By Clint Thompson
The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Peanut Team remind producers about the importance of fungicide applications on the heels of Hurricane Debby this week.
The rain-heavy storm impacted Southeast Georgia significantly with flooding.
Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist, highlighted disease management a few days after Debby made landfall on Monday and moved through the region.
“We’re in the middle part of the season; 70 or so days is kind of the average right now. We’re right in the middle of peak bloom period and setting pods. We do worry at this point about disease,” Monfort said. “Having an overabundance of moisture and a lot of heat, which we do have, white mold and leaf spot will start to become more and more of a problem. What we’re telling people is try to be as timely as they can with their fungicide applications. If that means trying to get a plane to do it, then that’s what we need to do.”
According to the UGA Weather Network, Statesboro, Georgia, received 11.35 inches of rainfall from Monday through Thursday. Vidalia, Georgia, received 6.15 inches of rainfall, while Waycross, Georgia, received 6.37 inches.
“There’s a couple of places out there having some water issues. They got anywhere from 4 to 7, 8 inches of rain. The low-lying fields definitely have got some water on them,” Monfort said. “If you look at the state as a whole, it’s going to be a minor amount of damage. If we can get this water off pretty quick, we’ll be okay.”