Winter V-C Peanut News Article

David Jordan

NC State University

In this column, I’m going to provide a summary of some of the trials conducted in 2025 with possible applications. At the end, I’ll share what I refer to as a “Jack Bailey Story” about some of my morning routines with an eye toward peanuts. First, the research results from trials in 2025.

Row visibility and peanut yield were similar regardless of prohexadione calcium formulation (Apogee, Kudos WDG, Kudos OD, and Cryova.) Row visibility improved similarly when Kudos OD was applied with liquid ammonium sulfate regardless of adjuvant treatment (no adjuvant, nonionic surfactant, or crop oil concentrate.) Several key plant protection products and micronutrients increased injury when Kudos OD was mixed with these materials.

The rate of 7.2 oz/acre of Kudos OD (applied twice) was more effective in improving row visibility at several locations compared with a rate of 5.4 oz/acre. Over a two-year period (9 trials in 2024 and 2025) in large-plot trials, yield of peanut treated with Kudos OD was 6.2% higher when applied at 7.2 oz/acre compared with non-treated peanuts. Yield was 3.1% higher when Kudos OD was applied at 5.4 oz/acre. These yield increases likely wouldhave occurred regardless of the prohexadione calcium formulation, although this has not been evaluated to this degree. Within this group of 9 trials, some responses were much larger than the average shown here. There were also trials with minor increases in yield with Kudos OD. There were no cases where yield decreased when Kudos OD was applied, regardless of rate.

Samples collected throughout the state in 2025 indicated that growers can plant peanuts in fields with relatively high zinc concentrations if soil pH is relatively high.

Leaf spot control was greater when a five-spray program was used compared with non-treated peanut or a marginal three-spray program, either with or without a “rescue” treatment in late September. When fungicides were applied, regardless of fungicide program, peanut yield remained relatively high even when digging was delayed by as much as four weeks. This reflects not only the effectiveness of fungicides in protecting peanuts from leaf spot disease, but also dry conditions in September and October 2025 that minimized disease development and subsequent negative impacts on peanuts. This trial was a part of a larger group of studies designed to document the impact of delays in digging past optimum pod maturity with different levels of leaf spot disease.

Leaf spot suppression was similar when chlorothalonil, micronized sulfur, and a copper-containing fungicide were applied at the first and last timings. Provost Silver and Priaxor were used for sprays 2-4.

Research indicated that weed populations will be higher when herbicides that affect PPO and ALS sites of action and paraquat are removed from the system. Cultivation was partially effective in offsetting limitations of less effective herbicides (Basagran and 2,4-DB.)

Research continued to reveal that in the absence of PPO-resistant weeds, Brake herbicide is no more effective than Valor SX (flumioxazin.)

Peanut yield was similar in 10 of 13 large-plot trials when comparing Bailey II, Emery, NC 20, and NC 21. Yield of NC 20 dropped off in some trials. There is concern about the ramifications of NC 20 producing an abnormally high percentage of sound splits.

In 2024 and 2025 (8 trials), planting peanuts in conventional tillage on beds yielded more than planting in conventional tillage in flat ground or in strip tillage; yield of peanuts in flat ground and strip tillage was similar.

No difference in peanut yield was observed when peanuts were planted either with or without in-row sub-soiling during bedding at two locations.

Peanut yield was higher when ammonium sulfate or Kmag was applied in one on-farm test. The combination of these fertilizers did not increase yield over either one applied alone. The K-I (potassium index) ranged from 25-35. A positive economic return to KMag was documented.

Okay, a Jack Bailey Story (this is a title for a unique story that has a message somewhere in it.) I still get up early, but my household chores have changed a lot from my first 52 years. I find myself packing lunch for an eight-year-old. On top of fruit and vegetables in the lunch box is a PB&J sandwich with two paper towels and a penguin-shaped icepack. All of this reminds me of the 2 to 3 PB&J sandwiches I had in my 20s, 30s, and 40s on average 4 nights per week (some of the other meals were what I refer to as the atomic bowl of Cheerios – use of a large mixing bowl as a cereal bowl with each box of cereal having two servings – most of the time with at least a little bit of milk.) It was indeed a different time. While those days are gone, peanuts, through peanut butter, continue to be an important element of my existence.

Most mornings include preparing a smoothie for Amy. This is where I am reminded of peanut production and pest management around tank mixing. There are five elements that go into the smoothie (water, blueberry/strawberry fruit mix, creatine, raw protein, and flaxseed.) Over the years, I’ve figured out how to get a uniform mix. There were days I needed to use a spoon or butter knife to get it mixed even after the first shot with the blender. Almost every morning when I begin adding the components, I think of the questions I get in the summer about multiple components in a tank mixture used for peanuts. In most instances, we can apply numerous products in the tank at the same time. This saves time and is more convenient in the field. What I have found, like my experiences with the smoothie, is that taking your time on the counter (your mixing pad) makes a substantial difference in getting the components in the smoothie (your spray tank.) We recently upgraded to a new blender with much better mixing strength, and this reminds me that there is no substitute for an effective agitation system in a spray tank.

My last thought in the morning is whether my 1997 WT 1500 Chevrolet truck is going to start and make the 10-mile round trip to campus that day. Next fall will be 30 years with that truck, and it has about 386,000 miles on it. Hoping to reach the 30/400 milestone. Like some of the peanut combines still running on farms, parts for this truck are getting hard to find. I gave up on the AC, the ability to lock doors and some electronics years ago. But with my expectations in check, it still gets the job done.