Abstract
Poor milling quality of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) results in a substantial financial loss to the peanut industry. With recent development of a sheller and methodology for the evaluation of milling quality for small samples, it is possible for a peanut breeder to evaluate and select a desired level of milling quality. This study was conducted to determine the variation in milling quality among several large-seeded virginia cultivars and among a group of breeding lines from the cross of the Virginia cultivars, NC 5 and Florigiant.
Cultivars were significantly different for milling quality. However, cultivars did not perform consistently over years, locations or harvest dates.
Large differences in milling quality among F2 families measured in the F6 generation for the cross of NC 5 and Florigiant were observed. Selection for milling quality among the F5 lines should be effective; however, selection for milling quality without consideraiton of blanching properties may result in the development of breeding lines unacceptable to end-use product manufacturers.
Author notes
1Paper no. 8066 of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27650.