Evaluation of Novel Perennial Peanuts for the Southeastern U.S.

Rhizoma perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth) is a warm-season legume that is well adapted to the lower southern United States. This perennial legume is grown for its value as a high quality hay and silage, or as ornamental ground cover. Recently studies at the University of Florida are exploring ways to establish the perennial legume into stands of existing perennial grass pastures. Perennial peanut fills a unique niche in this region because there is no other perennial warm-season legume that rivals its forage quality, persistence, and wide spectrum of uses. Presently, about 30,000 acres are in production, primarily in Florida and south Georgia. A growing interest in this species has resulted in a recent increase in acreage across the southeastern U.S. Sixteen rhizoma perennial peanuts, including eight released cultivars and eight experimental lines, were established in a replicated study located at the Dairy Research Unit, Hague, Florida and at the North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy Florida in April, 2010. Forage yield, plant height, flowering, rate of spread, and disease incidence were evaluated for each line and comparisons among these lines are reported. The potential of releasing new cultivars from this study appears promising and should result in diversifying rhizoma peanut adapted for forage and ornamental uses for the southeastern U.S.