Land Preparation and Irrigation Method Impacts on Peanut Pod Yield.

Traditional peanut production systems in the Mississippi Delta consist of narrow raised beds on which only a single row is planted, differing from traditional peanut production systems where wide raised beds planted with two rows per bed are used.  When utilizing furrow irrigation, the narrow bed allows water to travel between all rows and theoretically distributes that water evenly across the rooting zone.  However, because of the middle furrow being lower than the raised seed bed, this method can potentially lead to pods set on two distinct planes, complicating digging decisions.  The objective of this research is evaluate the effect of land preparation and irrigation method on peanut pod yield, quality, and digging efficiency. An experiment was conducted at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS to address which land preparation and furrow irrigation method growers should be implementing to maximize peanut production. Peanuts were either raised on flat ground, narrow beds, or wide beds, and irrigation was run in either every furrow or every-other furrow, with a non-irrigated check.  Peanut yield was not significantly different between the flat and bedded systems.  Moreover, regardless of planting system, peanut yield was not affected by irrigating every furrow versus every-other furrow.  Across bedding and irrigation systems, irrigated peanut yield was at least 80% greater than the non-irrigated control. These data indicate that when a furrow irrigation system is used, neither bedding nor irrigation method affect pod yield in silt loam soils.