290 THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



fore, that the discoloration develops after peanuts are dug. Development 

 of the discoloration in peanuts still in the soil or in peanuts in storage 

 seems negligible. 



Control. Considerable development of blue damage is reported from 

 areas where field windrowing is used for curing peanuts. Absorption of 

 moisture from soil and dew apparently promotes saprophytic growth 

 of Sclerotium rolfsii. 



Since weather conditions cannot be controlled and since rapid curing 

 by artificial means is not a general practice, the best control measure at 

 present is stack curing. If the peanuts are allowed to wilt before stacking, 

 symmetrical stacks can be constructed that will facilitate curing. 



STORAGE DISEASES— ROTS AND OTHER DISORDERS 



Importance. Disorders developing in stored peanut fruits or seeds are 

 of importance primarily to peanut brokers and processors. An occasional 

 rotten or rancid seed may ruin a peanut product (169). 



No information is available regarding the importance of storage 

 diseases of peanuts to the peanut industry but personal conversations 

 indicate that considerable loss sometimes is incurred. 



Description. Of the disorders developing in stored peanuts, some are 

 pathological and some are purely physiological. The pathological develop- 

 ments may have physiological end effects which obscure the initial patho- 

 logical activity. Rancidity, for example, may develop from undetectable 

 or incipient concealed damage, from visible rot, or from an independent 

 enzymatic reaction within the embryo. 



Table 4 lists the major storage disorders of peanut seeds, with prob- 

 able initial causes. 



Of these storage disorders, rots, rancidity and reduced vitality are 

 more frequently encountered. Seed-coat discolorations and bleaching not 

 accompanied by rot do not afifect the use of the seeds for most processing 

 or for seed stocks (49). Brittleness and sogginess in stored seeds may be 

 accompanied by physiological changes of a detrimental nature, but this 

 can not now be confirmed. 



Blue damage and concealed damage undoubtedly can develop during 

 storage of peanuts, but neither has yet been found developing to any con- 

 siderable extent in storage (48, 49). Progress of concealed damage into 

 seed rot during storage is probable also (48, 162), but has not been veri- 

 fied. Reduction in vitality of seeds during storage, the physiological 

 activities involved, and the factors affecting these physiological activities 

 are also suppositionary at present. 



