Slightly cooler temperatures are bringing a break from the heat but still provide effective warmth for continued maturity development. Recent pod maturity samples range from being ready in about 10 days to two weeks to benefitting from at least five more weeks to further develop maturity prior to harvest if conditions allow. As quick as weather conditions can change, plans can end up becoming adjusted for currently less mature fields as a function of diminishing growing season depending on what we get through October. If canopies are mostly clean from leaf spot and do not have defoliation, they are usually safe for 3 to 4 weeks without leaf spot increasing to economically significant levels of defoliation. Still, we have seen years such as 2022 toward the end of the growing season when conditions turned cool and wet and canopies quickly developed a spotty decline with vines and pods showing infection from soil disease following inversion. In most cases it is more common for soil disease to develop over a longer period of time through the growing season, and then symptoms may appear to become visible under a shorter window of time. If a field looks like it will need at least 4 or more weeks before it may be dug, I would consider including an application of tebuconazole during this time.

Moisture under the canopy is also facilitating development of visible mycelia in fields. White mold/stem rot can be separated from false white mold by the presence of white/tan small round sclerotia in the case of white mold or creamy/yellow toothy growth in the case of false white mold. If brushed away from the plant tissue, false white mold does not damage peanut plants and would have healthy plant tissue beneath it, whereas stem rot/white mold would have necrotic plant tissue beneath its mycelium in most cases.

If a field has had waterlogged soil for several weeks and is chlorotic it is a difficult situation to fully recover from. If the roots appear black I would not be inclined to put additional money into the field. If roots look good and a modest application of nitrogen is being considered, under otherwise non-stressful growing conditions we tend to see a response only about 50% of the time. Due to this, expectations should be tempered on possible end results.

As a reminder, the Peanut/Cotton/Vegetable/Fruit Field Day will be held in Blackville this Thursday, September 5 (schedule attached).