Location: National Peanut Research Laboratory
2019 Annual Report
Objectives
1. Identify crop rotations, irrigation systems, plant populations, row orientations, and row spacings best adapted for sustainable peanut-based agriculture systems.
2. Develop and evaluate a new decision support system to improve sustainability of peanut-based agriculture systems.
Approach
The United States peanut industry generates approximately $4.4 billion annually in economic activity. Much of this activity is located in rural areas that are directly dependent on peanuts to sustain rural economies and foster rural economic development. Over the past decade, the peanut industry has been in a period of economic and technological adjustment driven by changes in peanut policy, increased cost of production, and repeated drought in the major peanut producing regions. The purpose of this project is to conduct farm systems research to identify crop management techniques that will conserve natural resources and offer new production and management techniques that will sustain peanuts and crops grown in rotation with peanuts. Objective 1 will focus on the management practices of drip irrigation systems with respect to crop rotation, plant population, row orientation, and row spacing for sustainable peanut-based agriculture systems. These management practices will enhance an existing database for Objective 2, which is to develop and evaluate a new decision support system to quantify and improve the economic viability and sustainability of peanut-based agriculture systems. Results will improve knowledge on irrigation system selection, crop rotations, row spacing, and plant population in peanut-based agricultural systems and provide a platform quantifying economic and sustainable impacts. End users include farmers, crop consultants, university extension personnel, bankers/lenders, policy makers, and others.
Progress Report
This is the first year of the new project. Replaced project 6044-13210-005-00D, "Enhancing the Competitiveness of U.S. Peanuts and Peanut-based Cropping Systems."
Cotton, corn, and peanut crops have been planted with treatments of plant population, row pattern, and irrigation rates fully installed. Sustainable metrics are being collected for peanut and other rotational crops. Will be incorporated into WholeFarm.
Accomplishments
Review Publications
Sorensen, R.B., Lamb, M.C. 2019. Three soil water potential strategies to schedule irrigation events using S3DI in cotton. Journal of Cotton Science. 23:14-20.
Lamb, M.C., Anderson, W.F., Strickland, T.C., Coffin, A.W., Sorensen, R.B., Knoll, J.E., Pisani, O. 2018. Economic competiveness of napier grass in irrigated and non-irrigated Georgia Coastal Plain cropping systems. BioEnergy Research. 11:574-582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-018-9916-1.
Pilon, C., Snider, J.L., Sobolev, V., Chastain, D.R., Sorensen, R.B., Meeks, C.D., Massa, A.N., Walk, T., Singh, B. 2018. Assessing stomatal and non-stomatal limitations to carbon assimilation under progressive drought in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Plant Physiology Journal. 231:124-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2018.09.007.
Sorensen, R.B., Lamb, M.C. 2018. Return on investment from biochar application. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. https://doi.org/doi:10.2134/cftm2018.02.0008.
