Southeastern Peanut Farmer - April 2014

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.

2 Southeastern Peanut Farmer April 2014

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

[email protected]

229-386-3690

Contributing Writers

JohnLeidner

[email protected]

Teresa Mays

[email protected]

Jessie Turk

[email protected]

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.


Farmland, Boiled Peanuts & Nutmobile

(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor, using the following e-mail address:

[email protected])

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.


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.


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


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

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.


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.

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.


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.

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


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.


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


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


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


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


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.


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


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.



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


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.



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


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


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


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.



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


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



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.

Documents

Southeastern Peanut Farmer - April 2014