The Georgia Peanut Breeding Program is actively involved in the development of improved varieties with desirable traits for increasing dollar value, yield, grade, disease resistance, insect resistance, virus resistance, nematode resistance, aflatoxin resistance, drought tolerance, better shelling characteristics, longer shelf-life, and enhanced flavor and nutritional qualities.

Possibly no other single research effort can benefit the whole peanut industry as much as an improved variety.

Peanut breeding is a long-term commitment which normally takes 10 years to develop a new variety. Thus, peanut varieties for this new millennium are currently being considered, The most recent variety releases from the Georgia Peanut Breeding Program have been Georgia Green, Georgia-01R, Georgia-02C, Georgia-03L, Georgia06G, Georgia Greener, Georgia Hi-O/L, Georgia05E, Georgia-04S, Georgia Browne, Georgia Valencia and Georgia Red.

Georgia Green

Georgia Green is a high-yielding, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)-resistant, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 1995 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations.

It was developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Ga.

Georgia Green is very productive and has good stability across many different environments. In 37 multi-location state yield tests conducted in Georgia over the past seven years, Georgia Green was found to have a significantly higher yield and dollar value return and had significant less disease percentage than C-99R.

Georgia Green has a high level of resistance to TSWV. During 2003-2006, averaging more than 23 multiple location tests in Georgia, Georgia Green was also found to have the highest yield, grade and dollar value per acre compared to AP-3, Carver and Andru II.

Georgia Green has the same maturity and seed size as Florunner with similar distribution of jumbo, but more medium and fewer No. 1s.

Georgia Green also has considerable less vine growth than other regular runner types and performs well in both twin and single rows and in conventional as well as reduced-tillage management systems.

Georgia-01R

Georgia-01R is a new, multiple pest-resistant, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2001 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Georgia-01R has shown good resistance to TSWV, both early and late leafspots, stem rot or white mold, cylindrocladium black rot (CBR) and leafhoppers, which should be beneficials in reducing production costs. When grown with recommended or reduced pesticides, Georgia-01R was found to have a significantly lower percentage of disease incidence, higher yield, grade and dollar value return per acre than C-99R and Tifrunner.

However, Georgia-O1R has the same late maturity and spreading runner growth habit as these other varieties.

Georgia-02C

Georgia-02C is a new high-oleic, runner-type variety that was released in 2002 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was also developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton, Ga.

Georgia-02C can have slightly later maturity than Georgia Green with seed and pod size slightly larger. It also has the high oleic and low linoleic fatty acid oil chemistry with spreading runner growth habit.

Georgia-02C has resulted in higher yields, grades and dollar value returns per acre than AP-3, Carver, Florida-07, York and McCloud. Georgia-02C has excellent TSWV resistance, as well as CBR resistance.

Georgia-03L

Georgia-03L is a new large-podded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2003 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Georgia-03L has similar maturity as Georgia Green with pods and seed significantly larger. Georgia-03L also has a high level of resistance to TSWV and moderate resistance to soilborne diseases such as white mold or stem rot and CBR. It has a high percentage of large smooth bright pods with an intermediate runner growth habit and pink seedcoat color.

Georgia-03L is highly productive, produces high yield and high dollar value return per acre.

In 37 tests conducted at multiple locations in Georgia from 2000-2006, Georgia-03L was found to be higher in yield than Georgia Green and more recently, higher in yield than AT-3085RO and AT-3081R. Georgia-03L combines disease resistance with large pods, medium maturity and excellent yields.

It has very good stability and a wide range of adaptability throughout the major peanut production areas.

Georgia-06G and Georgia Greener

Georgia-06G and Georgia Greener are two new high-yielding, TSWV-resistant, runner-type peanut varieties that were released in 2006 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. Both were developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Both varieties have higher levels of resistance to spotted wilt disease caused by TSWV. In multi-location tests conducted in Georgia during the past four years (2003-2006), these two varieties were found to be among the lowest in TSWV incidence and total disease incidence and highest in pod yield, TSMK grade and dollar value return per acre compared to all of the other runner types tested each year.

Georgia-06G is a large-seeded runner-type variety, whereas Georgia Greener is more of a regular seed size runner-type variety. Each has an immediate or decumbent runner growth habit and medium maturity similar to Georgia Green.

Georgia Hi-O/L

This new high-O/L ratio, Virginia-type variety was released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations in 1999. It was developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station.

It has a high oleic (O) and low linoleic (L) fatty acid ratio for improved quality. In 50 tests conducted at multiple locations in Georgia during the past nine years, Georgia Hi-O/L was found to have a significantly higher yield, grade and dollar value return per acre than NC-V11 and Gregory.

Georgia Hi-O/L also has a good level of resistance to TSWV.

It has an intermediate runner growth habit, pink seedcoat color, a large proportion of extra large kernels (ELK), and it is very similar to other Virginia types in maturity. Georgia Hi-O/L combines high yield with high TSWV resistance and high O/L ratio.

Georgia-05E

Georgia-05E is a new high-yielding, high-oleic, multiple pest-resistant, Virginia-type variety that was released in 2005 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations. It was developed at the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Georgia-05E has the high-oleic (O) and low linoleic (L) fatty acid ratio for improved oil quality.

In multi-location tests conducted in Georgia over the past six years, Georgia-05E was found to have significantly less disease and higher yield, grade and dollar value return per acre than Georgia Hi-O/L, Perry, Gregory, NC-V11 and CHAMPS.

These other Virginia-type varieties are all very susceptible to both early and late leafspot. However, Georgia-05E has shown leafspot resistance and TSWV resistance comparable to some of the more disease-resistant runner-types.

It has also shown moderate insect resistance to potato leafhopper.

Georgia-05E has a runner growth habit, medium-late maturity, tan seedcoat color and a higher percentage of extra-large kernels (ELK) compared to other Virginia types.

Georgia-04S and Georgia Browne

Georgia-04S is a new high-oleic, Spanish-type peanut variety that was released in 2004 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations.

Georgia Browne is a similar Spanish-type variety without the high-oleic trait that was released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations in 1993.

Both varieties are intended for the same confectionary or candy market as other Spanish types. However, Georgia-04S and Georgia Browne also would be excellent for the roasted or peanut butter trade. Each has pods and seed size similar to other Spanish market-type varieties.

Both varieties have shown a significantly higher yield, TSMK grade and dollar value return per acre compared to all other leading Spanish varieties during the past seven-years in Georgia. Georgia Browne and Georgia-04S also have better TSWV resistance than these other Spanish varieties.

Georgia Valencia and Georgia Red

Georgia Valencia is a new Valencia-type peanut variety that was released in 2000 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations.

Georgia Red is a similar Valencia-type variety being considered by NASA for space studies, and it was jointly released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations and USDA-ARS in 1986. Both Georgia Red and Georgia Valencia are excellent choices for the fresh-market boiling trade in the Southeast, because of their high yield performance, large fruit size and compact bunch growth habit.

In Georgia Peanut Variety Tests, the six-year average performance shows Georgia Valencia and Georgia Red to have higher yields, grades and dollar values compared to New Mexico Valencia C, New Mexico Valencia A, Valencia McRan, H & W Valencia 101 and H & W Valencia 102. Both Georgia Valencia and Georgia Red also have better disease tolerance with similar early maturity as these other Valencia varieties.