Location: National Peanut Research Laboratory
2018 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Establish new commercial equipment/methods to reduce labor and time to accurately sample farmers stock and shelled peanut lots and accurately determine peanut quality parameters including, but not limited to, foreign material, damage, oil chemistry, and kernel size distribution.
Sub-objective 1.A. Establish new sampling plans and equipment to obtain representative samples of consistent size from semi-drying trailer loads of farmers stock peanuts.
Sub-objective 1.B. Develop instrumentation systems combining the radio frequency dielectric with spectral properties to measure total oil content and the relative proportions of the oleic and linoleic fatty acids.
Objective 2: Enable use of existing and develop new commercial peanut curing (drying and processing) systems to reduce non-uniformity of moisture in farmers stock and shelled peanuts, and extend quality during storage and transport.
Objective 3: Enable new commercial uses of shelled-peanut bulk packaging and storage systems, utilizing temperature/relative humidity/oxygen modified atmospheres, to control mold and insect damage.
Approach
In a globally competitive market, the United States peanut industry must closely monitor and reduce the costs of producing, marketing, and processing peanuts for the global consumer. Peanut quality and safety are paramount and require considerable labor and capital to ensure that a safe, high quality product is delivered to the intended customer. This project is not limited to a single aspect of handling and processing peanuts, but examines peanut handling and processing on the farm to delivery of raw product to the manufacturer. The overall goal of this project is to reduce the post-harvest processing costs which include the cost of measuring and monitoring quality, quality degradation, and physical loss of product. Specifically, the objectives include: 1) Establish new commercial equipment/methods to reduce labor and time to accurately sample farmers stock and shelled peanut lots and accurately determine peanut quality, 2) Enable use of existing and develop new commercial peanut curing (drying and processing) systems to reduce non-uniformity of moisture in farmers stock and shelled peanuts, 3) Enable new commercial uses of shelled-peanut bulk packaging and storage systems, utilizing temperature/relative humidity/oxygen modified atmospheres.
Progress Report
To improve sampling and grading equipment, a control system for the pneumatic sampler used to obtain official samples by the Federal-State Inspection Service was tested for a second year and officially approved by the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service for commercial use. Data from the constant condition shelf life studies were analyzed, published, and industry is changing its Good Management Practices in response to the published data.
Accomplishments
1. Alternative storage environments for shelled peanuts. Once the peanut industry began shelling peanuts 12 month out the year and storing the peanuts in conventional cold storage facilities maintained at 38 degrees F, shellers received complaints from product manufacturers that shelled peanuts were arriving with mold damage in the top of the 1-ton containers. ARS engineers at Dawson, Georgia, determined that peanuts packaged during the hot, humid summer months and then placed in 38 degree cold storage were at risk of developing mold in the tops of the bulk containers. ARS engineers at Dawson, Georgia, conducted 12-month studies to compare quality changes in peanuts stored at 38, 55, and 70 degrees F. Their research showed no significant changes in peanut quality when stored at 55 degrees and 65% relative humidity. As a result of this research, the peanut industry has modified its Good Management Practices for maintaining and operating cold storage facilities to allow for storage of shelled peanuts up to 55 degrees. At least one major peanut sheller has adopted 55-degree storage for some of its facilities. A cold storage facility could reduce its energy consumption by approximately 50% just by raising the operating temperature from 38 to 55 degrees F.
2. Peanut sampler automation. Every load of peanuts that a farmer delivers for sale is sampled and graded by USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to determine its quality and value. Each load is parked beneath an overhead pneumatic sampler, where a probe is positioned and inserted into the load of peanuts up to 15 times by a human operator. ARS engineers at Dawson, Georgia, designed and installed an instrumentation and control system that automatically senses the load of peanuts under the sampler, locates the trailer, and controls the sampler to probe the trailer according to the prescribed probe patterns. Tests were conducted by USDA AMS for two years and they have approved the control system for installation at commercial peanut facilities for official sampling. This device reduces the reliance on seasonal labor and improves the consistency and accuracy of the sample used for determining peanut quality and value.
Review Publications
Davis, J.P., Leek, J.M., Sweigert, D.S., Dang, P.M., Butts, C.L., Sorensen, R.B., Lamb, M.C. 2017. Measurements of oleic acid among individual kernels harvested from test plots of purified runner and spanish high oleic seed. Peanut Science. Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 134-142. doi.org/10.3146/PS16-21.1.
Butts, C.L., Lamb, M.C., Sorensen, R.B., Powell, S., Cowart, D., Horm, K., Anthony, B., Bennett, J. 2017. Alternative storage environments for shelled peanuts. Peanut Science. No. 2, pp. 111-123. doi.org/10.3146/PS17-2.1.
Grey, T.L., Diera, A., Moore, M.J., Rucker, K.S., Butts, C.L. 2017. Effect of pyrasulfotole carryover to peanut and tobacco. Weed Technology. 31(5) 651-657. doi:10.1017/wet.2017.52.
Gao, L., Chen, Z., Chen, C., Butts, C.L. 2017. Development course of peanut harvest mechanization technology of the United States and enlightenment to China. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. 33(12):1-9. doi: 10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2017.12.001.
Chen, Z., Gao, L., Chen, C., Butts, C.L. 2017. Analysis on technology status and development of peanut harvest mechanization of China and the United States. Transactions of the Chinese Agricultural Machinery. 2017(4):1-21.
