In the Furrow
Update on the Crop Situation
By Will Duffie County Extension Coordinator

The fall harvest season for cotton, peanuts, and soybeans has started on Burke County Farms. It is imperative that I inform the citizens of Burke County on the increased activity during harvest season.

Corn harvest is virtually complete resulting in fewer grain trucks and combines on roadways during the past two weeks. Well this lull in activity is over. Everyone must be prepared to slow down behind cotton and peanut harvest machinery. Patience behind the wheel may save your life as well as other drivers.

The first cotton was harvested in Burke County last Wednesday, and the first peanut field dug occurred on last Friday. As we progress over the next week expect delays on the road. As citizens of a rural agricultural county, we all need to realize the importance of the agricultural infrastructure to our counties well being.

Peanut farmers are in the process of taking peanut samples to peanut maturity clinics to assess a peanut's maturity. The goal of these maturity clinics is to assist growers in making the decision to harvest a peanut field at optimum maturity. Recent samples are projecting the majority of mid-maturing peanut varieties, such as Georgia Green, at around 140 days after planting. Once the maturity is determined, other factors such as labor, equipment availability, weather constraints, plant health, and any disease problems, should also be considered to make a sound decision. The cotton crop has begun to open and we now are in the process of evaluating the crop. Initial evaluations have the crop as below average. Crop conditions are highly variable across Burke County, but many fields are in poor condition due to excessive hard lock. Defoliation is difficult and expensive when plants have undergone high levels of stress during a growing season.

For more information on agriculture in Burke County, contact the UGA - Burke County Extension Office at 706-554- 2119.