Worth The Wait

摘要

Waiting for soil temperatures to warm up by a few degrees can mean a double-digit increase in germination percentage.Factors that affect soil temperature and, therefore, peanut planting include more than air temperature, says Kris Balkcom, Auburn University Extension peanut specialist. It also includes soil type, soil moisture level, the presence of cover crops or theuse of tillage.Balkcom says the current recommendation is to not plant peanuts until the average temperature in the top four inches of soil has been at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive days. Further, the consistent soil temperature needs to be followedby an extended weather forecast of similarly consistent weather.