No-till establishment of rhizoma peanut

Planting rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) directly into grass sod may be practical for producers [e.g., cow-calf (Bos taurus) production, low maintenance roadside or turf situations, wildlife feed, etc.] who do not need the feed value of pure rhizoma peanut stands. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of planter (no-till vs. conventional sprig planter), ground preparation (undisturbed sod vs. rotovated), planting date (winter vs. summer), and herbicide (glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] vs. none) on the establishment and survival-of rhizoma peanut. Planter type had no effect on rhizoma peanut establishment. In 1996 there was a planting date X ground preparation X herbicide interaction due to the winter-planted, rotovated plots without herbicide (0.9 sprouts m(-2)) having lower sprout counts than any other rotovated treatment at either planting date (>3.4 sprouts m(-2)). In 1997, only the main effects of planting date and ground preparation and their interaction affected sprout emergence and survival. Final sprout counts were positively correlated with bare ground (r = 0.37). Herbicide suppressed grass in the winter planting only, but did not consistently reduce total ground cover due to increased annual forb cover. There was a ground preparation X herbicide interaction on ground cover of rhizoma peanut (rotovated + herbicide, 22%; rotovated no herbicide, 13%; herbicide not rotovated, 5.9%; and no herbicide not rotovated, 2%). This study indicates that producers can select establishment practices for rhizoma peanut plantings that meet their production goals (clean cultivation establishment for hay production or dairy cattle grazing and sod planting without herbicide for less intensive situations).