Written by: Jacob Forehand
PVQE: The Future of Peanut Production in the V-C Region
The Peanut Variety and Quality Evaluation (PVQE) program provides valuable information regarding new peanut variety releases. During a portion of the interview for my current position, I had the opportunity to speak with a grower about his experience with the PVQE program. He stated that the PVQE program represents the future of peanuts for the Virginia-Carolina growing region, and I couldn’t agree more.
For any variety to be commercially released in the V-C region, it must first be tested through the PVQE program. This testing allows comparisons between potential varieties submitted by peanut breeders and varieties that are currently commercially available. These comparisons help determine whether a new variety would be beneficial for release in the Virginia-Carolina growing region.
Data currently collected on these varieties include agronomic characteristics, yield, and grade. Blanchability, fatty acid content, and oil type and concentration are also evaluated. These data provide growers, shellers, and manufacturers with valuable information regarding how these genetic lines would perform if they were made commercially available.
In general, the PVQE program bridges the gap between peanut breeders and the commercialization of new peanut varieties. Peanut breeders often have extensive information regarding how their genetic lines perform under stressful environments because those conditions are a major component of the selection process. However, that information does not always translate directly to commercial production.
The PVQE program takes promising breeding lines that have performed well in research trials and evaluates how they perform under commercial production practices. Growing conditions are managed as closely as possible to standard grower practices, incorporating typical planting dates, plant populations, fertility programs, and pest management practices.
Variety selection is one of the most important decisions growers make each year. That decision can influence early-season vigor, disease severity, maturity, yield, and many other factors that ultimately affect both profitability and peanut quality.
In addition to evaluating potential new variety releases, the PVQE program also provides local, regional, and multi-year performance data on commercially available varieties. This allows growers to make informed decisions by comparing how different varieties perform across multiple locations and growing environments.
Overall, the PVQE program provides a snapshot of what the future of peanut production could look like in the Virginia-Carolina region.
I am thrilled to begin my role as PVQE Director, and I look forward to working with growers, researchers, shellers, manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders to better understand how the varieties we plant can meet industry needs while remaining profitable for the growers who produce them.
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