Factors to Consider in Selecting Peanut Varieties for the Suwannee Valley

Authors: Sydney Williams, Taite Miller, Shivendra Kumar, Barry Tillman, Kevin Athearn, Jay Capasso, Mark Warren, Emily Beach, Keith Wynn, Kevin Korus, Raymond Balaguer, Dan Fenneman, Tyler Pittman, Derrick Conover.

Peanuts in the Suwannee Valley

The Suwannee Valley of northern Florida has a long history of peanut farming. In recent years, approximately 50,000 to 90,000 acres of peanuts have been harvested annually in the Suwannee Valley (USDA-NASS).The region’s warm climate and sandy, well-drained soils provide a good environment for growing peanuts. Given current production costs and market outlook, however, making a profit on peanuts will be challenging in 2025 (Athearn and University of Georgia). Understanding the details of peanut production from soil preparation and seed selection to pest management and harvesting is essential for a productive and profitable operation. This blog explores some of the key factors that growers should consider when choosing a peanut variety in the Suwannee Valley.

What’s Available in the Area?

Figure 1 highlights various peanut seed varieties and their availability across Florida and surrounding states from an overall seed production perspective. The top variety, Georgia-06G, accounts for approximately 112,451 acres of production for seed accounting for more than 60% of the available seeds, making it the most popular and widely available option in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In contrast, varieties toward the bottom of the list are less common and more difficult to obtain, in some cases just because they are new, and seed production is ongoing. Newer varieties like FloRun-52N, Georgia-21GR, and Arnie are gaining traction due to their resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and impressive yields, contributing to their increasing popularity and expanding seed production acreage and availability. Seeds of varieties Georgia-18RU, Georgia-20VHO, Georgia 21GR, Georgia-22MPR, Georgia-23RKN and Arnie are patented and cannot be saved by farmers without a license. Some of the newly introduced varieties like TifNV-HG (provide good resistance against root knot nematodes, have high oleic content and TMSK), FloRun 52N (small vines, high yield and TSMK), Georgia-21GR (tomato spotted wilt virus resistance {TSWV}, high yield), Arnie (TSWV resistant, high yield), IPG 913 (normal oleic), Georgia-22MPR (high oleic, RKN and TSWV resistant), and TifCB-7 (leaf spot resistant, high oleic) are available as an option depending on the growers need, and the seed production is increasing every year. The grower should plan ahead of time and look for different sources from which they can obtain their seeds.

Shows acreage by variety. — Figure 1. 2024 certified seed acreage in southeastern states.

Figure 2 lists the seed varieties that are available for purchase at various major seed distribution companies across the peanut growing belt of the United States. Seed prices typically are between $0.90- $0.95 per pound, resulting in a cost of around $135-$155/acre depending on seeding density.

Shows which peanut companies have which varieties available. — Figure 2. 2025 peanut seed availability by variety.

Seed Size and Count

The next factor to consider when selecting a peanut variety is the seed size. Peanut seeds are sold by weight, not by count. Because of this, two peanut seed bags that are the same weight could contain drastically different seed counts based on the size of the individual seeds. Figure 3 shows varieties ranked by number of seeds per pound. The variety with the highest number of seeds per pound, Tif-CB7, contains almost 20% more seed (835 in count) than that of the lowest number of seeds per pound (654 in count) in the case of IPG-913 based on the variety trials conducted in the state of Florida. Purchasing a variety with smaller seeds will cover more acres per pound at the same planting density.

peanut seeds per pound by variety — Figure 3. Number of seeds per pound for selected peanut varieties.

Disease Resistance

Additionally, disease resistance plays a crucial role in selecting the right peanut seed variety for your operation. Knowing the history of the field along with practicing good crop rotation can help in reducing disease pressure. The list in Figure 4 highlights performance of different peanut varieties against various diseases, with a lower score indicating better resistance. For example, if you’re seeking a variety with strong resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus, varieties like Arnie and Georgia-12Y would be ideal choices. On the other hand, Tif-CB7, Georgia-12Y, and Georgia-14N offer greater resistance to late leaf spot compared to other options. Notably, only four varieties (highlighted in green) are known to provide resistance to root-knot nematodes. Resistance means that the variety typically will perform better in comparison to other varieties during disease conditions, but it does not guarantee complete resistance against the disease. You can use the PEANUT RX web program https://peanutrx.org/ to decide which variety to grow based on different criteria such as plant population, insecticide, row pattern, tillage, herbicide program, crop rotation, disease history and irrigation.

Resistance of varieties to different diseases. — Figure 4. Peanut disease resistance by variety.

Yield Results

Figure 5 presents the yield results from a statewide peanut variety trial conducted at three UF/IFAS center locations: Marianna, Live Oak, and Gainesville. In Marianna, both irrigated and non-irrigated peanuts were included, while Live Oak and Gainesville only featured irrigated peanuts. The trial measured total yield in pounds per acre as well as the total sound mature kernel percentage (TSMK%), which is used to assess peanut quality. A TSMK% above 70% is generally considered acceptable, and this threshold was consistently met across all varieties in the trial. When selecting a peanut seed variety, it’s essential to consider both the yield quantity and the quality, as both factors affect crop revenue. Additional information about variety trials on peanuts can be found on the web using these links: https://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-peanut-team/ for Florida, http://www.swvt.uga.edu/ for Georgia, and https://aaes.auburn.edu/variety-tests/ for Alabama.

variety trial results — Figure 5. UF/IFAS 2024 peanut variety trial yields and TSMK%.

Additional Resources

The UF/IFAS team of Extension agents can help with identification of disease in your peanut crop. A free diagnostics service is available if you collaborate with your local Extension agent and send samples to the UF/IFAS Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic. The cost of analysis is covered by funding from the Florida Peanut Federation through Dr. Shivendra Kumar, Regional Specialized Agent for Agronomic Crops at the research station in Live Oak.. The UF/IFAS nematode lab in Gainesville processes samples from Extension agents free of cost. We encourage our growers to get in touch with their local county agents to access these free services. The research station at Live Oak also provides a budget template on their website to estimate the cost of peanut production using different practices.

Conclusion

In choosing a peanut seed variety, disease resistance, seed size and quality, expected yield, and availability should be considered. By carefully considering your farm’s specific needs and selecting peanut varieties suited to your conditions, you will improve your chances for a profitable peanut crop.