The Peanut Season that Wouldn’t Begin

SOIL TEMP3We have become accustomed to warm dry weather in April the last several years. That warmer weather allowed early planting of peanuts and good conditions for germination. University of Georgia has conducted trials for several years studying the relationship between soil temperature at planting and peanut yield. Results have been consistent and led to the recommendation of 68 F average soil temperature for 3 days, and a warming trend in the forecast. Locally, we were just knocking on the door to these warmer soil temperature, but another cold front brought lows into the upper 40s. Following a mild winter, the El Nino weather patterns of cooler winter weather and frequent rainfall has come into play further south into our location than we have seen all winter. Apparently El Nino doesn’t care that the calendar has turned to spring and farmers are ready. The attached graph shows that soil temperatures in 2016 are just reaching the same levels we had by April 1, 2015. The 10 day forecast is for HOT! HOT! HOT! It is finally time to get those peanut planters rolling.

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