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TSWV Resistant Peanut Varieties to Allow Earlier Planting with Minimal Virus Impact

Clint Thompson Peanuts

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By Clint Thompson

Georgia peanut growers will soon have new varieties to implement that provide better resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). It will allow farmers to plant earlier in the season with less vulnerability to the disease, says Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist.

“When you look at everything that’s coming out besides nematodes resistance on two or three varieties which we needed, that’s going to change the game quite a bit; tomato spotted wilt (resistance) was the main one. We’re starting to see that get very much better,” said Monfort at this year’s Georgia Farm Bureau meeting. “You still can get it. You’ve still got to do all the things you can to minimize it, but boy, it’s so much better.

“What it’s going to change is, instead of having 20% to 30% virus by planting early if it hits us hard, we’ll be down in the 1% to 10% (range). That’s if you do everything like twin row and conventional tillage; thimet instead of all the other stuff. We’ve got to do everything with it. We can’t just take the resistance and think it’s going to carry us. If you pair it all together, it’s pretty superb. It’s pretty good.”

Planting Date Significance

Planting date is a vital factor in the potential development of TSWV. The lowest risk timeframe is peanuts planted after May 10. But some growers prefer planting before. These new varieties will allow early planting with minimal impact from the virus.

TSWV is vectored by thrips, tiny insects that can spread the virus by feeding on infected plants. Infected thrips transmit the virus when they move to feed on healthy plants. The virus can dwarf plants and cause significant reductions in peanut yields.

The emergence of TSWV-resistant varieties will eventually lead to Georgia 06-G not being the predominant variety preferred by farmers.

“I think in two to three years you’ll see it start to go down as far as acres. If you go by the certified acres for seed this past year, it’s around 64%. It’s mainly because of the nematode varieties. Now, you’ve got these other ones behind it for the virus.,” Monfort said.