Peanut Plant Response to Vegetative Injury Occurring at Different Intensity and Stage of Growth.

Physical injury of crops can occur from a variety of sources. Knowing the impact of damage at different growth stages and intensity can assist growers and insurance adjusters whether the yield potential of the crop is enough to continue management, reduce management, or abandon the crop. This study on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) quantifies pod development and yield reduction from physical vegetative injury during growth. At four dates (30, 60, 90, and 120 days after planting [DAP]), injury was administered to the vegetative canopy using a weed trimmer with flexible rubber impact points to simulate injury of 33%, 66%, and 99%. A non-treated control with 0% injury was maintained throughout the experiment. Undamaged plots yielded 7,850 kg/ha. Plots damaged 30 DAP at 33% and 66% injury yielded greater than other treatments, both with a yield reduction of merely 29% compared to the control. At the 99% damage at 30 DAP, yield was 57% less than the control. The subsequent timings of injury displayed a negative yield trend over time as damage increased from 33% through 99%. Greater severity of damage decreased yield at any given treatment date. Peanut pods were sampled seven days after treatment. Earlier timings showed a decrease in average pod weight. Damage incidence at 30 and 60 DAP at 99% damage levels had the largest reduction in average pod weight (a 32-37% decrease compared to the control). Average pod weight was reduced most at 30 DAP because of a delay in flowering and pod maturity. Physical damage at any growth stage reduced pod yield compared to the control. Further analyses of additional year replicates and a thorough economic analysis will aid in determining whether continued crop management is feasible or not worth continued input costs.