They Saved An Industry

The question for peanut farmers in the Southeast isn’t whether disease will be an issue each season, but when the disease will show up and how heavy the pressure will be. Forty years ago, those peanut farmers weren’t sure whether their industry would survive an onslaught from tomato spotted wilt virus. A concerted, collaborative industry effort found a way to manage that disease. University of Georgia Plant Pathologist Bob Kemerait is one of the Extension specialists who helped find the answer. He joins us to recall that effort, talk about Peanut Rx and the way forward for peanut farmers who are anticipating some heavy disease pressure this season.