Effect of variety and seed dressing on emergence of high-oleic peanut under low temperature and high soil humidity conditions

Low temperature coupled with high soil moisture during sowing to emergence generally results in poor peanut stand, thereby posing a non-negligible threat to peanut production in north and northeast China. Five high-oleic (HO) peanut cultivars and 4 seed dressing treatments capable of controlling several diseases and insect pests along with untreated checks were used to find the best combinations to cope with the dual stresses during sowing to emergence period. High broad-sense hereditability estimates of seedling emergence indicated great potential for genetic improvement of this trait. Analysis of variance in the split-plot experiment showed that the main effects of variety and seed dressing and their interaction on seedling emergence were significant. Seed dressing treatments increased seedling emergence percentage by 2.09–35.00 percent points. Four of the 5 HO peanut cultivars yielded satisfactory results. For Huayu 665, Huayu 668 and Huayu 965, Huweisanbao may be the best option; for Huayu 962, Weilidan was highly acceptable. These combinations will be evaluated further in multiple environments before large-scale extension.