284 THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



control measures consist mainly of management practices that increase 

 the vigor of the plant and prevent premature defoliation. Control of leaf- 

 spot and leaf insects tends to keep the pegs from becoming brittle pre- 

 maturely and decreases invasion of pegs by saprophytic fungi and the 

 natural breaking of pegs at harvest. Apparently fertilizer applications 

 may sometimes result in more peg breaking at harvest (57). There have 

 been suggestions of varietal differences in peg breaking at harvest (82), 

 but more evidence is needed before definite conclusions can be drawn. 



Pending further study the following strictly tentative recommenda- 

 tions for control of maturation diseases are suggested : 



A. Keep plants as vigorous as possible up to harvest. 



B. Follow a dusting program for control of leaf diseases and insects. 



C. Avoid planting peanuts on fields where Sclerotium blight has been 

 severe on peanuts in the past. 



D. Avoid planting peanuts on fields where nut rots, peg breaking, or 

 seed sprouting has been severe in the past. 



E. Make frequent checks on pegs and pods toward the end of the 

 growing season. If pegs or pods are beginning to rot, harvest the 

 crop immediately. If no rotting is evident, harvest the crop before 

 the pegs become brittle from natural maturity. 



DISEASES OF CURING 



Since the peanut pod develops in soil it is subject to attack by a host 

 of soil fungi. This invasion begins early (161), and fungi are associated 

 with the fruit after peanuts are cured (44, 48, 114, 162). If this invasion 

 were confined to the shell, it would be unimportant, but fungi frequently 

 grow through the shell and around or into the seeds. This results in 

 damage to the seeds. 



When peanut vines and nuts are stacked, piled or windrowed for cur- 

 ing, the environment becomes ideal for growth of fungi (49). During 

 curing, then, there is an excellent opportunity for development of damage 

 to seeds which were undamaged at digging. Concealed damage and blue 

 damage are two distinct types of seed damage that develop primarily 

 during the curing process (48, 49, 162). 



CONCEALED DAMAGE 



Importance. Concealed damage — sometimes called "hidden damage" 

 — is a type of seed damage not visible until the seed is broken open. Its 

 nature, therefore, insures it some importance for its "nuisance value." It 



