Southeastern peanut producers have a variety of improved varieties available for planting this spring, and there are others in the pipeline, says Bill Branch, University of Georgia plant breeder.

“We have some newer varieties that hopefully will offer good potential for peanut growers and for the entire industry,” said Branch at the recent Georgia Peanut Farm Show in Albany.

(For a look at what growers are thinking with tried and true peanut varieties for the 2011 season, please see http://southeastfarmpress.com/peanuts/growers-will-focus-five-peanut-varieties-2011.

Like other peanut breeding programs, the University of Georgia is looking to increase high dollar value returns per acre, higher yields and grade, insect resistance, improved shelling characteristics, better processing quality, longer shelf life, and enhanced flavor and nutrition, says Branch.

“An improved variety benefits the entire peanut industry, from the farmer to the consumer,” he says.

University of Georgia Extension Peanut Specialist John Beasley says five runner varieties will account for 95 percent of the peanut acreage in the Southeast in 2011, including Georgia-06G, Georgia Greener, Georgia-07W, Tifguard and Florida-07.

Georgia-06G, says Branch, is a high-yielding, large-seeded, runner-type variety developed at the UGA Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton. The variety has shown a high level of resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Georgia-06G has an intermediate or decumbent runner growth habit, dark green foliage and medium maturity similar to Georgia Green. Georgia-06G combines high TSWV resistance with medium maturity and excellent yield, grade and dollar value return per acre, he says.

Georgia Greener also is a high-yielding, typical-seeded, runner-type variety. The variety has shown a high level of resistance to TSWV. As the name implies, it has dark green foliage, intermediate or decumbent runner growth habit and typical runner seed size. Georgia Greener also has medium maturity.

Georgia-07W is a high-yielding, TSWV and white mold-resistant, runner-type variety. The variety has shown a high level of resistance to TSWV and white mold. Georgia-07W has more of a runner growth habit, dark green foliage and medium maturity similar to Georgia Green. It offers excellent yield, grade and dollar value return per acre.

Tifguard was developed by USDA’s Agriculture Research Service in Tifton, Ga. It has resistance to nematodes so as to be characterized as “near immunity,” and it offers good yields and grades, especially in places where there would be no yield from other varieties. It offers good resistance to TSWV and maturity is similar to Georgia Green.

Florida-07

Florida-07 is a medium-to-late runner market-type peanut released from the University of Florida in 2006. It has shown excellent yield potential with good grades. Seed is similar in size to C-99R and, for this reason, gypsum is recommended for additional calcium. It has good to excellent resistance to TSWV, some white mold resistance and tolerance to leafspot. Florida-07 has high-oleic oil chemistry with good-to-excellent roasting, blanching and processing characteristics.

Georgia-09B, says Branch, is a new high-yielding, high-oleic, TSWV-resistant, medium-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that was released in 2009 by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station. It was developed at the University of Georgia, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton. Limited seed supplies will be available for Georgia-09B in the 2011 planting season, he says, so growers should consider an early seed request for the upcoming season.

Georgia-09B originated from the first backcross made with Georgia Green as the recurrent parent. Georgia-09B has the high-oleic and low linoleic fatty acid ratio for improved oil quality and longer shelf-life of peanut and peanut products.

During the three years (2006-08) averaged over 27 multi-location tests in Georgia, Georgia-09B had a lower percent TSWV disease incidence, higher pod yield, higher TSMK grade, larger seed size, and higher dollar value return per acre compared to Georgia Green. During the three years 2007-09, Georgia-09B was also found to have the best overall performance compared to four other high-oleic runner-types: Florida-07, York, AT-3085RO and McCloud.

Georgia-09B, says Branch, combines the excellent roasted flavor of Georgia Green with the high-oleic trait in a medium maturity, medium-seeded, runner-type peanut variety that has high yields, high TSMK grades, and high dollar value returns per acre.

Looking at what’s in the peanut breeding pipeline, Branch says Georgia-10T is the most recent development. It’s a high-yielding, high TSWV-resistant runner-type with a runner growth habit. It has medium to late maturity with a dark-green leaf color.

“It has a higher percentage of SMK’s (sound mature kernels) and offers the option of an earlier planting date. But there will be no seed available for planting this year. It has a good disease package, high yields and 2 percent higher grades than anything else in the trials with 77 percent SMK’s,” says Branch.

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