Post on 09-Mar-2016
description
A communication service of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
Inside:n Southern Peanut
Growers Conference
set for July
n Peanut genome
sequences released
n 2014 Irrigation
Guidebook
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5 Southern Peanut GrowersConference set for JulyThe 16th Annual Southern PeanutGrowers Conference is set for July 24-26, 2014, in Florida. The three-day eventprovides farmers the opportunity to learnmore about the industry and issuesaffecting them on the farm.
10 Peanut genome sequencesreleasedThe new peanut genome sequencewill be available to researchersand plant breeders across theglobe to aid in the breeding ofmore productive and more resilient peanut varieties.
13 2014 Irrigation GuidebookThis issue of the Southeastern PeanutFarmer guides farmers with tips formaximizing efficiency and yieldthrough the use of variable rate irrigation, subsurface drip, moisturesensors, adjusted growing degreemodel, Irrigator Pro and more.
Contents
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 3
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, typo-
graphical 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 229-386-
3690.)
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 mem-
bers. Such material may, or may not, coincide with offi-
cial 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 Farmermay 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 PeanutFarmer 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.
May/June 2014
Joy Carter Crosby
Editor
joycrosby@gapeanuts.com
229-386-3690
Contributing Writers
John Leidner
johnleidner@bellsouth.net
Teresa Mays
Teresa2@alpeanuts.com
Jessie Turk
jessie@gapeanuts.com
Southeastern Peanut Farmer
P.O. Box 706, Tifton, Ga. 31793
445 Fulwood Blvd., Tifton, Ga. 31794
ISSN: 0038-3694
D e p a r t m e n t s :Checkoff Report ..................................................................................Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association,
Georgia Peanut Commission and Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
Washington Outlook ............................................................................
Southern Peanut Growers Update ........................................................
8
20
22
Cover Photo: Center pivot irrigation at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga. Many tools today
allow farmers the ability to schedule irrigation in order to maximize efficiency and yield of their
peanuts. Photo by John Leidner.
Photo
by C
lint
Thom
pson,
Univ
ers
ity o
f G
eorg
ia.
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4 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Passage of the Farm Bill
(Let us know about your event. Please send detailsto the editor, using the following e-mail address:
joycrosby@gapeanuts.com)
The passage of a farm bill is never easy, and this bill was more
difficult than most. Still, we got a bill and to the benefit of the
whole, it is a really good bill. That is the best we can hope to
achieve with any farm bill. Essentially every farm is treated alike,
but different at the same time. This is the nature of base lines and historic
bases, which are all a key to managing cost.
This farm bill is not any different than past farm bills. In 2002, all
producers did not have the same amount of quota on which they were paid.
At the same time, when bases were established, every producer had a
different history and different farm situation on which to establish his base.
Some farmers purchased base from others because the historical producer did
not have land on which to assign base.
Not only did these base purchase transactions happen at the onset of the
2002 farm bill, farm bases have been bought and sold with the land for
decades. Part of the value of farmland when it was sold and bought was the
value of the farm bases assigned to the land. Buying land with base meant
buying base as a piece of property. In other situations, farmers had farmed for
years, often at low prices, while assuming all the risk just to build bases.
Fortunately, during this farm bill debate, it was recognized that cotton
base on land was part of the property, which had been purchased at a cost of
many producers and others who had farmed for years building up farm bases.
When the cotton program was changed to a non-base program, had it not
been for converting cotton base to generic base, farmers with cotton base
would have seen a decline in net worth based on the loss of some portion of
their farm base. There was no money to buy-out cotton base like the peanut
quota was bought in 2002.
While some farmers benefit more than others from the establishment of
generic base, at the same time, they have invested more to have that base.
Taking cotton base away without compensation would have been somewhat
of a socialist action. I once heard of a Russian farmer who told his leader he
was concerned his neighbor had a goat and he had none. When asked what
his solution would be to the problem, he suggested they kill his neighbor’s
goat.
We live in a society which rewards us for hard work and making smart
investments. We would never condone pushing a man’s farm shop or his
grain bins in a pile because we didn’t have those facilities on our farm. I hope
we would certainly all stand firm if our government chose to do so.
Also important, farmers are allowed to reallocate all farm bases beyond
the generic bases to better recognize changes in cultural practices. This
allows the farmer to make bases better fit his current
farming mix.
Congress delivered on a farm bill which is better
than the previous bill, and which moves peanut pro-
ducers as a whole forward. I trust this bill will be
given the chance to operate as it was intended by
Congress. That only makes sense. t
u USA Peanut Congress, June 19-23, 2014,Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. For
more information call 703-838-9500 or visit
www.peanutsusa.com.
u American Peanut Research andEducation Society Annual Meeting,
July 8-10, 2014, Menger Hotel, San Antonio,
Texas. For more information visit
www.apresinc.com.
u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, July 10,2014, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit
www.sunbeltexpo.com.
u Southern Peanut Growers Conference,July 24-26, 2014, Edgewater Beach Resort,
Panama City Beach, Fla. For more information
visit www.southernpeanutfarmers.org.
u American Peanut Shellers AssociationPre-Harvest Meeting, Aug. 5-6, 2014, Lake
Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, Cordele, Ga.
For more information, call 229-888-2508 or
visit www.peanut-shellers.org.
u Southeast Georgia Research andEducation Center Field Day, Aug. 13, 2014,
Midville, Ga. For more information call
478-589-7472.
u Southwest Georgia Research andEducation Center Field Day, Aug. 20, 2014,
Plains, Ga. For more information call
229-824-4375.
u Georgia Peanut Tour, Sept. 16-18, 2014,For more information visit the tour blog at
www.gapeanuttour.wordpress.com.
u Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day, Oct. 14-16,2014, Moultrie, Ga. For more information visit
www.sunbeltexpo.com.
u National Peanut Festival, Oct. 31-Nov. 9,2014, Dothan, Ala. For more information visit
www.nationalpeanutfestival.com.
u Georgia Farm Bureau, Dec. 7-9, 2014,Jekyll Island, Ga. For more information visit
www.gfb.org.
u American Peanut Council WinterConference, Dec. 10-13, 2014, Washington
Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Armond MorrisChairman
Georgia Peanut Commission
Guest Editorial Calendar of Events
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May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 5
2014 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Tentative ScheduleThursday, July 241:00 - 7:30 p.m. Conference Registration, Edgewater Conference Ctr.3:00 - 6:30 p.m. Room Registration, Edgewater Conference Ctr.1:00 - 6:30 p.m. Conference Hospitality, Edgewater Conference Ctr.7:00 p.m. Welcoming Reception, Sago Palm Ballroom 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Welcoming Dinner, Grand Palm Ballroom
Friday, July 256:45 a.m. Registration Opens7:00 a.m. Prayer Breakfast, Grand Palm A & B
Presentation of the Valor Award8:15 a.m. General Session I - Peanut Markets Longterm
Topics include: By the Numbers, Exports and China
9:30 a.m. Spouse Program, Sago Palm 2 & 3 Refreshment Break
9:45 a.m. General Session II - Causing Demand to Catch up with Research
Noon Luncheon, Grand Palm A & B1:00 p.m. General Session III - Production Issues
Topics include: Weather & Climate, Rotation and the Direction of Research
Evening on Your Own in Panama City Beach!
Saturday, July 266:45 a.m. Registration Open7:00 a.m. Breakfast, Grand Palm A & B
Presentation of the Farm Press Peanut Profitability Awards8:45 a.m. General Session IV - Sustaining Farm Policy
Topics include: Congressional Update and The New Peanut Program
Refreshment BreakNoon Lunch on your own and
afternoon free!12:30 - 6 p.m. Golf Tournament, Hombre Golf Course7:00 p.m. Reception, Sago Palm Ballroom7:30 p.m. Dinner and Entertainment, Grand Palm Ballroom
Featuring Rocky & the Rollers
The 16th Annual Southern Peanut
Growers Conference is set for July
24-26, 2014, at Edgewater Beach
Resort, Panama City Beach,
Florida. The three-day event provides farmers an
opportunity to learn more about the industry and
issues affecting them while also enjoying a
relaxing time at the beach.
This year’s conference offers farmers an opportunity to
learn more about legislative issues, market growth and
production issues.
In addition to the conference sessions, the
event focuses on the family by offering a ladies
program and a golf tournament.
Conference registration information is avail-
able online at www.southernpeanutfarmers.org or
farmers can contact their state grower organiza-
tion for a registration form. Deadline to register
is June 30, 2014. Hotel registration must be made
separately with Edgewater Beach Resort by calling 1-800-874-
8686. When reserving rooms, be sure to ask for the Southern
Peanut Growers Conference rate. t
Southern Peanut Growers Conference set for July 24-26
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6 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Peanut Proud has assisted
families in need again after
the recent tornadoes that
swept through the Southeast.
The peanut industry’s humanitarian organi-
zation has loaded a total of 59,040 jars of
peanut butter recently to send to families
affected by the tornado disasters in
Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
The first donation contained 28,800
jars of peanut butter headed to the food
bank in Little Rock, Arkansas. Donations
were made by Kroger, American
Blanching, as well as Peanut Proud. Peanut
Proud president, Gregg Grimsley says he
is grateful for the industry’s support.
“I want to thank everyone in the
peanut industry for the great support given
to this effort and Peanut Proud,” Grimsley
says. “It’s very gratifying to see the
amount of support from the people who
work in the industry.”
The Georgia Peanut Commission also
donated approximately 7,500 packs of
roasted Georgia peanuts in the first ship-
ment heading to Arkansas. GPC chairman,
Armond Morris says GPC was happy to
assist in the donation.
“On behalf of the peanut farmers in
the state of Georgia, we are glad to take
part in the donation to help families affect-
ed by the tornado disasters,” Morris says.
“Peanuts and peanut butter are a great food
source during a situation such as this;
refrigeration and cooking are not required
and it provides a life-sustaining nutritional
benefit.”
The Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association and the Alabama Peanut
Producers Association assisted Peanut
Proud with the second shipment containing
30,240 jars of peanut butter. The peanut
butter included donations from Peanut
Proud, Kroger and San Filippo.
The Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association was also proud to assist with
the effort by donating $1,500 to the cause.
Malcolm Broome, MPGA executive direc-
tor, worked with Peanut Proud to coordi-
nate delivery efforts in Pearl, Mississippi.
Teresa Mays, information specialist
with APPA, assisted with the delivery
efforts to food banks in Birmingham,
Huntsville and Northport, Alabama.
Through the National Peanut Board,
America’s peanut farmers unanimously
voted to donate $10,000 to the industry’s
humanitarian arm Peanut Proud to assist
with the relief efforts. The donation covers
the cost of about 10,000 jars of peanut but-
ter.
“Our hearts go out to the families
affected by the tornadoes,” says NPB
chairman and Georgia delegate John
Harrell. “We’re humbled to make this
donation to Peanut Proud on behalf of
America’s peanut farmers to help in the
relief efforts.”
Peanut butter is ideal for food banks
and aid groups because it contains eight
grams of protein along with more than 30
essential vitamins and nutrients and it
doesn’t require refrigeration.
The peanut butter has been delivered
to each location through the generous
support of Southern Ag Carriers.
Peanut Proud is the humanitarian
relief organization of the U.S. peanut
industry. Individuals wanting to make a
donation to Peanut Proud for humanitarian
efforts may do so online at the organiza-
tion’s website, www.peanutproud.com or
send their check made payable to “Peanut
Proud” and mail to P.O. Box 446, Blakely,
Georgia, 39823. t
Peanut industry donates peanuts andpeanut butter to tornado victims
Peanut Proud representatives and Georgia Peanut Commission chairman Armond Morris (left)
were on-hand to assist with the first shipment of peanut butter to Arkansas. The peanut industry
donated nearly 60,000 jars of peanut butter to families in Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama
following the recent tornadoes in April.
Nominations are now open for the Peanut Leadership Academy which provides
leadership training for young farmers and sheller representatives throughout the
peanut industry. The academy is coordinated by the Southern Peanut Farmers
Federation. Through the training, participants gain valuable leadership skills, commu-
nication skills, knowledge of the peanut industry and insight into many different
types of issues the peanut industry faces. The two program includes leadership ses-
sions in the Southeast, West Texas and Washington, D.C.
Growers interested in applying for Class IX of the Peanut Leadership Academy
should contact their state grower organization or download an application online at
www.southernpeanutfarmers.org. The applications are due by Sept. 1, 2014.
Nominations open for Peanut Leadership Academy
BY JESSIE TURK AND JOY CROSBY
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The Florida Peanut Producers
Association attended and exhibited
at the 64th Annual Florida School
Nutrition Association Conference
recently held at the Disney’s
Coronado Springs Resort in
Orlando, Florida. Approximately
1,100 school nutrition personnel
from across the state attended the
conference. The attendees included
school food service directors, man-
agers, dieticians and cafeteria staff.
The theme of this year’s con-
ference was “Bridge the Gap.”
Sessions were designed to help build
stronger relationships with
industry partners and to provide the
continuing education to help school
food service personnel provide
Florida’s students with healthy, nutri-
tious meals.
“Attending the Florida School
Nutrition Association Conference
allows us the opportunity to collect
useful data to determine peanut
product usage in school districts
across the state,” says Ken Barton,
FPPA executive director. “By using
the information collected at the
conference we can focus on those
schools and school districts that are
not currently using peanut butter and
other peanut products in their
breakfast and lunch menus and
provide them with the health and
nutritional information and planning
guides to help get peanut products on
their menu.”
8 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Checkoff ReportInvestments Made by Growers for the Future of the Peanut Industry.
Florida Peanut Producers attends Florida School Nutrition
Conference
Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers
Association executive director, discusses
peanut product usage with attendees during
the Florida School Nutrition Conference.
The Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association along with the Southern
Peanut Growers had an exhibit booth at
the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics Annual Food and Nutrition
Conference and Exhibition on April 10,
2014, in Biloxi, Mississippi. The meeting
attracted approximately 200 participants
from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama
in all areas of practice, including long-
term care, hospital setting, academics,
food service, and culinary arts.
During the event, representatives
were able to tell the story of the nutrition
benefits of peanuts to the attendees as
they visited the booth and provide atten-
dees with literature on heart health, dia-
betes, diabesity, recipes and even a sam-
ple bag of peanuts.
Malcolm Broome, MPGA executive
director and Leslie Wagner, SPG execu-
tive director, worked the booth. Wagner
was sponsored by MPGA as the presenter
for a one-hour breakout session on the
good nutrition of peanuts and peanut but-
ter. Several of the attendees picked up the
recipes that were available at the booth
and many were not aware of peanuts
being heart healthy and an ideal food for
diabetics.
Mississippi Peanut Growers Association and Southern Peanut Growers exhibits at Mississippi Academy of
Nutrition and Dietectics Conference
Malcolm Broome, Mississippi Peanut Growers
Association executive director, and Leslie
Wagner, Southern Peanut Growers executive
director, present nutritional information during
the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics Annual Food and Nutrition Conference
held April 10, 2014.
Members of two 2014 March of Dimes
Peanut Teams for Mobile County and the
Dothan-Houston County area, joined hundreds
recently by participating in the March of Dimes’
annual March for Babies events held April 26,
2014.
The events were
held at the Geri Moulton
Children’s Park in
Mobile and at Westgate
Park in Dothan,
Alabama. This marks
the fifth consecutive
year the Alabama Peanut Producers Association
has sponsored the Kids Activities tent at both of
these events. Children of all ages and their par-
ents visited the peanut tent to make arts and
crafts, sample peanuts and get information
on the health benefits of peanuts.
Such walks are held across the U.S. to help
raise money so the March of Dimes can fund
research and help prevent prematurity and birth
defects. Representatives from the APPA, Alfa
Women’s Committee and the National Peanut
Festival made up the peanut teams for this year’s
events.
March of Dimes Peanut teams
promote healthy babies in Alabama
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The Georgia
Peanut Commission
attended the Georgia
School Nutrition
Association annual
conference held
April 10-12 in Jekyll
Island, Georgia.
During the GSNA
meeting, approxi-
mately 800-1,200
school nutrition
personnel from
throughout the state
of Georgia attended
educational semi-
nars, visited with
food industry representatives and received recognition for
outstanding performance at their respective schools.
During the meeting, GPC recognized winners of the
GSNA recipe contest. This award was
given to GSNA members who develop new
peanut and peanut butter quantity recipes to
be used in schools for breakfast and lunch.
“We are excited to present the peanut
recipe awards to members of the Georgia
School Nutrition Association who are
developing new recipes using peanuts and
peanut butter,” Dawson says. “We applaud
all GSNA members for striving to promote
numerous health benefits by incorporating
peanuts and peanut butter in their nutrition-
al programs.”
In the breakfast category, Jane Raburn
from Carrollton Middle won first place for
her “Breakfast Bites: Peanut Oatmeal”
recipe, second place went to Ann Hamner
from Britt Elementary and third place went
to Marie May with Lowndes High. In the
lunch category, first place was awarded to
Ann Hamner from Britt Elementary for her
“Chicken and Pasta in Peanut Sauce”
recipe, second place went to Jennifer Scott
from Perry Primary and third place went to
Jane Raburn from Carrollton Middle.
The Georgia Peanut
Commission and the
Peanut Institute teamed up
to sponsor the Georgia
FFA Star in Agriscience
Award during the state
convention held in Macon,
Ga. The State Star in
Agriscience award was
presented to Callie
Warren of Lowndes
County. The state finalists
were Quinten Brown of
LaGrange FFA Chapter
and Haley Thorne of
Oglethorpe County FFA
Chapter.
The Georgia Peanut
Commission also exhibited
during the career show and
sponsored the Georgia FFA
Alumni photo booth during the
career show. Each member
received a 4x6 print with the
Georgia Peanuts logo displayed
on the photo.
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 9
Reports from the:Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association
Thousands of
needy families will be
receiving peanut
butter thanks to a
large donation from
Peanut Proud and the
Alabama Peanut
Producers Association
to the Bay Area Food
Bank in Mobile,
Alabama. The seven
pallets of peanut
butter, 10,080 jars,
were delivered to the
food bank, courtesy
of Southern Ag
Carriers on Thursday, April 24, 2014.
“We’re very glad to receive this
donation of peanut butter as it’s always
one of our most needed items at the food
bank,” says Dave Reaney, executive
director of Bay Area Food Bank. “Its
nutritious value makes it a great staple
for growing children
and for families on a
budget trying to
provide healthy food
choices.”
“Peanut butter is
very nutritious and is
packed with pro-
tein,” says Carl
Sanders, president of
the Alabama Peanut
Producers
Association. “So it’s
no surprise that peo-
ple in need of food,
from facilities as our
state’s food banks, have peanut butter at
the top of their list.”
The peanut butter donated to the
food bank will be distributed to help
those in need across the state, including
Mobile County and Baldwin County,
Alabama.
Bay Area Food Bank receives peanut butter donation
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors Georgia FFA
Donald Chase congratulates the Star in
Agriscience winners for Georgia FFA. Pictured
left to right, Chase; Callie Warren, State winner
from Lowndes County; Quinten Brown, Central
Region winner from LaGrange and Haley
Thorne, North Region winner from Oglethorpe
County.
On hand for the peanut butter delivery to
the Bay Area Food Bank in Mobile, Ala.
were left to right, Mark Kaiser, APPA board
member from Baldwin County, Dave
Reaney, executive director of the Bay Area
Food Bank, Debbie Freeland, Alabama
Farmers Federation, and Joel Sirmon,
APPA board member from Baldwin County.
Georgia Peanut Commission sponsors recipe
contest at Georgia School Nutrition Conference
Rodney Dawson, Georgia Peanut
Commission board member, congratulates
the Georgia School Nutrition Association
Peanut Recipe winners during the awards
dinner. Pictured left to right are Ann
Hamner, Britt Elementary; Jane Raburn,
Carrollton Middle; Jennifer Scott, Perry
Primary School and Dawson.
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10 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
The International Peanut
Genome Initiative — a
multinational group of crop
geneticists who have been
working in tandem for the last several
years — has successfully sequenced the
peanut’s genome.
Scott Jackson, director of the
University of Georgia Center for
Applied Genetic Technologies in
the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, serves as
chair of the International Peanut
Genome Initiative, or IPGI.
The new peanut genome
sequence will be available to
researchers and plant breeders
across the globe to aid in the
breeding of more productive and
more resilient peanut varieties.
Peanut, known scientifically as
Arachis hypogaea and also called
groundnut, is important both com-
mercially and nutritionally. While
the oil- and protein-rich legume is
seen as a cash crop in the devel-
oped world, it remains a valuable
sustenance crop in developing
nations.
“The peanut crop is important
in the United States, but it’s very
important for developing nations as
well,” Jackson says. “In many
areas, it is a primary calorie source
for families and a cash crop for
farmers.”
Globally, farmers tend about
24 million hectares of peanut each
year and produce about 40 million metric
tons.
“Improving peanut varieties to be
more drought-, insect- and disease-resist-
ant can help farmers in developed nations
produce more peanuts with fewer
pesticides and other chemicals and help
farmers in developing nations feed their
families and build more secure
livelihoods,” said plant geneticist Rajeev
Varshney of the International Crops
Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
in India, who serves on the IPGI.
The effort to sequence the peanut
genome has been underway for several
years. While peanuts were successfully
bred for intensive cultivation for
thousands of years, relatively little was
known about the legume’s genetic
structure because of its complexity,
according to Peggy Ozias-Akins, a plant
geneticist on the UGA Tifton campus who
also works with the IPGI and is director
of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding,
Genetics and Genomics.
“Until now, we’ve bred peanuts rela-
tively blindly, as compared to other
crops,” says IPGI plant geneticist David
Bertioli of the Universidade de Brasília.
“We’ve had less information to work with
than we do with many crops, which have
been more thoroughly researched and
understood.”
The peanut in fields today is the
result of a natural cross between two
wild species, Arachis duranensis and
Arachis ipaensis, which occurred in
north Argentina between 4,000 and
6,000 years ago. Because its ancestors
were two different species, today’s
peanut is a polyploid, meaning the
species can carry two separate
genomes, designated A and B
subgenomes.
To map the peanut’s structure,
researchers sequenced the genomes of
the two ancestral parents because
together they represent cultivated
peanut. The sequences provide
researchers access to 96 percent of all
peanut genes in their genomic context,
providing the molecular map needed to
more quickly breed drought- and
disease-resistant, lower-input and
higher-yielding varieties of peanut.
The two ancestor wild species had
been collected in nature, conserved in
germplasm banks and then used by the
IPGI to better understand the peanut
genome. The genomes of the two
ancestor species provide excellent
models for the genome of the
cultivated peanut. A. duranenis serves as a
model for the A subgenome of the
cultivated peanut while A. ipaensis
represents the B subgenome.
Knowing the genome sequences of
the two parent species will allow
researchers to recognize the cultivated
peanut’s genomic structure by differentiat-
The International PeanutGenome Initiative releases firstpeanut genome sequences
UGA peanut geneticist Peggy Ozias-Akins, director of the
UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics,
examines a peanut blossom. Ozias-Akin's lab on the Tifton
campus focuses on female reproduction and gene transfer in
plants.
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 10
Two University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences
faculty have received
Walter Barnard Hill Awards in recognition
of their public service and outreach pro-
grams.
Stanley Culpepper, a professor of
crop and soil sciences, and Bob Kemerait,
an associate professor of plant pathology,
both received Hill Awards for
Distinguished Achievement in Public
Service and Outreach.
The Hill Award is named in honor of
Chancellor Walter Barnard Hill, who led
UGA from 1899 until his death in 1905.
Hill’s desire for more university involve-
ment in the state and his application of
these outreach goals helped pave the way
for a modern public service oriented uni-
versity.
The awards were presented during
the 23rd Annual Public Service and
Outreach Meeting and Awards Luncheon
held April 7 in Athens.
Stanley CulpepperCulpepper, assists in the sustainabili-
ty of family farms by helping growers
control weeds effectively and economical-
ly. As a UGA Cooperative Extension
weed scientist, he focuses his work on
weed control in cotton, vegetables and
small grains. He is actively involved in
applied weed management research.
Culpepper has received numerous
awards, the pinnacle of which came in
2010 when he became the first person in
Extension to win the EPA’s Montreal
Protocol Award for the preservation of the
ozone layer.
Bob KemeraitKemerait focuses his work on disease
and nematode management in peanuts,
cotton, soybeans and field corn. He joined
UGA in 2000 as an Extension researcher
and specialist.
Highlights of his career have includ-
ed the development of “Peanut Rx,” a risk
index for peanut diseases and the devel-
opment of set recommendations for con-
trolling nematodes affecting cotton.
Kemerait has worked in Guyana and Haiti
helping lead CAES peanut projects spon-
sored by the United States Agency for
International Development.
Both Culpepper and Kemerait are
also past recipients of the D.W. Brooks
Award for Excellence in Extension. The
award is presented by UGA in honor of
CAES alumnus D.W. Brooks, founder and
chairman emeritus of Gold Kist Inc. t
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 11
ing between the two subgenomes
present in the plants. Being able to see
the two separate structural elements
also will aid future gene marker
development — the determination of
links between a gene’s presence and a
physical characteristic of the plant.
Understanding the structure of the
peanut’s genome will lay the ground-
work for new varieties with traits like
added disease resistance and drought
tolerance.
In addition, these genome
sequences will serve as a guide for the
assembly of the cultivated peanut
genome that will help to decipher
genomic changes that led to peanut
domestication, which was marked by
increases in seed number and size. The
genome sequence assemblies and
additional information are available at
www.peanutbase.org/files/genomes/.
The International Peanut Genome
Initiative brings together scientists from
the United States, China, Brazil, India and
Israel to delineate peanut genome
sequences, characterize the genetic and
phenotypic variation in cultivated and
wild peanuts and develop genomic tools
for peanut breeding.
The initial sequencing was carried
out by the BGI, Shenzen, China.
Assembly was done at BGI, USDA-ARS,
Ames, Iowa, and UC Davis, Davis,
California. The project was made possible
by funding provided by the peanut indus-
try through the Peanut Foundation, by
MARS Inc., and three Chinese Academies
(Henan Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, Shandong
Academy of Agricultural Sciences). A
complete list of the institutions involved
with the project and the other funding
sources is available online at
www.peanutbioscience.com.
About the peanutIn the U.S., peanuts are a major row
crop throughout the South and Southeast.
While they are a major economic
driver for the U.S. economy, the
legume is also crucial to the diets and
livelihoods of millions of small farm-
ers in Asia and Africa, many of whom
are women.
Apart from being a rich source of
oil (44 percent to 55 percent), protein
(20 percent to 50 percent) and
carbohydrates (10 percent to 20
percent), peanut seeds are an important
nutritional source of niacin, folate,
calcium, phosphorus, magnesium,
zinc, iron, riboflavin, thiamine and
vitamin E.
“While the sequencing of the
peanut can be seen as a great leap for-
ward in plant genetics and genomics, it
also has the potential to be a large step
forward for stabilizing agriculture in
developing countries,” says Dave
Hoisington, program director for the U.S.
Agency for International Development
Feed the Future Peanut and Mycotoxin
Innovation Lab, which is hosted at UGA.
“With the release of the peanut
genome sequence, researchers will now
have much better tools available to accel-
erate the development of new peanut vari-
eties with improved yields and better
nutrition,” he said. t
BY MERRITT MELANCONUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Culpepper, Kemerait named Walter Barnard Award recipients
BY SHARON DOWDYUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
The new peanut genome sequence will be available to
researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in
the breeding of more productive and more resilient peanut
varieties.
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 11
12 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Florida Commissioner of
Agriculture Adam H.
Putnam helped celebrated
Florida Agriculture Literacy
Day by reading a new book on Florida
farming to second graders from Florida
A&M Developmental Research School in
the historic Senate Chambers of the Old
Capitol in Tallahassee.
“Florida Ag Literacy Day is a
wonderful opportunity to teach our next
generation about the Floridians who
provide the food and fiber to meet the
needs of the world’s growing population,”
Commissioner Putnam says.
Commissioner Putnam read the book
as the children followed along with their
own copies. The kids talked about their
favorite foods and where they came from.
Afterwards, the kids sampled Fresh From
Florida fruit and vegetables and roasted
peanuts.
For the 11th Annual Florida
Agriculture Literacy Day, Commissioner
Putnam joined more than 2,000 others,
including Florida farmers, growers,
ranchers, FFA and 4-H students and
teachers, extension agents, master
gardeners and agriculture industry repre-
sentatives who read in honor of the event.
This year’s Ag Literacy book, Florida
Farms at School, highlights the agricultur-
al programs already in schools, such as
Agriculture in the Classroom, 4-H, FFA,
Farm to School and others. Volunteers
visited more than 3,600 elementary class-
rooms, reaching more than 72,000 Florida
students in 60 counties around the state
with the message of the importance of
Florida agriculture.
“Florida Agriculture Literacy Day
has become a very popular program in
our industry because it gives farmers and
others involved in agriculture a chance to
step into the classroom and educate
students about the important role agricul-
ture plays in students’ daily lives,” says
Ken Barton, chairman of the Florida
Agriculture in the Classroom board of
directors and executive director of the
Florida Peanut Producers Association.
Florida Ag Literacy Day is sponsored
by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom
Inc., a nonprofit organization that devel-
ops and trains teachers and agriculture
industry volunteers in agriculture curricu-
lum in order to educate students on the
importance of agriculture in Florida. The
nonprofit is funded by sales of the spe-
cialty agricultural license plate known as
the Ag Tag. t
Florida Ag Literacy Day showcases agriculture
Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam
Putnam reads to second grade students from
Florida A&M Developmental Research School
during Ag Literacy Day.
The Georgia Peanut
Commission (GPC) board
of directors has approved
$293,780 in new research
project funding for the 2014-15 research
budget year. This action was taken during
the commission’s March board meeting.
The research projects approved include 28
project proposals submitted from the
University of Georgia and USDA
Agricultural Research Service.
“We are proud of our close relation-
ship and partnership with research institu-
tions in the state,” says Donald Chase,
GPC Research Committee chairman.
“Peanut growers are pleased to invest in
the future by providing monetary support
for research and education that has con-
tinued to demonstrate a return on our
investment. Due to the continuing success
enjoyed by Georgia peanut farmers over
the past few years, we were able to again
increase research funding for 2014.”
Georgia's peanut growers invest $2
per ton annually toward GPC programs
which includes research, promotion and
education. Research comprises 22 percent
of available funds in the commission's
budget.
“We’re very thankful to the Georgia
Peanut Commission for the $256,280 in
support of our research and extension
peanut team,” said Robert Shulstad,
associate dean for research at the UGA
College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences. “Everything
from breeding to weed control to pest
management to marketing and policy is
addressed by members of our peanut team
to support the peanut industry in the
state.”
“Growers have improved cultivars,
technologies and better access to informa-
tion today than ever, allowing them to be
more efficient due to research that has
been done ten to fifteen years ago,” says
Jamison Cruce, GPC director of research
& education. “With ever-increasing
production and input costs, we must
continue our funding trend to ensure the
future of the peanut farming in Georgia
remains viable and economical.”
At 4,430 pounds per acre, the state
average peanut yield in 2013 was the
second highest in history, following on
the heels of 2012’s state record of 4,580
per acre. A national study conducted by
USDA National Agricultural Statistics
Service shows peanut yields increased 23
percent from 2008 to 2012. All other
major row crops increased 2 to 4 percent.
For additional information and a
complete list of the research projects
funded by the Georgia Peanut
Commission visit www.gapeanuts.com. t
Georgia Peanut Commission increasesfunding for research projectsThe commission approves $293,780 in peanut research projects
BY JOY CROSBY
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 12
The University of Georgia’s
Extension irrigation spe-
cialist is cautious when dis-
cussing the future of irriga-
tion and its impact on farmers statewide.
Wesley Porter’s job is to educate both
Georgia and Alabama farmers on the best
way to manage the precious resource.
“Definitely when we get down to
water management restrictions, as much
as we want to turn a blind eye to them
right now and pretend like it’s not going
to happen, one day we’re going to be
restricted by how much water we can
use,” Porter says. “But what’s the best
way to do that? Lets use that water where
it’s absolutely necessary and absolutely
needed.”
Identifying timely irrigation schedul-
ing methods has been a part of Porter’s
job responsibilities since arriving on the
UGA Tifton Campus on Jan. 1. Hired by
UGA’s College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, in partnership
with the Alabama Cooperative Extension
System (Auburn University), Porter pri-
marily works on row crops, but he also
has responsibilities in horticulture, turf,
trees and orchards, in both Georgia and
Alabama.
In his short time on the job, Porter
has quickly identified the difference in
irrigational philosophies between both
states. Georgia “is extremely progressive”
with its irrigation work, while Alabama
“is brand new,” he says.
At UGA, several faculty members
who have conducted irrigation research
have paved the way for Porter.
“We’ve had a lot of work donethroughout the years by other irrigation
specialists. There’s a lot of work continu-
ing to be done by people like George
Vellidis, Calvin Perry and other faculty
focusing on irrigation principles,” Porter
says. “We’re ahead of Alabama and a lot
of the rest of the nation when it comes to
irrigation implementations, scheduling
and irrigation work in general.”
In comparison, Alabama has a lot of
surface water, rivers and lakes, but not
very many irrigation systems, he says.
“I’m looking at it from two different
spectrums, which can be good because we
have all the knowledge based here in
Georgia. I can easily transfer that over to
Alabama,” Porter says.
While each state is distinctively dif-
ferent in their irrigational work, they
share the prospect of a dwindling water
supply that could lead to increased restric-
tions on farmers in both states.
“It’s going to come down to, ‘If I
have limited water, how much should I
apply and what’s the best method to do
that with?’” Porter said. “That’s why
we’re focusing a lot on these scheduling
methods so we can find the answers to
some of those questions.”
Though Porter’s time will be divided
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 13
UGA irrigation specialist helping farmersmaximize efficiency and yields
IRRIGATION GUIDEBOOK
Wesley Porter, hired in January, is the irrigation
specialist and serves Georgia and Alabama.
Wesley Porter, the new Extension irrigation specialist for both Alabama and
Georgia, says farmers are becoming interested in the use of variable rate irrigation.
“Many producers either have variable rate control capability or they are becoming
interested in this technology,” he says.
“An on-off control is a great use for a variable rate irrigation system,” he says.
“It aids in saving water and money when compared to a conventional system that
applies water over an entire field.”
He says it costs about $11 per acre-inch of water to irrigate. This is money that
is wasted if irrigation water is applied over waterways, ponds, swampy or wet areas
that are not planted to crops.
These costs can be considerable. For instance, assume that an entire farm’s
irrigated land consists of 100 acres of non-cropped land. If 15 inches of water are
applied to both the cropped and non-cropped land during a dry year, then the farmer
will be wasting $16,500 that year in applying water to land that does not grow
crops.
Porter says an investment in variable rate irrigation can quickly pay for itself,
perhaps after only one growing season based on each individual case. He also notes
that cost-share programs may be available to help farmers offset the initial costs of
variable rate irrigation and the investment of soil moisture sensors.
Additional savings in both water and irrigation costs may be realized when
irrigation rates for cropped land can be adjusted to best fit various irrigation
management zones within a field.
New specialist encouragesvariable rate irrigation
continued on page 15 continued on page 15
Photo
by C
lint
Thom
pson,
Univ
ers
ity o
f G
eorg
ia.
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 13
Peanut farmers who want to
conserve water while still
harvesting higher yields of
irrigated peanuts may want
to take a look at subsurface drip irrigation
(SDI).
Because of above normal rainfall,
there wasn’t a great peanut yield benefit
from SDI, center pivot irrigation or any
type of irrigation used the past
two years in the Southeast.
But the next drought could
hit at any time, so being ready
with irrigation still makes
sense if you’re growing
peanuts in the Southeast.
Calvin Perry, University of
Georgia superintendent at the
C.M. Stripling Irrigation
Research Park near Camilla,
Georgia, has completed six
years of study on SDI irrigated
crops at the Stripling facility,
with the last two on peanuts.
He has been looking at the
response of a full rotation of
corn, cotton, and peanuts to
SDI and different tillage
treatments on a sandy soil in
the Coastal Plain.
Perry says SDI is more
expensive to install than center
pivot irrigation.
Subsurface drip irrigation
is especially suited to small fields where
it is difficult to make center pivot systems
fit. SDI is also best suited for fields where
farmers can use global positioning
systems and automated tractor steering to
set the drip lines and to make sure that
later trips over the field do not interfere
with or damage the irrigation lines under
the ground.
“We got a lot of rain last year,” Perry
says as he reported results from the 2013
studies. He worked on the project with
University of Georgia agronomist Scott
Tubbs and Extension economist Amanda
Smith.
Perry says that many Georgia farmers
have already installed pivot irrigation in
fields that are easily irrigated, based on
field shape and size. Irregularly shaped,
smaller fields where pivots are not
feasible show great potential for SDI,
according to Perry. Plus, SDI systems can
often operate successfully using a much
smaller water source than a center pivot
and can be easily automated.
He says drip irrigation achieves close
to 100 percent water application efficien-
cy. He adds that drip irrigation may offer
other potential uses such as a means for
applying nematicides and fertilizers.
“We were able to maintain our peanut
yields with drip irrigation,” Perry says.
“And when we used SDI on cotton, we
were able to increase our yields slightly
over what we were able to obtain with
center pivot irrigation.”
In these tests, Perry used a full irriga-
tion schedule that applied 13 inches of
water through the SDI last year. He also
followed a deficit irrigation schedule that
applied seven inches of water last year.
The peanut crops in the test also received
28.50 inches of rainfall last year.
Perry reports that during the wet
growing season of 2013, the peanuts
irrigated with the deficit irrigation
schedule actually yielded higher than
those receiving more water from the full
irrigation schedule. Peanuts receiving SDI
irrigation water with the full irrigation
schedule probably received too much
water, according to Perry.
He said he has been using a modified
UGA Extension checkbook method for
scheduling the drip irrigation water
applications.
Research over a 10-year period by
USDA-ARS scientists at the National
Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson,
Ga., suggest that lateral drip lines placed
under every other peanut
row would be as effective
in watering the plants as
lateral lines placed under
every row. Placing drip
lines under every other row
will also save on installa-
tion and pumping costs.
The SDI lines at Stripling
Park follow the “every
other row” pattern.
In Perry’s SDI studies,
he has also evaluated con-
servation tillage vs. strip
tillage, and subsoiling vs.
no subsoiling. He was
surprised to find that non-
subsoiled peanuts produced
higher yields than peanuts
in the subsoiled land in
2013. He reports the con-
ventional tillage peanuts
had a slight yield advan-
tage over the strip till
peanuts in the 2013 test. In
prior years, the research always indicated
subsoiled plots yielded higher. Clearly,
Perry noted 2013 was a “different” year.
Wesley Porter, Extension irrigation
specialist in Alabama and Georgia, says
peanuts can be a challenging crop for SDI
irrigation. Full tillage prior to planting
could interfere with buried drip lines
farmed without the use of RTK steering
technology. This should not be a problem
if the field is farmed with RTK automated
steering technology. Such technology can
make sure the tillage is offset from the
lines, or producers can use tillage that is
not as deep as the buried water lines.
Also, digging peanuts could be a problem.
“But as long as the drip line is installed
deeper than the digger will ever reach,
this should not be an issue,” Porter adds.
14 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Tips for using subsurface drip
Calvin Perry has been studying subsurface drip irrigation on peanuts at the
Stripling Irrigation Park. Two years of abundant rainfall negated the yield bene-
fits of his irrigation treatments.
Irrigation Guidebook
continued on page 15
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 14
Speaking at a 2013 peanut
field day, Jason Krutz,
Extension irrigation special-
ist with the Mississippi State
University’s Delta Research & Extension
Center, said he is a strong believer in the
use of soil moisture sensors for schedul-
ing irrigation.
Krutz says farmers who use soil
moisture sensors can typically save up to
two irrigations per growing season.
Checking the soil moisture sensors will
also give farmers an indication of when to
irrigate several days ahead of when the
water needs to be applied.
“I don’t care what the crop is, we
can’t deplete more than 50 percent of soil
moisture without hurting yields,” Krutz
says. He also advises farmers to consider
soil type in making irrigation decisions.
For row crops in the Mississippi
Delta, furrow irrigation is used on about
80 percent of the irrigated land, according
to Krutz. He recommends using a
computer software program called
PHAUCET. This stands for pipe hole and
universal crown evaluation tool. It
basically shows farmers how big a hole
they need to use in polypipe to get the
most efficient use of irrigation. It shows
great potential for reducing the amount of
water pumped from the Delta’s under-
ground water resources.
PHAUCET uses engineering
equations to calculate pipe pressure and
flow rates for each watered furrow. It
applies system flow rate, pipe diameter,
watered furrow spacing, row lengths and
elevations down the length of the pipe.
The user can select a hole size design for
each watered furrow to deliver water
uniformly. When tested in soybeans,
PHAUCET provided a 20 percent savings
in pumping times and water use.
PHAUCET was developed by the
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation
Service in Missouri and has been
available to Mississippi farmers through
the Yazoo-Mississippi Water Management
District.
By combining PHAUCET and soil
moisture sensors, farmers may be able to
save up to 50 percent of the water they
had been using for irrigation, according to
Krutz.
He says that for a fee, the Delta
Plastics firm offers a similar program to
PHAUCET for farmers alled Pipe
Planner.
While furrow or polypipe irrigation
has been successful in the Mississippi
Delta, soil type and topography may pre-
vent this type of irrigation from being
used in other peanut growing regions of
the Southeast. Wesley Porter, Extension
irrigation specialist for Alabama and
Georgia, says the sandy soil in the Coastal
Plains region is not conducive to furrow
irrigation either by flood or by using
polypipe. t
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 15
Moisture sensors make sense
Mississippi irrigation specialist Jason Krutz
recommends soil moisture sensors and
accuracy in determining the size of pipe holes
used in furrow irrigation.
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Irrigation Guidebook
Overall, Porter says more research
and demonstration plot work is needed to
help farmers become more comfortable
about using SDI in growing peanuts.
Perry has tested drip lines for single-
row peanuts so far. He plans to team up
with Tubbs and Porter to look at twin-
row peanuts as well. He says that drip
lines placed at six-foot centers in every
other row middle (the “soft” middle), and
12 inches deep in the soil have provided
good results.
With the drip lines 12 inches deep,
the irrigation tubes have not been injured
when digging the peanuts or when sub-
soiling the land, according to Perry. He
says the drip lines should last at least 15
years before they would need to be
replaced. t
Along with variable rate irrigation, he’d like to see more farmers adopt smarter
irrigation scheduling methods, from something as simple as the University of
Georgia-developed Easy Pan method, or as advanced as scheduling based on the use
of soil moisture sensors.
In his own irrigation studies, Porter is aiming to determine the ideal time to use
limited supplies of irrigation water, such as when pumping from a farm pond with a
limited supply of water. As Porter puts it, “Let’s make every drop count.” t
New specialist encourages variable rate irrigationcontinued from page 13
UGA irrigation specialist helping farmers maximize efficiency and yieldscontinued from page 13
between Georgia and Alabama, a lot of his research will be applicable in both states.
Publications, fact sheets or demonstrations conducted in Georgia can easily cross over
into Alabama and vice versa, he says.
Porter, who has a background in precision agriculture, has planned projects on
corn, cotton and peanuts so far. The majority of his research will be conducted at
UGA’s Stripling Irrigation Park in Camilla, Georgia.
For more about Stripling Irrigation Park, see striplingpark.org. t
Tips for using subsurface dripcontinued from page 14
BY JOHN LEIDNER
BY JOHN LEIDNER
BY JOHN LEIDNER
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 15
16 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Irrigation Guidebook
For a web-based peanut
irrigation scheduling tool,
one that features an array of
smart sensor instruments for
collecting important information, check
with George Vellidis, researcher on the
Tifton Campus of the University of
Georgia in the Crop & Soil Sciences
Department.
Vellidis and his colleague Calvin
Perry have installed the smart sensors in
11 farm fields in South Georgia, and then
used the data generated from these
sensors to track soil moisture conditions
throughout the 2013 growing season.
Perry works as superintendent at the
Stripling Irrigation Research Park near
Camilla, Georgia. The 11 fields are
equipped with center pivots that can apply
variable rate irrigation.
They call each group of instruments a
node. Each node contains a probe of three
Watermark soil sensors installed at depths
of 8, 16 and 24 inches. Each of the 11
fields are equipped with 10 to 12 of these
nodes. Data from each node was transmit-
ted using a wireless system to a base
station located at each pivot point. “From
the base station, the data were sent via a
cellular phone modem to our web server,”
Vellidis says. For the 2013 growing
season, participating producers could
access soil moisture data for their fields in
real time from any internet-capable
device, including smartphones and tablets.
The collected data showed a wide
variation in soil moisture within any
given field. “The key to optimizing water
use and maximizing yield potential is to
apply water at the rates needed by the
plants in different locations of the field,”
Vellidis explains.
Throughout the 2013 growing season,
Vellidis and Perry used data from each
node to manually run the Irrigator Pro
model, and then sent the model’s irriga-
tion decision to each participating produc-
er. “Since then, we have automated this
process,” Vellidis says. “So during the
2014 growing season, participating
producers will automatically receive the
Irrigator Pro decision by email or text
message.”
Although Irrigator Pro is a great tool,
it does not recommend the amount of
irrigation needed to replenish soil
moisture, according to Vellidis. “To fully
enable variable rate irrigation, we need to
know the optimal irrigation amount for
each irrigation management zone within
the field,” he explains. “To achieve this,
we are now developing a web-based
irrigation scheduling tool. It will allow
producers to remotely check soil moisture
in fields, and it will also provide recom-
mended irrigation amounts for each
irrigation management zone within a
field.”
As Vellidis envisions it, the informa-
tion from the smart sensor array will be
sent to a prescription irrigation map and
downloaded to the pivot’s variable rate
irrigation controller. “This web tool will
be available for the 2014 growing
season,” Vellidis says.
The Smart Sensor Array also features
flexible fiberglass eight-foot-long anten-
nas which transmit the data from the
sensors to the base station. Vellidis
developed this wireless, low-cost method
of transmitting data from the soil moisture
sensors.
These antennas allow the signals
from the soil sensors to be sent without
interference from the plant canopy. The
antennas are mounted on a spring which
allows them to bend over completely. As
a result, tractors and sprayers can pass
directly over the antennas and the accom-
panying sensors without damaging the
instruments.
Also, the University of Georgia
Smart Sensor Array has been licensed to
the FirstWater Ag firm, a new company
based in Atwood, Kansas, that is special-
izing in variable rate irrigation technolo-
gy.
Wesley Porter, Extension irrigation
specialist in Alabama and Georgia, says
the licensing of the University of Georgia-
developed Smart Sensor Array is good
news for farmers who are interested in
variable rate irrigation. “This system
should be commercially available by next
year,” Porter says.
Porter says the UGA-developed sen-
sors should provide a low cost alternative
method to monitor soil moisture at multi-
ple points within a field. This system will
give farmers a cost-effective tool to use in
scheduling variable rate irrigation, accord-
ing to Porter. t
George Vellidis is making good progress in
developing easy to use smart sensors and
internet-based variable rate irrigation
scheduling tools for peanuts.
Smart sensors help schedulevariable rate irrigation
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Smart sensors installed in a corn field in
Georgia. The sensors provide data to track soil
moisture conditions.
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 16
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:42 PM Page 17
18 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
Old reliable Irrigator Pro
One of the oldest and most
dependable indicators of
when to irrigate peanuts
is the Irrigator Pro model
developed by USDA researchers at the
National Peanut Research Laboratory in
Dawson, Georgia.
First tested during the 1980s,
Irrigator Pro for peanuts has stood the test
of time. It has also been improved over
the years. The newest versions of Irrigator
Pro offer irrigation scheduling advice to
growers of corn and cotton.
Irrigator Pro is just one of several
software programs included in the USDA-
developed Farm Suite group of programs,
including one that is useful in whole farm
financial planning.
To run Irrigator Pro for peanuts, a
farmer will need a computer, a soil
thermometer and a rain guage. The soil
thermometer is used to measure tempera-
ture at a two-inch soil depth. The rain
gauge is needed to collect information on
the amount of rainfall and irrigation water
a field receives during the growing
season.
The thermometers will record daily
minimum and maximum temperatures.
This information can be collected two or
three times per week. The software
program will then advise farmers if
irrigation is needed, how much to irrigate
and when to check the thermometers
again.
Deciding when to dig
peanuts has been the
biggest selling point of the
adjusted growing degree-
day model developed at the USDA
National Peanut Research Laboratory in
Dawson, Georgia, and the University of
Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
But the model also has another
feature that may be just as important. That
feature will give farmers an indication of
when they need to irrigate their peanuts.
Diane Rowland, now a researcher at
the University of Florida, helped to
develop the model when she worked at
the National Peanut Research Lab. She
says the model has been an accurate tool
to use in determining when to harvest
peanuts and has the potential to help
schedule irrigation.
Farmers using the model will be able
to enter data for the amount of water from
irrigation or rainfall that reaches each
peanut field.
For farmers who use the model,
Rowland says it will provide daily infor-
mation for each field and will tell the user
that moisture is adequate, or to start
checking for moisture status and prepare
to irrigate soon or to irrigate now.
The model is based on a previous
tool developed by Anthony Drew and
Jerry Bennett from UF and estimates crop
canopy cover and daily water use while
accounting for evapotranspiration rates,
either from nearby weather stations or
from a grower’s own in-field weather
stations. The model serves as a stand-in
for observing plant growth and develop-
ment, so it can be a good tool for showing
when to irrigate, according to Rowland.
Wesley Porter, Extension irrigation
specialist who works in both Georgia and
Alabama, says the model tracks the
peanut water use curve that changes over
time as the crop matures. “The adjusted
growing degree day model is a very good
model for predicting crop maturity
throughout the entire production season,”
Porter says.
The model is currently able to access
data from weather stations in Georgia,
North Carolina and Florida, and a limited
number in Alabama according to Porter.
“We’re working on getting stations from
South Carolina and additional stations in
Alabama included also,” he adds.
Porter also intends to use the adjusted
growing degree day model for scheduling
irrigation in his own irrigation tests and
plots this year. Porter’s research aims to
help to provide validity and confidence in
the model for Georgia and Alabama
peanut producers when using the model
themselves.
The University of Florida Agronomy
Department manages the software and the
Peanut Field Agronomic Resource
Manager (Peanut FARM) website that
allows farmers access to the model. Porter
says farmers can use the model by creat-
ing an account at the following website:
http://agronomy.ifas.ufl.edu/peanutfarm.t
Check adjusted growing degreeday model for when to irrigate
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Diane Rowland with the University of Florida
says farmers can determine when to irrigate by
using the adjusted growing degree day model.
Irrigation Guidebook
continued on page 19
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:43 PM Page 18
The software will also generate use-
ful graphs showing how the moisture and
temperature readings for peanuts in a par-
ticular field compare to ideal levels.
The peanut irrigation recommenda-
tions are based on more than 20 years of
studies. Irrigator Pro for peanuts is also
adapted to modern varieties and it works
in all U.S. peanut growing regions. The
idea behind Irrigator Pro is to make sure
that soil temperature and soil moisture are
maintained at levels needed for good
yields.
In research and in on-farm trials, fol-
lowing Irrigator Pro recommendations has
increased peanut yields by 300 pounds
per acre and sound mature kernels by two
percent.
The newer versions of Irrigator Pro
for cotton and corn require farmers to
invest in soil moisture sensors.
Wesley Porter, Extension irrigation
specialist in Alabama and Georgia, says
Irrigator Pro is a very good scheduling
method for producers to use. He likes its
flexibility. “It could fit into about any
operation,” Porter says. He says farmers
can use the simpler method mentioned
above, including the soil temperature,
rainfall received and irrigation applied to
get scheduling advice, or they can use it
for more advanced scheduling in conjunc-
tion with soil moisture sensors such as the
Watermark brand. t
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 19
BY JOHN LEIDNER
Irrigation Guidebook
UGA, IBM work with farmers on water conservation project
Researchers in the
University of Georgia
College of Agricultural
and Environmental
Sciences are teaming up with IBM to
work with farmers in Georgia’s Lower
Flint River Basin to enhance water
efficiency by up to 20 percent.
The college and IBM are collaborat-
ing with the Flint River Partnership —
which includes the Flint River Soil and
Water Conservation District, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service and the
Nature Conservancy — to help farmers
make the best irrigation scheduling
decisions to conserve water, improve crop
yields and mitigate the impact of future
droughts.
The Lower Flint River Basin is one
of the most diverse and ecologically rich
river systems in the Southeast. The area is
also the epicenter of agriculture in
Georgia: Its 27 counties contribute more
than $2 billion in farm-based revenue
annually to the region’s economy.
Irrigation is central to production, and
because of the area’s unique hydrogeolo-
gy, maximizing water conservation helps
support sensitive habitat systems.
UGA faculty members George
Vellidis, Wes Porter, Ian Flitcroft, Calvin
Perry, Craig Kvien and John Snider have
worked to develop the irrigation models
and recruit farmers to test the new system.
“The UGA-CAES faculty have been
working with the Flint River Partnership
for a number of years to develop tools,
techniques and technologies to help grow-
ers improve the efficiency of agricultural
water use,” Perry says, who is superinten-
dent of UGA’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation
Research Park in Camilla, Georgia.
Stripling Irrigation Research Park has
been the proving ground for many of
these tools, he continued, and serves as a
focal point for many of these research,
Extension and outreach activities.
“Our job is to help farmers conserve
water. Irrigation scheduling based on
highly accurate weather forecasts and
real-time field data will optimize decision
making and consequently reduce resource
use,” says Marty McLendon, chairman of
the Flint River Soil and Water
Conservation District. “Having access to
such forecasts and field data on a mobile
platform makes the data relevant, so that
we can make proactive irrigation schedul-
ing decisions on the fly.”
The Flint River Partnership is using
IBM’s Deep Thunder precision weather
forecasting service to refine farmers’
already successful irrigation models and
water conservation practices. The added
weather information will help farmers
conserve more water and improve crop
yields.
Because the forecasts will be avail-
able on mobile devices, farmers will have
24-hour access to critical weather infor-
mation in conjunction with other relevant
field data. The partnership is also offering
farmers the use of IBM Softlayer to
manage their field and weather data and
automate irrigation recommendations.
UGA faculty have worked with the
Flint River Partnership for many years on
projects such as using variable-rate irriga-
tion for precision water placement, the
UGA Smart Sensor Array for monitoring
soil moisture conditions and field map-
ping with Real Time Kinematic GPS,
among others, Perry says. They also are
“bringing in the UGA-led Georgia
Automated Environmental Monitoring
Network to provide historic weather data
for use in training the IBM Deep Thunder
weather forecast system for localized,
southwest Georgia conditions.”
The integration of complex data
streams generated by GPS-enabled farm
equipment and in-field sensors with
IBM’s Deep Thunder weather forecasting
technology delivered to mobile devices
will provide 72-hours advance notice of
weather in the Flint region, allowing
farmers to be more prepared to make
decisions on when to irrigate, plant,
fertilize and deploy labor resources.
“Farming operations are highly sensi-
tive to weather. In the U.S., that sensitivi-
ty is about $15 billion per year,” says
Lloyd Treinish, distinguished engineer
and chief scientist of IBM Research. “For
example, the USDA estimates that 90
percent of crop losses are due to weather.
In addition, improving efficiency in
irrigation will reduce the impact in areas
with limited water supplies. By better
understanding and then predicting these
weather effects, we can help mitigate
these impacts.
“Innovators like the Flint River
Partnership are showing how they can
leverage IBM’s advanced modeling and
analytics to increase crop yields. When
we consider the need to increase food
availability to a growing population, their
leadership is helping to create a more sus-
tainable approach to agriculture.”
For more information on the C.M.
Stripling Irrigation Research Park, visit
www.striplingpark.org. For more
information on the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, visit
www.caes.uga.edu. t
BY DANA ANASTASI & CLINT THOMPSON
Old reliable Irrigator Procontinued from page 18
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Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Washington,
D.C. fly-inLeaders from the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, comprised of
the Georgia Peanut Commission, Alabama Peanut Producers
Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association and the Mississippi
Peanut Growers Association, will be in Washington, D.C., during May,
to discuss 2014 Farm Bill Regulations with the USDA and Capitol Hill
leaders.
USDA announces demonstration projects to fight
hungerAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new funding opportu-
nities for state agencies and Indian tribal organizations to develop inno-
vative strategies to prevent hunger and food insecurity. The demonstra-
tion projects under the new initiative are designed to find solutions so
that no child goes hungry.
“These projects offer an opportunity to explore new ways of com-
bating childhood hunger,” Vilsack says. “By encouraging new innova-
tions, we can not only improve childhood nutrition, but also promote
economic development in high-need areas.”
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 provided
$40 million to conduct and evaluate demonstration projects aimed at
ending childhood hunger, including alternative models for service deliv-
ery and benefit levels that promote the reduction or elimination of child-
hood hunger and food insecurity. Nutritious foods are essential to getting
kids off to a healthy start in life, and too many families are unable to
provide proper nutrition for their children.
Potential projects could include innovative program delivery models
for school meals, afterschool snacks programs, and the Child and Adult
Care Food Program; enhanced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits for eligible households with children; and changes to
other targeted federal, state or local assistance, including refundable tax
credits, emergency housing, employment and training, or family preser-
vation services for households with children who are experiencing food
insecurity.
Through these demonstration projects, USDA will target areas or
populations where there are currently elevated levels of food insecurity
or gaps in nutrition assistance program coverage. The HHFKA requires
that at least one demonstration project be carried out on an Indian reser-
vation in a rural area with a service population having a prevalence of
diabetes that exceeds 15 percent.
Approximately $30 million will be awarded for up to five demon-
stration projects in the form of cooperative agreements between USDA’s
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and grantees. The remaining funds
will be used for independent evaluations of each project.
Federal feeding programs purchase significant amounts of peanut
butter. The Southern Peanut Farmers Federation is working with
Congress and USDA to increase these purchases.
Washington Outlookby Robert L. Redding Jr.
Legislative Updates available online at www.americanpeanuts.com
20 Southeastern Peanut Farmer May/June 2014
USDA makes progress on regulationsWith much interest in the outcome of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture proposed regulations on the
2014 Farm Bill, the department has made available a
summary of the legislation and begun working on the
most critical pieces of the bill. In addition, USDA has
held public forums in Washington, D.C., allowing indi-
viduals and groups to give input to the USDA Farm
Bill Team.
To review the USDA summary of the 2014 Farm
Bill, the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness
(NCPC) analysis of the key peanut provisions as well
as a NCPC review of the new base guidelines, visit the
Georgia Peanut Commission’s legislative blog at
www.americanpeanuts.com.
Congressman Bishop supports peanut
industry position at ag hearingDuring a U.S. House of Representatives
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, U.S.
Congressman Sanford Bishop, D-Georgia, highlighted
the importance of Congress’ intent relative to Title I
Commodity regulatory provisions now being consid-
ered by USDA. Congressman Bishop noted the indus-
try’s support for the 2014 Farm Bill and congressional
intent as related to base acre provisions.
Witnesses at the hearing included USDA Under
Secretary Michael Scuse and Farm Service Agency
Administrator Juan Garcia.
To view the hearing and Congressman Bishop’s
remarks, visit www.americanpeanuts.com.
Senate to review farm bill progressThe U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee reviewed
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to imple-
ment the 2014 Farm Bill in a hearing recently. Senator
Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, chairwoman of the
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
Forestry, convened the committee hearing, Wednesday,
May 7, at 9:00 a.m. in room 328A of the Russell
Senate Office Building. The hearing, 2014 Farm Bill:
Implementation and Next Steps, examined USDA’s
ongoing implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified.
The Secretary also testified at a recent hearing on
the Rural Economy in the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Agriculture where a
number of 2014 Farm Bill questions were raised.
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May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 21
The Sunbelt Expo Field Day
is scheduled for Thursday,
July 10, 2014, beginning at
7:15 a.m. Attendees will
not only have a chance to learn from the
region’s top agricultural consultants and
specialists to many of the pertinent areas
of agriculture, but they will be able to
participate in hands-on demonstrations.
Registration begins at 7:15 a.m.,
followed by a complimentary biscuit
breakfast, exhibit viewing and welcome
from Georgia Department of Agriculture
and Georgia Farm Bureau. Attendees will
have a chance to win some great door
prizes as well as receive a free Expo cap.
The trams will depart for the field tour at
8:00 a.m. sharp. The field day is free and
open to those involved in agriculture and
agribusiness.
Visitors can see new demonstrations,
examine research trial results and speak
with company representatives and
university researchers to get up-to-date
recommendations on topics like new seed
varieties, irrigation, crop protection,
precision agriculture, soil fertility and
organic farming. It’s an opportunity to
preview what you will see at the 37th
annual Sunbelt Ag Expo which will be
held October 14-16, 2014.
Research presented at the field day is almost totally driven by those we serve.
University researchers and company
representatives gather information about
problems farmers are facing and work to
solve those. Research is done in collabo-
ration with farmers, industry, government
and other universities in order to deter-
mine the best approach – economically,
environmentally and socially – for the
challenges that confront Southeast farm-
ers. Anyone attending this field day –
owner, operator or land steward — will
take away useful information on a variety
of topics and subject matter they can
apply to their agriculture or agribusiness
operation. t
Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day Schedule
Biscuit Breakfast Reception beginning at 7:15 a.m.
Trams will begin their route to the fields promptly at 8:00 a.m.
More information available by calling 229-985-1968 or visiting
www.sunbeltexpo.com.
Expo is 4 miles southeast of U.S. Hwy 319 on Hwy 133.
Mark your calendar!
37th Annual Sunbelt Ag Expo - October 14-16, 2014
Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day set for July 10
Visitors at Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day are able
to see crop demonstrations and examine
research trials.
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association is
required by law to hold a producer referendum
every three years continuing the state check-off
program for peanuts. This year’s referendum has
been set for Tuesday, June 17, 2014.
Polling places in
each county have been
established. These
counties will have
over 500 acres of
peanuts in the 2013
crop year. However, there is no problem with coun-
ties less than 500 acres having a polling site if they
wish. The polling hours will be between 8 a.m. (or
normal hours) and 3:00 p.m. Any producer who has
grown peanuts in crop years 2011, 2012, or 2013 is
eligible to vote.
For a list of polling locations, contact the
Alabama Peanut Producers Association office at
334-792-6482 or your local county agent.
APPA referendumThe Florida Peanut Producers
Association is pleased to announce
the opening of their 2014
Scholarship Award Program, effec-
tive April 1, 2014. Two $1,200
scholarships will be awarded to deserving high school seniors and/or col-
lege students. The applicant or someone in the applicant’s family must be
an actively producing peanut grower, not necessarily a member of the
FPPA.
It is the intent of the Scholarship Award Committee, however, that the
award recipients attend a Florida junior college or four-year university.
Each winner will receive $600 when the scholarship winners are
announced. The remaining $600 will be awarded after the completion of
one semester and documentation of passing grades is submitted to the
FPPA Office.
“The Florida Peanut Producers Association is committed to helping
further the education of young people in Florida, and the scholarship pro-
gram is evidence of our commitment,” says Ken Barton, executive director
of the FPPA.
For an application, contact the FPPA office at 850-526-2590. The
scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than July 1, 2014.
FPPA scholarship
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:43 PM Page 21
Food service promotionsThe Southern Peanut Growers works hard to build
relationships across the food service arena – from fine
dining restaurants to quick-service chains.
• SPG’s partnership with
Noodles & Company for March,
National Peanut Month resulted in
about 875,000 impressions and a
noticeable increase in sales of the
Indonesian Peanut Saute which was promoted during
March. In their eclub newsletter, Noodles & Company
specifically gave a shout-out (and web link) to ‘our
friends at the Southern Peanut Growers.”
• Jeanne Bauer, SPG’s food service consultant
attended the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance
meeting on April 7 where the little bags of peanuts
were greatly appreciated.
• SPG is sponsoring a break during the National
Restaurant Association’s annual meeting in May in
Chicago. The break gives us an opportunity to
showcase some great new menu ideas using peanuts
and peanut butter to the executives who make menu
decisions.
Nutrition OutreachSouthern Peanut Growers has jumped on board
National Peanut Board’s new slogan, The Perfectly
Powerful Peanut, as we spread the good news about
peanuts and peanut butter.
• SPG exhibited with the Georgia Peanut
Commission at the Georgia Dietetic Association
meeting on March 20.
• SPG provided peanuts and materials promoting
protein in peanuts and peanut butter to the Vegetarian
Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics.
• SPG exhibited with the Mississippi Peanut
Growers Association at the Mississippi Association of
Nutrition & Dietetics on April 10. Leslie Wagner,
executive director of SPG, led a breakout session
inviting attendees to Hear and Taste the Good Nutrition
of Peanuts and Peanut Butter. “The combination of the
serious nutrition and new allergy information with the
fun of tasting easy and healthy peanut and peanut
butter recipes was a big draw,” Wagner says. “More
than half the attendees attended this session and were
actively engaged throughout the presentation.”
Ingredients:1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts halves
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and
line with parchment paper so it over hangs the edges. Beat the peanut
butter with the sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until
well incorporated. Beat in the milk until smooth. Stir the flour with the
baking powder and salt. Stir into the wet mixture just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the peanuts and chocolate
chips over the top of the loaf. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick
comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf. Transfer to a
wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the
loaf out of the pan and directly onto the rack cool completely.
Southern Peanut Growers
Marketing arm of Southern Peanut Growers1025 Sugar Pike Way · Canton, Georgia 30115
(770) 751-6615 · FAX (770) 751-6417
email: lpwagner@comcast.net
Visit our Web site at
http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com
Peanut Butter Loaf with Chocolate Chips
Consumer promotions#PBPride Twitter Party
SPG hosted a Twitter Party on March 12 resulting in a high level of
engagement. #PBPride trended for nearly half the one-hour party as
people shared their favorite recipes and answered trivia questions about
our favorite food!
PB My Way Recipe Contest
Recipes poured in from peanut butter lovers across the United States
during SPG’s The United States of Peanut Butter Promotion. As of press
time, SPG continues to engage with peanut butter lovers as they vote for
their favorite regional finalists on SPG’s Facebook page to determine the
grand prize winner. Regional finalists are:
• West: Easy Peanut Butter & Jam Pastries, Peanut Butter Vanilla
Bean Cake, and Pacific NW Satay Salmon
• Southwest: Nutty Jalepeno-Chicken Stuffed Peppers, Spicy
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Baklava, and PB&J Chicken Wings
• Southeast: Carolina Dreaming Appetizer Meatballs, Peanut Lovin’
Banana Pudding, and Peanut Butter & Berry Biscuits
• Midwest: After School Peanut Butter Apple Pie, Peanut Butter
Sugar Cream Pie, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Popcorn
• Northeast: Pennsylvania PB&C Bars, Chinatown Peanut Butter &
Pork Pot Stickers, and Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:43 PM Page 22
May/June 2014 Southeastern Peanut Farmer 23
In an overwhelming show of
confidence in the National
Peanut Board, America’s
peanut farmers voted in favor
of continuing the Peanut Promotion,
Research and Information Order, which
authorizes the National Peanut Board.
In order for the continuance
referendum to pass, a majority of eligible
producers needed to vote in favor of
continuing the Order. The referendum
passed with a 92 percent approval rate.
Voting in the referendum took place from
April 7 through April 18. Growers who
paid assessments on peanuts produced
during the representative period from
January 1 through December 31, 2013,
and were current peanut producers were
eligible to vote.
The Commodity Promotion,
Research and Information Act of 1996
requires a referendum be conducted every
five years by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
“It is gratifying to know the work of
the National Peanut Board is recognized
by the growers we serve as essential to
their success and contributes to keeping
peanuts as America’s most preferred nut,”
says John Harrell, chairman of the
National Peanut Board.
Harrell also said, “On behalf of the
Board, we’re thrilled at this vote of
confidence and we pledge to continue
working hard for America’s peanut
farmers.”
Since its inception in 2001, the
National Peanut Board has been pivotal in
maintaining receptive markets and
increasing consumption of USA-grown
peanuts. Some highlights include:
• Everyday frequency of consumption
of peanuts has doubled since 2001 and
everyday consumption of peanut butter
increased 71 percent in the same time
period; according to a consumer tracking
study by The Bantam Group, 2012.
• NPB recently launched the brand
platform, The Perfectly Powerful Peanut,
the centerpiece of a new nationwide,
multi-media advertising campaign and
slogan, helping to unify messages across
the entire peanut industry.
• NPB has invested more than $20
million in 900+ production research
projects to help farmers increase yields
while implementing the most sustainable
agricultural practices.
• NPB has funded more than $10
million in food allergy research, education
and outreach to help identify causes and
seek treatments for food allergy sufferers.
• Peanut menu listings have more
than doubled on American menus,
increasing 122 percent from January to
June 2007 to April-June, 2013, and
continuing to outpace almonds; according
to data from Technomic Menu Monitor,
2013. t
Peanut referendum wins tremendoussupport from producers
mayjune_2014:decjan2009.qxd 5/20/2014 5:43 PM Page 23
Southern Peanut Growers Conference
E D G E W A T E R B E A C H R E S O R TJuly 24-26, 2014 Panama City Beach, Florida
Brought to you by the: Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association
Brought to you by the: Alabama Peanut Producers AssociationFlorida Peanut Producers AssociationGeorgia Peanut CommissionMississippi Peanut Growers Association
Key topics: Legislation,Research and Promotion For more information contact:Alabama Peanut Producers Association
P.O. Box 8805Dothan, AL 36304
334-792-6482
Florida Peanut Producers Association2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 1
Marianna, FL 32448850-526-2590
Georgia Peanut CommissionP.O. Box 967
Tifton, GA 31793229-386-3470
Mississippi Peanut Growers AssociationP.O. Box 284
Petal, MS 39465601-606-3547
Register online atwww.southernpeanutfarmers.org
www.southernpeanutfarmers.org
16th Annual
Event!
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