Growing peanuts has become a good news crop for Oklahoma in recent years, coming in at 55.5 million pounds last November, a 21% increase in production compared to a year earlier. (Photo by Todd Johnson, OSU Agricultural Communications Services)

Oklahoma’s premier peanut educational event set for March 12

Monday, February 10, 2020

Peanut producers looking to ensure they are taking advantage of the most up-to-date crop selection and marketing advances should plan now to attend the March 12 Oklahoma Peanut EXPO in Weatherford.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn from and speak with leading experts in the field and to interact with other peanut producers and industry members,” said John Damicone, Oklahoma State University Extension peanut and vegetable crops specialist. “This will be the premier peanut education and training event in the region for 2020.”

There is no cost to attend the meeting, which will take place at the Business Enterprise Center on the campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. The EXPO will kick off with on-site registration and exhibits opening at 9 a.m. Program sessions will begin at 9:50 a.m. and end at about 2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma Peanut EXPO is a joint effort of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission, OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, USDA Agricultural Research Service, the National Peanut Board and partners in the peanut industry. Lunch will be provided thanks to the generous support of industry sponsors.

“The EXPO is a good investment of a producer’s time, energy and effort,” said Ron Sholar, Oklahoma Peanut Commission executive director. “We tell people that coming to the EXPO is like one-stop shopping: You pretty much get what you need in one swoop and learn who to contact if you have additional questions.”

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur will provide EXPO participants with an agricultural update of the state. Oklahoma State Director of Wildlife Services Scott Alls then will discuss the Oklahoma Feral Hog Control Program.

“We’re very pleased to have Dr. Marshall Lamb, a well-known peanut scientist from Dawson, Georgia, on hand to provide the peanut market outlook for 2020,” Sholar said. “No one knows the industry better than Dr. Lamb. He is an expert in the forces affecting U.S. and global supply and demand for peanuts.”

Cathy Johnson, National Peanut Board marketing associate, and Patrick Archer, American Peanut Council president, will discuss opportunities and challenges for peanuts in both the domestic and international markets.

Damicone will provide insights about peanut disease control. Todd Baughman, OSU Extension weed scientist and researcher with OSU’s Institute for Agricultural Biosciences in Ardmore, will address the latest in weed control for peanuts.

Researchers from the USDA-ARS Center for Peanut Improvement in Stillwater will discuss the latest results from ongoing projects. Kelly Chamberlin will discuss high-oleic peanut varieties being developed for the southwestern United States. Rebecca Bennett will share the latest about disease resistance evaluation of peanut varieties and advanced breeding lines.

“Peanut EXPO also provides an opportunity to visit with industry representatives who supply the equipment, products and services needed to produce the crop, and never underestimate the value of being able to speak with other producers who might be in situations similar to your own,” Sholar said.

An OPC District 1 Election Caucus also will be held for producers from southeastern Oklahoma counties.

For additional information about the March 12 EXPO, contact Damicone by email at john.damicone@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-743-7968, or Sholar by email at okpeanutcomm@aol.com or by phone at 405-780-0113.

MEDIA CONTACT: Donald Stotts | Agricultural Communications Services | 405-744-4079 | donald.stotts@okstate.edu