130 



THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



Norfolk sandy loam. The 2-year averages show an increase in yield of 

 956 pounds of nuts due to the applied nitrogen. Furthermore, large in- 

 creases in hay yields resulted from the added nitrogen. These data are 

 sharply in contrast with those obtained in earlier experiments with 

 smaller rates of nitrogen. 



The results of experiments conducted at two other locations in Ala- 

 bama in 1944 are shown in table 3. The yields of Spanish peanuts were 

 increased with each successive increment of nitrogen up to 80 pounds. 

 The seed yield of runner peanuts was not increased by applications of 

 nitrogen greater than 20 pounds per acre. However, the vegetative growth 

 of both runner and Spanish type peanuts was stimulated by the added 

 nitrogen. The Alabama workers (107) report that the high levels of 



Table 3. — The Influence of Amendments of Nitrogen upon the Yields of 



Spanish and Runner Peanuts on a Norfolk Sandy Loam. Reported by Alabama 



Agricultural Experiment Station. (1) 



» Peanuts were inoculated. 



''All plots received 1,000 pounds superphosphate and 250 pounds muriate of potash per acre, 



• Nitrogen applied as nitrate of soda. 



nitrogen did not afifect the percentage of sound or mature kernel, rotten 

 kernels, or pops of either Spanish or runner type. 



In view of some of these data which show highly profitable responses 

 from the application of nitrogen to peanuts, it might be well to re-examine 

 some of the earlier work with this element. In most of these experiments 

 less than 32 pounds of nitrogen were used, and in many cases recom- 

 mendations are based on studies in which only 6 to 8 pounds of N per 

 acre were applied. The recent work at the Alabama Station suggests 

 that these amounts of nitrogen are insufficient to realize a measurable in- 

 crease in peanut yields. 



In 1922, Batten (30) in experiments with large-seeded peanuts re- 

 ported that large quantities of nitrogen used on fairly fertile soil generally 

 stimulated the top growth, delayed the maturity, and resulted in peanuts 

 of poor quality without materially increasing the yields. Other investiga- 



