Methods to Evaluate Peanut Maturity for Optimal Seed Quality and Yield

View of the peanut mesocarp layer after exocarp removal by pressure washing (brown class not pictured).

Determining when to dig is one of the most important economic decisions a grower must make. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) poses a unique challenge for maturity determination because it is an indeterminate crop that forms pods underground. This 8-page fact sheet discusses maturity assessment methods as well as steps for collecting and evaluating a maturity sample. Written by Ethan Carter, Patrick Troy, Diane Rowland, Barry Tillman, Keith Wynn, Krystel Pierre, and Michael Mulvaney, and published by the UF Agronomy Department, September 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag411