Mission:
The National Peanut Research Laboratory (NPRL) conducts research on food safety, water and energy conservation, peanut production and postharvest, and systems research designed to minimize risk and enhance viability of the US peanut industry. NPRL research directly addresses major issues confronting the peanut farmer, handler, sheller, manufacturer and ultimately the US consumer by developing technology to improve profitability and quality through research on breeding, curing, cleaning, storing, shelling, and marketing peanuts and by developing production and marketing systems to reduce cost, enhance use of peanuts, and provide a safe consumer product. Development of computer systems provides farmers and other users with improved decision making technology. NPRL conducts intensive research on genetics/breeding, tillage, irrigation and physiological relationships in production. NPRL also conducts a program to evaluate physical properties of varieties being developed in the national Uniform Peanut Performance Tests. Technology is transferred to the US peanut industry directly through refereed and popular publications, oral presentations, decision support systems, personal contacts, field days and on-farm demonstrations.