Many acres of peanuts have recently been planted in our area during the past several weeks. Peanuts can be somewhat drought tolerant, but good irrigation management can result in substantial yield increases. Below is a peanut irrigation schedule from the University of Georgia. The 1.5 inches per week irrigation schedule is recommended for when available water is limited or we have above average rainfall. Otherwise, the 2 inches per week schedule is recommended over the 1.5 inches per week schedule if feasible.
Peanut Irrigation Schedule
| Week Of Growing Season | 1.5 Inches/Week Maximum | 2.0 Inches/Week Maximum |
| 0-4 | 0.1-0.2 | 0.1-0.2 |
| 5-6 | 0.5 | 0.75 |
| 7-9 | 0.75 | 1.0 |
| 10-12 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 13-17 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| 18-20 | 0.5 | 0.75 |
Critical Periods for Water Use by Peanut
| Plant Growth Stage | Plant Indicators | Relative Drought Susceptibility |
| Germination and Emergence | Planting through Vegetative Emergence | High |
| Early Vegetative | Emergence to Flowering/Pegging | Low |
| Fruiting | Flowering/Pegging to Pod Addition/Fill | High |
| Maturation | Late Pod Fill to Harvest | Moderate |