Southeastern Peanut Farmer - March 2015

Inside: n n n

Control of Feral Pigs Weed Guidebook Seed Inoculation

A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

Contents March 2015

Contributing Writers John Leidner johnleidner@bellsouth.net

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Photo credit: Rod Pinkston, Jager Pro.

Joy Carter Crosby Editor joycrosby@gapeanuts.com 229-386-3690

Feral pigs are wreaking havoc on farms across the Southeast and farmers just want to get rid of them. Feral pigs are estimated to cause in excess of $1.5 billion in damage nationwide.

Teresa Mays Teresa2@alpeanuts.com Jessie Bland jessie@gapeanuts.com Southeastern Peanut Farmer P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793 445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794 ISSN: 0038-3694 Southeastern Peanut Farmer is published six times a year (Jan./Feb., March, April, May/June, July/Aug., and Oct./Nov.) by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

The publisher is not responsible for copy omission, typographical errors, or any unintentional errors that may occur, other than to correct it in the following issue. Any erroneous reflection which may occur in the columns of Southeastern Peanut Farmer will be corrected upon brought to the attention of the editor. (Phone 229-3863690.)

Postmaster: Send address changes (Form 3579) to Southeastern Peanut Farmer, P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Georgia, 31793.

Circulation is free to qualified peanut growers and others allied to the industry. Periodical postage paid at Tifton, Georgia and additional mailing office.

Editorial Content: Editorial copy from sources outside of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may, or may not, coincide with official Southern Peanut Farmers Federation policies.

Publication of material does not necessarily imply its endorsement by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.

For editorial concerns call 229-386-3690. No portion of this or past issues of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the written consent of the editor. By-lined articles appearing in this publication represent views of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher.

Advertising: The Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Corrections to advertisements must be made after the first run. All billing offers subject to credit review. Advertisements contained in this publication do not represent an endorsement by the Southeastern Peanut Farmer or the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation. Use of trade names in this publication is for the purpose of providing specific information and is not a guarantee nor warranty of products named. For advertising concerns call 229-386-3690.

Feral pigs wreck havoc through Southeastern agriculture

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2015 Weed Guidebook The 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer Weed Guidebook features information on sicklepod, herbicide damage, perennial weeds and spiderling, a new weed noticed in Florida.

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Seed Inoculation is low-cost insurance Inoculants provide live beneficial bacteria that live on peanut roots.

University of Georgia researchers analyzed data from three years, and found that plots receiving an effective inoculant at planting were most profitable.

Departments: Checkoff Report .................................................................................. 8 Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Washington Outlook ............................................................................ 28 Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................ 30 Cover Photo: Feral pigs wreck havoc for Southeastern peanut farmers.

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Editorial

Calendar of Events

Time to tell your story t’s time to tell your story to children, consumers and to those individuals who just don’t know what agriculture is about. You know the folks that think brown cows produce brown milk. Believe it or not, the question has been asked before at an Ag Day event. Even though it was a question from a young child, imagine 20 years from now what that child (now adult) would think about agriculture if no one answered their question.

Would they wonder why no one took the time to answer their question or explain where milk comes from, how peanuts are harvested, and more?

Unfortunately, many of the children today are removed several generations from the family farm. So, those children do not know or understand the experiences we enjoy by growing up on a farm. From being able to jump from hay bale to bale during the hot summer months, going swimming in the pond or learning how to drive a tractor before learning how to drive a regular vehicle. Many times we may take what we learned and the fun times we had on the farm for granted.

However, those experiences are really treasures for us, and so many children today do not have the opportunity to enjoy the same treasures. Instead they may have their video games, cell phones, unlimited television stations and more, but they may not witness the sun rising over the field or setting at the end of a long day harvesting peanuts. Many times, individuals today may have misconceptions about the farm because of something they saw or heard on tv that is inaccurate. Sometimes we may hear a news report where PETA or another anti-ag group are going nuts again but at the end of the day it all starts back with us and if we are telling our story to those we come in contact with so the truth is being told.

There really is no better time to tell your story than during the month of March since the peanut industry celebrates National Peanut Month all month long and National Ag Day is held during the month of March. By telling your story to those you come in contact with this month then you may help another individual understand the value of agriculture in their daily lives.

Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Promote agriculture on your social media pages if you are tech savvy.

2. Visit a classroom in your area to tell children how about your farm and the crops you grow and livestock you raise.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the importance of agriculture in your local community. (I’m positive your local Extension office will have any specific data for your county if you need it.)

If you have any stories to share on how you have helped spread the word about peanuts and agriculture then let us know. We would love to hear how you are working to educate others about peanuts and agriculture. t Joy Carter Crosby

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Editor

National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941.

It was expanded into a month-long celebration in 1974.

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

u Peanut Proud Festival, March 28, 2015, Blakely, Ga. For more information visit peanutproudfestival.com. u Peanut Profitability Award Deadline, April 15, 2015. For more information visit southeastfarmpress.com or call 662-6248503. u USA Peanut Congress, June 13-17, 2015, Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C. For more information visit peanut-shellers.org or call 229-888-2508. u Stripling Irrigation Research Park Field Day, July 8, 2015, Camilla, Ga. For more information visit striplingpark.org or call 229-522-3623. u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 9, 2015, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit sunbeltagexpo.com or call 229-985-1968. u American Peanut Research & Education Society Annual Meeting, July 14-16, 2015, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, S.C. For more information visit apresinc.com or call 229-329-2949. u Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 23-25, 2015, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga. For more information visit southernpeanutfarmers.org or call 229-386-3470. u American Peanut Shellers Association Pre-Harvest Meeting, Aug. 4-5, 2015, Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, Cordele, Ga. For more information, call 229-888-2508 or visit www.peanut-shellers.org. u Brooklet Peanut Festival, Aug. 15, 2015. For more information visit the festival’s website at brookletpeanutfestival.com. u Georgia Peanut Tour, Sept. 2015. For more information visit the tour blog at gapeanuttour.wordpress.com. u Plains Peanut Festival, Sept. 26, 2015.

For more information visit plainsgeorgia.com. u Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 20-22, 2015. For more information visit sunbeltagexpo.com or call 229-985-1968.

(Let us know about your event. Please send details to the editor at joycrosby@gapeanuts.com.

Feral pigs wreck havoc through Southeastern agriculture Feral pigs may be prime prey for hunters, but to Georgia farmers they’re the ultimate predator. They destroy farmland, eat away at a farmer’s crops and drastically reduce potential profits.

Feral pigs are wreaking havoc on farms across the Southeast and farmers just want to get rid of them. In order to do so many organizations are trying to determine how severe the problem is and what areas across the Southeast have damage.

Feral pigs—also called feral swine, wild pigs, feral hogs, wild hogs and wild boar—are estimated to cause in excess of $1.5 billion in damage nationwide, says Mike Mengak, University of Georgia wildlife specialist.

Feral swine are an Old World species and are not native to the Americas. The first wild pigs in the United States originated solely from domestic stock brought to North America by early European explorers and settlers. Many years later, Eurasian wild boar were introduced into parts of the United States for hunting purposes. In areas where domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar were found together in the wild, interbreeding occurred. Today, many hybrid populations exist throughout the wild pig’s range.

Pigs were first introduced in the

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Photo credit: Rod Pinkston, Jager Pro.

Feral pigs—also called feral swine, wild pigs, feral hogs, wild hogs and wild boar—are estimated to cause in excess of $1.5 billion in damage nationwide,

Feral pigs wreak havoc on this peanut field by rooting up and eating peanut seed.

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1500’s to what is now the southeastern U.S. by Spanish Explorer, Hernando DeSoto. In the centuries following European exploration and colonization of the eastern U.S., free-range livestock management practices and escapes from enclosures resulted in the establishment of wild pig populations and promoted their spread.

The popularity of wild pigs as a game species has played a major role in the expansion of their range throughout the United States. The sudden presence of wild pigs in new areas is most often a result of escapes of stocked animals from privately owned hunting preserves or illegal translocation where feral swine are captured, transported to a new location and released into the wild.

According to Rod Pinkston, founder and CEO of Jager Pro, feral swine can’t be treated or managed the same as game animals.

“Feral pigs are not game animals even though a lot of people want to treat pigs the same way as they treat a deer,” Pinkston says. “It is not ethical to shoot a fawn deer, elk calf or bear cub because all

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

of those species have an annual hunting season and a bag limit.”

He adds, all those have one or two offspring too. On the other hand, he says, feral pigs reach sexual maturity at 6 to 8 months of age and they drop five litters every two years.

“You can’t manage feral pigs mathematically using traditional methods,” Pinkston says. “An animal that drops 12 to 25 offspring annually the same way as you would a deer dropping one or two fawns.”

According to the Mississippi State University Wild Pig Info website, feral swine populations can be managed by lethal or nonlethal methods. Nonlethal methods include installing fencing to exclude pigs, using guard animals to protect livestock, and vaccinating animals to prevent disease spread. Although in some situations nonlethal methods are appropriate and effective, in many cases they are not a good option, either because they do not work well or are too expensive.

Therefore, lethal methods are often the most practical and widely used. They include trapping, shooting, and hunting

with dogs. Currently, there However, first the universities are no toxicants registered are conducting surveys to for use on wild pigs in the determine the extent of the United States, so poisondamage. ing is not an option.

University of Georgia Farmers across the researchers have begun surSoutheast are looking for veying landowners in parts of answers and solutions to Georgia to assess how much feral pig issues. One of economic damage feral swine those farmers is Lonnie are causing throughout the Fortner, Pt. Gibson, state.

Mississippi, who has been A new survey, “Feral battling feral swine for the Swine on Private Lands in past 20 years on his farm.

Georgia,” has been mailed to “We usually start 3,000 landowners across hunting for wild hogs after Georgia and is being conductdeer season is over and ed by Mengak and students in continue until the peanut UGA’s Warnell School of Rod Pinkston (center), CEO and founder of Jager Pro, discusses the Intergrated plants are too large and we Wild Pig Control model with B. Jones (left), Chula, Mississippi, and Lonnie Forestry and Natural Fortner, Pt. Gibson, Mississippi, during the Mississippi Peanut Growers can’t see the hogs anyResources.

Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. more,” Fortner says. “We Bill Hamrick, Extension hunt every night for them associate with the Department Pinkston, a farmer would be right back at and it never feels like you get ahead of of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at the same number of feral pigs within one them.”

Mississippi State University, is conductmonth if the farmer would have set the However, Pinkston is making some ing a survey of Mississippi farmers trying trap before catching the remaining four headway controlling feral pigs and has a to quantify wild pig damage and evaluate sows. proven track record in Georgia with control methods farmers are using. The Pinkston always shoots for a 100 per- survey is online at killing 20,000 to 25,000 feral pigs in the cent success. As soon as he goes into a past few years. His method - the wildpiginfo.msstate.edu. new area, Pinkston identifies the food Integrated Wild Pig ControlTM model uses The U.S. Department of Agriculture source for the feral pigs, captures video a strategic approach using a series of kicked off a national effort last year to and photos of the area to determine the lethal control methods and technologies, reduce the devastating damage caused by feral pigs bedding areas and trails, travel applied in a specific sequence based on feral swine. The $20 million program patterns and where they are eating. seasonal food sources and emphasis is aims to help states deal with a rapidly In his first step, Pinkston, conditions placed on efficient removal of entire expanding population of feral swine that the feral pigs to use a daily food source sounders at one time to eliminate escapes causes $1.5 billion in annual damage and by using an automatic feeder with a digiand education. control costs. tal timer. He uses one feeder per 250 According to Pinkston many people Initial state funding levels will be acres. After a week of using the feeders, believe capturing 29 out of 33 wild pigs based on current feral swine populations Pinkston adds a trap enclosure and then with an 88 percent success rate is the and associated damage to resources. watches the feral pigs for several days. solution to the problem. However, he “We’ve already begun this type of believes this mindset is incorrect especial- Once all the feral pigs go into the trap work through a pilot program in New then he sets the trap and eliminates the ly due to the prolific nature of feral pigs.

Mexico,” says Undersecretary for USDA’s threat to agriculture in the area.

In Pinkston’s example, the last four Marketing and Regulatory Programs Billy Sanders, a longtime Dooly sows to enter the trap all were pregnant Edward Avalos. “Through this pilot proCounty farmer in Georgia, has witnessed carrying 28 fetuses. So, according to gram, we have successfully removed feral his share of feral pig disaster and he has swine from 5.3 million acres of land. By noticed the feral pigs seem to migrate applying the techniques such as trap monclose to water sources. itors and surveillance cameras we have Four or five years ago, Sanders’ 60developed through this pilot project, we acre peanut field was destroyed to the aim to eliminate feral swine from two tune of $30,000. The devastation came States every three to five years and stabiafter the peanuts sat in the field for three lize feral swine damage within 10 years.” weeks because of excessive rainfall. As A key part of the national program Sanders notes, what was initially a harvest will also include surveillance and disease operation quickly became a salvage opermonitoring to protect the health of the ation.

U.S. domestic swine. t Today, researchers at universities across the Southeast are working towards Traps are one way farmers can eliminate feral

BY JOY CROSBY swine on their farm. helping farmers manage feral swine.

Photo credit: Rod Pinkston, Jager Pro.

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March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Checkoff Report Investments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.

Evans receives Honorary Membership in the Georgia Young Farmers Association in January The Georgia Young Farmers Association presented Marcus Evans, Georgia Peanut Commission director of field services and industry information, with Honorary Membership during the association’s annual meeting in January.

Evans has worked at GPC for 28 years. He has shown a true dedication to the peanut and agriculture industry through the years and has dedicated his life towards bettering the livelihood of farmers.

In his role at GPC, Evans coordinates GPC representation at Extension grower meetings throughout the state, serves on the Georgia Peanut Tour Committee and coordinates many of the promotional activities at GPC. Some of the specific activities he coordinates include Sunbelt Ag Expo, Georgia Peanut Bank Week, and all peanut festivals in Georgia.

Evans is the also the lead staff member who works directly with the Georgia Young Farmers Association.

He coordinates GPC’s sponsorship to

Greg Mims (right), Georgia Young Farmers Association (GYFA) president, presents Marcus Evans, Georgia Peanut Commission director of field services and industry information, with Honorary Membership into GYFA during the annual meeting in January.

the association and is in charge of the exhibit at the annual meeting, including frying the peanuts.

Before beginning his career at GPC, Evans worked for Allied Chemical in Metropolis, Illinois, and Crop Production Services (formerly Agrico) in western Kentucky as a chemical and fertilizer salesman. He currently resides in Tifton, Georgia, with his wife Rhonda.

Florida Ag Literacy Day set for April 21 The 12th annual Florida Agriculture Literacy Day is scheduled for Tuesday April 21, 2015, and a new non-fiction children's book developed for it will highlight Florida’s livestock and poultry industries. The book, the title of which is ‘Drive Through Florida: Livestock and Poultry,’ features an animated red truck that takes students on a tour of Florida’s beef, dairy, poultry, swine, equine, sheep and goat industries.

The annual reading event is a

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chance for farmers, ranchers, extension and 4-H agent, master gardeners, FFA teachers and students and agriculture industry representatives to read a children’s book about the Florida agriculture industry to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Please check Florida Agriculture in the Classroom’s website at faitc.org for information about registering to read for the event.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

FPPA exhibits at Florida State Fair Florida Peanut Producers Association (FPPA) attended and exhibited at this year’s Florida State Fair in Tampa, Feb. 5-16. The Fresh From Florida breakfast kicked off opening day of the state fair with the Governor of Florida Rick Scott, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and many more of the Governor’s cabinet members attending along with state legislators and many local elected officials.

FPPA served the crowd grilled peanut butter and jelly sand- Florida's Governor, Rick Scott eats a grilled peanut wiches and made butter and jelly sandwich available recipe cards, and visits with Sherry health and nutritional Saunders during the Florida State Fair. information, peanut seed kits, roasted peanuts and general information about peanut production in Florida.

The Florida State Fair celebrates agriculture through the twelve-day event that takes place every year in Tampa. One day was designated as Peanut Day at the Fair. Florida Peanut Producers Association held cooking demonstrations on the cooking stage in the Ag Hall of Fame Building. Large crowds gathered as recipes were prepared using peanut butter and then everyone enjoyed samples.

“The Florida State Fair provides a great opportunity for us to showcase new recipes using peanuts and peanut butter,” says Ken Barton, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers Association. “We also share the message of the health and nutritional benefits of consuming peanut products and provide information about peanut production in Florida.”

More than 500,000 people attended the 2015 Florida State Fair. For more information on the fair visit their website online at www.floridastatefair.com.

Reports from the: Alabama Peanut Producers Association Florida Peanut Producers Association Georgia Peanut Commission Mississippi Peanut Growers Association

Georgia Peanut Commission exhibits at American Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in January The Georgia Peanut Commission promoted peanuts to thousands during the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention and Trade Show, Jan. 9-14, 2015, in San Diego, California. The event provided GPC the opportunity to tell the peanut story to many farm bureau members not familiar Georgia Peanut Commission staff and board with how peanuts grow. Also, members exhibit during the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting. Pictured GPC staff and board members left to right: Laura Chase, Donald Chase of distributed Georgia peanut Oglethorpe, Georgia, Marcus Evans, GPC packs, Jif To Go peanut butter director of field services, and Beverly and David packs, recipes and nutritional Reed of Pinehurst, Georgia. information.

Georgia Farm Bureau received AFBF Awards for Excellence in education and outreach, leadership development, member services, membership initiatives and public relations and communications.

Alabama Peanut Producers Association exhibit at ALFA annual meeting The staff members from the Alabama Peanut Producers Association recently served grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to guests during the 93rd annual meeting of the Alabama Farmers Federation held in Montgomery, Alabama.

Approximately 500 delegates from the 67 counties in the state attended the two-day convention.

Pictured left to right serving the sandwiches are APPA’s Jim Cravey, Carole Granger and Teresa Mays. Henry county farmer Chappy Trawick (right) was more than happy to get a chance to taste the specially made peanut butter treat.

For additional information on APPA promotions visit alpeanuts.com.

Mississippi Peanut Growers Association recognized for sponsorship of Friday Night Under the Lights

Fortner appointed to represent Mississippi on National Peanut Board

The Mississippi Peanut Growers Association (MPGA) checkoff dollars were used along with National Peanut Board (NPB) co-promotion funds to sponsor a 15-week program called Friday Night under the Lights (FNUTL).

The program covers high school football through a call-in radio and Russ Robinson, CEO of Friday Nights web page show on Friday night.

Under the Lights (FNUL), presents During the Mississippi Peanut Malcolm Broome, Mississippi Peanut Growers Association executive director, a Growers Association annual meet- plaque for MPGA’s support of the FNUL ing in January, Russ Robinson, high school sports radio program.

CEO of FNUL, presented Malcolm Broome, MPGA executive director, a plaque for the association in honor of their sponsorship of the Ahh Nuts!! Play of the Year.

The 2014 Ahh Nuts!! Play of the Year was awarded to Cooper Henry of Jackson Prep, in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Championship AAA-I game.

As part of the sponsorship, MPGA has a video placed on the FNUTL website showing how peanuts are harvested. The video has been used throughout the state by teachers and can be viewed online at fnutl.com.

Lonnie Fortner, Port Gibson, Mississippi, was recently appointed to serve as the alternate member for Mississippi on the National Peanut Board.

Fortner’s term begins immediately and ends on Dec. 31, 2016.

Fortner operates Rock Lake Planting Company and grows runner peanuts in addition to cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Fortner is a third generation farmer who earned his Ag Economics degree from Mississippi State University.

Fortner is a 2012 graduate of the Peanut Leadership Academy. He is a board member of the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association and the Farmers Coop. Fortner is also vice president of the Claiborne County Farm Bureau, chairman of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Peanut Advisory Board and chairman of the Mississippi Peanut Promotion Board.

Fortner is glad to join the National Peanut Board. “It’s good to be involved on the frontline to ensure that the grower’s investment is going to the right place,” he says.

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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WEED GUIDEBOOK

Sicklepod makes a comeback icklepod, sometimes called coffeeweed or roundleaf coffeeweed, has become a problem in Georgia peanut fields during recent years.

Farmers have seen Palmer amaranth become resistant to glyphosate. So they are alert to the problems caused by weeds becoming resistant to herbicides. Some of these farmers worry that sicklepod is becoming resistant to Cadre.

University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko is conducting extensive greenhouse testing to determine if sicklepod has developed resistance to Cadre.

“We don’t want to alarm anyone, but we do want farmers to know that we are looking into this possibility,” Prostko says.

Prostko is supervising University of Georgia graduate student Wen Carter from Worth County, Georgia, who is working on the project. The project involves spraying Cadre at its normal rate onto populations of sicklepod grown in the greenhouse. If any survive at the normal rate, additional sicklepod from this population are grown in the greenhouse and rates are increased, up to ten times the normal rate to see if resistance develops.

Though the complaints from farmers have not been widespread, Prostko feels it

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University of Georgia researchers are studying sicklepod and its possible resistance to Cadre through repeated experiments in the greenhouse in Tifton, Georgia.

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Sicklepod has become a problem in Georgia peanut fields during recent years.

is important to check out the complaints he does hear about, mainly because these observations have come from farmers who normally experience good weed control on their farms.

Prostko said he was inspired to study sicklepod and its possible resistance to Cadre by farmers such as Jud Greene of Decatur County, Georgia, who noticed that sicklepod was more difficult to control. Prostko praises growers such as Greene for bringing potential problems to the attention of state Extension specialists.

“We started this testing in October of 2014,” says Prostko. “We have just scratched the surface, and we are repeating the experiments. Our greenhouse space is limited and it takes at least five weeks to complete the planting, then spraying, and seeing what survives that might indicate resistance.”

Prostko is not ready to say that sicklepod has developed resistance to Cadre.

“I hope it doesn’t show this resistance because that would be a difficult situation for growers to face,” he explains.

He collected sicklepod seed from farms where growers have complained about possible resistance, and from a population where there has been no history of Cadre use, and therefore, no population

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

likely to have resistance to Cadre herbicide and other herbicides in this class.

Bill Vencill, a UGA weed science researcher in Athens, collected sicklepod samples from Peach and Taylor counties in Georgia during 2013. He reports that these populations were only 40-60 percent controlled by four times the normal rate of Cadre. In response to these observations, Prostko expanded the studies in 2014 and collected sicklepod seed from 29 fields, including sites in Berrien, Colquitt, Decatur, Dooly, Early, Evans, Pierce, Sumter, Tattnall, Tift and Terrell counties.

“Farmers are more aware of resistance issues,” Prostko says. “They’ve seen firsthand what resistance has done in Palmer amaranth, and these farmers are more than willing to share their concerns over this possibility.”

“The last thing these farmers want is to hear that their sicklepod has become resistant to Cadre herbicide,” Prostko says. “It would be nice if we could identify other causes of poor sicklepod control such as improper rates or applying the herbicide to weeds that are too tall.”

He points out that not every herbicide failure is due to resistance. Prostko says weed control failures are more often

Start with a clean stand othing is more important for peanut farming than getting the crop off to a good start, and one of the major keys to doing this is to plant them in a field that is free of weeds.

“Getting a clean start will be very important this year,” says Eric Prostko, University of Georgia Extension weed scientist.

“Starting clean is huge,” Prostko says. “If you think a disk harrow will take care of one-foot-tall pigweeds, it won’t.

There are often delays between tillage and planting, and that is a time when troublesome or perennial weeds can get a head start.”

Prostko says that if peanut farmers are getting ready to plant, and they see pigweeds that are greater than six inches tall, then he recommends parking the planter and the sprayer, and to use instead the mower, the disk and the bottom plow to get the field ready for planting.

“For whatever reason, I have

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received many inquiries about the control of perennial weeds in peanuts,” Prostko says. “Horsenettle, dogfennel, trumpetcreeper, Virginia creeper and maypop passionflower are examples of some of the perennial weeds that can sometimes be found in peanut fields.”

It may take a few years to get such perennial weeds under control, according to Prostko. Some of the treatments that may be needed would include fall appli-

cations of glyphosate. This glyphosate would be applied after digging but at least two weeks before the first frost.

Generally, there are no selective herbicides that can be used to control perennial weeds in peanuts, according to Prostko. He says the best approach is to avoid planting peanuts in fields with known populations of these weeds.

Another approach would be to use fall applications of glyphosate. These should take place when the weeds have regrown after peanut harvest, but before first frost.

Perennial weeds need to be treated with both fall and spring applications of glyphosate following other crops in the rotation, and over many years before long-term weed control will be successful. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Sicklepod continued from page 10 caused by poor timing of the herbicide application and by unfavorable environmental conditions. But he realizes that weed resistance is a possibility that should not be overlooked. “If resistance is a problem, then we must determine what we can do about it,” Prostko adds.

Sicklepod can be troublesome to control because it produces so many seeds, up to 5,000 to 10,000 seeds per plant, according to Prostko. Sicklepod seed can also remain viable in the soil for at least five years. Also, none of the residual herbicides labeled for use in peanuts provide adequate control.

He says the herbicides Gramoxone and 2,4-DB would become the herbicides farmers would need to rely on to control sicklepod found to be resistant to Cadre. Peanut farmers facing sicklepod challenges should plant in twin rows and apply Cadre when the weeds are less than three inches tall. Also, the herbicide 2,4-DB can be used to slow the growth of sicklepod.

“But it will rarely provide complete control,” Prostko adds. “As a last resort, Gramoxone (paraquat) can be applied with a non-selective applicator such as a rope-wick, wiper or sponge to help control escaped sicklepod weeds.” t

BY JOHN LEIDNER March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Dicamba, 2, 4-D precautions ew cotton and soybean varieties will be coming into use with built-in tolerance to the broad spectrum herbicides dicamba and 2,4-D. This new technology promises to improve control of some troublesome weeds, including glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth.

Peanuts are sensitive to both dicamba and 2,4-D. The danger to peanuts could come from unintended exposure to these herbicides, either from drift or from sprayer contamination.

Barry Brecke, University of Florida weed scientist, has spent the past few years researching this threat to peanuts.

“We will see an increase in this unintended exposure,” Brecke says. “We could see this exposure resulting in growers deciding to terminate their peanut crops.”

Brecke and his colleagues decided to test the response of peanuts to these herbicides, and conducted the tests at research locations in Jay and Citra, Florida. The tests included various rates and applications of the herbicides at 21 or 42 days after planting.

“We didn’t simulate drift,” recalls Brecke. “These were direct applications.”

The Florida studies replicated similar results from studies in Georgia. “There were no differences from the applications at 21 or 42 days after planting,” Brecke says.

The studies found that dicamba produced much more peanut injury than did 2,4-D. “Even one ounce of dicamba resulted in 20 to 30 percent foliar injury on the peanuts, and we saw no recovery of these peanuts late in the season,” Brecke explains. “With one ounce of dicamba applied, we saw a 20 percent reduction in yield.”

“With the dicamba, we saw a linear response in the foliar damage and the yield loss,” Brecke says. “For instance, where the dicamba caused 60 percent foliar injury, yield losses were 60 percent.”

Brecke found that it was more difficult to use foliar injury from 2,4-D as a predictor of yield loss.

“With 2,4-D, we saw much less damage to peanuts than from the dicamba,”

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Chart Illustration: 1. This chart shows that dicamba is much more damaging to peanuts than 2,4-D. Source: Eric Prostko, University of Georgia Extension weed scientist.

Brecke says. “We also some recovery of peanut plants three weeks after 2,4-D application. Even with eight ounces per acre of 2,4-D applied to the peanuts, we saw only 10 percent foliage injury. With 16 ounces of 2,4-D, we had 16 percent foliar damage.”

“We found that dicamba caused two to three times the yield reduction as 2,4D,” Brecke says. “We could predict yield loss with foliar injury from dicamba, but it was more difficult to predict yield loss from 2,4-D foliar injury.”

New or different spray nozzles will be needed to minimize herbicide drift problems with the new 2,4-D and dicamba formulations. The new nozzles will spray the herbicides in large, coarse droplets, not the fine mist and small droplets used with most herbicide sprayers in recent years. University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko says he hopes to evaluate how the new nozzles will work in spraying herbicides and other crop chemicals onto peanuts.

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

These new 2,4-D and dicamba technologies will be introduced to farmers during the next few years. Some of this technology is available in soybean varieties grown in the Midwest, according to Prostko. He anticipates that new soybeans with resistance to these herbicides will become available for commercial planting in the Southeast during 2016.

The dicamba-resistant cotton varieties will be sold in Georgia this year, but the dicamba herbicide formulation to treat these varieties will not be registered for use this year. Prostko says the dicambaresistant cotton varieties also have resistance to glyphosate and Liberty herbicides, and that farmers will have a chance to check the genetics of these new varieties before planting them on a wide scale. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Peanuts are resilient he peanut is an amazing plant. It can withstand all sorts of abuse when it is young, and still recover, put on foliage and produce a high yielding crop.

Peanut foliage can be assaulted by herbicides, by plant diseases and by insect pests and still continue to produce new leaves.

Peanuts can withstand a lot of leaf loss from insects and still make good yields.

Mark Abney, University of Georgia Extension entomologist, says he believes many treatments for foliage feeding insects are unneeded. He says the treatment threshold for foliage feeding caterpillars is eight caterpillars per foot of row.

“Too many Georgia acres are sprayed at populations below this threshold,” he adds.

“During the past two years, we saw heavy thrips pressure,” Abney recalls.

“The thrips damage on peanuts looked bad in May and early June. But with the help of irrigation, the peanuts outgrew the thrips damage, and at the end of the season you couldn’t tell the thrips were there.”

In the years prior to the threat of tomato spotted wilt virus, peanuts were able to withstand thrips damage and still produce good yields. In those days, treating peanuts for thrips was hardly ever recommended.

Peanuts can even withstand poor initial stands. Recent University of Georgia tests shows that it only pays to replant with additional seed if the initial stand in single rows is less than about one plant per foot of row.

Newer varieties have much stronger resistance to damage from threats such as spotted wilt, leaf spot and even white mold and root knot nematodes.

If weeds could ever be controlled with cultural or mechanical methods, many of the new peanut varieties would be good candidates for use in organic production.

University of Georgia plant pathologist Albert Culbreath has noticed a tendency in some peanut lines that he calls

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“refoliation.” This is the ability to produce new foliage late in the growing season following initial defoliation from late leaf spot. Refoliation may be associated with later maturity, but may also represent a type of tolerance to some diseases.

In some newer varieties, Culbreath has noted that resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus is strong enough that Thimet may not be needed especially if planted near the optimal time for minimizing spotted wilt.

Perhaps nowhere is this resilience on the part of peanuts more impressive than in the plant’s ability to overcome earlyseason herbicide injury. University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko has evaluated several peanut varieties for their susceptibility to damage from the broad spectrum herbicide paraquat, often sold under the Gramoxone trademark. In these tests, the peanuts have always done well despite the paraquat injury. These tests have convinced Prostko that the risk of yield loss from weeds is much greater than the risk of yield loss from paraquat injury. So if weeds are a threat, go ahead and apply the paraquat.

One herbicide mix Prostko tested included Gramoxone, Storm and Dual.

This mix caused peanut plant damage.

“But the current data suggests that yields will be fine,” Prostko says. Using such a mix, he says, early applications are better.

That’s because the weeds are smaller and there will be more time for the peanut plants to recover from the damage. Yield losses are more likely if such a mix is applied after the plants have started flowering.

Prostko has evaluated a number of other herbicides said to have caused peanut injury. In almost all cases, the peanuts outgrow the damage. “For instance, we’ve seen Select Max herbicide mixed with boron fertilizer produce a little burn on peanut plants, but the peanuts outgrew this burn,” Prostko says.

And sometimes, damage to peanuts attributed to herbicides is actually due to another cause. Prostko recalls a field in Brooks County, Georgia, where peanut plant damage was thought to be due to

Valor herbicide. After he checked the field, he determined that the cause of the poor plants was actually zinc toxicity.

“We often see peanut injury after a pre-emergence Valor treatment and rainfall at cracking,” Prostko says. “But the peanuts have always outgrown this damage. In 15 years of testing, we have never seen yield losses from Valor on peanuts.”

Prostko has seen Dual Magnum herbicide cause j-rooting in peanuts. But in 32 out of 33 tests, he saw no negative yield effects from Dual Magnum. He notes that other causes of j-rooting can include poor seed quality, soil compaction and planting in cold and wet soils.

Peanut foliage can be assaulted by herbicides, by plant diseases and by insect pests and still continue to produce new leaves. Peanuts can withstand a lot of leaf loss from insects and still make good yields.

The only labeled herbicide to have caused peanut problems in Prostko’s tests has been Classic, and only when applied to the Georgia-06G and Tifguard varieties.

There are thousands of possible tank mixes that can be used on peanuts, and Prostko has not tested them all. Growers should use caution when tank-mixing more than three chemicals at one time.

There is nobody on the planet that can tell you with 100 percent certainty that any tank-mix will be 100 percent safe and effective.

Prostko says local Extension agents can help in mixing small amounts of pesticides to see which are compatible for tank mixing. In short, he says peanuts are amazing plants, able to withstand a lot of early season abuse, and still recover to produce good yields. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Photo credit: Jason Ferrell, University of Florida.

Spiderling New peanut weed threat Spiderling seedling showing characteristic red coloring.

Spiderling (Boerhavia spp.) u Seedling plants often show a deep red/purple color in the leaves u Stems are often red toward the base, but become progressively green as you move upward u Fairy short, but thick taproot u Grows fairly erect if other plants are near, but in open environments it is likely to sprawl with the stems lying flat on the ground

Photo credit: Jason Ferrell, University of Florida.

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Mature spiderling with green leaves.

Spiderling stems showing red coloration.

In northern climates, spiderling is an annual, but grows more as a perennial in Florida, according to Ferrell.

Spiderling has a short, thick taproot.

Pulling the weed by hand often causes the taproot to break off and the weed regrows.

Ferrell is testing herbicides to see which may control the new weed. So far, neither 2,4-D nor Cadre provided successful control. Until an effective herbicide can be identified which will not harm peanuts, Ferrell recommends cultivation and then watching the site for survivors. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Watch Warrant herbicide label Warrant was a new herbicide approved this past year. It’s possible that the Warrant label will have a major change this year.

University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko explains that the label last year allowed Warrant applications at rates of 1.25 to 2 quarts per acre from the time of emergence up until the time of flowering.

“That’s a narrow window,” Prostko says. “Some peanuts may begin flowering as soon as 22 days after planting.”

“The label change we hope to see would allow the application window to

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Photo credit: Jason Ferrell, University of Florida.

niversity of Florida Extension weed specialist Jason Ferrell advises farmers in North Florida to be on the lookout for spiderling.

Spiderling was once a weed only seen on roadsides. However, it has recently become established in no-till peanut fields and perennial peanut hay fields.

In the seedling stage, spiderling often has deep red and purple leaves. These leaves turn green as the plant matures.

Ferrell says the leaves have deep inset veins, and the stems at the base of the plant are often red in color.

expand, up until the time the crop starts first pegging,” Prostko adds.

He adds that the proposed label change would allow applications at the same 1.25 to 2 quarts per acre rate up through the R1 plant growth stage. R1 is the beginning of bloom and it ends when 50 percent of the plants in an area have visible pegs.

“If this label change is approved for 2015, it would allow Dual and Warrant to be used in exactly the same way on peanuts,” Prostko adds. t

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

BY JOHN LEIDNER

New peanut herbicides Though no new herbicides will likely be approved for peanuts in 2015, there’s a possibility that two new ones will become available for the 2016 growing season. These two herbicides are Zidua and Anthem Flex.

Zidua is from BASF and contains the herbicide pyroxasulfone. Anthem Flex is from FMC and it contains a mix of pyroxasulfone and Aim herbicide.

Aim’s common name is carfentrazone.

“These herbicides will be used much like Dual or Warrant,” Prostko says. He adds that the University of Georgia will not likely recommend either Zidua or Anthem Flex for use in preemergence applications. That’s because the herbicides haven’t shown the necessary crop safety margins in these early applications.

Prostko says once these new herbicides are approved, they will be recommended in postmergence tank mixes with Gramoxone and/or Cadre.

“As a reminder, it is illegal to use any herbicide in a non-registered crop,” Prostko adds. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Can you identify these common weeds or herbicide injury?

1. ________________

2. ________________

3. ________________

4. ________________

5. ________________

6. ________________

7. ________________

8. ________________

9. ________________

10. ________________ 11. ________________ 12. ________________

The first person to email Dr. Eric Prostko at eprostko@uga.edu the correct answer to the weed id and herbicide inqury quiz will receive a free hat. Answers will appear in the April issue of the Southeastern Peanut Farmer.

Beware of peanuts on new ground University of Georgia Extension agricultural economist Nathan Smith predicts that Georgia farmers will plant more than 700,000 acres of peanuts this year, a considerable increase in planted acreage over recent years.

Overall, Smith says that Georgia peanut acreage may increase by 20 percent over 2014 plantings and that U.S. peanut acreage could increase by as much as 15 percent in 2015.

Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist, says crop rotations will be strained because he doesn’t see farmers increasing their plantings of either cotton or corn.

In addition to the normal risks of

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growing peanuts, planting peanuts on new land or on land that hasn’t grown peanuts in many years has several other major challenges. For instance, such land likely will need inoculated peanut seed to produce good yields. Seed inoculation is especially important to use on land that hasn’t been growing peanuts for a number of years.

Also, University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko says such land may be growing perennial weeds that can be difficult to control.

Increased peanut acreage also likely means a reduction in the number of years between peanut and other legume crops on a given piece of land. For instance, crop economics or farm programs may tempt farmers to plant peanuts on land

that has grown soybeans in recent years, or to add soybeans to land normally included in a peanut rotation.

Soybeans are among the worst possible rotation crops for peanuts, mainly because beans host southern blight and root knot nematodes that attack peanuts. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER Important Phone Numbers for Pesticide Applicators u National Poison Control Center 800-222-1222 u CHEMTREC (24 hours) 800-424-9300 u National Pesticide Information Center 800-858-7378

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Common Bermudagrass control he dense mat formed by common bermudagrass can make it almost impossible to harvest peanuts. And one application of glyphosate won’t eliminate bermudagrass as a weed.

University of Florida scientists decided to test Fusilade and Select herbicides to see if they could control bermudagrass in an old pasture.

No peanuts were planted and no tillage took place at this site. It was selected to represent a worst case scenario, according to Jason Ferrell, University of Florida Extension weed specialist.

Fusilade DX at 12 ounces per acre

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was compared to Select 2EC applied at 16 ounces per acre. Applications began on May 21 and a second application was made 14 or 28 days later.

The Fusilade and Select treatments looked similar during the first four weeks after application. Ferrell says neither herbicide provided 100 percent control but both provided more than 90 percent control during this period.

Differences between the two herbicides showed up 10 weeks after treatment.

At the 10-week stage, two applications of Fusilade provided 64-74 percent control while two applications of Select provided 32-35 percent control.

Ferrell says the second application is

Auburn hires Li as new Extension weed scientist Steve Li is the new extension weed science specialist and assistant professor in Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University. His past research experiences included water management in double and intercropping system, bermudagrass control in St. Augustine and Zoysiagrass, problematic weed management in row crops, herbicide soil behavior, movement, persistence, carryover injury, and weed physiology. Li is specialized in soil herbicide weed control as affected by various environmental factors and soil types.

Li has extension responsibility of weed control in peanut, right of way, pasture, forage, forestry, and other non-crop areas. Meanwhile, he has to provide extension assistance in turf, weed ID,

spray efficacy, herbicide drift control, off target movement and carry over injury.

His research will be focused on resistant and problematic weed control in major row crops (peanut, cotton, corn, etc.) and non-crop areas. He will also conduct field, greenhouse and laboratory experiments to provide insights in drift management, herbicide persistence, degradation, and herbicidecrop-weed interactions as affected by complex environmental conditions.

Li can be contacted at 334-844-3804 or via email at steveli@auburn.edu. t

Triangle Chemical Company announces merger Triangle Chemical Company of Macon, Georgia, is pleased to announce the definitive merger with Cardinal Chemicals, Inc., a leading provider of agricultural inputs to all key crops in the North Carolina market. The two companies have agreed, in principle, to merge. The union further strengthens the Triangle legacy in the Southeast regional agricultural field.

Cardinal Chemicals, Inc. comprises 11 retail sites under the governance of its original location in Kinston, North Carolina, since 1974. As a member of Tenkoz and PROKoZ, the company will remain a highly reputable designation throughout North Carolina.

Triangle Chemical Company was founded in 1947 in Macon and has consistently provided dedicated service and industry-leading products to help clients throughout the Southeast. As a member of Tenkoz, the largest distribution entity for crop protection products in the United States, Triangle is a local, fourth generation, family-run business. For more information, contact 478-743-1548 or visit trianglecc.com. t

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

needed for the best control. It didn’t matter in this test if the second application was made at 14 or 28 days after the first treatment. Don’t wait too long to make the second application, however. Ferrell says if the second application is delayed until the bermudagrass is back to 100 percent green, then control will follow the same pattern of a single application.

Up to 48 ounces per acre of Fusilade DX can be applied to peanuts during a growing season as long as the last application doesn’t occur within 40 days of harvest. Ferrell notes that Fusilade can also be applied with commonly used peanut fungicides. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

2,4-DB needed now more than ever University of Georgia Extension weed scientist Eric Prostko is recommending more use of the herbicide 2,4-DB in 2015 peanut fields.

“We are at the point now that 2,4DB needs to be included with all of our postemergence applications 30 to 45 days after planting,” Prostko says.

“This herbicide is needed to improve control of Palmer amaranth, sicklepod and annual morningglory.”

Prostko says 2,4-DB is not really that expensive. He estimates costs at about $2.75 per acre for an application of 18 ounces per acre. Prostko says 2,4-DB can be added to three-way tank mixes with Cadre and Dual or Warrant, or with Cobra or Ultra Blazer plus Dual or Warrant.

“Where Warrant is used, add a non-ionic surfactant at a rate of 0.25 percent volume percent concentration,” he adds.

“I have not been a fan of threeway tank mixtures in the past,” Prostko says. He says data collected in 2014 showed that three-way tank mixes that included 2,4-DB did not cause significant peanut yield losses under weed free conditions. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

Seed inoculation is low-cost insurance niversity of Georgia Extension agronomist Glen Harris who specializes in soils and fertility says he would like to see the seed of every peanut acre inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Inoculants provide live beneficial bacteria that live on peanut roots. These bacteria take nitrogen from the air in the soil and convert it into a form that can be used by the plant.

There are several types of inoculants.

These include liquid, granular and sterile peat and powder formulations. Liquid inoculants applied during planting in the seed furrow have become the most popular among farmers, according to Harris.

Liquid inoculants also provide more live bacteria than the other formulations. The peat and powder formulations are typically mixed with the seed in the planter hopper. This can be a time consuming chore.

Also such mixing may damage the seed, according to Harris.

Improper storage is the biggest reason inoculants fail to work, according to Harris. Inoculants are living bacteria.

Storage in direct sunlight or heat can kill them. Harris adds that low soil pH can also kill bacteria. In addition, he warns that micronutrients may kill or interfere with the bacteria.

“We don’t recommend starter fertilizer for peanuts,” Harris adds.

Recommended fungicides and insecticides applied to peanuts at planting shouldn’t harm the bacteria. For information on products that may hinder inoculants, check the inoculant label or check with the dealer who sold the inoculant.

Harris says inoculation is inexpensive insurance, especially if soils have been saturated with water for extended periods.

A cool, wet winter may jeopardize the survivability of these beneficial bacteria.

Plants with yellow leaves may indicate a lack of nitrogen. You can check the effectiveness of inoculants by taking a shovel and digging up the roots. Clean the roots off, and look for nodules on the roots.

Nodules indicate the presence of the beneficial bacteria, but are only beneficial if they are actively fixing N. If you cut the nodules in half and see a bright pink

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Extension recommendations call for inoculation if peanuts have not been grown in a field for five or more years. Inoculation shouldn’t be needed if well-nodulated peanuts have grown in the field at any time during the previous three years. Pictured are untreated peanuts on the left and inoculated peanuts on the right.

or red color, that’s an indication the bacteria are working. Small nodules may be white when you cut them in half. The white color indicates the bacteria are immature and haven’t started working yet.

The ideal time to check plant roots for the presence of the beneficial bacteria is 30 to 45 days after planting, when the plant begins to flower.

Generally, Extension recommendations call for inoculation if peanuts have not been grown in a field for five or more years. Inoculation shouldn’t be needed if well-nodulated peanuts have grown in the field at any time during the previous three years. But Harris says inoculation may still pay off even in fields with a short peanut rotation and in fields where peanut yields are high.

“There is some research that indicates if you harvest 5,000 pounds of peanuts per acre, you may still benefit from inoculation,” Harris says.

Harris also reminds growers to use inoculants that are specifically designed for use on peanuts. Bacterial inoculants intended for soybeans will not benefit peanuts.

Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia cropping systems agronomist, has conducted studies in recent years on peanut inoculants. He says wet conditions can move the bacteria out of the seed furrows.

Tubbs reminds growers to use non-

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

chlorinated water with liquid inoculants.

That’s because chlorine in water can kill the bacteria.

Well inoculated peanut plants will lap the rows earlier than those that are not inoculated, according to Tubbs. Quicker canopy closer in inoculated peanuts will help in providing season long weed control.

If inoculation fails, a broadcast nitrogen fertilizer application may rescue the peanuts, but the yields will probably not equal those of a crop that was effectively inoculated. Tubbs and his colleagues tested inoculation against ammonium sulfate nitrogen fertilizer in a Tift County, Georgia, field that had not grown peanuts for 28 years. The field was not irrigated and dry weather hurt yields more than the lack of nitrogen, according to Tubbs.

Tubbs and his team checked the nodules on the peanut roots. They also found that the nitrogen fertilizer improved the foliage color by making the plants greener, though this green color diminished near the end of the growing season. Also, the nitrogen fertilizer inhibited the formation of nodules.

They concluded that if inoculants are not used or are ineffective for any reason, a small supplemental application of nitrogen may benefit the peanuts. Tubbs was joined in this study by University of Georgia Extension agricultural econo-

mists Amanda Smith and Nathan Smith. They analyzed data from three years, and found that plots receiving an effective inoculant at planting were most profitable.

However, where an inoculant was not used, plots that received 60 pounds of N per acre at flowering helped to produce profitable peanuts.

The study included an untreated control, an inoculant treatment, and three treatments with no inoculants but with supplemental N applications of 60, 120 and 180 pounds of N per acre at flowering. Other treatments in the study included no inoculants but 60 pounds of N at flowering plus 60 pounds of N at row lapping, and no inoculants but 120 pounds of N at flowering plus 60 pounds of N at lapping.

Their analysis showed that plots receiving an inoculant were $43 per acre more profitable than plots that received no inoculant and supplemental nitrogen fertilizer.

Plots that received no inoculant but 60 pounds of N fertilizer at flowering were $38 per acre more profitable than those plots that received higher levels of N. Plots with no inoculants that received split fertilizer applications at flowering and at lapping were the least profitable.

They concluded that inoculants applied at planting provide the most profit potential. However, if there is an inoculant failure, farmers should consider applying no more than 60 pounds of N fertilizer per acre at flowering. t

BY JOHN LEIDNER

DOT and FAA propose new rules for small unmanned aircraft systems The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration recently proposed a framework of regulations that would allow routine use of certain small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in today’s aviation system, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations.

The FAA proposal offers safety rules for small UAS (under 55 pounds) conducting non-recreational operations. The rule would limit flights to daylight and visual-line-of-sight operations. It also addresses height restrictions, operator certification, optional use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking, and operational limits.

The public will be able to comment on the proposed regulation for 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register, which can be found at www.regulations.gov.

Separate from this proposal, the FAA intends to hold public meetings to discuss innovation and opportunities at the test sites and Center of Excellence. These meetings will be announced in a future Federal Register notice.

Under the proposals, a person flying a small UAS would have to be 17 years old, pass an aeronautical knowledge test and obtain an FAA UAS operator certificate. To keep the certification, operators would have to pass a FAA knowledge test every two years.

To view the full proposal for small UAS, visit faa.gov.

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Bristow joins staff as APPA executive director aleb Bristow of Henry County is the new executive director for the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation. His first official day was Feb. 16, but he was introduced to peanut farmers at the APPA Annual Meeting in Dothan, Alabama, Feb. 12, 2015.

Federation Governmental and Agricultural Programs Director Brian Hardin said Bristow’s strong work ethic was developed growing up on a family farm in Columbia, Alabama.

“We are fortunate and thrilled to have Caleb join the APPA and the Federation family,” Hardin says. “He will provide excellent leadership with his natural talents. Caleb is a smart, hard worker who has a great ability to connect with people and make them feel comfortable.”

Bristow’s family raises nearly 3,000 acres of peanuts and cotton and has a herd of beef cows. He is a two-time Auburn University graduate, earning his master’s degree in agronomy (weed science) in 2012 and his bachelor’s in agronomy and soils in 2010.

Bristow said the Federation’s reputa-

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tion as a conservative, family-friendly organization that represents farmers on the state and national levels, were among the things that attracted him to the career move. But mostly, he said, it was an opportunity for him to help farmers.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” Bristow said. “I am ready to work not only with farmers, but also for farmers.”

In addition to working with farmers to help improve their livelihoods, Bristow said he would also be a “peanut promoter.”

“Peanut farmers produce a delicious, healthy food that is safe and affordable,” Bristow says. “Helping encourage consumers to eat more of what our farmers grow is an exciting opportunity I’m looking forward to.”

APPA President Carl Sanders said Bristow represents the future of peanut farming.

“Caleb’s energy and enthusiasm will serve farmers well as we navigate a new farm bill and spring planting begins,” Sanders says. “His first-hand knowledge of the peanut industry will allow him to understand what our farmers need and help them get it.”

Hardin and Sanders both praised the work done by Jim Cravey, who has served as APPA interim executive director for more than a year. Cravey, who retired from the Federation in 2006 as Commodity Department director, will continue to work for APPA through Bristow’s transition.

Bristow, 26, and his wife, Freda, live in Headland. He previously was a manager and salesman for Kelly Ag in Headland and is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta, Auburn’s Honor Society of Agriculture.

He can be reached at the APPA office in Dothan at cbristow@alpeanuts.com or 334-792-6482. t

BY DEBRA DAVIS ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATION

USDA invests $18 million to train beginning farmers U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) recently announced more than $18 million in grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).

“As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are really looking to their community for support. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program empowers these farmers and ranchers to bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to addressing food security, creating economic enterprises, and building communities,” says Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. “As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 2014

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Farm Bill, programs like these are evidence that an investment in beginning farmers and ranchers is an investment in our future.”

The grant announcement was made at Recirculating Farms Coalition in New Orleans. Recirculating Farms received a BFRDP grant to develop training sessions focusing on soil-based production and aquaculture for new and beginning farmers in New Orleans.

The BFRDP program, first established by the 2008 Farm Bill, aims to support those who have farmed or ranched less than 10 years with workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance throughout the United States. NIFA awards grants to organizations that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers. This announcement was funded by the 2014 Farm Bill, which continued authorization of this program.

The 2014 Farm Bill mandated at least

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

five percent of BFRDP funding support veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers. Among this announcement, more than 15 percent of the funded projects have a substantial component that supports veterans and farming, while about 50 percent of the projects focus mainly on socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. A fact sheet with a complete list of awardees and project descriptions is available on the USDA website.

Since 2009, FSA has issued more than 8895,000 direct and guaranteed farm operating and farm ownership loans to beginning farmers and ranchers. The 2014 Farm Bill also strengthens the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for new producers by reducing the premiums on buy-up level coverage by 50 percent for new farmers and waiving their application fee.

More information is available online at usda.gov/newfarmers. t

AL/FL Peanut Trade Show attracts record crowd he 10th annual AlabamaFlorida Peanut Trade Show hosted a record number of 650 attendees at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Dothan, Feb. 12. Farmers elected new leaders, learned about new technologies and attended seed, research and production seminars during the event.

Dale County peanut and cotton farmer Chris Thompson said the trade show is an opportunity to connect with other farmers and gain information to help him on his farm.

“It’s great to look at new equipment, talk with other producers about farm policy and what FSA and USDA are trying to implement this winter,” Thompson says.

“Any time you get the opportunity to learn more about what you do, it’s good to take advantage of it.”

Butler County farmer Steve Tanner won a $5,000 discount towards an Amadas combine or picker/inverter. He said he saw a product at the meeting that could help with nematode management on

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use this to control that, too.”

Before lunch, the Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA), a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation, met to elect new members to its board of directors and appoint members to PeanutPAC. Carl Sanders of Coffee County was reelected APPA president. Also reelected were Mark Kaiser and Joel Sirmon of Baldwin County and Ed White of Henry County. Thomas Adams of The Florida and Alabama peanut producers associa- Henry County was elected to the board. tions honored former Auburn University professor Joe Bert Driskell of Mobile County, Touchton, who was head of the university’s Crop, Soil Brad Smith of Dallas County and Tom and Environmental Sciences Department, for his Corcoran, Barbour County were reapyears of service to peanut farmers. Pictured left to right: Jim Cravey, APPA interim executive director, pointed to PeanutPAC. Touchton and Carl Sanders, APPA president.

The Florida and Alabama peanut producers associations honored former his farm.

Auburn University professor Joe “Neem Oil is supposed to fight nemaTouchton, who was head of the universitodes, and they’ve done some research in ty’s Crop, Soil and Environmental Georgia with it,” Tanner says. “A lot of Sciences Department, for his years of people have used it over there and believe service to peanut farmers. t in it. It’s something the deer won’t eat, so in the areas I’m having deer trouble, I can

BY TERESA MAYS

Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference provides a day of education for peanut farmers ore than 2,100 attendees were able to finetune their farming operations with information gained at the 39th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference on Jan. 15, 2015, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The show is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission in cooperation with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus and the Southeastern Peanut Farmer.

The one-day show offered farmers a chance to view the products and services of more than 100 exhibitors, as well as a day of education. The University of Georgia Peanut Team presented an educational peanut production seminar focusing marketing, SDHI chemistries and the changing face of disease and nematode management, insect management and more. An industry seed seminar was held which highlighted peanut varieties available for 2015.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to individuals and businesses for their service to the peanut industry and promotion of peanuts across the U.S. The award recipients are: Distinguished Service Award – Birdsong Peanuts; Research and Education Award – Steve Brown, retired University of Georgia interim associate dean for Extension; Media Award – 92.5 The Farm, WKZZ; and Special Awards to Steve Spooner of S&S Marketing, Peanut Proud, Inc. and Debbie Cannon, retired regional representative for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award was presented to Andrew Grimes of Tifton, Georgia. The award is presented to one Georgia peanut farmer based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership and community service activities. This year’s winner demonstrates volunteerism and service to agriculture in his local area.

Grimes developed his passion for farming while growing up on a diversified row crop operation including peanuts, cotton, corn, wheat and vegetables. On the

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The Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to individuals and businesses for their service to the peanut industry and promotion of peanuts across the U.S. Pictured left to right: Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission, Andrew Grimes, Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer recipient from Tifton, Ga., Media Award - Becky Davis, director of ag news with 92.5 The Farm, WKZZ; Distinguished Service Award – Charles Birdsong, vice president of operations and procurement for Birdsong Peanuts; Special Recognition - Debbie Cannon, retired regional representative for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss; Special Award – Greg Grimsley, president of Peanut Proud, Inc. and Steve Spooner of S&S Marketing. Not pictured: Research and Education Award – Steve Brown, retired University of Georgia interim associate dean for Extension.

farm, Grimes is very involved in stewardship and conservation practices. Grimes utilizes GPS technology, plants a cover crop, uses twin-row planting and a 3-year rotation to aid in crop efficiency and replenishing the soil with nutrients. His farming practices continue to help him achieve high yields annually with an average of 7,200 pounds per acre for peanuts.

Grimes receives a sign to display at his farm and a trip to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in July. This award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF. In addition to the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Agri Supply presented the Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmers of the Year Award to individuals representing each of the commission’s five districts. The GPC board members started this award to honor farmers each year who have the passion, diligence, leadership and desire to see the peanut industry in the state of Georgia

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

continue to be the highest quality.

Winners include: District 1 - Wayne Carr, Donalsonville, District 2 - Ralph Underwood, Moultrie, District 3 - Olin Boyd, Sylvania, District 4 - James Warbington, Vienna, and District 5 Jimmy Curry, Shellman. These farmers received a sign to display at their farm and a $100 gift card from Agri Supply.

At the close of the day, the presentation of the Grand Door Prize donated by Kelley Manufacturing Co. was presented to Jared Cross, Unadilla, Georgia. Cross received one season’s use of a new sixrow KMC peanut combine and the option of purchasing the combine from a KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price at the end of the 2015 season. KMC also provided $1,000 cash as part of the Grand Door Prize package to Drew Whigham, Cairo, Georgia.

Amadas Industries also provided a Grower Door Prize of one season’s use of a new Amadas four-row or six-row peanut inverter or a certificate good for

Georgia Peanut Commission holds referendum March 16 – April 15

Five Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmers of the Year were honored at a breakfast prior to the Georgia Peanut Farm Show, Jan. 15, 2015. The district winners are (left to right) District 1 - Wayne Carr, Donalsonville, District 2 - Ralph Underwood, Moultrie, District 3 - Olin Boyd, Sylvania, District 4 - James Warbington, Vienna and District 5 - Jimmy Curry, Shellman.

the amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of any Amadas pull-type peanut combine to Steve Shivers, Ft. Gaines, Georgia.

For photos and additional information on the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference visit the Georgia Peanut Commission web site at www.gapeanuts.com. t

BY JOY CROSBY

The Georgia Peanut Commission will hold a referendum March 16 through April 15 giving peanut producers an opportunity to vote on reaffirming the commission. State law mandates that a referendum be held every three years. Georgia peanut producers invest $2 per ton to fund the commission and its research, education, promotion and communication programs.

The last referendum in 2012 passed with an 87.6 percent reaffirmation. GPC Executive Director Don Koehler urges producers to contact him by email at don@gapeanuts.com or 229-386-3470 if they have any questions about the commission’s activities or the referendum.

Peanut producers who do not receive a ballot may obtain one by calling the commission. The commission requests that anyone who receives a ballot but is no longer farming to write, “no longer producing” on the certification envelope and return it to the commission. This will assist the commission in updating its mailing list. The commission’s address is P.O. Box 967, Tifton, Georgia 31793.

The Certified Public Accounting Firm of Allen, Pritchett, and Bassett will count the votes. t

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Mississippi Peanut Growers annual meeting and trade show he Mississippi Peanut Growers Association held their annual meeting and trade show Jan. 28-29, 2015, at the Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. More than 100 farmers and industry representatives gathered for the two-day meeting that featured promotional and research reports during the annual meeting, as well as the opportunity for farmers to visit with 35 agricultural businesses in the trade show.

Bob Redding, Washington representative for the Georgia Peanut Commission and the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, kicked off the MPGA annual meeting by discussing some of the top issues in Washington, D.C., including immigration reform, appropriations, trade and energy. According to Redding, some of the top priorities for the peanut industry in 2015 are protecting the 2014 Farm Bill, continuing to work with administrators on regulations and implementation, planning for the 2018 Farm Bill, trade and government peanut butter purchases.

Redding noted that there has been a significant drop in government peanut butter purchases and the peanut industry needs to work with the government on increasing the amount of purchases.

George Hopper, dean of the Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, spoke to the group regarding the university and Mississippi agriculture. According to Hopper, Mississippi agriculture and forestry production farm gate value totals $7.9 billion and provides $17.2 billion in value added to the Mississippi economy.

More than one-fourth of all jobs in

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Jason Ward, Mississippi State University Extension agricultural engineer, discusses research on yield monitor systems to attendees at the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show held Jan. 28-29, 2015, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Mississippi are directly related to agriculture and forestry.

According to Hopper, MSU is going to make a specific emphasis on precision agriculture in the next few years. “There are lots of questions to answer,” Hopper says. “Precision Ag is about doing the right thing at the right time and place.”

He continues by stating, precision agriculture is not new but the technology is continuing to advance and it’s important for the next generation of leaders to understand all that’s available for them.

Additional speakers during the annual meeting presented information on peanut diseases, weeds, irrigation, yield monitor systems, varieties, insect management, market outlook and wild hog control.

Growers also heard updates from Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture, as well as, reports on the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, Southern Peanut Growers and the National Peanut Board.

During the annual meeting of the association, new board members were elected to serve on the MPGA board. The board members elected include Joe Morgan, president; Lonnie Fortner, vice president; District 3 representative Alan Atkins; District 4 representative Daniel Parrish; and At Large members Corley Moses, Bernard Jones and Steve Seward.

For more info on the MPGA visit misspeanuts.com. t

BY JOY CROSBY

Premium Peanut shelling plant going up in Georgia Premium Peanut, LLC was formed in fall of 2014 to provide a market for peanut growers in south Georgia.

Premium Peanut is grower owned and is committed to delivering the very best peanut possible.

Premium Peanut, LLC has begun construction on a new ultra-modern peanut shelling facility to be complete

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before harvest 2015. The shelling plant will be an LMC plant. Originating from the rural peanut farms of South Georgia, LMC has become the world leader in peanut shellers and equipment for the peanut shelling process. LMC equipment is responsible for shelling 90 percent of the commercial peanut market.

The owners of seven buying points in

Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

Coffee, Jeff Davis, Berrien, Irwin and Appling Counties formed Premium Peanut. Using modern shelling equipment, the plant is expected to begin with 110,000 tons from the 2015 crop and grow to 140,000 tons in its first three years.

For additional information visit their website at premiumpeanutllc.com. t

Congratulations to these Door Prize winners!

Bennie Branch (left), president of Kelley Manufacturing Co., presents the Grand Door Prize to Jared Cross, Unadilla, Georgia, during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference. Cross received one season’s use of a new six-row KMC peanut combine and the option of purchasing the combine from a KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price at the end of the 2015 season.

Keith Weeks (left) of Kelley Manufacturing Co. presents the door prize to Pete Rutland of Mize, Mississippi, during the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association Annual Meeting. Rutland received one season’s use of a new six-row KMC peanut combine and the option of purchasing the combine from a KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price at the end of the 2015 season.

Tyler Ulrich, Bonifay, Florida, won the Kelley Manufacturing Co. door prize during the AL/FL Trade Show held in Dothan, Alabama. Pictured left to right: Danny Bennett, KMC, Ulrich, Miss National Peanut Festival Laura McKenny, Little Miss National Peanut Festival Ray Anna Ansley and Hal Waller, KMC. Ulrich received one season’s use of a new six-row KMC peanut combine.

Mark Mathis (right) of Amadas Industries presents the Amadas door prize to Steve Shivers, Ft. Gaines, Georgia, during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference held in Tifton, Georgia. Shivers received one season’s use of a new Amadas four-row or six-row peanut inverter or a certificate good for the amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of any Amadas pull-type peanut combine.

Chris Beaty (left) of Amadas Industries presents the Amadas door prize to Kyle Williams, Fruitdale, Alabama, during the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association Annual Meeting held in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Williams received one season’s use of a new Amadas four-row or six-row peanut inverter or a certificate good for the amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of any Amadas pull-type peanut combine.

Chris Beaty (left) of Amadas Industries presents the Amadas door prize to Steve Tanner, Greenville, Alabama, during the AL/FL Peanut Trade Show held in Dothan, Alabama. Tanner received one season’s use of a new Amadas four-row or six-row peanut inverter or a certificate good for the amount of $5,000 towards the purchase of any Amadas pull-type peanut combine.

Thanks to KMC and Amadas for their generous donation!

Contact KMC and Amadas at: KMC 229-382-9393 www.kelleymfg.com Amadas (229) 439-2217 www.amadas.com March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Southern Peanut Growers Conference set for July 23-25 at Callaway Gardens he 17th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference is moving to Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia for 2015, but the program line up and social events offered will still be stellar. The conference is planned for July 23-25.

Owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, Callaway Gardens includes a garden, resort, preserve and residential community on 13,000 acres. Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach,

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nature trails and special events throughout the year.

In addition, Callaway Gardens offers nearly 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 685 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more.

Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,610-acre forest preserve, which is sustainably-managed for biological studies and environmental education programs, and has provided a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world for millions of visitors.

As for the conference, producers will continue to have an opportunity to learn

more about legislative issues, marketing opportunities, production issues and promotional efforts.

Additional information is available by visiting southernpeanutfarmers.org.

2015 Tentative Schedule Thursday, July 23 1:00 - 6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 24 6:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

10:45 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

1:15 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 25 7:30 a.m.

9:15 a.m.

Noon 12:30 - 6 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

Conference Registration Welcoming Reception Welcoming Dinner

Syngenta Start Strong 5K & Fun Run Prayer Breakfast General Session I Spouse Program Refreshment Break General Session II Luncheon General Session III Cookout at Callaway Gardens Additional events include: FSU Flying High Circus* Fireworks at Robin Lake Beach* * Limited Availability Breakfast - Farm Press Peanut Profitability Awards General Session III Refreshment Break Lunch on your own and afternoon free!

Golf Tournament Reception Dinner and Entertainment

SOUTHERN PEANUT GROWERS CONFERENCE nual

July 23-25, 2015

17th An

Callway Gardens

Pine Mountain, Georgia

- REGISTRATION FORM -

Name: Company Name:

Farm # (required of peanut producers):

Address:

City:

Telephone:

State:

Fax:

Zip:

Email:

Spouse Name (if registering):

Child’s Name(s) (if registering):

Name of Buying Point: Name badges are required at all conference functions. Only those registered for the conference will receive a name badge.

Registration deadline is June 30, 2015.

For on-site registration, add $100 to original registration rate for each registrant.

Registration Rates: Full Package includes all meal functions and spouse program.

Number of Registrants

Registration Rates:

_____ U.S. Peanut Growers _____ Spouse _____ Children (per person) _____ General Registration:

On or before June 30

After July 1

Subtotal Registration

$125 $125 $125 $245

$175 $175 $175 $295

_______ _______ _______ _______

$695

$745

_______

(Including media, government, research, grower representatives)

_____ International Attendees

Cancellation Refund Policy: 100% On or before July 1, 50% July 2 - 11 and 0% after July 12

Hotel Reservations must be made separately and directly with Callaway Gardens by calling: 844-532-7325 or visit their website at www.callawaygardens.com/aspgc2015.

(When making your hotel reservations, ask for the Southern Peanut Growers Conference rate.)

Register for Special Activities

Special Activities: _____ Golf (per person)

$100

_______

includes green fees, cart rental and prizes

TOTAL amount enclosed (U.S. Dollars)

$

_______

Credit Card Information: (Check one) o Amex o Visa o MasterCard Credit Card Number: __________________________________________________________

For our planning purposes, check the boxes of special activity events you plan to attend.

Spouse Program: o Friday, July 24, 10:30 a.m. to noon Golf Tournament: includes green fees, cart rental and prizes Name: ____________________________________ Handicap or Average Score: __________________

Expiration Date:______________________________________________________________ Name on Credit Card: _________________________________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Fax registration form with credit card authorization to the Georgia Peanut Commission at (229)386-3501.

Make checks payable to: Southern Peanut Growers Conference Mail check with payment to: Georgia Peanut Commission (SPGC Conf.)

P.O. Box 967 Tifton, GA 31793

For More Information Contact: ALABAMA PEANUT PRODUCERS ASSN. (334) 792-6482 FLORIDA PEANUT PRODUCERS ASSN. (850) 526-2590 GEORGIA PEANUT COMMISSSION (229) 386-3470 MISSISSIPPI PEANUT GROWERS ASSN. (601) 606-3547

Washington Outlook

by Robert L. Redding Jr.

U.S. House Ag Committee holds farm bill review hearing

House Ag Committe makes budget case to House Budget Committee

The U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the “State of the Rural Economy.” Implementation of the now one-year old 2014 Farm Bill was the central topic of the hearing. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack testified at the hearing.

One of the dominant topics of the day was the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal by the administration which included severe cuts to crop insurance programs in the 2014 Farm Bill.

“We have a new farm bill on the books that passed with bipartisan support,” says House Ag Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas. “The President’s proposed cuts to crop insurance, which the Secretary has vocally supported, would undermine the farm bill and make the inherently risky business of growing our nation’s food supply even riskier.

We should recognize the contributions agriculture has made to deficit reduction and give the new farm bill time to work.”

In addition to crop insurance, the committee addressed several key peanut issues with Sec. Vilsack.

U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Georgia, pointed out the federal government’s “drastic decline” in its purchases of peanut butter. Congressman Scott highlighted the decline since the ‘90s in the purchase of peanut butter as compared to recent years. Sec. Vilsack said he would ask his staff to review the issue and report back to the committee. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Florida, also raised the peanut issue, saying that “we have to increase consumption” and suggesting that it be included in food aid.

The House Agriculture Committee has submitted its fiscal year 2016 budget letter to the House Budget Committee. The letter was signed by Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota. The letter noted: “While the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the farm bill) comprises 2 percent of the total Federal budget, with support to producers under the Commodity Title and Crop Insurance constituting only 0.29 percent of the overall budget, the Committee on Agriculture is proud to have made a significant contribution to deficit reduction with the passage of the farm bill, which CBO estimated at the time would save $16 billion over 10 years or $23 billion when including sequestration of the May 2013 baseline. When comparing the CBO baseline used during the farm bill with CBO’s January 2015 baseline update, we estimate that anticipated taxpayer savings remain intact.

Nevertheless, while the contribution to deficit reduction already made by the Committee on Agriculture is very significant, exclusive or even overreliance upon savings from our committee in the future will greatly undermine important mission areas while failing to seriously move the needle in meeting the fiscal objectives that our committees share. While additional, responsible savings might be achieved by our committee in the future depending upon the outcome of an examination of the policies within our jurisdiction, truly meaningful deficit reduction will necessarily depend on contributions from beyond the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture, where more than 98 percent of Federal spending resides.”

One of the key messages from the Agriculture Committee to House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Georgia, was, “In short, the farm bill is working as it was intended to work, meeting our objectives with substantially fewer resources.”

U.S. Senate hosts 2014 Farm Bill review hearing The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee held a 2014 Farm Bill Implementation hearing Feb. 24, 2015. Georgia farmer and agribusinessman Ronnie Lee testifed before the committee with other farmers and Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. View Lee’s testimony online at www.americanpeanuts.com

GPC joins effort to stop crop insurance cuts The Georgia Peanut Commission and the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation joined other agricultural organizations in an effort to stop proposed 2014 Farm Bill crop insurance program cuts. The President has proposed crop insurance cuts in his Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal and other harmful, legislation has also been introduced. It is anticipated that these cuts will be an issue during the Fiscal Year Agricultural Appropriations debate.

In a letter to U.S. House and Senate Budget leaders, agricultural organizations stated: “The farm bill places greater emphasis on risk management than previous farm bills. Farmers spend approximately $4 billion a year of their own money to purchase insurance from the private sector, which is far more efficient and effective than government-run crop insurance delivery systems. Crop insurance products and protection levels can be tailored to the individual farm, making it so effective in managing risk that more than 90 percent of eligible farmland is currently protected.”

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, and Patrick Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, have introduced Senate Bill 345 which caps premium subsidies for crop insurance at $50,000. The GPC opposes the Shaheen-Toomey legislation.

Legislative Updates available online at www.americanpeanuts.com

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Southeastern Peanut Farmer March 2015

Feb. 4, 2015 House and Sentate Budget Committee Chairs and Ranking Members: The agriculture community is committed to the belief that balancing the Federal budget is important, which is why the industry supported the passage just last year of a farm bill that was estimated to reduce the deficit by $16.6 billion. Additionally, crop insurance has been contributing more than $1.2 billion a year towards reducing government spending since the 2008 Farm Bill.

Therefore, we strongly oppose the President’s budget proposal to make crippling cuts to crop insurance. Attacking farmers’ most important risk management tool only weakens the farm safety net in the bipartisan farm bill that Congress carefully crafted after years of deliberation and more than 40 hearings.

The farm bill places greater emphasis on risk management than previous farm bills. Farmers spend approximately $4 billion a year of their own money to purchase insurance from the private sector, which is far more efficient and effective than government-run crop insurance delivery systems. Crop insurance products and protection levels can be tailored to the individual farm, making it so effective in managing risk that more than 90 percent of eligible farmland is currently protected.

This popularity enabled the country to face back-to-back years of wide scale natural disasters, including the historic drought of 2012, without a single ad hoc disaster bill introduced for cropland. Such unbudgeted disaster bills were commonplace before crop insurance provided the depth and breadth of coverage that it does today, and these disaster bills were fully funded by taxpayers.

Budget levels currently in place for crop insurance ensure the affordability and availability of risk protection, while maintaining the viability of private-sector delivery. Arbitrary funding reductions only weaken the system and ultimately shift risk exposure back to taxpayers.

As the House and Senate develop their own budget proposals we urge you to protect crop insurance and recognize its central importance to farmers, lenders and all of rural America.

Sincerely, American Bankers Association American Farm Bureau Federation American Insurance Association American Sugar Alliance American Sugarbeet Growers Association Association of Equipment Manufacturers American Soybean Association Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Crop Insurance Professionals Association Farm Credit Council Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Independent Community Bankers of America National Association of Professional Insurance Agents National Association of Wheat Growers National Barley Growers Association National Corn Growers Association

National Cotton Council National Council of Farmer Cooperatives National Crop Insurance Services National Farmers Union National Sorghum Producers National Sunflower Association Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Southwest Council of Agribusiness US Canola Council US Dry Bean Council US Rice Producers Association US Beet Sugar Association USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council USA Rice Federation Western Peanut Growers Association

USDA provides one-time extension of deadline to update base acres or yield history for ARC/PLC programs Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced a one-time extension will be provided to producers for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres has been extended one additional month, from Feb. 27, 2015 until March 31, 2015. The final day for farm owners and producers to choose ARC or PLC coverage also remains March 31, 2015. If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, 2015, the farm's current yield and base will be used. A program choice of ARC or PLC coverage also must be made by March 31, 2015, or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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Southern Peanut Growers Celebrate March, National Peanut Month with “PB My Way All-Time Favorites” recipe contest Reach into your recipe box for that dogeared and peanut butterstained favorite recipe card! Whether your favorite peanut butter recipe is one that has been passed down for generations or one that you discovered or created yourself, Southern Peanut Growers invites you to enter it in the annual “PB My Way” recipe contest.

Enter your favorite recipe at www.peanut butterlovers.com in one of these categories: Family Favorites; Breakfast or Brunch?; Festive Holidays or Dreamy Desserts. One grand prize – a KitchenAid stand mixer – and four top in category prizes – a year’s supply of peanut butter – will be awarded!

Southern Peanut Growers works with Georgia Grinders, a new peanut butter brand Georgia Grinders just launched the first hand-crafted, smallbatch peanut butter company exclusively using Georgia-grown peanuts. Jaime Foster, left the corporate world and launched NaturAlmond almond butter in January of 2012. Peanut butter – made from Georgia’s official state crop – was the most natural next step!

SPG will be sampling Georgia Grinders at upcoming consumer shows and health events and Georgia Grinders will do one cooking demonstration at the Savannah and Nashville Southern Women’s Shows with Southern Peanut Growers.

Made with just peanuts and sea salt, a 12-oz. jar sells for $5.99 - $6.99. Georgia Grinders is available in retailers nationally including Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods, as well as specialty and online stores.

Marketing arm of

Southern Peanut Growers exhibited at 26.2 with Donna Marathon Weekend Southern Peanut Growers exhibited at the 26.2 with Donna Marathon Weekend February 13-14 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The event – the only marathon in the U.S. dedicated to breast cancer research and care - attracted more than 12,000 registered runners from all 50 states and more than 20 countries worldwide. Southern Peanut Growers distributed recipes, nutrition information, peanuts, and peanut promotional items.

Southern Peanut Growers plans to exhibit at additional marathons throughout the Southeast in an effort to reach consumers and marathon enthusiasts.

Donald Chase, peanut farmer from Oglethorpe, Georgia, ran in the marathon and shared the peanut story at Southern Peanut Growers exhibit.

Pork or Chicken Satay Marinade Ingredients: 6 oz. plain yogurt 6 oz. creamy peanut butter 6 oz. pineapple juice 1 Tbsp. grated ginger 1 Tbsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. red chili pepper paste 2 lbs. pork or chicken Marinade Directions: Whisk ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Cut meat into stips appropriate to thread onto skewers. Mix meat strips into sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour to overnight.

Thread meat onto skewers and grill. Serve warm with satay sauce.

Satay Ingredients: 6 oz. can pineapple juice 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce 1 Tbsp. red chili pepper paste 1 Tbsp. ground ginger 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. lime juice 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Satay Directions: In a sauce pan, mix all ingredients except peanut butter over low heat until warm. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. Serve with warm, marinated meat.

Recipe created by Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission.

Southern Peanut Growers 1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417 email: lpwagner@comcast.net Visit our website at http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com

March 2015 Southeastern Peanut Farmer

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