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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #232831
Title: Impact of Sprinkler Irrigation Amount on Peanut Quality Parameters

Author
item Lamb, Marshall
item Sorensen, Ronald - Ron
item Nuti, Russell
item Rowland, Diane
item Faircloth, Wilson
item Butts, Christopher - Chris
item Dorner, Joe

Submitted to: Peanut Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/13/2010
Publication Date: 7/21/2010
Citation: Lamb, M.C., Sorensen, R.B., Nuti, R.C., Rowland, D., Faircloth, W.H., Butts, C.L., Dorner, J.W. 2010. Impact of Sprinkler Irrigation Amount on Peanut Quality Parameters. Peanut Science. Vol 37(2):100-105.

Interpretive Summary: Irrigation is essential to maintaining crop yield, quality, and income during most years in peanut producing regions. Producers have realized this as irrigated acreage for crop production in Georgia increased from 175,000 acres in 1970 to 1,655,000 in 2006. However, demand for water resources due to urban expansion and interstate litigation coupled with repeated drought are collectively threatening irrigation water supplies in Southeast U.S. peanut producing regions. A study was conducted during the 2002-2007 crop years to address the impact of sprinkler irrigation amount on peanut quality parameters. The research was conducted at the USDA/ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory’s Multi-crop Irrigation Research Farm in Shellman, Georgia. The peanut quality parameters consisted of total sound mature kernels and sound splits (farmer stock grade), shelling outturn by commercial edible size, accept and reject kernels by commercial edible size, seed germination, and aflatoxin. The four irrigation levels consisted of a full level (100%), two reduced levels (66% and 33%), and a non-irrigated control. Over the six year period, improved peanut quality parameters resulted in the irrigated versus non-irrigated treatments.

Technical Abstract: Peanut quality parameters were analyzed across four irrigation levels during the 2002 through 2007 crop years. The peanut quality parameters consisted of total sound mature kernels and sound splits (farmer stock grade), shelling outturn by commercial edible size, accept and reject kernels by commercial edible size, seed germination, and aflatoxin. The four irrigation levels consisted of a full level (100%), two reduced levels (66% and 33%), and a non-irrigated control. The research was conducted at the USDA/ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory’s Multi-crop Irrigation Research Farm in Shellman, Georgia. By year, significant differences in the irrigation treatments depended upon precipitation distribution for the specific quality parameters. For the average over the six years in the study, farmer stock grade was not significantly different in the 100, 66, and 33% treatments while all were significantly higher that the non-irrigated farmer stock grade. Total shelling outturn and total edible outturn were higher in the 100 and 66% compared to 33% and non-irrigated treatments. Total reject outturn and total oil stock were not significantly different in the 100, 66, and 33% while all were significantly lower than the non-irrigated total reject outturn and total oil stock. Percent seed germination did not differ across treatments. Aflatoxin in total reject outturn and total oil stock was significantly higher in the non-irrigated treatment.