Using the Peanut Pod-Blasting Method to Determine Peanut

Maturity

Last year there were approximately 210,000

acres of peanuts planted here in Florida. Over

the past four to five years peanut production

has increased throughout the state.

Determining when to harvest peanuts is an

important decision each peanut producer will

have to face.

Peanut pod-blasting is the method most com-

monly used by producers and extension agents

to determine the peanuts maturity. A maturity

board which is available at most extension

offices and a pressure washer is the only

materials needed to pod-blasting peanuts.

Hamilton County Extension

Keith Wynn

1143 U.S. Hwy. 41 NW

Jasper, FL 32053

Phone: 386-792-1276

Fax: 386-792-6446

Using Peanut

Pod-Blasting to Check

Peanut Maturity

Hamilton County Extension

Conclusion:

Determining peanut maturity is important

when considering when to invert peanuts.

Over mature peanuts can lead to mechanical

losses at harvest and immature peanuts can

lead to a lower grade and yield. Peanut pod

blasting to check for maturity is an im-

portant factor used to consider when a pro-

ducer should start inverting their peanuts.

However, the producer should also consider

the plant’s health, the plant’s age, and up-

coming weather events such as hurricanes

or frontal storms which could interfere with

harvest.

Steps Used to Successfully Pod-Blast Peanuts

Step One:

Most peanut producers begin sampling their fields for peanut maturity when they reach 100 to 120 days of age. In order to receive a random sample, five to six plants are collected throughout the sam-ple area. Every peanut pod should be picked off of each plant in order to collect 150-200 pods which will provide an ade-quate sample. Some producers will blast two or three samples per field.

Step Two:

Extension agents and peanut pro-ducers normally use a pressure washer with a rotating turbo nozzle to pod-blast peanuts. This proce-dure removes the exocarp from the peanuts in order to reveal the pea-nuts mesocarp color.

Step Four:

This is the most challenging step of the pod-

blasting method. A maturity board is used to

determine maturity by placing peanuts in differ-

ent color class columns based on the color of

the peanuts mesocarp. Color separation can be

highly susceptible to an individual’s ability to

determine which color column pods should be

placed in. The individual placing the pods in the

columns will only gain the knowledge to proper-

ly place the pods through experience.

Step Three:

A basket to hold the pods for blasting can be

made from 1/4 inch hardware cloth. It can then

be placed in a five gallon bucket in order to con-

tain the water when the peanuts are pressure

washed. Make sure to drill a couple of holes in

the bottom of the bucket to allow the water to

drain out.