ABSTRACT
Peanuts became a crop of economic importance in the US during the early 1900s. Land area controls on peanuts were in effect in the US from 1948 to 1981, with the national allotment set at about 0.65 million hectares during that time period. Peanuts are among the top ten crops in the US with a production value of about $760 million in 1975. Ethephon applied at the early fruiting stage to field grown Spanish-type peanuts reduced vegetative growth. Flowering was increased or decreased by maleic hydrazide depending on the concentration used. Pegging and pod formation were induced from the upper nodes of erect plants by treatment with gibberellin, but pod formation from the upper nodes reduced the number of pods from the lower nodes so that potential yield was not increased. Ontogenetic development and correlative growth of plants are controlled by balances between contents of natural endogenous phytohormones.
