During the Southern Peanut Growers Conference held this past summer in Panama City Beach, Florida, Philip Grimes, Tift County, was recognized for producing the highest 2013 peanut yield in Georgia as verified by Georgia Extension agricultural agents. Because of his high yields, Grimes has been a member of the Peanut Achievement Club for more than 20 years.
Grimes credits his high yields to the superior genetics bred into productive varieties such as Georgia-06G. “We wouldn’t be where we are without these high yielding varieties,” Grimes says. “I’m really looking forward to trying a new high yielding variety, Georgia-13M.”
Grimes and nine other farmers were recognized as members of the University of Georgia Peanut Achievement Club for 2013. Grimes was the high yield producer with 7,084.6 pounds per acre from 592 acres grown in 2013. Grimes said his 2013 peanuts were the first he grew that yielded more than 7,000 pounds per acre.
Surprisingly, his yield was not the highest in the history of the club. The Dowdy and Gaines Farm in Baker County produced 7,267 pounds per acre from 304.1 acres during the 2011 crop year. Individual Georgia farmers also produced more than 7,000 pounds per year in 2010 and in 1985, according to records reviewed by John Beasley, former University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist who is now an administrator at Auburn University.
The Georgia Peanut Achievement Club winners for their 2013 yields include:
State Winner – Philip Grimes, Tift County, 7,084 pounds per acre
Eddie Miller Jr., Seminole County, 6,949 pounds per acre
Kenneth Brent Brown, Ben Hill County, 6,752 pounds per acre
Hulin Reeves Jr., Ben Hill County, 6,610 pounds per acre
Jimmy Webb, Calhoun County, 6,533 pounds per acre
Al Sudderth, Calhoun County, 6,508 pounds per acre
Jerry Jr. & Jeff Heard Farms, Baker County, 6,010 pounds per acre
Art Dorminy, Irwin County, 6,007 pounds per acre
Wayne Sayer, Irwin County, 5,206 pounds per acre
Ken Hall, Worth County, 5,166 pounds per acre
The Peanut Achievement Club awards are sponsored this year by Syngenta, BASF and Bayer. Bayer is a new sponsor of the achievement club.
Eric Prostko, University of Georgia Extension weed scientist, recognized this year’s top winners. He also paid tribute to University of Georgia research agronomist Scott Tubbs, research assistant John Paulk and administrative associate Dena Watson for their parts in contributing to the Peanut Achievement Club. “Our Extension peanut team is committed to helping our peanut farmers and county Extension agents,” Prostko says.
Local Extension agents also play a vital role for the Peanut Achievement Club in gathering crop input information and in validating the yields of the state’s top yielding peanut farmers.
The Peanut Achievement Club traces its roots to 1950 when it was called the Ton Per Acre Club. The highest yield that year was 2,700 pounds per acre. By 1962, more than a thousand Georgia peanut growers gained admission to the Ton Per Acre Club. The award was later changed to the Money Maker Club. Now it is called the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club.
View the 2013 Georgia Peanut Achievement Club Winners Management Practices
View photos from the awards ceremony