“Cracking” Time Tips for Peanuts (Prostko)
Many peanut growers are likely to begin or already have begun treating their fields with early-postemergence (“cracking”) applications of Gramoxone (paraquat). Here are a few tips for success as well as some pictures from “cracking” treatments that I applied just last week:
1) Cracking applications can be applied from peanut emergence up until 28 days after cracking. Cosmetic injury (stunting and leaf necrosis) should be expected. Generally, this injury will not result in peanut yield loss as long as the label is followed (i.e. application rate and time). Here is the Gramoxone label for those that might (should) be interested:
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/agrian-cg-fs1-production/pdfs/ Gramoxone_SL _3.0 _Label1de.pdf
2) 15 GPA and coarse droplets (VMD50 ≥ 270 microns) are preferred. Gramoxone is NOT LABELED for aerial applications when applied postemergence in peanuts.
3) The UGA recommended treatment (without walking the field) is as follows: Gramoxone 3SL @ 8 oz/A + Storm 4SL @ 16 oz/A + 1 Group 15 herbicide (either Anthem Flex 4SE @ 3 oz/A or Dual Magnum 7.62EC @ 16 oz/A or Enversa 3ME @ 48 oz/A or Outlook 6EC @ 10.5 oz/A or Warrant 3ME @ 48 oz/A or Zidua 4.17SC @ 2.5 oz/A). I do not have a Group 15 preference. Anthem Flex will cause more cosmetic injury due to one of its active ingredients (carfentrazone, trade name: Aim).
4) NIS @ 0.25% v/v (32 oz/100 gals) should be included except when Dual Magnum or Outlook are used. Both of these herbicides are EC formulations (oil-based) and therefore have adjuvant-like properties.
5) Growers can make their own Storm (aka “Georgia” Storm) by tank-mixing Ultra Blazer 2SL @ 16 oz/A + either Basagran 4SL @ 8 oz/A or Basagran 5SL @ 6.4 oz/A. This is a more appropriate ratio for south Georgia and also will be slightly cheaper.
6) Gramoxone mixing order (from label):
4.4.3 GRAMOXONE SL 3.0 IN TANK MIXTURES: 1. Fill spray tank 1/2 full with clean water or other approved carriers such as clear liquid fertilizer. 2. Add nonionic surfactant to tank 3. Begin tank agitation and continue throughout mixing and spraying. 4. Add dry formulations (WP, DF, etc.) to tank. 5. Add liquid formulations (SC, EC, L, etc.) to tank. 6. Add Gramoxone SL 3.0 to tank. 7. Add crop oil concentrate or methylated seed oil to tank where/if needed. 8. Fill remainder of spray tank
7) Some field pictures from earlier today. Treatments were applied 4 days ago:
