Bulletin 727 November, 1950 Bulletin B-36l Texas_ Agricultufal Oklahoma Agricultural Expenment Statlon Expcrimcnt Stafiqn A Handbook of WI In the Southwest TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION The Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System College Station, Texas and OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION I Oklahoma A. & M. College Q" § Stillwater, Okla. LIBRARY Preparation and publication of this handbook was a joint enterprise of: TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION R. D. Lewis, Director, College Station, Texas THE TEXAS AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM Gibb Gilchrist, Chancellor and OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Oklahoma A. 8r M. College, Stillwater W. L. Blizzard, Director Louis E. Hawkins, Vice Director i, The assembly of material for this handbook, and its printing, financed in considerable part by funds supplied by the Southwest Peanut Growers’ Association. Staff members of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station w assisted in preparing the material were: Dr. H. G. Johnston, He Department of Entomology; J. H. Jones, Professor of Animal Hi bandry; B. C. Langley, Superintendent, Substation No. 20, Stephenvili Tad Moses, Editor; Dr. E. B. Reynolds, Professor of Agronomy; ]. ‘ Sorenson jr., Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering; and G. M. Watkins, Head, Department of Plant Physiology and Patholi E. A. Miller, Agronomist of the Texas Agricultural Extensi Service provided a portion of the material and gave helpful advice - suggestions. Wesley Chaffin, Agronomist of the Oklahoma Agri tural Extension Service, reviewed the manuscript and made valua suggestions. Those assisting from the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment S tion were: George F. Church, Editor; Dr. W. D. Gallup, Professor Agricultural Chemistry Research; and L. L. Ligon, Associate Profe f of Agronomy. Economic information was provided ‘by W. F. Lagrone, Bur of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A., stationed at Stillwater, Okla., .-_ by Miss Ada B. Eden of the Oklahoma station’s Department of A e cultural Economics. Portions of the manuscript dealing with specific topics such as in "-_' and plant disease control, crops drying, fertilization, etc., were revie Q and approved by members of the appropriate departmental staffs 1p the Oklahoma station. Mr. john Wright of the Southwest Peanut Growers’ Associati Gorman, Texas, provided information on the technique of peanut ; ing, and the effect of grade on prices received by farmers for th peanuts. ters for Profits from Peanuts. peanut is one of the best cash crops for many sandy soils. It pro- 'des income from a type of land where most other crops are un- rofitable. i. soil fertility maintenance is especially important where peanuts ' a raised. Few peanut growers can aliord to overlook the use of rtilizer and soil-improving, erosion-resisting cover crops. iiiioiiii ' from peanuts depends on two things: Cutting production cost per ton; and '2 Producing high quality nuts. handbook was prepared to help you do those two jobs. It empha- izes these items as important: f See Page aintain soil fertility and control erosion ______________ __ 6 good seed __________________________________________ __ 12 t good stands by A Chemical seed treatment ___________________________ __ l2 Proper planting date ______________________________ __ l4 p Close spacing in the row __________________________ __ 15 ntrol weeds by _ Thorough seedbed preparation _____________________ __ ll i Frequent early cultivation ________ _r _______________ __ 18 These items add to production cost per acre; BUT they reduce production cost per ton by making more tons M per acre-and the sheller pays you for tons, not acres. inally, get good grades by ' Harvesting at the right time ________________________ __ 21 Curing the vines properly _________________________ __ 24 Doing a good job of threshing _____________________ __ 22 Drying the threshed nuts correctly __________________ __ 24 CONTENTS A Cash Crop for Sandy Soils ______________________________________________ __ Where Peanuts Grow Best Climate ____________________________________________________________ __ Soil ________________________________________________________________ __ Maintaining Soil Fertility and Boosting Yields ______________________________ __ ' Winter Cover Crops Do Three Jobs __________________________________ __ Alternatives for Winter Cover Crops _________________________________ __ Strip Cropping Reduces Soi-1 Blowing __________________________ __ Rotations Help Maintain Fertility _____________________________ __ Commercial Fertilizer? That Depends ______________________________ __ What Fertilizer, and How Much? ______________________________ __ For West Cross Timbers of Texas ________________________ __ A For South Texas, East Texas and Oklahoma _____________ __ I Applying the Fertilizer _______________________________________ __-_ Use of Lime or Gypsum ____________________________________________ __ Getting Ready to Plant Seedbed Preparation ________________________________________________ __ Choosing the Seed __________________________________________________ __ (For Amount of Seed Needed, see page l7) The Variety IS Important ____________________________________ __ Small Seed is Cheaper, but Also Poorer _______________________ __ Chemical Seed Treatment Is Crop Insurance ________________________ __ The Benefit! _______________________________________ ___ _________ __ The Treatmen-t ________________________________________________ __ Inoculation? Maybe ________________________________________________ __ Storage of Planting Seed ____________________________________________ __ Planting ; Don't Plant Too Early _______________________________________________ __ Depth -to Cover Seed ______________________________________________ __ \ Speed of Planter ____________________________________________________ __ ' Spacing of Plants ___________ _, ___________________________________ __ Seed Needed to Plant an Acre ______________________________________ __ Cultivation and Weed Control ____________________________________________ __ Use of Weed-Killing Chemicals ______________________________________ __ Pest Control Plan-t Diseases _____________________________________________________ __ Southern Blight ______________________________________________ __ Leaf Spot ____________________________________________________ __ Insects ______________________________________________________________ __ Lesser Cornstalk Borer ________________________________________ __ Fall Armyworm and Corn Earworm ____________________________ __ Harvesting and Threshing Time of Harvesting _________________________________________________ __ Method of Harvesting Digging ______________________________________________________ __ Threshing ____________________________________________________ __ Threshing With a Combine _______ __’ __________________________ __ Saving Hay When Combining __________________________________ __ Drying the Threshed Nuts __________________________________________ __ Field or Shed Drying _________________________________________ __ Artificial Drying ______________________________________________ __ Market Grades of P-eanuts ________________________________________________ __ How Grade Affects Price ____________________________________________ __ How Peanuts Are Graded ___________________________________________ __ Peanut By-products as Livestock Feed Threshed Peanut Hay _______________________________________________ __ Feeding Value ________________________________________________ __ Conserving Hay Quality _______________________________________ __ Whole-Plant Hay ___________________________________________________ __ Peanut By-products in Commercial Feeds ____________________________ __ Mea~l and Cake ______________________________________________ _l__ Hulls PEANUTS: An Important Southwestern Crop. . The peanut is an important cash crop in Texas and Oklahoma. ‘ig ers in these two states received about $44,000,000 for the peanuts y grew in 1948. In addition, peanut hay and peanut meal provide 1 ghage and protein for Southwestern livestock. The Southwestern states — Arkansas, Louisana, New Mexico, Okla- -||| and Texas—grow about a fifth of the nation's peanut crop. ,- than 95 percent of the Southwest's production is in Texas and v ahoma. Peanut growing in these states tends to concentrate in A. where soil and other resources are especially suitable. (See map, 7.) _ Peanuts as a peacetime crop in the Southwest showed a slow but ‘w dy increase in acreage from 1926 to 1941. Since the World War II ‘ m," the production has remained at about double the 1940-41 re. (See graph, page 9.) The Southwest's first modern peanut shelling plant was estab- 51 at Terrell, Texas, in 1907. At present, 31 shelling plants are rted in operation in Southwestern states. A Cash Crop For Sandy Soils. The peanut is one of the best cash crops for many sandy soils. it one-crop peanut farming depletes soil fertility. Organic matter is Q, and wind erosion hazards are increased. Continuous planting of a uts on the same land also is likely to increase losses from the ase called Southern blight. i Peanuts should be grown in combination with other crops, pastures, 1 livestock. This balances farm operations and maintains soil fer- ty. Handled this way, peanuts will provide an income from land ere most other crops are unprofitable. Where Peanuts Grow Best. CLIMATE. Peanuts need a growing season of four and a half to five months v out frost. They can adapt themselves to a rather wide range of ate, and can be grown in most parts of Texas and Oklahoma where 4 conditions are favorable. However, wind erosion makes them un- table to the High Plains sections. 5 SOIL. Peanuts do best on well drained, sandy soils with friable sand; clay subsoil. The best peanut soils are such that — ’ (1) The pegs can penetrate them readily. (2) The peanuts can be easily harvested without soil clinging to the nuts. (3) The plants can be plowed up without too many peanuts maining in the ground. Heavier soils, such as clay loams and clay, will produce good yiel if moisture conditions are right. But heavy soils often form a crus which keeps pegs from penetrating. If pegs do get into the groun and set a crop, harvesting often is difficult; many of the nuts break and remain in the ground. On dark soils the hulls are discoloref which is undesirable; and on heavy soils particles of dirt cling to th nuts, which lowers the grade. ' Maintaining Soil Fertility and Boosting Yields. One of the chief problems in peanut growing is to handle th soil so it will continue to produce good yields year after year. T problem arises from the method of harvesting, in which the whol; plant is removed: tops, nuts, and most of the roots. This leaves the, ground bare and subject to wind and water erosion, unless a winter cover crop is planted. Also, it removes from the soil most of the‘ minerals taken up by the growing plants, as well as the nitrogen which peanuts (a legume) take from the air. The loss of plant food is made more serious by the fact that the sandy soils usually used for peanuts, often are low in organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and some-i times are low in potash. * Nevertheless, soil productiveness can be kept up, or even increased,‘ by using soil-improving cover crops, fertilizer, and rotations. And, if erosion is controlled and soil fertility properly maintained, peanutsf will provide an income from land that is too poor for profitable pro-g duction of most other crops. _ WINTER COVER CROPS DO THREE JOBS. Winter cover crops, when properly inoculated and fertilized, pro- tect the soil from wind and water erosion during the winter and early spring. When plowed under, they add organic matter and nitrogen; to the soil, and the sandy lands best suited to peanuts need plenty organic matter and nitrogen for best yields. Plowing under a cov crop also makes the soil more friable and mellow, so it will absor; and hold more moisture and be easier to cultivate. ‘ ‘ 6 éT PRODUCTION 1941 and Oklahoma __ §(Tons) é S fhdn I25 -s00 - 2,500 0-1,500 900 0r more Peanut-growing Areas of Texas and Oklahoma. i; ows peanut production, by counties, in Oklahoma and Texas for ‘the year 1947. ‘gcounty, Comanche, produced more than 25 million pounds. Good cover crops include adapted vetch and winter peas. legumes can be grown alone, or vetch can be used in a mixture small grains such as rye, oats, or emmer (speltz) . On soils subject to severe blowing, small grains such as rye or will greatly reduce the movement of surface soil. They make a f above-ground growth and have an extensive root system. Small ; may be planted alone, or mixed with vetch. i’ ALTERNATIVES FOR WINTER COVER CROPS. In some parts of the Southwest, fall and winter rainfall is I Winter cover crops planted after peanuts are harvested make a sl start in the fall and little growth during the winter. If peanuts Q planted again the next spring on the same land, the cover crop m f; be plowed under before it has produced much vegetation. Under th_ conditions, it is best to avoid following peanuts with peanuts (or J other clean-cultivated row crop). The alternatives are strip croppi or rotation of the peanuts with some other crop. l Strip Cropping Reduces Soil Blowing. Where winter cover crops are not dependable, strip cropping heli prevent excessive soil blowing during the winter and early spring. G -- sorghum is usually used in the alternate strips in Oklahoma. When i sorghum is harvested, as much as possible of the stalk is left standi The strips of standing stalks make effective windbreaks, and can I; plowed under after the early spring period of high winds is past. i Rotations Help Maintain Fertility. Even where peanuts can be grown on the same land year af year, a winter cover crop and fertilization are usually necessary maintain soil fertility. Elsewhere, the maintenance of fertility [t erally requires rotation of peanuts with other crops. Fertilizer shoul be used according to soil needs and the crops being grown. The croi used in a rotation with peanuts will depend upon the individual f =1’ and local conditions. Your county agent is a good source of info n a non. COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER? THAT DEPENDS. On fertile soils, commercial fertilizer usually does not increase n; yield of peanuts. But fertilization is generally profitable on soils ~- medium to low fertility, unless the peanuts follow some other cro“ which was well fertilized. What Fertilizer, and How Much? Where winter legumes (vetch or winter peas) are fertilized wi 200 to 300 pounds per acre of 0-20-0 (20% superphosphate) and th W: 8 30383.8 3m fins“. 025w E 35mm ommC .2 82% wZE 359$ v53 um3bam o5 we cofimnctcou “t3? Biz. 2t 8 “sons coon 2E i .83 E33 8E» Q86 2C. .33 9 mwfi Bob @339. >530; ma? couuswokm 5 02385 dob @233 Mcoflmc o5 Mo ntméco Bonn wsohw 3o: umukfissw ~55 smo3s§om v5 E HZQSQD wcmwuuuh. mm floflufiwoum 253m 32 V $2 95. $2 0M2 0N2 0N9 \\.||\\\||:l ‘\\|' l"“l \‘I‘- I I |l:||-'I[.I||| .I\.\ Iii-n.» OO_ OON (ooo‘| X) SNO.I. Iii Pwwszkaow. I Ill / / Sun Antomo\\\ \ March |- JulylO ‘ "i"- P / \ Approximate Planting Dates for Peanuts in Texas and Oklahoma. Planting too early results in poor stands. The dates of planting overlap betwf of course; and the date may vary considerably in some years on account of seaso conditions. But the dates shown on the above map will serve as a general guide‘ 16 Close spacing of plants in the row not only makes larger yields, i; but also results in smaller plants which are easier to thresh with a combine. ln addition, the branches of closely spaced plants are held upright so they produce fewer late-season nuts. These late-season nuts are of poor quality and lower the value of the extra good nuts pro- 1 duced at the base of the plant. SEED NEEDED TO PLANT AN ACRE. The close spacing which gives best yields takes more seed per acre—about 35 pounds or more of shelled nuts as compared with the usual rate of 25 pounds per acre. But, at present prices, a yield in- crease of only one bushel per acre would pay for an extra 15 pounds of shelled seed; and the tests reported in Table 2 show an average yield increase of about 21/2 bushels for the 3- or 6-inch plant spacings as 1.; compared to the 9- or 12-inch spacings. Table 3 shows the amount of seed of different sizes needed to in plant an acre, for several different row and drill spacings. The approx- ‘ imate number of seed per pound in a particular lot can be learned from the sheller or dealer. SEED NEEDED PER ACRE TABLE 3.-Approximate Number Pounds of No. l Shelled Seed Needed to Plant an Acre. Approximate pounds shelled seed per acre with l Spacing of plants following number of seed per pound‘ - A i“ m” (“d”) 1000 1200 1400 1000 iIn 36-inch Rows 3 81 3 67 58 50 4 60 50' 43 38 6 40 34 29 25 In 38-inch Rows 3 76 64 55 48 4 58 48 41 36 6 38 32 27 24 l In 40-inch Rows 3 73 60 ~ 52 45 4 54 45 39 34 6 36 30 26 23 ’ ‘Information on approximate number of seed per pound can usually be obtained from the dealer or sheller who supplies the seed. l7 The figures shown in Table 3 include an allowance for seed split in handling and planting, and also for additional seed that will rot in the ground. (There is some rotting even with chemically treated seed.) Peewee seed will run more than 1,600 seed per pound. Cost of if seed per acre will be less when using them, if planter plates with smaller holes are used; but use of this poor seed is not recommended (see page 12) . Cultivation and Weed Control. Weed control begins with seedbed preparation. Careful and fre- quent cultivation before the seed is planted, and just after the plants are up, saves much hand hoeing later. One hoeing will do the job if early cultivation is well done. Cultivation close t0 the plants is continued until they begin pegging down. After that, only stir the middles occasionally, to keep weeds under control. In general, good peanut cultivation calls for stirring the soil close to the plants and also moving soil toward the plants, to make it easy for the pegs to go down. However, too much stirring of soil near the plants apparently increases the damage from Southern blight (see page 19). Where that disease is a problem, close cultivation probably should be only enough to let the pegs enter the soil. Either flat sweeps or shallow-cutting shovels may be used for culti- vating peanuts. Where Southern blight is not a problem, disk cultiva- tors on the front frame help stir the soil and push it under the plants. The Spanish type peanuts, because of their bunch habit of growth, can be more closely cultivated while blooming and pegging down than is safe with the Runner types. USE OF WEED-KILLING CHEMICALS Use of herbicides for control of weeds and grass in peanuts is being tested by experiment stations in the peanut-growing states. Re- sults to date have been fairly satisfactory; but these chemicals are so new that there is not yet enough information to warrant recommending them whole-heartedly. Pest Control. PLANT DISEASES. Only two diseases of peanuts are common in Texas and Oklahoma. They are leaf spot and Southern blight. The Southern blight is the 18 ‘lpmore destructive of the two. Leaf spot usually has not been serious, but seems to be increasing at present in Oklahoma. Southern Blight. _ Southern blight disease rots the stems on which the peanuts are hborne. As a result, many of the nuts are left in the ground at harvest time. This fungus disease also attacks the larger roots, and sometimes kills the plants. In severe cases, the white strands of the fungus can p; seen on the surface of the roots and lower stems. No satisfactory control is known, nor is there at present any resistant variety having good commercial characteristics. Losses can be held §down by rotating peanuts with crops not attacked by this disease, such ,as cotton, corn, small grains, and sorghums. Losses can also be re- gduced by prompt harvesting, as soon as nuts are mature; and method i1 of cultivation apparently affects the development of the fungus (see page l8) . , When planting peanuts on new land known to be free of the f disease, use shelled seed and remove all discolored seeds. This will f avoid introducing the disease into the field with the seed. Leaf Spot. y The black spots on peanut leaves caused by the Cercospora organ- ism (see picture, page 20) usually are not serious in Texas or Okla- ‘Z homa. However, they may injure the plant if there is much wet weather 11 during the latter part of the growing season. When there is likelihood of serious leaf-spot damage, control must start before the spots appear, using 325-mesh dusting sulfur. Start dusting when the plants are about f forty days old, using about l5 to 20 pounds of dust per acre. Make f another application l0 days to two weeks later, and continue at intervals Q of l0 days to two weeks as long as necessary. If rain removes the dust 1' within 24 hours after it is put on, repeat the treatment. INSECTS. Peanuts have three chief insect enemies in the Southwest. They are the lesser cornstalk borer, the fall armyworm, and the corn ear- v worm. Lesser Cornstalk Borer. , The lesser cornstalk borer often damages or completely destroys . seedling peanut plants. Sometimes it damages maturing peanuts by i boring into the developing pods. Presence of this worm in seedling {i peanuts is indicated by loss of stand. In larger plants, its presence i is indicated by masses of borings which are pushed out through the , holes in the stalk. When the worm is full grown, it leaves its burrow in the stalk, and changes to the adult stage under trash on the surface f of the ground. 19 The only effective control is fall or winter cleanup of the fields. Winter plowing helps reduce the number of insects the following sum- mer. Fall Armyworm and Corn Earworm. Either of these caterpillars may attack and severely damage the foliage of peanut plants. They may appear any time during the owing season, but more generally are a problem in late summer and early fall. The damage done to the leaves is easily found. Excellent control of these pests is given by a dust containing 5 per- cent DDT and 75 percent sulfur. This is applied at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds per acre. If the peanut vines are to be used for hay, the DDT-sulfur dust should not be used later than 30 days before harvest. If dusting is necessary, use 40 percent Cryolite at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds per acre, instead of DDT. Harvesting and Threshing. TIME OF HARVESTING. Peanuts are mature and ready to harvest when the leaves begin to turn yellow, the kernels are full grown, and the inside of the pods begins to color and and shows darkened veins. Best grades are obtained by harvesting promptly, as soon as the vines have matured the largest possible percentage of sound, mature peanuts — that is, when the tap root crop, if any, is mature. The limb crop seldom matures, and waiting for it merely delays harvest past the time when the best combination of yield and grade can be obtained. METHOD OF HARVESTING. Digging. The first step in harvesting is to plow out, or dig, the peanuts. Two methods are used: (1) Peanuts usually are dug by plowing out two rows at a time with 10-inch cultivator sweeps mounted on the front cultiva- tor frames. (2) Some growers use two long-bladed half-sweeps on the front cultivator frame, as shown in the picture on page 22. One right-hand and one left-hand sweep are mounted so that the wings extend toward each other under the tractor. The sweeps cut the tap roots and lift the vines out of the soil, with nuts attached. 21 A Half-sweep Plow for Digging Peanuts. The sweeps cut the tap roots and lift the vines out of the soil, with nuts attached. Threshing. Proper threshing is an important step in getting good yields and grades. Table 4 shows how improper threshing lowers the grade of the nuts, and thereby reduces the amount per ton received for them. (More information about the grading of peanuts is given on pages 26 to 28.) Good threshing depends upon the efficiency of the pickers, screens and blowers in the threshing unit, and upon the operator's ability to adjust them. Threshing aims at three goals: 1. Remove all dirt, trash, and other foreign material. A good job of threshing will leave 3 percent or less foreign material. The average of peanuts marketed is around 8 percent. 2. Completely avoid breaking mature, sound kernels. Where picker teeth are properly spaced and the cylinders are run at 400 r.p.m. or less, there should be no shelled nuts at all. Shelled nuts generally run about 1 percent or less at Central Texas ware- houses. i 3. Recover the largest possible percentage of nuts. Recovery rates at the Stephenville station have varied from 80 to 98 percent, and average about 90 percent. Threshing With a Combine. Until recently, nuts were usually removed from the vines by using a stationary thresher. Now the combine-thresher is rapidly replacing the stationary machine. .2? wuumffibw 333m Q2 mo ummpuiw cm E 23$» wfismubt boom .1. @5526 who no“ woow w E can“ wuwmfimw 3096M P85 683m m H32 Hm MGCBNE =w§2 286m w “wfiswobil ROOM m. 2096i wuwmfimw 38 “maifimi cwmfifi 262.3 m 52S 98E HoZ HwQEmQHnF wooO .3 qwuitsom us“ E wusmwum 2? nmficmmm H3 8cm fiommsw 3A.; co wumwm n. 5N4“; S. m E8 3% uzmzmwmmms 0s .55 $3 mics mwdmw vfimzkmwvm wwmsEswiwmwwiv. 2 3% Qcu mmqv mlbmmfimw Q2335 35D cow mmucfii wuwmfimw mml Mom wiwcum oqww flwchi ufizmfi 655m mo Q3 mo $04 woé w E. w ~6tmmwg zmwwkfiom S 2% QQN om. mm. mmiufific cmmfiom 8m 86m» mo 30G wm. mo. HQTQE o“ GCBQE cwmwhom @532 mo 300 mo; ow. mmiuflwfi cwmfiom misfits“ mo 300 ommww w mmiutwfi @222 Mom 55a» anmv o3 i: 8 so”. gum maflvtwfi cwmfiom mo ucsofi< Eafivfih 85 fiwgfimfigh v2.0 A29 8% cofimmsummU E 2:9; flvcpwvm wuwmchmfl wcw mfihfimw/m cwwfiom co mvwwoq ffiscmom EOhw CMDHUMM Hwvmbwz GO wfiswwfimP m0 Swwmlqw uzummmmma mo HUHMMH 28 For combine threshing, peanuts are dug in the usual manner. Then four to six rows are windrowed together with a side delivery i rake or one of the new shaker-windrow attachments. (See pictures on i page 25.) If the rows are rather long, it has been found practical to i pull a side delivery rake or shaker-windrow attachment behind the " tractor which is doing the plowing. The vines usually are dried in the windrow from three to ten days, depending upon weather conditions. Or they can be threshed after ‘ only a short drying period in the field if the nuts are to be dried by artificial heat after threshing. 1 A combine can thresh from l0 to 20 acres per day, depending l largely upon how rank the vines have grown and upon how dry they are. Threshing is much slower when the vines are damp. l‘ Comparisons made at the Stephenville station show that the com- bine does an excellent job of threshing and also obtains high com-l‘ mercial grades. ‘ Saving Hay When Combining. A simple method of saving the hay when threshing with a combine - is shown in the pictures on page 27. The slide drawn behind thef combine is covered with a strip of heavy mesh-wire fencing, attached‘ at one end. The hay is easily dumped at the ends of the rows, con. venient for baling. v DRYING THE THRESHED NUTS. Before peanuts are sold, they should be dried until the moisture content is down to 7 or 8 percent. A lower price is paid for nuts having more than 7 percent moisture. A Field or Shed Drying. The most common practice is to let the peanuts dry in the windrowj from three to ten days, depending upon the weather. Then, after; threshing, the drying is completed by stacking the bags in the field, or in an open shed where air can circulate freely. ‘ Artificial Drying. A y In some peanut producing areas there are frequent heavy rains, during the harvest period almost every year. Even in the drier regions, wet seasons occur occasionally. Under these conditions, natural dry- ing in the field, or under a shed, is extremely difficult. As a result, there has been an increasing interest in artificial drying within the pasty‘ few years. During the past five years, agricultural engineers at the Texas; Experiment station have successfully dried peanuts with heated air, 24 Using Side-delivery Rake and Combine to Speed Up Harvest and Save Labor. Top: After digging, four or six rows are thrown together in a windrow with a side- delivery rake, or with one of the new shaker-windrow attachments. Bottom: After the vines are dried, they are threshed with a combine. The combine will handle 10 to 20 acres a day. Tests at the Stephenville station show that a combine does an excellent job of threshing and also obtains high commercial grades. 25 Peanuts have also been artificially dried successfully by a few fa w and custom driers. The nuts have been dried both in sacks and bu Ii Both stationary and portable type driers are in use!‘ (See picture i page 29.) = In artificial drying, the usual procedure is to let the nuts stay the windrow for at least two days before they are threshed. Immedia A after threshing they are carried to the drier, where the excess moist _- is removed by circulating heated air through the nuts. The temperat =' of the drying air should not exceed 125 degrees F. The drying ti: will usually vary from 2 to 8 hours, depending upon the initial moist i; content of the nuts. ‘ The drying operation should be stopped when the nuts have rea a moisture content of about l0 percent. Tests have shown that nuts will lose an additional 2 to 3 percent moisture during the first A, to 48 hours after drying. This moisture is absorbed by the dry hulls. One of the most important factors in the successful operation of, drier is to avoid over-drying. Nuts that are too dry crack badly duri“ shelling. A number of growers and research workers have given c, siderable thought to the possibility of artificially drying green pean which are combined, or threshed, immediately after digging. Th has been very little research on this method of harvesting and dryi In some of the tests, however, the dry nuts had a disagreeable flav Further experiments will be necessary to determine the feasibility a this method of drying peanuts. i Market Grades of Peanuts. The prices paid for peanuts are based on the proportion of sou p_ mature kernels. The largest percentage of “Sound, Mature Kerne) is obtained by: l. Harvesting at the proper time (see page 21); 2. Correct curing (see page 24); and, 3. A good job of threshing (see page 22) . HOW GRADE AFFECTS PRICE. Prices are figured on the basis of peanuts containing 70 perc sound, mature kernels. The grower gets a higher price per ton for e i 1 percent sound, mature kernels above 70 percent, and a lower pri for each l percent below 70. The price he gets is also lower if , peanuts contain more than 3 percent foreign material (dirt and trash or if they have more than 1 percent damaged kernels. Moisture cf "Information on the construction and use of the equipment may be obtained by writing 1_ Department of Agricultural Engineering, College Station, Texas. = 26 A Simple Hay-saving Device for Use with Combine. The hay is easily dumped where it will be convenient for baling (top picture), when 5 the slide pulled behind th-e combine (bottom picture) is covered with heavy mesh- wire fencing, fastened at one end. 27 tent also affects price—higher if the nuts contain less than 7 percent moisture, lower if they contain more. HOW PEANUTS ARE GRADED. The process of grading peanuts takes both care and skill. First, the grader follows known rules to be sure he gets a fair sample of the lot he is grading. Then he sorts out the dirt, stems, sticks, stones, sand, loose hulls, etc., and weighs all this waste. This is the “Foreign Material." To get “Sound, Mature Kernels," the grader first shells the sample by hand. The shelled kernels (including any loose shelled kernels _; found in the sample before shelling) are placed on a screen having holes 14/64 inch wide and 3/4 inch long. The screen is shaken vigor- 3 ously, and any nuts which fall through are recorded as “Small, Shriveled Kernels.” The damaged peanuts left on the screen, if any, are picked out and scored. The peanuts still remaining on the screen are then scored as “Sound, Mature Kernels." Peanut By-products as Livestock Feed. THRESHED PEANUT HAY. Feeding Value. Properly cured, leafy peanut hay is practically equal to good alfalfa for dairy and beef cattle. It gains extra importance in a balanced farm- ing program from the fact that peanuts are grown mostly on land where f alfalfa grows poorly or not at all. A ton of choice peanut hay contains about 200 pounds of protein, the equivalent of at least 450 pounds of cottonseed meal. Peanuts left on the vines provide additional protein and fat. Peanut hay is highly palatable. Cattle eat it with surprisingly , little waste, even when it is somewhat stemmy and discolored. All peanut hay contains at least some dirt, although threshing i usually removes a large portion of it. Hay that is very dirty, or is moldy, is not suitable for horses and mules. Peanut hay that is to be ground should first be screened. Conserving Hay Quality. One-fourth to one-half the protein in peanut hay can be lost be- fore threshing. The leaves and small stems are high in protein, vitamin t A (as carotene), and minerals, but the feeding value of the large stems - is low. Good harvesting aims to save the leaves and small stems. 28 M»... \\~o~""“‘“"' ¢"""'~"“' ‘ m»... Q w-uzwvqvvwuwvbu . w. ' Two Types of Equipment for Drying Peanuts in Sacks. Top: A portable drier used to force heated air int-o a movable tunnel. The tunnel is completely covered with sacks to force air out through the peanuts. Bottom: A permanently installed sub-floor type drier. The sacks of peanuts are placed on the , subfloor, not more than two sacks deep. 29 Vines cured in windrows and turned at intervals with a side-delivery rake usually lose their desirable green color and a good share of the leaves and finer stems. The older hand-harvesting methods were better from a hay standpoint. Bright colored hay is obtained only if the crop is harvested before the first killing frost. WHOLE-PLANT HAY. The entire cured peanut plant, including nuts, makes a satisfactory feed, but at present prices (1950) more income can be obtained by threshing and selling the nuts. When whole-plant hay is ground, it sometimes makes a rather damp, heavy product. ln that case, it can be fed or stored to better advantage if mixed with a lighter material such as ground Johnson grass hay. PEANUT BY-PRODUCTS IN COMMERCIAL FEEDS. Meal and Cake. Peanut meal or cake is the by-product left after the oil is taken out of shelled peanuts. It may be guaranteed to contain up to 45 percent crude protein, and is one of the best protein supplements for feeding livestock. In numerous experiments it has given equally good or better results than cottonseed meal of similar protein content. It is high in total digestible nutrients, but it is low in calcium, and it contains only about half as much phosphorus as cottonseed meal. Solvent process peanut meal may be considerably lower in fat than hydraulic process meal, and consequently supply slightly less total digest- ible nutrient value. The protein content, however, is equal or higher. Peanut meal may become rancid if stored for long periods in warm, moist climates. Southwestern feeders have had little trouble with pea- nut meal in this respect and should not hesitate to buy it if it furnishes feed nutrients competitive in price with other feeds. Hulls. Commercial peanut hulls contain approximately 55 to 60 percent crude fiber. A considerable volume is used in the preparation of mixed feeds. Ground hulls add bulk to feed, and under certain conditions bulk has value —- for example, for mixing with blackstrap molasses. Re- cent research indicates that peanut hulls should be finely ground when fed to cattle. 30 Skins. i‘ Peanut skins, the by-product from peanut roasters, consist of the in covering of the kernels and particles of the kernels. The volume small and is used chiefly in mixed feeds. The skins usually are shed to remove the oil before they are used in feeds. \ 81d