With approaching rains from the gulf this weekend, I am becoming increasingly concerned about its affect on our peanut harvest since rains will likely last 2-3 days. I just received communication from Dr. John Beasley, Extension Peanut Agronomist, regarding peanut digging decisions in the next few days. There are two scenarios to consider.
First, if a field has minimal disease pressure (defoliation from leaf spots or white mold) and if the soil is dry enough that digging before the rain would result in significant digging losses (especially in heavier, finer textured soils), then it is OK to leave the peanuts in the field until the wet weather passes.
Second, if a field has a higher level of defoliation (approaching or exceeding 50%), higher levels of white mold, or a sandier textured soil with adequate moisture for digging with minimal digging losses, then those fields should be dug ahead of the upcoming rain event. However, wait as long as possible and dig just ahead of the rain. This would be in the next day or two.
Keep in mind that if a field has been dug for a few days and the moisture content in the pods has dropped into that 12-18% range and then re-hydrated by the rain event, there is a higher risk of Aspergillus flavus mold developing, which could develop into aflatoxin. Advise producers that have vines and pods dry enough to combine to do so ahead of the rain event. If they have fields that need to be dug ahead of the rain event, do so as close to the actual rain as possible. Rain on freshly dug vines and pods will not hurt the yield or quality potential.
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Matt (229) 873-2359