Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, September 28, 2011 — Page 19
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In the Furrow
Variability in Peanut Maturity
By Peyton Sapp
County Extension Coordinator
I have had questions from
farmers, newspaper reporters and
“the average Joe” as to whether
or not peanuts are or should be
ready to harvest. The story var
ies across the state. However, as
you can see, in some Burke
County fields it is time to dig pea
nuts.
Planting date and irrigation
obviously played significant roles
in the progress of the crop this
year. Early planted peanuts (late
April, first week of May ) typically
take longer to emerge and will
often take more than the optimum
number of days recommended for
a cultivar to mature, thus lagging
behind the norm. Late planted
peanuts (last week of May
through June) often will progress
more quickly because of rapid
emergence and a greater accumu
lation of heat units in the early
growth stages of the crop, and
thus may be ready to dig prior to
the recommended number of
days to maturity, hence catching
up with earlier plantings of the
same cultivar. This is being seen
this year.
Late planted peanuts that are
non-inigated may not progress as
rapidly as an inigated late plant
ing. When soil conditions go dry,
the plant does not function nor
mally. It goes into survival mode
and reproductive growth and
maturation can be slowed since
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the plant may not be taking up as
many nutrients, Nitrogen fixation
may cease because of hot temps,
CA may not be taken up by the
pods, and leaves may fold greatly
reducing photosynthesis in order
to conserve water inside the liv
ing tissue. Towards the end of this
season in our county, a large part
of the non-inigated peanut fields
just simply ran out of moisture
and quit maturing.
As we have evaluated peanut
fields on the maturity board, pro
files have not looked typical.
Often we have seen a rather steep
incline rather than the usual 45
degree angle steady incline. In
cases like these, farmers need to
carefully consider a field’s man
agement and planting timeframe
as that will assist in determining
optimum digging time. I have not
seen too many cases so far this
year where it would be more prof
itable to risk losing a few of the
first pods on the leading edge of
the board in order to progress a
higher percentage of the total
harvestable fruit set further along.
Dr. Scott Tubbs reminds us “to be
cautious with a steep profile and
inclement weather or unfavorable
digging conditions can cause too
great of a delay, then a matter of
a couple of days can mean the
difference between minor pod
losses to extreme casualties.”
Many factors affect peanut
maturity. Heat Degree Units,
temperature at planting, water and
other factors can delay early
plantings or speed up maturity of
late plantings. Use a keen eye,
coupled with as much informa
tion as possible about planting
and field management to come to
an educated digging decision.
Lor more information on peanut
production in Burke County or
related questions, contact Peyton
Sapp, Burke County Extension
Agent at (706)554-2119.
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Time for fall garden chores
By Peyton Sapp
County Extension Coordinator
I have seen a few fall gardens
going in so far, but the dry
weather seems to have some
folks thinking about not plant
ing a fall garden. There are
some helpful garden chores that
could be done now to help get
ready for next spring. Or should
I say, help us get ready for spring
rains!
Always pull up expired crops
at the end of the season. Not do
ing so will create problems. Lots
of diseases and insects love to
over-winter in crop residue and
will be out in full force in the
spring if left unchecked. Another
problem is that old, over-mature
vegetables will die on the plants
and disperse seed that will ulti
mately germinate next spring
where you don’t want them. This
second generation of seed may
well have cross-pollinated, pro
ducing plants that are inferior
and different from what you ac
tually planted.
When we don’t plant a winter
garden we tend to leave the gar
den spot idle. This may not be
the best idea. This can also con
tribute to increased disease and
insect pressure in the spring.
Consider tilling the garden to
expose any insects, nematodes
and soil pathogens to the cool,
dry weather. This is a perfect
time to add amendments such as
compost or other organic mat
ter like manures or fallen tree
leaves over the garden and till
them in.
You might also consider plant
ing a cover crop. Bob
Westerfield, UGA Extension
Horticulture Specialist, says he
typically plants a combination of
at least two types of seed mixed
together, such as wheat or oats
as a grass with a few pounds of
crimson clover. Cover crops
help prevent erosion and add
organic matter to the soil when
tilled in early spring.
If you would like more infor
mation on fall gardening or a re
lated topic, contact us at the
Burke County Extension Office
at 706-554-2119.
Family & Consumer Science News
A New Name for an Old Face
By Terri Black
County Extension Agent
Many of you may remember
the Home Economists and
Home Demonstration Agents of
the past; the big sister of the
modern Family and Consumer
Sciences program. Family and
Consumer Sciences, FACS for
short, is the third facet of a suc
cessful county Extension pro
gram. While you may be more
familiar with Burke County’s
agriculture or 4-H programs,
FACS is the lesser-known entity
with the potential to tie in per
fectly with these programs.
With information and re
sources available to help citizens
manage their families, health,
homes and finances, all of Burke
County can benefit from the
FACS program. Our local fann
ers and families can learn how
to keep pesticides away from
their family laundry, maintain
their homes, eat healthier foods,
manage stress and finances, pro
tect their skin from sun damage
and even improve chronic health
conditions such as heart disease
and diabetes.
Burke County’s youth can
also learn valuable lessons about
their health as well as their val
ues and future. By learning
about health and safety, nutrition
and financial management at an
early age, youth lay a strong
foundation for a healthy adult
life.
As an important part of the
community and local economy,
we know the importance of our
local farm families. We are all
healthier when our youth, fann
ers and families are at their best,
both mentally and physically.
Our local FACS program is
designed to meet the needs of
families and to improve their
quality of life.
Any questions, concerns sug
gestions or educational program
requests you may have are wel
comed. Call Terri Black at 706-
554-2119.
4-Hers prepare booths for fair
By Heather Savelle
County Extension Agent
Fall is in the air - finally!
With that come some of the
South’s greatest traditions-
Georgia football, picking cot
ton, and county fairs. The Burke
County Exchange Club Fair is
October 11 - 15, and it is time
for all 4-Hers to start thinking
about mini-booths.
The 4-H Mini-Booths at the
fair are a fun way for 4-Hers to
showcase a topic they are inter
ested in - and earn prize money.
Mini-booths are for 4-H mem
bers in fifth through 12 th grade.
Getting involved in 4-H and cre
ating a mini-booth teaches stu
dents responsibility, communi
cation and the ability to follow
through a commitment in a way
that is exciting and attractive to
students. Interested? Here is
what you should do.
First, choose a topic of inter
est such as cotton, football, bal
let or recycling. Second, call the
Extension office to sign up.
Third, create the sides of the
booth on poster board so it can
be stapled to the booth at the
fair. Finally, create a scene or
place items in the bottom of the
booth that represent the topic.
If you would like to create a
mini-booth for the fair this fall,
call our office soon. Spaces are
limited. For more detailed infor
mation, call the office or visit
our website to see the guide
lines, set up information, booth
dimensions, and examples of
past booths.
The 4-H program is a great
way for students to get involved
in leadership and community
service through agriculture, the
environment, health and nutri
tion. For more information on
4-H and how to get involved as
a student or a volunteer, contact
our office at 706-554-2119 and
ask for Heather Savelle or visit
us on the web at
www.ugaextension.com/burke.
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