Using Peanut Pod Blasting to Check Peanut Maturity · 2013-11-05 · Using the Peanut Pod-Blasting...
Transcript of Using Peanut Pod Blasting to Check Peanut Maturity · 2013-11-05 · Using the Peanut Pod-Blasting...
Using the Peanut Pod-Blasting Method to Determine Peanut
Maturity
Last year there were approximately 210,000
acres of peanuts planted here in Florida. Over
the past four to five years peanut production
has increased throughout the state.
Determining when to harvest peanuts is an
important decision each peanut producer will
have to face.
Peanut pod-blasting is the method most com-
monly used by producers and extension agents
to determine the peanuts maturity. A maturity
board which is available at most extension
offices and a pressure washer is the only
materials needed to pod-blasting peanuts.
Hamilton County Extension
Keith Wynn
1143 U.S. Hwy. 41 NW
Jasper, FL 32053
Phone: 386-792-1276
Fax: 386-792-6446
Using Peanut
Pod-Blasting to Check
Peanut Maturity
Hamilton County Extension
Conclusion:
Determining peanut maturity is important
when considering when to invert peanuts.
Over mature peanuts can lead to mechanical
losses at harvest and immature peanuts can
lead to a lower grade and yield. Peanut pod
blasting to check for maturity is an im-
portant factor used to consider when a pro-
ducer should start inverting their peanuts.
However, the producer should also consider
the plant’s health, the plant’s age, and up-
coming weather events such as hurricanes
or frontal storms which could interfere with
harvest.
Steps Used to Successfully Pod-Blast Peanuts
Step One:
Most peanut producers begin sampling their fields for peanut maturity when they reach 100 to 120 days of age. In order to receive a random sample, five to six plants are collected throughout the sam-ple area. Every peanut pod should be picked off of each plant in order to collect 150-200 pods which will provide an ade-quate sample. Some producers will blast two or three samples per field.
Step Two:
Extension agents and peanut pro-ducers normally use a pressure washer with a rotating turbo nozzle to pod-blast peanuts. This proce-dure removes the exocarp from the peanuts in order to reveal the pea-nuts mesocarp color.
Step Four:
This is the most challenging step of the pod-
blasting method. A maturity board is used to
determine maturity by placing peanuts in differ-
ent color class columns based on the color of
the peanuts mesocarp. Color separation can be
highly susceptible to an individual’s ability to
determine which color column pods should be
placed in. The individual placing the pods in the
columns will only gain the knowledge to proper-
ly place the pods through experience.
Step Three:
A basket to hold the pods for blasting can be
made from 1/4 inch hardware cloth. It can then
be placed in a five gallon bucket in order to con-
tain the water when the peanuts are pressure
washed. Make sure to drill a couple of holes in
the bottom of the bucket to allow the water to
drain out.