Virginia Law

A. General standards. The general standards as adopted in this chapter are basic and apply to peanuts.

B. Land requirements. Registered and certified peanuts shall be planted on land on which the previous crop was of another kind or planted with certified seed of the same variety. Foundation peanuts will not be eligible for certification if planted on land which grew peanuts either volunteer or a planted crop the previous two years unless the preceding crop was grown from certified or registered seed of the same variety. A field which includes an area where peanuts were threshed or where thresher refuse was spread during the preceding year shall not be eligible for certification.

C. Field standards.

1. Field inspection. At least one field inspection shall be made prior to harvest.

2. Isolation. Isolation shall consist of a physical barrier such as a ditch, roadway, fence row or a ten-foot strip devoid of peanuts or two rows of some other crop.

3. Specific.

Inspection of the equipment used in drying certified peanuts to see that it is operated according to the following guidelines is required. The thermostat and humidistat used on drying certified peanut seed shall be set according to ambient air conditions. If a humidistat is not available or operative, the maximum temperature setting should be 80°F. Even though a humidistat is utilized, the temperature should never exceed 90°F during the drying process. Natural air should be used in the day unless the relative humidity exceeds 65%, in which case supplemental heat may be necessary. If supplemental heat is needed,never use over 10° to 15°F temperature rise. The airflow rate should be 10-15 cubic feet per minute per cubic foot of peanuts. The depth for peanuts in the dryer should be limited to about four feet for 30% moisture peanuts; for higher moisture content, the depth should be reduced.

D. Seed standards.