Each year as harvest approaches, one of the toughest decisions peanut growers make is whether to terminate their fungicide programs. Stop fungicide applications too early and peanut yield and quality suffer. On the other hand, is the peanut crop worth another fungicide application or two if yields will not suffer?

It depends, says Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist.

“We need to look carefully at the time left in the season prior to harvest. The goal is to deploy a management program which provides the right amount of disease control to maximize yield while avoiding unnecessary expenses,” he said. “Terminating a fungicide program too early or selecting products based upon price alone could lead to lost profits.  Overprotection of a crop or investment in a “Cadillac” program without some consideration for disease risk could also lead to losses. “