2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Our overall goal is to develop sustainable management strategies for irrigated and non-irrigated peanut systems that will be economical for the peanut grower. Our goal is to develop irrigated and non-irrigated cropping systems, management techniques and technology for peanut producing areas by accomplishing the following objectives: 1: Determine the yield and quality of peanut following the double cropping system of vegetable and cotton crops in an alternate year rotation when irrigated with Surface Drip Irrigation (SDI). 2: Determine crop management strategies for srtip tillage of peanut and cotton under SDI. 3: Develop SDI system technologies for peanut production cropping systems. Expand development of surface and subsurface irrigation systems and management strategies for rotational crop production, minimum tillage systems and reduced water use in peanuts. Research should determine the best plant populations/planting patterns for peanut in both irrigated and non-irrigated regimes. 4. Determine if furrow-diking improves soil moisture availability and reduces preharvest aflatoxin levels, determine the cost-benefits of adapting furrow diking to Southeast production systems, and improve current expert system models of farm management and irrigation scheduling. 5. Develop reduced cost cropping systems to address the feasibility of peanuts as a bio-diesel feedstock. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) A continuous peanut crop is not a viable system because of disease which will reduce crop yield and may increase pesticide inputs. Cotton and/or corn rotated with peanut in alternate years does increase peanut yield compared with continuous peanut but still may not be economical for the grower. The possibility of double cropping higher value vegetable crops (green bean and sweet corn) with a lower value field crop may be a sustainable cropping system. Typically green beans and sweet corn are planted in single rows. Research has shown that peanut has greater yield potential and disease suppression when planted in a twin row orientation. If a grower goes to the expense of having a twin row planter for peanut, he would need to use that equipment on all crops instead of having two planters. Therefore, vegetable and cotton crops will be planted at various plant densities with two row orientation. Final yield results will be compared with traditional peanut rotations. Strip tillage can be an effective management tool to reduce crop production costs. However, strip tillage with peanut production has not shown a clear yield advantage over conventional tillage but has shown an advantage in reducing some diseases. Unfortunately, yield increases and disease reductions are not consistent from study to study because of different peanut varieties, various cover crops, and management procedures. Peanut varieties being released have better disease resistance than older varieties. In university tests, theses varieties have performed well with little or no fungicide treatments which can be an economical savings to growers provided pod yield is acceptable. A relationship between strip tillage, peanut variety, and fungicide rate would be beneficial to all peanut growers. This comprehensive project will incorporate six crop cover treatments, three peanut varieties, and three fungicide application rates to address the relationship between these variables when irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation. Irrigation at appropriate times is essential to stabilize and insure peanut production of obtain high yield and quality. One of the greatest advantages of using surface drip irrigation is that the system can be installed easily with low initial investment and provide flexible irrigation schedules without using large pumps and wells. However, little research has been done to use surface drip irrigation in peanut production to increase peanut yield and quality, and no information is available to transfer this technology into peanut production to improve the grower's profit. Irrigation systems will be installed that will have various drip tube spacing, crop rotations and water application rates. Tests will be conducted to determine water movement, water use efficiency, crop yield, and economics of surface drip irrigation. 3.Progress Report Peanut Yield Response to Conservation Tillage, Winter Cover Crop, Peanut Cultivar, and Fungicide Rate SDI has worked well with conventional tilled peanut but questions arise concerning conservation tillage with various cover crops. This two year project showed no pod yield 4.Accomplishments Peanut Yield Response to Conservation Tillage, Winter Cover Crop, Peanut Cultivar, and Fungicide Rate: SDI has worked well with conventional tilled peanut but questions arise concerning conservation tillage with various cover crops. This two year project showed no pod yield difference within the various winter cover crops. Conventional tilled peanut had higher yield compared with conservation tilled peanut. There was no difference in pod yield with full fungicide rates compared with 50% fungicide rate. It is plausible to use less fungicide, conservation tillage, and a cover crop for sustainable economic pod yield. NP305 Component 1C and NP-201 Component II (Irrigation and Drainage), Objective 2, Determine crop management strategies for strip tillage of peanut and cotton under SDI. NP305 Component 1C, Objective 3, Develop surface drip irrigation system technologies for peanut production cropping systems. Optimizing Valencia Planting Patterns and Population Densities: Currently, most Valencia peanuts are grown in single rows on 36 to 40 inch beds, because of their bunch-type and erect growth habit. This study was conducted near Clovis, NM to compare single row, twin row, and diamond planting patterns in Valencia peanut on 36 inch beds. This study included five planting treatments, including single row, twin row, and one diamond pattern treatment with equal populations (~87,000 seed per acre). Farmer stock yield of single row plots averaged 3175 lb per acre which was significantly less than the 4000 to 4325 lb per acre produced by twin row and diamond planting patterns. Peanut grade was similar between all planting treatments ranging $510 and $515 per farmer stock ton. Single row peanuts in this study had a crop value of $810 per acre while the value produced in twin row and diamond planting pattern treatments was between $1,030 and $1,115 per acre. NP305 Component 1C, Objective 3, Develop surface drip irrigation system technologies for peanut production cropping systems. Rodent Management for Surface Drip Irrigation Tubing in Corn, Cotton, and Peanut: Surface drip has been used successfully in corn, cotton, and peanut with respect to yield and grade. However, rodent damage to surface tubing in peanut has been devastating. Rodenticides, animal repellants, insecticides, or increased tube thickness had no effect on rodent damage. The best treatment was a light covering of plant debris and soil in a strip tillage management plan. Chemical treatments or thicker tubing were expensive and non-effective requiring the installation of new tubing each year. The light covering was effective and tubing was used for three years before replacement. Surface drip tubing is very feasible in a strip tillage operation where tubing can be used to 3 to 4 years. Furrow diking to improve soil and water conservation for Southeast row crops: Crop production in the Southeastern U.S. is water limiting and is supplemented by irrigation to sustain profitable crop production. Increased water capture would improve water use efficiency and reduce irrigation requirements. Furrow diking is designed to create a series of depressional storage basins in the furrow between crop rows to catch and retain rainfall and/or irrigation water. The objective of this study was to compare water capturing and erosion control characteristics of furrow diking by comparing infiltration, runoff, soil loss, and soil water content of diked and non-diked tillage systems. Runoff and soil loss were measured continuously from each rainfall simulator plot. Diking reduced runoff and sediment yields by 3.5 times compared to the non-diked treatment. Diking increased infiltration by 38% resulting in 7.1 days of estimated plant available water for diked plots and only 3.9 days of estimated plant available water for non-diked plots. NP305 Component 1C, Objective 4, Develop tillage systems implementing furrow dikes for peanut, cotton, and corn production systems. 5.Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations None 6.Technology Transfer Number of non-peer reviewed presentations and proceedings 26 Number of newspaper articles and other presentations for non-science audiences 12 Review Publications Sorensen, R.B., Butts, C.L., Rowland, D. 2006. Five years of subsurface drip irrigation on peanut: what have we learned?. Peanut Science. 32(1):14-19 Sorensen, R.B., Butts, C.L., Lamb, M.C. 2007. Peanut response to row pattern and seed density when irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation. Peanut Science. 34:27-31. Nuti, R.C., Casteel, S., Viator, R.P., Edmisten, K., Jordan, D., Grabow, G., Lanier, J. Management of cotton (gossypium hirsutum) grown under overhead sprinkle and sub-surface drip irrigation in north carolina. Journal of Cotton Science. 10:78-88.