Time to turn attention to the peanut crop in Martin County

In Martin County we will be digging and harvesting peanuts in the middle of September to October. Martin County ranks in at least top three in peanut production in the state, most years being first or second in planted acres. Martin County peanut acres has increased each year since 2019.

Peanut seed grown and treated peanut seeds from the previous year’s crop are planted about two inches deep, at average of five seeds per foot on 36 inch rows. This is about 120 lbs. of seed per acre depending on variety.

In about two weeks, the first “square” of four leaflets will unfold above the peanut field. Thirty to forty days after emergence the plants bloom and “pegs” form and enter the soil. The peanut hulls and kernels develop and mature during the next 60 to 70 day period.

Depending on the variety, 120 to 160 frost free days are required for a good crop.

As peanuts reach maturity pod blasting clinics are hosted to determine crop maturity. Peanut pod blasting helps growers determine when peanuts are mature and ready to be dug. Peanut pod blasting is usually done two or three times a year to help determine maturity and when peanuts should be harvested.

Pod Blasting Clinic Dates

Sept. 6: 9 a.m. to noon at Parkway Ag in Robersonville, 6940 US-64 ALT, RobersonvilleSept. 9: 9 a.m. to noon at Triangle Chemical Company in Williamston, 405 South Haughton St., WilliamstonSept. 10: 9 a.m. to noon at Parkway AG in Bear Grass, 6004 Bear Grass Rd., WilliamstonSept. 10: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Brownie Roberson Shop in Farm LifeSept. 11: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Taylor Slade Farm. (Any samples brought in after 10:30 a.m. will be blasted at end of field day)Sept. 11: PVQE Field Day at Taylor Slade Farm. Field Day will start at 11 a.m.Sept. 13: 9 am to noon at Coastal AgroBusiness in Hamilton, 12011 NC-125 HamiltonSept. 17: 9 a.m. to noon at Meherrin in Williamston, 301 Jamesville Rd. WilliamstonSept. 18: 9 a.m. to noon at Parkway Ag Robersonville, 6940 US-64 ALT, Robersonville

When the plant has matured and the peanuts are ready to be harvested, the farmer waits until the soil is not too wet or too dry before digging. When conditions are right, he drives his digger up and down the green rows of peanuts plants.

The digger has long blades that run four to six inches under the ground. It loosens the plant and cuts the tap root. Just behind the blade, a shaker lifts the plant from the soil, gently shakes the dirt from the peanuts, rotates the plant, and lays the plant back down in a “windrow,” — peanuts up and leaves down.

The farmer drives his combine over the windrows. The combine lifts up the plants, separates the peanuts from the vine, blows them into a hopper on the top of the machine and lays the vine back down in the field. The peanuts are then dumped into wagons and further dried to 10 percent moisture with warm air forced up through the floors of the wagons. They are then taken to nearby peanut buying stations where they are sampled and graded by the Federal-State Inspection Service to determine their value.

For more information and fun facts about peanuts Visit the Virginia Carolinas Peanuts Site and the NCSU Peanut Portal Page https://peanut.ces.ncsu.edu/. For any other questions, call Lance Grimes at (252)789-4370.

Source: Virginia Carolinas Peanuts https://www.aboutpeanuts.com/