Project Number: 6604-13210-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 22, 2003
End Date: Oct 21, 2008

Objective:
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.

Approach:
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.