Peanut pod, seed, and oil yield for biofuel following conventional and organic production systems

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a crop that can enter the human diet in various forms or be used as an alternative feedstock for livestock or industrial applications. Increased use of organic production systems and peanut's potential use as a biodiesel feedstock makes it increasingly necessary to develop organic methods in their production. Corn gluten meal (CGM) and vinegar are materials used in organic weed control. These were used alone, or in conjunction with cultivation, to evaluate their efficacy for weed control in peanut that had followed winter cover crops of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) or wheat (Triticum vulgaris L.). Comparisons were made to conventional weed control (Dual®, S-metolachlor) and cultivation. Pod and oil yields and seed oil percentages were determined over 2 years in high oil cultivars Olin and Tam Runner. In 2009, cover crop, cultivar, and weed control treatments resulted in significant interactions impacting pod, seed oil yields, and seed oil percentages. Conventional weed control produced greater pod yields with clover (8220kgha−1) and wheat (7800kgha−1) cover crops, compared to all alternative weed control treatments. When averaged across cover crops, the conventional treatment produced greater seed oil yields (295.9Lha−1) and few differences in seed oil percentages. In 2010, the conventional weed control treatment produced superior seed oil yield and oil percentage for both cover crops and cultivars, and greater pod yields when the wheat cover crop was used for both cultivars; and Tam Runner with clover as a cover crop. Application of CGM and vinegar did not produce pod or oil yields at levels produced with conventional weed control, and/or reduced seed oil percentage. Further research should investigate additional alternative weed control systems that would increase weed control efficacy for organic peanut production systems.