Farm Progress

News articles urging consumers to be wary of new peanut varieties that may be genetically modified are off base and simply wrong.

Ron Smith 1, Senior Content Director

August 10, 2015

2 Min Read
<p>Dr. Kelly Chamberlin, USDA-ARS, receives a plaque from Mike Kubicek, Executive Director (retired), Oklahoma Peanut Commission, at the 2015 Peanut Expo. </p>

OLé peanut, a new Spanish peanut variety released earlier this year by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, is not a genetically modified organism.

“There are no GMO peanut varieties,” says Ron Sholar, executive director, Oklahoma Peanut Commission.

Sholar, in a recent email to Southwest Farm Press, said an article released by The American Society of Agronomy announcing release of the new variety was picked up by several “non-agricultural media outlets.” Some of those added another spin, implying that OLé could be a genetically modified organism. “The worst was in Men's Fitness.”

The article, after detailing the advantages of a high oleic Spanish peanut, added this caveat: “If you’re concerned about eating GM food, you’ll need to be extra-aware when these changes come into affect (sic). Most peanut butter on the market now is made from natural Spanish peanuts, but research is ongoing for several new brands.” [Editor’s note: Spanish peanuts are not used in peanut butter.]

“This kind of misinformation isn't just bad for OLé, it's bad for the industry,” Sholar said.

Kelly Chamberlin, the USDA peanut breeder who developed OLé, says the new variety was developed by crossing two varieties with different desirable traits. “OLé was developed using traditional plant breeding methods by crossing a peanut having a naturally occurring, high-oleic trait with another peanut plant that displayed disease resistance,” Chamberlin said.

“OLé, the result of this cross, is a peanut variety that combines the desirable traits of both parents.” 

These traditional plant breeding methods have been used in crop improvement for centuries.

The new variety offers benefits to consumers and producers. OLé is heart-healthier and has longer shelf life, both highly desirable attributes for consumers and the peanut industry. These benefits result from the enhanced level of oleic acid, a beneficial oil component and monounsaturated fat associated with reduced HDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

On the production side, OLé has good resistance to Sclerotinia blight and pod rot, two of the most serious diseases found in peanut fields, says John Damicone, OSU Extension plant pathologist.

Plant resistance means producers may reduce pesticide application and also increase production efficiency—good for production economics and a good for the environment.

OLé will be good for the industry, Sholar says, and the kind of misinformation readily accepted by the non-agricultural media and, subsequently, by uninformed consumers, creates a damaging and erroneous perception that may destroy trust in a food product that offers exceptional nutritional value.

“Peanut lovers, farmers, and the environment will all benefit from OLé,” says Sholar. “Consumers can enjoy heart-healthy peanuts with greater shelf life and farmers can grow peanuts using fewer pesticides, which is good for the environment.”   

For more information on OLé, contact John Damicone, Oklahoma State University, Extension plant pathology specialist at [email protected] or Ron Sholar, executive director, Oklahoma Peanut Commission at [email protected]

About the Author(s)

Ron Smith 1

Senior Content Director, Farm Press/Farm Progress

Ron Smith has spent more than 40 years covering Sunbelt agriculture. Ron began his career in agricultural journalism as an Experiment Station and Extension editor at Clemson University, where he earned a Masters Degree in English in 1975. He served as associate editor for Southeast Farm Press from 1978 through 1989. In 1990, Smith helped launch Southern Turf Management Magazine and served as editor. He also helped launch two other regional Turf and Landscape publications and launched and edited Florida Grove and Vegetable Management for the Farm Press Group. Within two years of launch, the turf magazines were well-respected, award-winning publications. Ron has received numerous awards for writing and photography in both agriculture and landscape journalism. He is past president of The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association and was chosen as the first media representative to the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Advisory Board. He was named Communicator of the Year for the Metropolitan Atlanta Agricultural Communicators Association. More recently, he was awarded the Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Plant Protection Association. Smith also worked in public relations, specializing in media relations for agricultural companies. Ron lives with his wife Pat in Johnson City, Tenn. They have two grown children, Stacey and Nick, and three grandsons, Aaron, Hunter and Walker.

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