DATE: Saturday, October 11, 1997            TAG: 9710110402

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

PEANUT HARVEST GOES AT FULL SPEED FARMERS ARE ALSO USING WARM, DRY DAYS TO DEFOLIATE COTTON

Area Virginia Tech extension agents are singing the praises of a perfect harvest season. But farmers in western Tidewater don't have time to join the chorus.

They're too busy taking advantage of the warm, dry, sunny weather to harvest peanuts, defoliate cotton and continue to hope for just a little rain to help late soybeans.

The 1997 harvest season may not be one of the most bountiful, Isle of Wight County extension agent Robert Goerger said recently, but - because weather conditions have remained so perfect - it will likely be one of the swiftest.

``The harvest is moving forward full speed,'' Goerger said. ``The warm, dry weather may even cut costs. Peanuts are drying extremely rapidly. They don't have to stay in the dryers as long, and that's saving money.

``With the weather conditions we're having, we'll probably have the fastest harvest we've ever had.''

And, right now, it looks as though production, especially for peanuts and cotton, will be somewhat higher than expected.

Because of near-drought conditions over the summer, most local farmers were looking at a disastrous year, and some localities even filed for disaster relief.

But so far, extension agents say, things don't look quite as bad as agriculture officials had predicted.

``It's not what we'd hoped for, it's not what we'd wished for, but we're thankful for what it is,'' said Rex Cotton, Surry Country extension agent.

Areawide, peanut production during an average year is about 3,000 tons an acre. Officials say that number this year will likely be cut by about 1,000 tons an acre.

Still, considering weather conditions, that's not bad. Rainfall in Southeastern Virginia so far this year is more than 10 inches below normal, and some crops have suffered.

The lack of rainfall really hurt corn and early soybeans, but peanuts and cotton, which are more drought-resistant, could pull most farmers through for another year.

Farmers in rural counties surrounding Hampton Roads are from 50 percent to 75 percent through the peanut harvest. Cotton in some areas has been defoliated - treated chemically to rid the plant of leaves for easier picking. That process should be completed over the next week.

Like peanuts, cotton is expected to come up short because of the late spring and lack of rain over the summer. Still, it doesn't appear to be the disaster that was predicted earlier.

Late soybeans are still hanging in the balance. With a little more warm weather and some rain, there could still be hope for that crop.

There's no rain in the forecast until midweek, but overnight temperatures over the next week are expected to gradually dip to 42 to 38 degrees by Thursday, according to Virginia Tech's Peanut-Cotton Info-net and frost advisory.

Low temperatures and little wind on Wednesday night, the night of the full moon, could result in a light frost in outlying areas.

``Frost - there is a possibility,'' Cotton said. ``We're enjoying an extended fall around here. But it's not going to last forever.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

JOHN H. SHEALLY II/The Virginian-Pilot

Peanut harvesting has been going on for the past week at area farms

such as the Robbie Taylor Fields on Kings Highway in Suffolk.

MICHAEL KESTNER/The Virginian-Pilot

Dry weather helps the harvest and also saves money because the nuts

don't stay in dryers as long. KEYWORDS: PEANUTS

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