Peanut harvest will be here before you know it and I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some important things that need to be done before the initial harvest begins. An initial Hull-Scrape Profile is recommended to determine maturity and a digging date.
If you would like for me to take a look at your peanuts on the profile board, please give me a call at the Extension Office to set up a time. I would prefer to look at the peanuts between 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and save the afternoons for field visits. If you collect the sample yourself, be sure to get a representative sample. Lift at least five plants from at least three different areas in a field. Keep the samples from each area of the field separated. Start with the plants from one area, make a mental note of the vine condition and check the pod stem strength of the most mature pods. Take one plant and remove all of the pods (everything match head size or larger). Take the second plant and do the same. Once you have started picking the pods off of the plant, finish pulling the pods from that plant. Continue this process until you have 180-220 pods.
There will also be peanut maturity clinics done at the peanut buying points in the upcoming weeks. Information will be provided about those dates and times in the future.