The 55^th annual American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES) meeting will examine factors that will affect the industry in the coming decades.

Scanning the Horizon is the meeting theme, scheduled for July 11-13 in Savannah, Georgia’s, DeSoto Hotel.

“As we move forward, APRES 55 will examine future factors facing the peanut industry and explore sustainable solutions,” says APRES President Mark Burow, Texas A&M AgriLife peanut breeder stationed in Lubbock.

“We will have a sustainability symposium, talking about planning for the next 50 years of the peanut industry,” Burow added.

Speakers will discuss various sustainability practices including new, more efficient varieties.

“In Texas, sustainability is a crucial issue because of a water deficit,” Burow says. “We are looking at varieties with tolerance to limited water because of our declining irrigation levels.

“We’re working on that. In fact, we are planning to write release documents this year for a runner variety that grows better than commercial varieties under reduced water. It also yields very well under irrigation.

“For us, one of the most important things for sustainability will be an ability to grow peanuts with less water.”

“We have very strong submissions from our call for papers for breakout sessions on a variety of topics, from entomology to disease resistance to plant breeding,” says Richard Owen, APRES Executive Officer and President & CEO of the American Peanut Council.

Richard Owen, American Peanut Council, Ryan Lepicier, National Peanut Board, and Marshall Lamb, USDA National Peanut Research Lab at the 2023 Oklahoma Peanut EXPO, Weatherford. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

“We also have special sessions planned, including a seed summit on Tuesday morning. We also have several general sessions, one focused on research needs around export markets.”

Burow and Owen expect excellent attendance.

“It’s always a popular conference in the Southeast,” Owen says. “We expect to have exceptional attendance. Registration opened a few weeks ago and we're running ahead of where we normally would be.”

“I would expect that being in the Southeast, we will have good attendance,” Burow says.

They also emphasize that the annual meeting is about more than scientific papers. “We might have a riverboat dinner cruise, since it's in Savannah,” Burow says.

“APRES is like a large family gathering,” Owen adds. “It will be no different this year. I think one of the reasons we see strong attendance numbers is that people are ready to get out together again and to be among their colleagues, their peers, and their friends.”

Register for the Annual Meeting at 2023 APRES Annual Meeting (apresinc.com) now, Early-bird pricing ends June 2, 2023. To make Desoto reservations visit https://apresinc.com/meetings/apres-annual-meeting