By Brad Haire
University of Georgia
After a dry spring and planting time, Georgia’s peanut and
cotton
crops are benefitting from the wet start to summer caused by
scattered but numerous showers across the state.
Since Memorial Day weekend, peanut farmers have seen exactly
the
weather they like: warm temperatures and high humidity creating
rain clouds, said John Beasley, a peanut agronomist with the
University of Georgia Extension Service.
“The rain has come mostly as scattered thunderstorms,” Beasley
said. “Some fields have received more than others, but most
fields have received some rain in the last three weeks.”
The dry spring caused some disease and insect problems. But so
far Georgia’s peanut crop is in good shape for this time of the
season.
Tomato spotted wilt virus damage
Peanut farmers will probably have to accept some losses to the
tomato spotted wilt virus this year. Georgia’s tobacco crop has
already been hit particularly hard by the virus and this usually
indicates the virus will be tough on peanuts as well, Beasley
said.
TSWV is spread by small insects known as thrips. Thrips pass
the
virus to plants when they feed on them. The virus reproduces and
spreads throughout entire plants. In many cases, it dwarfs the
plants. Yields can be low or nonexistent if the virus attacks
plants early in their growth.
Scattered showers have put some farmers behind on fungicide
and
herbicide applications, Beasley said. This could cause some
problems later in the season.
But peanut farmers, in most cases, prefer to deal with the
problems associated with a wet year over the ones related to a
dry year, he said.
Georgia farmers are expected to grow about 565,000 acres of
peanuts this year, a little more than last year.
Cotton crop a little larger this year
Georgia’s cotton likes the current weather, too, says Steve
Brown, a cotton agronomist with the UGA Extension Service.
Cotton farmers have had to keep an eye on weed control. They
will
need to be vigilant of any insect damage in coming months, he
said.
Georgia growers are expected to produce about 1.35 million
acres
of cotton this year, a little more than last year.
The rain has made plant canopies healthy and lush up to this
point. But Brown says nature’s water tap doesn’t need to turn off
any time soon.
Most peanut plants are blooming right now in fields and cotton
plants are beginning their blooming stage. For the next two
months both crops will need about two inches of water, either
from rain or irrigation, per week to sustain good growth and
yields.
Peanut demand high, cotton demand low
The demand for peanut butter and consumer peanut products is
growing, says Nathan Smith, a peanut economist with the UGA
Extension Service. Consumer demand is up about 8 percent from
this time last year.
He attributes the higher demand to more peanut-based products
on
the market, farmer-funded promotions and trendy high-protein
diets. Peanuts are high source of protein.
To keep up with this demand, U.S. peanut farmers need to have
a
good year. To meet the increase in demand and sustain current
stockpiles, U.S. growers need to average about 2,900 pounds per
acre this year, Smith said.
U.S. peanut farmers have averaged about 2,650 per acre over
the
last ten years. This average includes the 2003 crop, which was a
record year for yields.
Cotton prices have dropped drastically to about 53 cents per
pound, ten cents less than just two months ago, says Don Shurley,
a cotton economist with the UGA Extension Service.
Prices fluctuate and typically drop during summer months, but
this cotton price drop has come early this year.
Shurley says several factors have contributed to the price
reduction:
– The United States is expected to have a large crop this
year.
– The World Trade Organization recently ruled against the
United
States and brought into question certain U.S. cotton
farm
policies.
– U.S. textile mills slowed down their cotton usage.
– The volume of U.S. cotton exports has declined.
