The Georgia Agricultural
Experiment Station
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
2001 Peanut, Cotton and Tobacco Performance Tests
Research Report Number 677
January 2002
Growing conditions improved during the 2001 crop season, as a more normal rainfall pattern along with cooler temperatures occurred across most of the state. These favorable weather patterns were a much needed relief to Georgia farmers who battled extreme drought conditions the past three years. Although dry weather impeded planting in May, irrigation helped allow a relatively timely planting of the 2001 Georgia crops. As a result of the favorable weather, the status of crops was good to excellent throughout the growing season.
Rainfall at four Georgia test sites is listed below. Although the total seasonal rainfall amounts were below normal at two sites, distribution of rainfall was good and soil moisture during the growing season was more normal than any year since 1997. Weather during the first two months of the year (data not shown) did not improve and a water shortage emergency was declared; therefore, some farmers participated in the program to take payment not to irrigate their crops during the 2001 crop year. Then, most areas in the state received torrential rainfall during March and June.
| 2001 Rainfall1 | ||||
| Month | Athens2 | Midville | Plains | Tifton |
| ---------------------- inches ---------------------- | ||||
| March | 8.37 | 8.30 | 10.67 | 9.95 |
| April | 1.82 | 1.44 | 2.39 | 1.69 |
| May | 4.25 | 2.09 | 1.33 | 1.51 |
| June | 5.54 | 4.00 | 11.57 | 6.95 |
| July | 8.95 | 1.55 | 3.70 | 3.42 |
| August | 1.90 | 1.74 | 2.65 | 1.84 |
| September | 2.07 | 3.26 | 4.98 | 3.11 |
| October | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 2.49 |
| - | ||||
| Total | 33.10 | 22.63 | 37.41 | 30.96 |
| Normal (8 mo) | 32.26 | 31.17 | 31.99 | 32.72 |
| 1. Data
provided in part by Dr. G. Hoogenboom, Georgia Station, Griffin, GA. 2. Plant Sciences Farm. |
||||
Georgia farmers continue to reduce planted acres of some row crops. Peanut and tobacco acreage continued to decline as peanut and tobacco producers planted 480,000 and 27,000 acres of each, down 3 percent and 13 percent, respectively. However, number of planted acres in cotton increased to 1.6 million, 7 percent more than in 2000. Georgia farmers continue to search for drought tolerant crops.
The row crops in Georgia were much improved over the drought damaged crops of the past three years. Although there was some damage and increased incidence in disease brought in by Tropical Storm Allison in June, the overall benefit from the torrential rainfall far outweighed any damaging effect. A dry September and extremely dry October and November helped the harvest season to begin early and progress at a rapid rate. This year, the crop yields in Georgia were near record levels. The state average peanut yield for 2001 was estimated at 3,350 pounds per acre, second in recorded history to the year 1984 (record yield, 3,375 lb/acre in 1984). Peanut production increased 20 percent due to a 24 percent increase in average yield over 2000. Average cotton yield this year was estimated at 710 pounds per acre, 24 percent more than last year. Cotton production increased 32 percent over 2000 and was the most cotton produced during one year in Georgia in 87 years (fourth highest on record, higher in 1911, 1913 and 1914). Tobacco per acre yield increased during 2001 to 2,400 lb/acre (third highest on record), but total production was 6 percent less than 2000 due to the decline in planted acres.