By Clint Thompson
The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Peanut Extension Team advise growers to be wary of disease development following the recent storms across the Southeast last week.
Bob Kemerait, UGA Extension plant pathologist, discusses the potential for diseases in South Georgia peanuts.
“Much of our crop is 30 days after planting or beyond. We are in a critical period now as far as initiating fungicide programs. The issue we’ve got right now is the weather is absolutely conducive, high humidity, warming up temperatures, not hot but warm. We’ve got abundant rainfall and moisture to where we have the possibility from everything to white mold to leaf spot getting started,” Kemerait said.
“It’s a double-edged sword for growers right now. They need the moisture and want the moisture, but the problem right now is that it’s favorable for disease and we may be delayed getting into the fields.”
According to the UGA Automated Weather Network, Tifton, Georgia, received 4.31 inches of rainfall from June 12 to June 15, compared to 1.84 inches last year. Albany, Georgia, received 7.3 inches of rainfall, compared to 0.33 inches during the same timeframe last year.