Description

Abstract: Peanut acreage in the central coastal plain of North Carolina increased several fold from 2002 to 2004, and continued expansion of production in this region is expected. Challenges during this transition included: addressing issues associated with high zinc levels in some fields, long distance transportation of farmer stock peanut to buying points (70 miles in most cases), obvious mistakes with inoculation by Brady rhizobium, establishing sustainable crop rotations (grower’s understanding of the importance of field histories associated with soybean and tobacco), crop rotation restrictions due to herbicide use, inexperience of growers, local agribusinesses not accustomed to supplying crop protection materials and equipment for peanut, unknown severity of pests, and unknown realistic yield potential for peanut in the region