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Peanut Harvest is fast approaching!
by Jeremy M. Kichler County Extension Coordinator Colquitt County • Moultrie, Georgia email: jkichler @ uga. edu
It is getting at that time of year when the peanut crop is approaching harvest time. Growers will come from miles around to local Extension offices and bring their county agents peanuts to be checked for maturity. Peanuts may lose 300 to 500 pounds / A and 2 to 3 % in grade during the week and a half before optimum harvest timing. The method of checking peanut maturity is called the hull scrape method. This method has
been used for over 20 years and is a simple and exact way of deciding maturity. All that is needed is a color-coded chart and a pressure washer with a turbo tip.
Taking a good sample is CRUCIAL in figuring out the proper time to dig, so here is a reminder of how to pull a sample for profiling peanut maturity. A peanut hull scrape maturity check will be as exact as the sample that you take. Pull or dig up at least 5 to 6 adjacent plants from at least three representative parts of a field that can be dug in on a day. Keep these samples from each area of the field separate. Pick ALL the peanuts off the plants until you get around 200 peanuts( a sample should have between 180 and 220 peanut pods). Pick the vine clean. If it is a while before you can bring the sample, then pick off the sample and keep the peanuts in a bucket of water to keep them fresh.
When growers are sampling fields please pay attention to overall condition of plants, soil type, planting dates, and variety, because these factors can influence maturity. Please note things such as leaf spot, white mold, and limb rot because these diseases can defoliate the plants. Also keep a look out for nematodes, rootworms and wireworms because this could affect management decision for the next crop.
If you have questions about peanut maturity please contact your local county Extension agent. n
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