Poor peanut emergence often results in lower yield and loss of revenue. Farmers attempting to recapture lost income sometimes lose even more by replanting because replant costs may exceed the benefits of added yield. The purpose of this study was to develop an empirical equation to predict peanut yield based on total emergence 21 d after planting and an estimate of yield for a full stand of peanuts. Field experiments were conducted in Terrell Co., Georgia during 1997 and 1998 for nonirrigated peanut (cv. Georgia Green) grown in an Americus sand (thermic Rhodic Paleudults). To mimic poor emergence and concomitant random plant spacing, rows within plots were thinned at random locations to attain populations of 4.4, 3.3, 2.6, 2.1, and 1.6 plants/m-row. Control plots were not thinned and total emergence was approximately 12.7 plants/m-row. As total emergence and population decreased, yield also decreased whereas pod mass per plant increased. This increase was likely attributed to a reduction in competition from adjacent peanut plants for water, nutrients, and light. Higher population treatments had smaller pod mass/plant and greater overall yield than lower population treatments with higher pod mass/plant. Random plant-to-plant spacing associated with poor emergence was used to predict pod mass/plant as a function of average plant spacing. Results from this research established models defining the relationship of the rate of change of pod mass per plant with average plant spacing and provided a new method of predicting yield in the event of poor emergence.