The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
PEANUT RESEARCH
WORK Is PUSHED
North Carolina Experiment
Station Leads Nation In
Study Program

The North Carolina Agricultural
Experiment station of State college
is conducting the most comprehen-
sive research work with peanuts Of
any experiment station in the Unit
ed States, and possibly in the world,
says Prof. C. B. Williams, head Of
the colleges agrono1ny department.
In a few years, this undertaking
should result in much definite IN
formation which will be helpful to
the growers of this crop, he stated.
The experiments have been care
fully planned and located, and they
are being conducted both in the
laboratories Of the college and in the
field, with trained PERSONAL in
charge. The Investigations are
aimed at the determination of the
best fertilizer, lime and gypsum
treatments for different soil types
and conditions, and to produce
strains Of peanuts Which will be high
yielders of superior quality nuts and
hay.
Several improved strains of pea
nuts have been developed IN breed
ing tests made by DIR. G. K. Middle
ton and DIR. Paul H. Harvey, agro-
nomists Of the North Carolina sta
ton. The best of these are expect
ed to be distributed in 1910. One of
Prof. Williams explained, is to study
the causes Of formation of pops"
in peanuts and work out a remedy
for this condition. This is also be-
ing investigated in connection with
certility and nutritional expert
ments.
16 Varieties Tested
In their report on peanut breed
ing work, DR.. Middleton and DR..
Harvey said: An advanced test was
conducted on Is varieties
strains of peanuts at the Upper
Coastal Plain station, with yield and
disease data being secured
During the year Is hybrids hav,
been made in the greenhouse and
the first hybrid generation has been
grown. Some of these have been
crossed back"
DR.. E. r. Collins is the agronomist
in charge of the peanut fertility
studies. Tests have been made wi II
various rates of fertilization,
especially calcium in the form of
gypsum, in small tanks of soil at
the College Experiment station, at
the Upper Coastal Plain Branch
station, and in four outlying fields.
Reporting on the greenhouse ex-
periments, DR.. Collins said: THE
application of gy psum to the foliage
materially increased the quality and
quantity of peanuts produced when
used alone or with lime and ferti-
lizer. On the basis of quality nuts
produced for the f%our-year average
of continuous peanuts, the complete
fertilizer with lime and gypsum gave
slightly larger yields than lime and
gypsum alone.
Responds To Potash
Using a complete fertilizer alone.
without lime or gypsum, produced
the lowest yields of quality nuts.
with lime and potash next, lime
alone third, fertilizer and line
fourth, fertilizer and gypsum fifth
lime and gypsum sixth, and a com.
blnation of all three the best"
In the field tests, significant re.
sponses were obtained from calcium
In the form of gypsum on two ex.
periments. A response from potash
was obtained on another plot, and
a fourth field showed no signi. cant
yield differences for any treatment.
The fifth experiment gave no large
increases from fertilization, but, in.
stead, a significant decrease from
the use of $50 pounds of superphcs-
plate per acre.
Prof. Williams said that the new,
n much needed greenhouse, at the
central Experiment station has been
found of great service in the prose
cutlon OF the research work in pea
nut breeding.
tests with sulphur dust to con-
trol peanut leaf spot have been con-
Quoted by farmers in cooperation
with DR.. Luther Shaw, extension
plant pathologist, and the Depart
ment of Botany of State college,
Ihese demonstrations showed de-
clded increases in yields of both hay
and nuts from sulphur treatments.