Question:

Is one particular inoculant better than others?

Jordan:

In my experience, if you purchase from a reputable company, use fresh inoculant every year, handle the inoculant well (store in a cool dry place), apply at the recommended rate, and make sure the inoculant is delivered to the bottom of the seed furrow, you will see very little difference in performance. We have not compared all of the inoculants on the market. But when I do make those comparisons in new ground, the inoculated peanuts look deep green and they yield the same regardless of the product. Yield is always much higher than the non-inoculated control.

As a reminder, if you are planting new ground, use a peat-based material with seed in addition to the in-furrow liquid. This is important insurance in case a nozzle gets blocked or soil caves in after seed drop but before spray is delivered.