Farmers Prep For Peanut Planting Season

After a dip in 2018 peanut production, Texas peanut farmers are hoping for optimal planting weather for this year’s crop.

For instance, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension reports peanut production across the state decreased by 43 percent from 2017. Farmers faced drought and poor weather during planting and harvest, which impacted yields.

Peanuts need a wet planting season in the summer, and a dry harvest in the fall. Out of all the planting times sufficient for peanut growth, the springtime is the best period for the most successful plant growth. Planting in April, May and June allows the peanut plant to acclimate to the cool spring weather before summer’s heat strikes the area. Since the seed begins life within a mild temperature range, the plant takes extra time to grow to full size and produce crops. A benefit of this longer maturity time is the plant’s ability to generate more peanuts with larger sizes compared to other planting times.

If your part of the state has a rainy spring, you should keep an eye on the peanut plant to verify that it is not becoming waterlogged or washed away with the runoff. Any stunting to the peanut plant’s growth extends the growing period which causes possible nut production failure.
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