ASA Southern Branch 2008 Annual Meeting
February 3-5, 2008
Dallas, TX
Monday, February 4, 2008 - 9:15 AM
Fall-raised Beds for Improved Digging Efficiency of Strip-till Peanut.
J. L. Jackson*, J.P. Beasley Jr., R.S. Tubbs, R.D. Lee, and T.L. Grey. Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA
Most peanut production occurs under conventional tillage practices that involve vigorous tillage including deep turning of the soil, multiple passes over the field, high capital investments, high energy inputs, increased wear on machinery, and the possibility of high soil moisture losses along with erosion problems. With equipment and energy prices at an all-time high, there is an increased interest in ways to reduce production cost in peanut. One way to achieve this goal will be through reduced tillage. Problems arise when reducing tillage in peanut, because pod formation occurs beneath the soil surface. This aspect can negatively impact harvesting procedures especially on finer textured soils. The objective of this research is to determine if utilizing fall-raised beds can improve harvesting efficiency and yield potential of peanut in strip-till production. Three methods of preparing beds (flat, raised, and rip & bed) for planting peanut with and without a wheat cover were evaluated to determine the impact bedding has on strip-till production. Trials were established in 2007 at the University of Georgia’s Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton on a Tifton loamy sand (Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults) and Southwest Georgia Research and Education Center near Plains on a Greenville sandy loam (Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Kandiudults). The experimental design was a factorial with six replications at Plains and eight replications at Tifton. The treatments at Tifton were arranged in a 3 x 2 factorial of three bed types with and without a wheat cover crop. At Plains, it was a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial with single and twin rows added as the third factor. Georgia-02C cultivar was planted May 14 at Tifton and May 15 at Plains. Data collected included: wheat stand counts, wheat biomass, peanut emergence rates, peanut growth rates, soil moisture, soil temperature, tomato spotted wilt ratings, soil-borne disease ratings, digging losses, yield, and quality factors. No differences were detected in wheat stand counts, wheat biomass, tomato spotted wilt severity, or soil-borne disease incidence. At Plains, there was a significant main effect for bed type, p < .01, on digging losses. In general, digging losses decreased as the degree of bedding increased with flat beds, raised beds, and rip & beds exhibiting losses of 1755, 1155, and 603 kg ha-1 respectively. At Tifton, bed type had no significant impact on digging losses. Initial results suggest that bedding may have more value on finer textured soils compared to soils of coarser texture. Remaining data is currently being collected and analyzed and will be presented.