PEANUT YIELD RESPONSE TO BAHIAGRASS KILL TIME AND TILLAGE METHOD IN THE SOUTHEAST

Experiments were conducted in 2006 at two locations (Marianna and Quincy) of the North Florida Research and Education Center, FL to investigate effects of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) kill time and tillage practices on peanut yield and market grade. The experiments included two bahiagrass kill times (fall kill and spring kill) and six tillage methods [(1) strip till, (2) disk+turned, (3) disk+chisel, (4) paratill+strip till at planting, (5) disk+strip till, and (6) strip till+40 lbs N acre-1] within each kill time. Peanut (cv. AP 3) was seeded on 15-16 May 2006 with a row space of 3 feet and six seeds per foot row. During the growing season, insects and diseases were controlled and irrigation was scheduled based on peanut production practices in the region. Pod yield and market pod grade characteristics were determined. Neither kill time of bahiagrass nor tillage methods affected peanut yield at both locations (P> 0.05). There was no interactive effect of the bahiagrass kill time and tillage type on peanut yield. In the strip till, peanut yield did not respond the N application. Averaged across the locations and tillage methods/bahiagrass kill times, peanut yields of the fall kill and spring kill were 4077 and 4173 lbs acre-1, respectively