EFFECTS OF PARAQUAT AND ALACHLOR ON PEANUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA) GROWTH,MATURITY, AND YIELD

Studies were conducted in 1988, 1989, and 1992 in Plains, GA to measur e effects of paraquat and alachlor on 'Florunner' peanut. Peanut treat ed with paraquat (0.14 kg ai/ha) plus alachlor (3.4 kg ai/ha) applied at vegetative emergence (VE), or paraquat plus alachlor VE followed by paraquat 28 days after emergence (DAE) were compared with a nontreate d control. Both herbicide treatments reduced peanut foliage biomass at 65 DAE in 1989 and 1992. Herbicide treatments did not affect foliage biomass 90 DAE in 1988 and 122 DAE in 1989, but paraquat plus alachlor followed by paraquat reduced foliage biomass at 122 DAE in 1992. Pod biomass, measured at 90 and 65 DAE in 1988 and 1992, respectively, was reduced by herbicides. However, pod biomass did not differ among trea tments 122 DAE in 1989 and 1992. Percent reflectance from the peanut c anopy measured no effects from herbicides in 1988. However, in 1989 an d 1992 herbicides applied sequentially reduced peanut canopy developme nt. Peanut treated with a single herbicide and sequentially took longe r to mature. Once optimum maturity was reached, peanut yields were not reduced.