Duplicatec CIRCULAR No. 108 JUNE 1952 PEANUT PRODUCTION PRACTICES in SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA Southeastern Producing """~* Peanut Area SSample Areas STATION AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT of the ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE E. V. SMITH, Director Auburn, Alabama CONTENTS Page DESCRIPTION OF AREA----------------------------------------------------------- 4 5 THE PEANUT ENTERPRISE----PEANUT PRODUCTION ------------------------------- PRACTICES -------------------------------6 Cropping System-----------------------------------------------------Seed, Seeding Rate, and Planting Date---------------------------8 Fertilization------Insect and Disease ControlMethod and Time of H-arvesting 7 ------------------------------------- 10 ---------------------------------------------------------- 14 16 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS--------------------------------------------------APPENDIX---------..-------------------------------------------------------- 19 22 FIRST PRINTING 3M, JUNE 1952 PEANUT PRODUCTION PRACTICES in SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA* J. HOMER BLACKSTONE, Associate Agricultural Economist** PICKED or threshed peanut acreage in Alabama amounted to 318,000 acres in 1920. By 1943 this acreage had increased to only 574,000 acres. Following this peak, there was a steady decrease in acreage until in 1950 it amounted to 335,000 acres, or 42 per cent less than the peak acreage in 1943. Most of the State's commercial production of peanuts is confined to southeastern Alabama (cover). In recent years peanut yields have shown a consistent increase over previous years. Major problems that peanut producers in southeastern Alabama are facing include possible further reductions in acreage allotments on peanuts to be picked or threshed, high production costs, high labor requirements, maintenance of satisfactory farm incomes, and maintenance and improvement of soil resources. Farmers, therefore, must seriously consider (1) all possible ways of increasing peanut yields, increasing production efficiency, and lowering costs of production; and- (2) the addition or expansion of enterprises to supplement peanuts and/or shifts to alternative enterprises that may completely exclude peanuts from individual farm programs. In view of these considerations and of the present importance of peanuts in this area, a study of peanut production practices was made in the fall of 1950. Information on specific production._prac* THE This report presents part of the information obtained from the research Agricultural Engineering. Future reports will cover other phases of the study. The research on which this report is based was made possible by funds provided by project, "Factors Affecting the Quality of Peanut Seed," conducted cooperatively by the Departments of Botany and Plant Pathology, Agricultural Economics, and the Research and Marketing Act (Title II), by State funds, and by a GFA Peanut Association grant. The author is indebted to the farmers who furnished the information * * upon which this study is based. For helpful suggestions, special acknowledgement is due Coyt Wilson, Assistant Director; F. L. Davis, Soil Chemist; J. T. Williamson, and D. G. Sturkie, Agronomists; F. S. Arant, Entomologist; and staff members of the Department of Agricultural Economics of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. tices was secured by personal interview with farmers who grew runner peanuts in 1950. Nine farms selected at random in each of 15 areas or blocks in 11 counties in southeastern Alabama were included in the study (cover). Areas of both heavy and scattered production were included. Farms with small (10 acres or less), medium (11 to 30 acres), and large (31 acres or more) peanut enterprises were considered representative of peanut production enterprises in the area. This report describes current peanut production practices in southeastern Alabama, indicates variations in these practices, and compares present practices with recommendations of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. DESCRIPTION of the AREA The 11 counties included in this study accounted for 92 per cent of the total picked or threshed peanut acreage and 94 per cent of the total peanut production in the State in 1950. There were 30,944 farms in these counties according to the 1950 Census of Agriculture, Table 1. Seventy-four percent of the operators of these farms reported the production of peanuts. Operators of these farms planted an average of 16.5 acres of peanuts in 1949 - 89 per cent of which was picked or threshed. The average yield of peanuts for all farms with peanuts picked or threshed amounted to 852 pounds per acre in 1949 and 1,005 pounds in 1950. Some 80 per cent of the farmers that reported peanuts harvested, saved peanut hay for forage in 1949. During the past several years, farms in the peanut area have decreased in number and increased in size. On the average, farms in this area increased 27 acres in size between 1945 and 1950. The number of farms decreased 15 per cent during this period. Almost TABLE 1. NUMBER AREA, AND SIZE OF ALL FARMS AND SAMPLE FARMS IN THE PEANUT 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 All farms' Range in size of farms Number Percentage Sample farms Number Percentage of total of total 49 acres or less 50 - 99 acres 100- 179 acres 180 - 219 acres 220 acres or more TOTAL Number 11,179 9,402 5,933 1,210 3,220 30,944 Per cent 36 30 19 4 11 100 Number 20 39 32 12 32 135 Per cent 14 29 24 9 24 100 1 1950 Census of Agriculture. [4] TABLE 2. NUMBER OF FARMS AND ACRES OF CROPLAND OF ALL FARMS SAMPLE FARMS IN THE PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 AND Range inlacres of cropland All farms' Number Percentage Number of total Sample farms Number Percentage er of total 49 acres or less 50 - 99 acres 100 - 199 acres 200 acres or more Number 19,560 7,295 1,334 249 Per cent 69 25 5 1 100 Number 46 44 35 10 185 Per cent 34 33 26 7 100 28,438 TOTAL 1 1950 Census of Agriculture. 70 per cent of the farms were reported to be less than 100 acres in size in 1950. The average farm included in the sample consisted of 192 acres. Harvested cropland averaged 44 acres per Census farm. The average farm included in the sample had 85 acres of cropland. Approximately 34 per cent of the sample farms had 49 acres or less of cropland, while 7 per cent had 200 acres or more, Table 2. Almost three-fourths of the farm population in the peanut area is white. Less than half of the farmers are owners or part-owners, onethird are tenants, and one-fifth are croppers. Fifty-seven per cent of the sample farms were operated by owners or part-owners, 17 per cent by tenants, and 26 per cent by croppers or half share tenants. Only 19 per cent of the farmers in this area owned tractors in 1950. The PEANUT ENTERPRISE The average farmer in the group studied planted 27 acres, or 32 per cent, of his cropland in peanuts. Ninety-three per cent of this acreage was dug. More than one-fourth of the farmers planted 10 acres or less to peanuts. These were classed as small peanut enterprises, Table 3. Small acreages of peanuts were generally associated with small farms. Practically all farmers planted peanuts in accordance with their allotted acreages for picking or threshing. A few planted some additional acreage for hogging or for harvesting to sell as oil stock. The acreage of peanuts planted for all purposes is the acreage reported in this study. The size of fields planted to peanuts varied from less than 4 to more than 31 acres. About 37 per cent of the fields were less than 6 acres in size, while 6 per cent were 81 acres or more. The average [5] TABLE 3. RANGE IN ACREAGE OF PEANUTS PLANTED BY SIZE GROUPS, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Size of peanut Average enterprise size of Average acres of Average number of acres of Peanuts Peanuts Farms Number in Percentage farm Acres Small (10 acres or less) 95 130 358 192 cropland Acres 36 69 149 85 planted Acres 6 18 56 27 dug Acres 6 17 52 25 each group Number 36 57 42 185 of total Per cent 27 42 31 100 Medium (11-30 acres) Large (31 acres or more) TOTAL OR AVERAGE size of field planted to peanuts: was 12 acres. Size of field influences the efficiency with which machinery can be used. Some 78 per cent of the-'farmers withli smallpeanut enterprises planted peanuts in fields that averaged 4 acres in size. Only 30 per cent of the farmers with the medium-sized peanut enterprises, and 12 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises planted peanuts in fields of less than 6 acres. Almost a fifth of the farmers with large peanut enterprises planted peanuts in fields that averaged 31 acres or more. Farmers with small peanut enterprise farms (10 acres or less) were located primarily in 8 of the 11 counties studied. On the other hand, 3 counties had more than half of the farmers with large peanut enterprises (31 acres or more). Farmers with medium-sized peanut enterprises were fairly well distributed between the 11 counties. PEANUT PRODUCTION PRACTICES Based on the results of many years of research work and of field testing and observation, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station has developed a series of recommendations for producing peanuts both economically and efficiently. Although some recommendations are specific and others are general, most of them must be adapted to individual farms, to individual farm resources, and to the capabilities of individual farm operators. To facilitate an understanding and appraisal of the economic significance of current peanut production practices and techniques, both present and recommended practices are given in this report for comparison and for determining needed practice adjustments. Present practices are based on the crop year 1950. Recommended practices [6] as shown in this report, unless otherwise stated, are for the same year. Present and recommended practices are discussed by major operations including cropping system, seed and seeding rate, fertilization, insect and disease control, and harvesting. Cropping System Recommendations. Peanuts to be dug can be grown in a number of good cropping systems. These systems provide for peanuts in the rotation only once every 3 or 4 years. A 1952 recommended rotation that includes cotton is as follows: THREE-YEAR ROTATION First year - cotton - winter legumes Second year - corn I, Third Year - peanuts dug In 'this rotation the cotton should be fertilized with 500 pounds of 4-10-7 per acre at planting time and side-dressed with 200 pounds of 14-0-14. at the second cultivation. Corn should receive 300 pounds of 4-10-7 per acre at planting time and either 300 to 400 pounds of nitrate of soda, 150 to 200 pounds of ammonium nitrate, or the equivalent amount of nitrogen in some other satisfactory form as a side-dressing at the first or second cultivation. Peanuts should receive 300 pounds of 0-12-20 per acre at planting time. The winter legumes may require mineral fertilizers when the rotation is started if the land has not been well fertilized previously. Land from which peanuts are harvested should be limed when a lime requirement test of the soil shows that lime is needed. Cotton stalks should be cut and the land thoroughly disked before planting legumes. If preferred, peanuts may be planted after cotton in the above rotation. Recommended rotations that existed at the time of this study (1950) included the following: THREE-YEAR ROTATION year cotton Second year - peanuts dug, followed by winter legumes Third year - corn First FouR-YEAR ROTATION :- First year - cotton Second year - peanuts dug, followed by winter legumes Third year - corn - lupines Fourth year - lupine seed harvested, followed by grain sorghum Present Practices. forty-one per cent of.the fields studied (57 per cerit of the acreage in peaiuts) were planted to peanuts in 1949 . as well as 1950, Table 4. Of the fields planted to peanuts in 1949, all but one were dug. [7] TABLE 4. NUMBER, KIND AND PERCENTAGE OF FIELDS PLANTED TO VARIOUS CROPS IN 1949 BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Kind of summer crop planted in 1949 Peanuts Corn Cotton Other crops None TOTAL Number of fields Number 55 38 33 2 7 135 Percentage of total Farms Acreage Per cent 41 28 24 2 5 100 Percentage of total farms by size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Per cent 62 24 10 2 2 100 COVER Per cent Per cent Per cent 42 57 14 45 21 21 30 33 16 0 2 1 5 8 5 100 100 100 TABLE 5. NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF FIELDS PLANTED TO WINTER CROPS IN 1949, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11.COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Kind of cover on fields-winter of 1949-50 Blue lupine Other cover crops None TOTAL Number of fields Number 30 3 102 135 Percentage of total Acreage Farms Per cent Per cent 28 22 1 2 71 76 100 100 Percentage of total farms by size of peanut enterprise Large Medium Small Per cent 6 3 91 100 Per cent 23 4 73 100 Per cent 36 0 64 100 Peanuts in 1950 followed cotton and corn on about half of the fields. About 5 per cent of the fields that were planted to peanuts in 1950 were idle in 1949. Apparently farmers with large peanut enterprises were more likely to dig peanuts 2 years in succession from the same field. On the other hand, farmers with small or medium-sized peanut enterprises more often planted peanuts after cotton or corn. Following the summer crops of 1949, approximately a fourth of the fields (29 per cent of the acreage) were planted to winter cover crops and then followed by peanuts in 1950, Table 5. Blue lupine was the winter cover crop used by most farmers. As size of peanut enterprises increased, the percentage of farmers who planted winter cover crops increased. Seed, Seeding Rate, and Planting Date Recommendations. Dixie Runner is the recommended variety of peanuts for southeastern Alabama. Only clean, bright, well-filled, disease-free seed, free from cracks, should be planted. Seed should be shelled and chemically treated according to manufacturers' directions. Under these conditions, it is recommended that 35 to 40 pounds [8] of treated seed be planted in 36-inch rows with 6-inch spacing in the drill or 40 to 50 pounds in 80-inch rows. A proportionate allowance must be made for seed with lower than 90 per cent germination. Peanuts should be planted between April 1 and 15 in southeastern Alabama. Present Practices. Of all farms studied, 96 per cent planted Dixie Runners in 1950. Other varieties planted included Old Fashion Runner, Alabama Runner, and North Carolina Runner. Seed treated with chemicals for disease control were planted by 98 per cent of the farmers in 1950. Thirty per cent of the farmers reported use of their own planting seed while 70 per cent purchased seed. About 8 per cent of the farmers with small peanut enterprises, 32 per cent of those with medium-sized peanut enterprises, and 45 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises, used their own planting seed. The average rate of planting for all farmers was 29 pounds of shelled peanut seed per acre, Table 6. About 13 per cent of the farmers planted between 16 and 20 pounds of shelled peanut seed per acre; 53 per cent planted between 21 and 30 pounds per acre; 28 per cent planted between 31 and 40 pounds per acre; and 6 per cent planted 41 pounds or more per acre. Farmers with small peanut enterprises planted an average of 30 pounds of seed per acre, those with mediumsized peanut enterprises planted 28 pounds per acre, and those with large peanut enterprises planted 31 pounds per acre. Most farmers planted peanuts by the middle of April, Table 7. However, a few farmers planted earlier than the recommended planting dates, while 45 per cent of the farmers planted later than the recommended time. Farmers with large peanut enterprises planted somewhat earlier than did those with medium-sized or small peanut enterprises. TABLE 6. POUNDS OF SHELLED PEANUT SEED PLANTED PER ACRE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Range in pounds of seed peanuts planted per acre 16 -20 pounds 21 - 25 pounds 26 - 80 pounds 31 - 85 pounds 36 -40 pounds Average pounds planted per acre Pounds 19 24 29 34 39 Number Percentage of of total farms Number 17 39 33 23 15 Percentage of total farms by size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Per cent 5 23 29 29 9 Per cent Per cent Per cent 16 17 13 30 33 29 30 11 24 14 8 17 8 17 11 41 pounds or more 47 8 185 6 100 14 100 2 100 5 100 TOTAL OR AVERAGE 29 [9] TABLE 7. PEANUT PLANTING DATES, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 11 COUNTIES Range in date peanuts were planted Before April 1 April 1 - 15 Number Percentage planting of total Number 3 72 Percentage of total farms by size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Per cent 4 51 Per cent 2 65 Per cent Per cent 2 0 53 44 April 16 - 20 April 21 - 30 May 1 or later TOTAL 25 21 14 135 19 16 10 100 17 22 17 100 19 12 14 100 19 14 0 100 Fertilization Recommendations Grow peanuts after well-fertilized crops, preferably where winter legumes are included in the rotation. Bed on fertilizer about 2 weeks ahead of time to plant. If rains prevent this, apply fertilizer to the side of the drill, or well below seed. For each acre planted, use 300 to 400 pounds of 0-12-20 or 100 to 150 pounds of muriate of potash and either 200 to 300 pounds of superphosphate or 400 pounds of basic slag. This means at least 36 pounds of P 20 5 , and 60 pounds of K20 per acre. A high percentage of 5ops or a low percentage of sound, mature kernels is a good indication that the soil is deficient in calcium. On land that has not been recently limed, apply either: 1 ton of ground limestone per acre prior to planting (effective for several years), or 500 pounds of gypsum (land plaster) per acre on peanuts at blooming time annually, or 1,000 pounds of basic slag per acre broadcast annually prior to planting. Present Practices. There were wide variations in the kinds and amounts of fertilizer used on the 1949 crops that preceded peanuts in 1950. Nearly 60 per cent of the farmers used 4-10-7 in 1949, while 8 per cent used no fertilizer, Table 8. There were no major differences in the kinds of fertilizer or amounts used by size of peanut enterprises. Most farmers used mixed fertilizers, with all but a small percentage of the acreage being fertilized. The usual rate of applying fertilizer was 300 to 350 pounds per acre, Table 9. The kinds of summer and winter crops for which fertilizer was used are shown in Tables 4 and 5. In general, farmers failed to supply the required amounts of P 20 5 and K20 per acre for peanuts in 1950. Approximately 8 pounds of nitrogen, 82 pounds of phosphoric acid (P 20 5 ), and 22 pounds of [10] TABLE 8. KIND AND AMOUNT OF FERTILIZER USED ON SUMMER CROPS PRECEDING PEANUTS, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 1 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1949 Kind of fertilizer used on 1949. summer, crop Average amount of Number fert. used/acre of farms Pounds 322 357 337 0 328 Percentage of total Farms Acreage Per cent 59 5 28 8 Per cent 82 3 9 6 4-10-7 0-14-10 Other None Average amount per fertilized acre Number 80 7 38 10 .....- Average amount per planted acre 304 TOTAL 135 100 100 TABLE 9. FERTILIZER PRACTICES ON 1949 SUMMER AND WINTER COVER CROPS PRECEDING PEANUTS IN 1950, BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1949 Item Number of farms Summer crops: Proportion of farmers using Unit Number Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per Per Per Per cent cent cent cent Size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large 36 64 22 3 11 64 26 3 7 341 57 67 24 2 7 69 20 2 9 337 42 Mixed fertilizer only Mixed fertilizer and side-dressing Other No fertilizer Proportion of acreage receiving Mixed fertilizer only Mixed fertilizer and side-dressing Other No fertilizer Rate of application where used Mixed fertilizer only Materials only Fertilizer and/or materials and sidedressing Mixed fertilizer Phosphate Materials Rate ofkapplication per planted acre Mixed' fertilizer Other Side-dressing and/or added materials Total all fertilizer Analysis of fertilizer used Proportion of total acreage receiving' 4-10-7 0-14-10 6-8-4 Other mixed fertilizer Phosphate only No fertilizer 69 17 9 5 77 10 8 5 305 500 256 800 182 271 17 27 815 Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds 296 100 116 294 3 836 100 149 301 2 33 336 33 330 70 10 7 3 83 7 Per Per Per Per Per Per cent cent cent cent cent cent 78 3 6 2 2 9 85 2 1 4 8 5 [11] TABLE 9. (Continued) FERTILIZER PRACTICES ON 1949 SUMMER AND WINTER COVER CROPS PRECEDING PEANUTS IN 1950, BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1949 Size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Item Analysis of side-dressing Proportion of total acreage receiving Sodium nitrate Potash Winter cover crops: Proportion of farmers using winter cover crops that fertilized Proportion of all acreage receiving fertilizer for winter cover crops Unit Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 29 2 67 6 22 0 53 21 11 7 36 12 Analysis and rate of application per acre for winter cover crops 4-10-7 0-14-10 Slag Pounds 250 Pounds Pounds 400 600 181 279 304 Phosphate 300 Pounds 800 1,000 Summary of fertilizer elements used in 1949 for summer and winter crop2: N per planted acre P2 0 5 per planted acre K2 0O per planted acre 1 Pounds Pounds Pounds 16 35 23 19 41 22 12 37 25 Summed percentages may exceed 100 per cent because some farmers used more than one kind of fertilizer on the same acreage. 2 There were little differences in the pounds of fertilizer elements used per fertilizer acre and per planted acre since all but 6 per cent of the acreage was fertilized. potash (K 20) were applied, Table 10. Although nitrogen is not included in present recommendations, more than 60 per cent of the farmers used nitrogen, primarily in mixed fertilizers. The amount of P2 0 5 used by farmers was 11 per cent below the amount recommended and the amount of K20 used was 63 per cent below the recommended amount. Some 10 per cent of the farmers did not fertilize peanuts in 1950. Of this group, one-fourth planted peanuts after a winter legume that had been fertilized with phosphate only; the remaining threefourths neither used a fertilizer with peanuts nor were peanuts planted after a winter legume. Of the 135 farmers included in this study, 122 used fertilizer in 1950. Of those using fertilizer, 104, or 85 per cent, planted seed directly over the fertilizer. The remaining 18 farmers, or 15 per cent, applied fertilizer to the side or off-set from the planted seed. Approximately 7 per cent of the farmers mixed their own fertilizer. Peanut yields on the farms studied were related to the analysis of [121 TABLE 10. PEANUT FERTILIZER PRACTICES BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Number of farms Peanuts planted Proportion of farmers using: Mixed fertilizer only Other' No fertilizer Proportion of acreage receiving: Mixed fertilizer only Other' No fertilizer Rate of application when used: Mixed fertilizer only Other' Average of all fertilizer Rate of application per planted acre: Mixed fertilizer only Other' Total all fertilizer Analysis of fertilizer: 2 Proportion of acreage receiving 4-10-7 0-14-10 Other No fertilizer Summary of fertilizer elements: Per fertilized acre Unit Number Acres Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large 36 212 80 6 14 85 4 11 297 382 801 251 16 267 57 1,036 82 9 9 86 7 7 272 355 283 234 29 263 42 2,363 86 12 2 87 9 4 316 476 325 276 86 312 Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 52 25 16 11 67 27 7 7 71 20 15 4 N P2 0 5 K2O Per planted acre N P2O5 K 20 1 2 Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds 8 37 25 7 33 22 8 31 22 7 29 20 10 35 23 9 84 22 Other consisted of mixed fertilizer plus added materials or materials only. Summed percentages may exceed 100 per cent because some farmers used more than one kind of fertilizer on the same acreage. the fertilizers used and to the amount and methods used in applying fertilizers, Table 11. There were no significant differences in yields based on the summer crops planted in 1949 and followed by peanuts in 1950. Only 18, or 13 per cent, of the farmers studied had applied lime to the fields where peanuts were planted in 1950 within the past 5 years. Only 10, or 7 per cent, had used slag on the fields where pea[18] TABLE 11. APPLYING AND METHOD OF RELATIONSHIP OF KIND, AMOUNT, FERTILIZER .TO PEANUT YIELDS, 135. FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Average amount of fertilizer used per acre Pounds Total N-P-K per acre Percentage 1950 average yield per of total acre Farms Acreage Pounds 1,136 1,097 1,082 983 1,091 Pounds Per cent Per cent 76 57 69 62 17 60 21 64 10 5 100 Kind of fertilizer used with peanuts: 0-14-10 4-10-7 Other None TOTAL OR AVERAGE Method of applying fertilizer: Directly under seed Off-set from seed None used TOTAL OR AVERAGE 316 272 353 296 13 10 100 285 340 296 60 71 62 77 13 10 100 76 19 5 100 1,086 1,194 983 1,091 nuts were planted in 1950 within the past 5 years. Of the farmers who had used lime or slag, very few had any definite opinions as to the value of these materials and were not sure that they would be used again in the future. Insect and Disease Control Recommendations. The most destructive insects of peanuts are thrips, leafhoppers, and leaf-eating worms. Leafspots are the most important diseases of the growing plant. Thrips can be controlled with 5 per cent DDT of 10 per cent toxaphene dust applied at the rate of 20 to 25 pounds per acre. Two applications 7 to 10 days apart, started when damage appears, is best. Leafhoppers can be controlled by using a dust containing 2.5 per cent DDT or 10 per cent toxaphene. While leafspots can be partially controlled by dusting with dusting sulfur, sulfur-copper dust containing 3.4 per cent metallic copper is recommended. A combination dust containing 8.4 per cent metallic copper and 2.5 per cent DDT or 10 per cent toxaphene is recommended for joint control. of leafhoppers and leafspots.. Four applications should be made at 7- to 10-day intervals, beginning about the time of the last cultivation. The rate should be 20 to 25 pounds per acre per applica[14] tion. This dust should not be used on peanuts within 80 days of harvesting if the hay is to be saved. When control of peanut worms is necessary within less than 30 days of harvest, the peanuts should be dusted with cryolite at the rate of at least 20 pounds per acre or with 5 per cent methoxychlor at the same rate. Present Practices. Of the 135 farmers included in this study, about one-fourth reported the presence of insects in 1950, while nearly two-thirds reported diseases. Some farmers may have mistaken disease damage for insect damage or vice-versa. Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of the farmers recognized an infestation of either diseases or insects or both. Only 35 per cent of these farmers did any dusting in 1950. The average yield of peanuts per acre of the farms where dust was used was 75 pounds more than where dust was not used. The average amount of dust used in 1950 was 19 pounds per acre per application. Based on the number of farmers that dusted peanuts in 1950, the following are the percentages of farmers that applied various numbers of applications: Number of applications 1 Percentage of farmers Onie Two Three 28 28 36 Four TOTAL 8 100 Based on the number of farmers that dusted peanuts in 1950, the following are the percentages of farmers that used various kinds of dust: Kind of dust Percentage of farmers' Sulfur only Sulfur-Copper-DDT Sulfur-DDT Sulfur-Copper DDT only Combination TOTAL 28 28 23 9 4 8 100 S Based on 47 farmers who dusted peanuts in 1950, and not on the total number studied. Thirty-seven per cent of the farmers who dusted, dusted only for diseases; 4 per cent dusted for insects only; and 59 per cent dusted for both diseases and for insect control. The first application of dust was applied as early as May 20 and as late as September 10. Most of the dusting was done during July [15] TABLE 12. DUSTING PROGRAM USED BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Percentage of farmers dusting Percentage of farmers not dusting Dusted for diseases only Unit Per cent Per cent Per cent Size of peanut enterprise Small 11 89 50 Medium 33 67 21 Large 57 48 38 Dusted for insects only Dusted for both diseases and insects Per cent Per cent 0 50 5 74 4 58 Pounds of dust applied per acre per application Number of applications used: Pounds Per Per Per Per cent cent cent cent Days 16 50 0 50 0 10-30 18 26 26 37 11 10-30 20 25 33 34 8 7-30 1 2 3 4 dusting dustings dustings dustings Range in intervals between applications and August. The rates of application varied from 5 to 25 pounds of dust per acre. As size of peanut enterprises increased, the percentage of farmers who dusted increased, Table 12. More than half of the farmers with large peanut enterprises dusted, while only about a tenth of those with small peanut enterprises dusted. Also, as size of peanut enterprises increased, the pounds of dust applied per acre per application increased. Method and Time of Harvesting Recommendations. Harvest peanuts when most of the pods are filled and the inside of the hulls turn dark and show darker veins. Digging too early will result in a large number of "pops." Late harvesting may result in many nuts being left in the ground. Peanuts dusted to control leafspot usually are ready to dig later than are those that are not dusted. Careful stacking has much to do with the quality of peanuts. Rains may cause heavy damage if stacking is improperly done. Neither stacked nor windrowed peanuts should be picked until properly cured. Present Practices. Approximately 80 per cent of the farmers had dug their peanuts by the last of September, Table 13. Farmers with small peanut enterprises were later in planting peanuts and also later in digging and picking them. The larger the peanut enterprises, the earlier peanuts were planted and dug. More than two-thirds of [16] the farmers with large peanut enterprises had dug their peanuts by September 20, while only about a fifth of those with small peanut enterprises had dug by that date. A vine sample was collected at each farm while peanut picking was in process. From these samples, peanuts were checked for stage of maturity. Peanuts with black or red coloring inside the shell were considered mature, while those with white coloring were considered immature. The percentage of mature peanuts, disregarding pops, was determined. Although this was a measure of maturity at the time of picking, the results indicated that many farmers dug peanuts in 1950 before they reached the stage of maturity that would have given them the highest grade. Peanuts with a low percentage maturity contained a high percentage of pops and a low percentage of sound, mature kernels, Appendix Table 1. There were no major differences in stage of maturity, percentage of pops, and sound, mature kernels (SMK) by size of peanut enterprises. Almost a third of the farmers interviewed had more than 20 per cent pops. The percentage of pops was determined by dividing the number of pops on the vine by the total number of all nuts including pops and multiplying by 100. As the percentage of pops increased, the percentage of sound, mature kernels decreased. Yield did not differ greatly between the different ranges in number of pops, Appendix Table 2. Each farmer classified the condition of his stand of peanuts before digging in one of the following groups: good, fair, or poor. About 61 per cent reported a good stand, 34 per cent a fair stand, and 5 per cent a poor stand, Appendix Table 3. Apparently the rate of seeding had TABLE 18. DATE PEANUTS WERE DUG AND RELATED DATA BY SIZE OF PEANUT ENTERPRISE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Date of digging Percentage of total farms by Average Average size of peanut enterprise of yield per Small Medium Large all acre Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds 19 32 30 19 100 21 48 21 10 100 Apr. 12 Sept. 18 159 15 33 81 21 100 Apr. 15 Sept. 21 159 1,148 1,143 1,073 995 1,091 September 10 or earlier September 11-20 September 21-30 October 1 or later TOTAL OR AVERAGE 0 19 42 39 100 Average date of planting, Apr. 19 Apr. 15 Average date of digging, Sept. 27 Sept. 19 161 157 Length of growing season, days -- -- [17] little effect on the stand as estimated by farmers. However, the larger the peanut enterprise the greater was the percentage of farmers with good stands. Also, yields increased with better stands. Power machinery was most often used with large peanut enterprises. Fifty per cent of the farmers with small peanut enterprises dug peanuts with tractors as compared to 86 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises. Only 8 per cent of the farmers with small peanut enterprises compared to 79 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises used mechanical shakers, Table 14. None of the farmers with small peanut enterprises but 26 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises cured peanuts in windrows. On the average, 75 per cent of the farmers studied dug peanuts with tractors,and 25 per cent used mules. However, 56 per cent practiced hand-shaking compared to 44 per cent who used mechanical shakers. Full use of known :labor-saving possibilities were not being made by all of the farmers that used tractors to dig peanuts. Thirteen different makes or kinds of mechanical shakers were used in 1950. The most frequently used tool for shaking was a sidedelivery rake. None of the peanuts cured in windrows or piles included in this study were rained on during the curing period in 1950. Although windrowed peanuts had a considerably higher initial moisture content, there were only minor differences in sound, mature kernels, between windrowed and stack-cured peanuts. Picking of peanuts by the farmers included in this study in 1950 started on September 25 and extended to November 10. Fifty-two TABLE 14. METHOD OF DIGGING, SHAKING AND CURING PEANUTS, PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 185 FARMS IN 1950 Item Method of digging: Unit Size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Tra.or Mule Method of shaking: Hand Per cent Per cent Per.cent...... 50 50 92 - 82 18 86 14 60 ....... 21 Mechanical Method of curing: Windrows or piles Stacks Quality of stacking:' Good Fair 1 Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 8 0 100 14 83 40 12 88 30 60 79 26 74 29 58 3 Per cent Poor Quality of stacking was judged by the :enumerator... II :I5 " -°:? , ·, :i 10 13 TABLE 15. PEANUT YIELDS PER ACRE, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Range in yield per acre Average yield per acre Pounds Number of farms Number Percentage of total Acreage Farms Per cent Per cent 800 pounds or less 801-1,000 pounds 1,001-1,200 poupds 1,201-1,400 pounds 1,401 pounds or more TOTAL OR AVERAGE 656 979 1,164 1,306 1,612 1,091 27 49 22 12 25 135 20 86 16 9 19 100 15 39 18 9 19 100 per cent of the farmers included in this study had picked their peanuts by October 20. On the average, farmers with the largest peanut enterprises picked the earliest, and those with the smallest peanut enterprises picked the latest, Appendix Table 4. Farmers with small peanut enterprises used the longest curing period. Research work on peanuts in Alabama indicates that average yields of 1,800 pounds per acre are possible with recommended practices. Four per cent of the farmers included in this study reported yields of more than 1,800 pounds of peanuts per acre. Some 56 per cent of all farmers interviewed had yields of less than 1,000 pounds per acre, Table 15. The variation in yields between farms ranged from less than 400 pounds to more than 2,000 pounds per acre. SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS A total of 185 farms located in 11 counties in southeastern Alabama was included in this study. Data were secured covering 1950 peanut production and harvesting practices and some data covering the year 1949. The 11 counties accounted for 92 per cent of the total picked or threshed peanut acreage, and 94 per cent of the total peanut production in the State in 1950. Many farmers planted peanuts 2 years in succession on the same land rather than using a rotation. Few farmers planted peanuts following winter cover crops. Most farmers planted Dixie Runner seed, and most seed were treated in 1950. Forty-five per cent of the farmers planted later than the recommended planting date. The rate of seeding was less than that recommended. Forty to fifty pounds of shelled and treated peanut seed must be planted to get a stand of 35,000 plants per acre with 6-inch spacing in 80-inch rows. Most farmers planited less than 80 [ 19] pounds of seed per acre. Based on past field germination studies, this rate of seeding would provide about three-quarters the plants needed for high per-acre peanut yields. Few farmers were using the recommended kinds and amounts of fertilizer per acre for peanuts in 1950. Most farmers used some nitrogen on peanuts although none was recommended. The use of phosphate (P2 0 5 ) was near the recommended amount, but the use of potash (K 20) was only about a third of the amount recommended. Crops that preceded peanuts were not being fertilized at rates high enough to allow the soil to have a carryover of plant food for peanuts. High yields of peanuts per acre are obtainable through proper fertilization of crops that precede peanuts, the planting of sufficient seed to insure a large number of plants, and the use of the proper kind and amount of fertilizer. Two-thirds of the farmers recognized an infestation of diseases or insects or both in 1950. However, only 35 per cent did any dusting. Most of the farmers who dusted did so to control both diseases and insects. Some farmers began dusting too early while others started extremely late. The rates of application varied from 5 to 25 pounds of dust per acre. More than half of the farmers with large peanut enterprises applied dust, while only about a tenth of those with small peanut enterprises dusted. Proper disease and insect control should be given more careful attention by most farmers in the peanut area. More than two-thirds of the farmers with large peanut enterprises dug peanuts by September 20, while only about a fifth of those with small peanut enterprises dug by this date. Only 10 per cent of the farmers with large peanut enterprises dug peanuts in October while 39 per cent of those with small peanut enterprises dug in October. The proper time to dig runner peanuts will vary with the fertilization and dusting program followed. Consequently, farmers should dig peanuts based on the condition of each individual field. Peanuts were dug with tractors by 86 per cent of the farmers with large peanut enterprises, but by only 50 per cent of those with small peanut enterprises. On the average, 75 per cent of all farmers studied dug peanuts with tractors but only 44 per cent used mechanical shakers. Considerably more power machinery could be used by farmers who dig peanuts with tractors and shake by hand. All of the farmers with small peanut enterprises cured peanuts in stacks, while 26 per cent of those with large peanut enterprises used windrows. Although windrowed peanuts had a considerably higher initial moisture content, there were only minor differences in sound, mature kernels between windrowed and stacked peanuts. In 1950, [20] 52 per cent of the farmers had picked peanuts by October 20. On the average, farmers with the largest peanut enterprises picked the earliest, and those with the smallest peanut enterprises picked the latest. Sixty per cent of the farmers with large peanut enterprises owned pickers, while only 6 per cent of those with small peanut enterprises owned pickers. Only 4 per cent of the farmers included in this study reported yields of more than 1,800 pounds of peanuts per acre, while 56 per cent had yields of less than 1,000 pounds per acre. Variations in yields between farms ranged from less than 400 pounds to more than 2,000 pounds per acre. Yields of 1,800 pounds of peanuts per acre are obtainable by practically all farmers in the peanut area by the proper use of known production practices. Peanut growers are faced today with the problem of the extent to which they should substitute machinery for man labor under existing economic conditions. The extent to which these shifts should be made on individual farms will depend on the size of the peanut enterprise on these farms, the other crops that are grown in combination with peanuts, future government-control programs, and relative costs of machinery and labor. [ 21] APPENDIX TABLE 1. IN PEANUT STAGE OF MATURITY AND RELATED FACTORS, 135 FARMS AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Unit Range in stage of maturity Total 60 per cent 61-70 71-80 81 per cent or or less per cent per cent or more average 53 20 15 67 31 23 76 45 33 86 39 29 74 135 100 Average stage of maturity Per cent Number of farms Number Percentage of total Per cent Grade of peanuts:1 Sound, mature kernels Per cent Per cent Shrivels Damaged kernels Per cent Fall shelled moisture content Fall free fatty acids Percentage pops Average yield per acre Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds 58 9.0 2.0 8.3 0.68 29 1,010 59 8.4 2.5 7.2 0.66 20 1,104 61 8.0 1.9 7.4 0.53 16 1,048 64 7.3 1.8 7.4 0.47 15 1,158 61 8.1 2.0 7.5 0.56 18 1,091 Grade of peanuts, moisture, and fatty acids were determined from a 15pound sample of peanuts after they were machine picked on the farm. APPENDIX TABLE 2. PERCENTAGE OF PoPS AND RBLATED FACTORS, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Average percentage pops Number of farms Percentage of total Grade of peanuts: Sound, mature kernels Shrivels Damaged kernels Stage of maturity Fall shelled moisture content Fall free fatty acids Average yield Average planting date Average digging date Length of growing season Unit Range in percentage pops 31 pet. 10 pet. 11-20 21-30 or less per cent per cent or more 7 37 28 15 54 40 24 22 16 40 22 16 Total or average 18 135 100 Per cent Number Per cent Percent Per cent Per cent Per cent 65 7.1 1.8 77 61 8.3 1.9 76 61 7.9 2.0 71 57 9.3 2.5 63 61 8.1 2.0 74 7.5 7.4 8.0 7.1 7.6 Per cent 0.54 0.64 0.56 0.54 0.56 Per cent 1,025 1,091 1,123 1,105 Pounds 1,074 Date Apr. 18 Apr. 15 Apr. 12 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Date Sept. 25 Sept. 19 Sept. 19 Sept. 20 Sept. 20 Days 160 157 160 158 159 [ 22 ] APPENDIX TABLE 3. CONDITION OF PEANUT STAND 1950 BEFORE DIGGING AND RELATED FACTORS, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, Item Proportion of farms by size: Small peanut enterprises Medium peanut enterprises Large peanut enterprises Average of all farms Rate of seeding per acre Average yield per acre Sound, mature kernels 1Based Unit Condition of peanut stand' Good Fair Poor Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds Pounds Per cent 47 54 81 61 30 1,128 60 42 42 17 34 28 1,058 62 11 4 2 5 31 864 64 on estimates of farmers. APPENDIX TABLE 4. DATE OF PICKING PEANUTS, LENGTH OF CURING PERIOD AND RELATED DATA, 135 FARMS IN PEANUT AREA, 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA, 1950 Item Average Average Average Average picking date number of curing days time from planting to picking yield per acre Unit Size of peanut enterprise Small Medium Large Oct. 16 27 184 1,135 75 18 63 7.6 2.0 7.4 0.50 23 Oct. 11 28 182 1,107 72 20 60 8.0 2.3 7.6 0.47 60 Date Oct. 28 Days 31 Days 192 Pounds 1,001 Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 74 16 61 8.9 1.8 7.4 0.77 6 Average stage of maturity Average percentage pops Average percentage of sound mature kernels Average percentage shrivels Average percentage damaged kernels Per cent Average percentage fall moisture content Per cent Average percentage free fatty acids Per cent Proportion of farmers owning picker Per cent [23]