks at peanut disease
trends, he sees white mold and nematodes
increasing while Rhizoctonia, especially
limb rot, has been decreasing in recent
years.
Very young pegs can get lost to
Rhizoctonia limb rot, Brenneman says.
Cankers formed on the taproot can also
be caused by Rhizoctonia.
In Brennemans tests, he inoculated
rows of peanuts with Rhizoctonia. We
saw a slowing of peanut plant growth
even though our total stand counts were
about the same, he adds. He believes this
inhibition of plant growth may be due to
the Rhizoctonia-formed cankers on the
taproot. We may have underestimated
these taproot cankers, he adds.
Brenneman conducted a limb rot test
in 2012 that included irrigated peanuts
with a high yield potential planted to the
Tifguard variety. In some plots,
tebuconazole was the only fungicide
applied for soilborne disease control.
Then, we added Convoy to some of
these plots and we got a 700-pound per
acre yield increase, Brenneman says.
He also notes that in some fields the
problem has been aerial blight from a
different type of Rhizoctonia (AG-1).
This one can produce black leaves,
though symptoms may not be as
noticeable on the plant stems.
Many growers rely on tebuconazole
for disease protection, but that may not be
the best choice for managing Rhizoctonia
in peanuts, according to Brenneman.
Other products such as Abound have been
historically strong against Rhizoctonia.
We need more data on newer fungicides
and how they impact Rhizoctonia, he
adds.
Some things we just dont
understand, Brenneman says. For
instance, the wet weather we had in 2013
should have made it a bad year for
Rhizoctonia, but that didnt prove to be
the case.
University of Georgia Extension
plant pathologist Bob Kemerait says
Rhizoctonia can be found in every peanut
field in the Southeast. Rhizoctonia causes
ear rot in corn and losses in cotton.
Kemerait believes the Rhizoctonia limb
rot seen in peanuts is moved through the
air from one field to another. This is the
same aerial blight that occurs on
soybeans, Kemerait adds. t
16 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
Fontelis fungicide first
became available to peanut
growers for use during the
2012 growing season.
In several years of University of
Georgia research, Fontelis has held up
well in controlling targeted peanut dis-
eases such as white mold and leaf spot.
University of Georgia Extension
plant pathologist Bob Kemerait says
Fontelis is applied in three applications
at a rate of 16 fluid ounces per acre in
each application.
Fontelis has broad-spectrum activity
and can be used in the management of
leaf spot diseases, white mold,
Rhizoctonia limb rot and
Cylindrocladium black rot, according to
Kemerait.
Kemerait adds that penthiopyrad is
the active ingredient in Fontelis and is in
a different fungicide class than other
widely used products such as Provost,
Proline, Quash, tebuconazole, Abound
and Evito.
Because of this, Fontelis will play
an important role in fungicide resistance
management, Kemerait adds. t
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Rhizoctonia updateDisease & Insect Guidebook
BY JOHN LEIDNER
TimBrenneman, University of Georgia plant pathologist, says when reviewing peanut disease
trends, he sees white mold and nematodes increasing while Rhizoctonia, especially limb rot, has
been decreasing in recent years.
Fontelis update
-
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 17
Nicholas Dufault,
University of Florida
Extension plant
pathologist, cautions
peanut farmers to be aware of the risks of
fungicide resistance.
This is also a topic of vital interest to
the crop protection industry, and as a
result, some within the industry have
formed the Fungicide Resistance Action
Committee (FRAC). This group has
categorized fungicides according to their
mode of action.
Dufault says the most widely used
peanut fungicides besides chlorothalonil
are in FRAC groups 3, 7 and 11. To keep
resistance from becoming a problem,
Dufault recommends rotating fungicides
by group numbers.
We are seeing some fungicides
develop resistance fairly quickly, says
Dufault. For instance, Headline is less
effective on leaf spot (frog eye leaf spot)
in soybeans, and this may be due to
developing resistance. In 2012, we saw a
lot of late leaf spot in peanuts, and
tebuconazole was less effective than
chlorothalonil by itself.
We have a lot of good fungicides for
peanuts, so be sure to rotate them,
Dufault says. For instance, consider two
sprays rather than a four-block sprays.
After two sprays of the same fungicide
group, come back with fungicides from a
different FRAC group.
Paying attention to resistance
management is becoming more important
because one of the widely used
fungicides, azoxystrobin, is losing its
patent protection. Azoxystrobin is the
active ingredient in Abound and in
Quadris premixes. Dufault says that as
generic versions of azoxystrobin become
available for the peanut market, it will be
important for growers to understand the
active ingredient and mode of action to
prolong their effectiveness.
In using generic azoxystrobin,
Dufault says it will be important to plan
how to use these products and to monitor
the results. It is likely that these products
will fit into many spray programs and will
provide effective control at a reduced
cost, says Dufault. However, the
overuse of these products can lead to the
development of fungicide resistance, and
lead to the loss of effective disease
management tools.
Resistance to one fungicide product
within a group can lead to resistance to all
products within that group, so it is
possible to lose more than one fungicide
when resistance develops to a product.
Tank mixing fungicides, or using
premixes of two or more fungicides, will
also aid in resistance management,
according to Dufault. Doing this helps
reduce selection pressure. If a fungus
develops resistance to one fungicide, then
it will be killed or limited by the other
fungicide in the mix. Proper fungicide
rotation will help reduce the selection
pressure placed on a single pathogen
population, Dufault adds. t
Rotate fungicide groups
BY JOHN LEIDNER
University of Georgia
Extension plant
pathologist Bob
Kemerait says peanut
growers continue to be blessed with an
increasing arsenal of fungicides for use
in protecting the crop against diseases.
Kemerait says this is especially
encouraging since peanuts are still
considered to be a minor crop in
comparison to more widely grown crops
such as corn and soybeans.
Some of the newer fungicides
growers may see this year or next
include: Alto, Priaxor, Custodia and
Muscle ADV.
Kemerait says Alto has
cyproconazole as its active ingredient. It
is manufactured by Syngenta and will be
promoted as a mix partner with Abound
to promote resistance management and
to enhance leaf spot control.
The active ingredient in Abound is
azoxystrobin and it will lose its patent
protection this year, so look for several
generic azoxystrobin products to become
available this year.
Azoxystrobin is susceptible to
resistance development, Kemerait says.
Im not sure it is good for azoxystrobin
to go off patent if this leads to over-use
and resulting diseases that are resistant
to this fungicide.
Priaxor is a pre-mix of Headline and
Xemium. Priaxor is being developed as
a replacement for Headline. The active
ingredient in Xemium is fluxapyroxad.
While Priaxor is labeled for use on
peanuts, Kemerait says it will be 2015
before information becomes available on
how best to use Priaxor.
Custodia is a pre-mix of
azoxystrobin and tebuconazole and will
likely be available from MANA for use
during 2014.
Muscle ADV is a pre-mix of tebu-
conazole and chlorothalonil and will be
available from Sipcam in 2014. t
Notes on new fungicides
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Disease & Insect Guidebook
Check out these websites
throughout the peanut
season for help with
management of diseases.
www.georgiaweather.net
www.awis.com
www.frac.info
www.ugapeanuts.com
-
18 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
There are a lot of insects in
peanut fields, says Mark
Abney. Some are
beneficial, and some are
pests. And then there are some insects that
we dont know if they are pests or not,
he adds.
Abney is a new University of
Georgia peanut entomologist. His
appointment is 30 percent Extension and
70 percent research. He aims to help
peanut farmers maximize their profits.
That may mean spraying for insect pests
when warranted, or not spraying if the
targeted insect is not a pest or is a pest in
numbers that are too small to justify the
expense of spraying.
Shortly after he was hired last year,
he attended the Southern Peanut Growers
Conference in Panama City Beach, Fla.
There, he surveyed farmer members of
the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club
who were recognized for producing high
yields in 2012. These growers told Abney
their major insect concerns were foliage
feeding caterpillars, three-cornered alfalfa
hoppers, burrower bugs, lesser cornstalk
borers, thrips, wireworms and spider
mites.
There is a long list of insects that
feed on peanuts, but not all insect pests
are in every peanut field every year,
Abney says. Thats good, but it sure
makes it difficult for farmers to plan
ahead. Likewise, the up and down
populations complicate peanut insect
control research.
Abney sees his first major job
objective as determining the spray
thresholds for the various insects thought
to threaten peanuts.
Spray thresholds for a number of
peanut insect pests were established many
years ago, when different varieties and
different cultural practices were in vogue.
Abneys just not sure the old thresholds
remain valid today.
We dont have valid economic
thresholds for peanut pests, Abney says.
For example, the three-cornered alfalfa
hopper is perceived as a pest, but we
dont know if it causes yield losses.
There is no doubt that numbers of
three-cornered alfalfa hoppers have
increased in recent years. Since the
economic impact of this insect on modern
varieties has not been firmly established,
growers have had to rely on their best
judgment on when to apply treatments,
according to Abney. Hed like to establish
treatment threshold numbers that would
be easy to measure with the use of a
sweep net.
Based on earlier research, Abney is
fairly certain that treatment is not needed
for three-cornered alfalfa hoppers on
peanuts within 30 days of digging. He
says the immature or nymph stage of
growth is thought to be responsible for
most of the damage to peanuts by the
three-cornered alfalfa hoppers. If thats
the case, then treating and controlling
adults before they lay eggs may be a
useful approach to reduce crop damage.
Earlier studies also showed that
three-cornered alfalfa hopper damage to
peanuts varied considerably depending on
the peanut variety. However, Abney says
those varieties are no longer grown by
farmers.
He also warns that spraying when it
is not needed can result in the emergence
or flaring of other non-target secondary
pests such as spider mites. Abney also
wonders if three-cornered alfalfa hopper
damage to peanuts can lead to white mold
damage as the fungus invades damaged
plant parts. This is another question we
hope to answer, Abney adds.
Thrips were another insect pest that
damaged peanuts in 2013. Tobacco thrips
was the species that mainly damaged
peanuts last year. Western flower thrips is
the other species that can be a problem on
peanuts. Thrips normally move to peanuts
in late April or early May, but last year
the thrips flights peaked during late May.
Warmer weather and rainfall during June
allowed the peanuts to outgrow the thrips
damage.
Before tomato spotted wilt virus
became a serious problem in peanuts,
traditional Extension advice was that
peanuts would outgrow thrips damage.
When tomato spotted wilt virus appeared,
it became clear that just killing thrips with
insecticides did not reduce virus losses.
Studies did show an advantage to use of
soil-applied Thimet insecticide for
reducing spotted wilt losses. However, a
combination of production practices that
include the use of virus resistant varieties
is critical for managing thrips and the
disease they transmit.
Now, as with three-cornered alfalfa
hoppers, theres no clear-cut threshold for
treating peanuts for thrips. Abney hopes
to determine when it pays to use foliar
insecticides for thrips. We want to do
real-time monitoring of thrips populations
on peanuts, Abney says. We also want
to test a predictive model for thrips
control that was developed in North
Carolina. This model works well there,
and it may have a place here.
The burrower bug is another
on-again, off-again pest of peanuts in the
Southeast. Abney calls the burrower bug a
soil-dwelling stink bug, with
piercing-sucking mouthparts. It sucks
juice from the peanut kernel. If such
damage is extensive, harvested peanut
kernels will be graded as damaged Seg. 2
peanuts.
Burrower bug damage also increases
the risk of aflatoxin contamination,
Abney says. He explains that burrower
bugs thrive during drought conditions and
in sandy soils, especially in peanuts
planted with reduced tillage. Because
these insects dwell in the soil, monitoring
for them is difficult, if not impossible.
Cultural controls for the burrowing bugs
include deep tillage and irrigation. The
granular chlorpyrifos insecticide is
labeled for control, but it has given
inconsistent results, according to Abney.
We need to develop an effective
Defining insect treatment thresholds
Mark Abney is a new peanut entomologist for
the University of Georgia. He hopes to help
determine treatment thresholds for major
insect pests.
Disease & Insect Guidebook
-
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 19
Thimet insecticide has
become a major tool in
the management of
tomato spotted wilt virus.
University of Georgia plant
pathologist Albert Culbreath has
evaluated Thimet, with its active
ingredient of phorate, along with some
other insecticides and to see how these
insecticides impact spotted wilt
incidence in the newer varieties.
The insecticides target the thrips
that spread the spotted wilt virus.
He found that varieties
Georgia-10T, Georgia-11J and
Georgia-12Y all had better spotted wilt
resistance than the widely planted
Georgia-06G.
The 12Y variety has looked
especially good, and its yield potential
showed up well in 2013, Culbreath
adds. The 12Y variety is great on
tomato spotted wilt incidence compared
to 06G.
Culbreath says 12Y also looks good
as a variety for early planting. He adds
that the 11J variety is a large Virginia
type variety that also has excellent
resistance to spotted wilt.
We saw no benefit of thrips
insecticides on the 12Y variety,
Culbreath says. We tested Cruiser and
saw that it had no effect on tomato
spotted wilt virus, but it did increase
yields in the 06G peanuts.
The 2013 tests included the
varieties Georgia-06G, Georgia-07W,
Georgia-09B, Georgia-10T, Georgia-11J,
Georgia-12Y, Georgia Greener and
Tifguard. For these varieties, the
application of Thimet significantly
reduced the incidence
of tomato spotted
wilt.
Overall, the final
incidence of spotted
wilt was 15 percent in
nontreated plots and
10.7 percent in plots
treated with Thimet.
While Thimet reduced
spotted wilt inci-
dence, it did not have
much of an impact on
final yields in this
test.
With the level of resistance in most
of the varieties we have, thats not too
surprising, Culbreath says.
The 12Y variety was the highest
yielding and it produced significantly
higher yields than the next two best
yielding varieties, 10T and 06G.
Regional tests were conducted in
2012 with the 06G and 12Y varieties
that included no insecticide for thrips,
Cruiser seed treatment, Cruiser plus one
Orthene spray, and Thimet applied
in-furrow at planting. Only the Thimet
treatment reduced incidence of the
disease in 06G, and the final incidence in
12Y was low, regardless of insecticide
treatment.
Trials in 2012 and 2013 evaluated
several insecticides for thrips control.
These included Cyazypyr, Movento,
Radiant, Assail, Karate, Orthene and
Admire. Thrips populations were
especially heavy in 2013.
With two applications, in-furrow
and at-cracking sprays of Cyazypyr,
thrips control and spotted wilt
suppression were similar to that
provided by Thimet. However, a single
in-furrow or single at-crack application
of Cyazypyr was not as good at
suppressing spotted wilt as Thimet was
in 2013.
In multiple 2013 tirals, in-furrow
applications of Admire provided thrips
control that was similar to that of
Thimet at early evaluations, but not
quite as good at later evaluations.
Admire has not provided consistent
suppression of spotted wilt virus.
However, on varieties such as 06G,
Admire has not increased spotted wilt as
it did on earlier varieties such as
Florunner and Georgia Runner.
The varieties with spotted wilt
resistance as good as or better than that
of 06G do not require as much addition-
al suppression as we needed in the past
on Georgia Green, Culbreath adds.
They are much more forgiving with
regard to managing spotted wilt. t
Thrips control, spotted wilt and new varieties
burrowing bug monitoring tool, Abney
says. He says a light trap was developed
to detect the pest in Texas peanuts during
the 1960s. I would like to do a project
on using this light trap, he says, and
ultimately, I hope we can come up with
predictive models that would tell us when
it would pay to treat for burrower bugs.
Abney also hopes to validate current
thresholds for treating foliage-feeding
insects. He estimates that about 70
percent of the Georgia peanut acreage is
treated for caterpillar pests, but a lot of
this insecticide is applied prior to the pest
populations reaching the treatment
threshold. He believes much of this
wasteful spraying could be eliminated
without harming yields. Peanuts will
tolerate a lot of foliage feeding, especially
in the newer varieties and under
irrigation, he adds.
Weather will have a big bearing on
insect threats to the 2014 crop, according
to Abney. He says wet weather during the
2013 growing season prevented lesser
cornstalk borers, burrower bugs and
spider mites from inflicting damage last
year.
So we have many insects, but most
are sporadic threats, Abney says. There
is no need to treat caterpillars if their
numbers are below the thresholds. We
need research on three-cornered alfalfa
hoppers, and we advise growers to look
out for the burrower bug. We cant predict
insect pressure, so it is still important for
growers to scout for insect pests. t
BY JOHN LEIDNER
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Disease & Insect Guidebook
Thrips damage to peanuts.
-
FSA releases 2014 Farm Bill overviewThe USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA) has released its
overview of the Agricultural Act of 2014 or 2014 Farm Bill.
The bill informs producers of key changes in the new law. The
Risk Management Agency and FSA held a listening session
March 27 in Washington, D.C., to discuss the Farm Bill regula-
tions.
To view the FSA 2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, visit
www.AmericanPeanuts.com and click on the link to the 2014
Farm Bill Info page.
The University of Georgias National Center for Peanut
Competitiveness has drafted a detailed summary of the 2014
Farm Bill peanut provisions, as well as an analysis of how the
new law intends for commodity and generic bases to function.
These can also be found on the Georgia Peanut Commissions
legislative blog at www.AmericanPeanuts.com.
USDA outlines farm bill regulatory processUSDA Secretary Vilsack outlined the Farm Bill process at a
recent agricultural meeting in Texas. Sec. Vilsack commented:
The key here is for us to set the table for all of you to be
able to make informed decisions for the 2015 crop year and
many of these programs. You all are interested in the ARC and
PLC that you have. So let me talk about the steps we will take.
First, obviously we have to establish the educational
materials and training materials that will be used to educate you
and educate our field staff. We will soon be dispersing the $3
million that Congress has provided for the tab of those training
materials and the web-based tools that you all will use and study
over the course of the next several months to make determina-
tions and decisions about your operation. We will establish the
opportunities that will assist us in our outreach, which we can
expect to do this in the summer and fall of this year.
We will allow you during the course of that summer and
fall to update production history. We want to make sure we are
communicating with you about base and yields in your
production history. We are going to hope to publicize and focus
on publicizing the final program and the regulations for both
ARC and PLC in the Fall of 2014.
We will allow, after that occurs, to update your information
concerning yields and relocate your business if you need to do
that with the hope that by the end of 2014 and early 2015, you
will be in a position to be able to make your election and your
decisions. So, we hope that that reassures you that we
understand the importance of getting these programs up and
going as quickly as we possibly can.
USDA encourages early sign-up for FSA
programsThe U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Farm
Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia
recommends that farmers and ranchers who plan to participate in
FSA programs register in advance. Producers are encouraged to
report farm records and business structure changes to a local
FSA Service Center before April 15, 2014.
Enrollment for the disaster programs authorized by the 2014
Farm Bill, including the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and
the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) will begin by
April 15, 2014.
We expect significant interest in these programs, Garcia
says. Early registration should help improve the sign-up process
and allow us to expedite implementation of the programs. I
strongly encourage producers to complete their paperwork ahead
of time.
Examples of updates or changes to report include:
New producers or producers who have not reported farm
records to FSA.
Producers who have recently bought, sold or rented land.
Those producers need to ensure that changes have been reported
and properly recorded by local FSA county office personnel.
Reports of purchased or sold property should include a copy of
the land deed, and if land has been leased, then documentation
should be provided that indicates the producer had/has control of
the acreage.
Producers that have changed business structures (e.g.
formed a partnership or LLC) need to ensure that these
relationships and shares are properly recorded with FSA. Even
family farms that have records on file may want to ensure that
this is recorded accurately, as it may impact payment limits.
Farm records can be updated during business hours at FSA
Service Centers that administer the county where the farm or
ranch is located. Producers can contact their local FSA Service
Center in advance to find out what paperwork they may need. In
addition, bank account information should be supplied or
updated if necessary to ensure that producers receive payments
as quickly as possible through direct deposit.
While any producer may report farm records and business
structure changes, it is especially important for producers who
suffered livestock, livestock grazing, honeybee, farm-raised fish,
or tree/vine losses for 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014, and may be
eligible for assistance through one of the four disaster programs.
Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.
Legislative Updates available online at www.americanpeanuts.com
20 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014
-
April 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 21
The Southern Peanut Farmers
Federation, National Peanut Buying
Points Association and the American
Peanut Shellers Association joined in
sending a letter of support for the 2014
Farm Bill to U.S. Department of
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The groups highlighted support for
new provisions in the Farm Bill
addressing base acres:
Although there are some provisions
of the Agricultural Act of 2014 that are
similar to the 2008 Farm Bill, there are
also significant changes. Our
organizations support the intent of the
Conference Committee and its leadership
for these new provisions including the
Price Loss Coverage and Agricultural
Risk Coverage Programs.
The Agricultural Act of 2014 includes
new provisions for base acres for covered
commodities and generic base acres. We
support the Conference Committees
intent relative to the implementation of
provisions for base acres for covered
commodities and generic base acres.
March 17, 2014
The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Whitten Building
1400 Independent Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Vilsack:
On behalf of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, the National Peanut Buying Points Association and the American Peanut
Shellers Association, we want to express our support for the Agricultural Act of 2014. Our organizations worked closely with leaders
of the U.S House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Agriculture Committees on the peanut provisions of this legislation, and we
supported the final Conference Committee Report.
The Agricultural Act of 2014 encourages flexibility for peanut producers and provides a healthy marketplace for the U.S. peanut
industry for the foreseeable future. Our trading partners have shown increased interest in U.S.