Last week, American Agriculturist reported that 7% to 12% of Northeast corn acreage was still unplanted, according to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. That last 10% on most farms is often the toughest ground to plant. So, what are your options if you still have corn and soybeans to plant?

In brief, you may be able to tap the insured crops prevented planting option if:

• that loss is general to the surrounding area — wet weather, for instance

• you couldn’t get the crop planted before June 10 for corn and June 20 for soybeans

• prevented planting acreage is at least the lesser of 20 acres or 20% of the unit

• your prevented planting coverage will be 55% for corn and 60% for soybeans of your production guarantee for timely planted acreage.

If you’ve been prevented from planting, your choices are:

• plant the intended crop into the late planting period, knowing your production guarantee will be reduced by 1% per day for up to 25 days for corn and soybeans

• plant a different crop

• submit a prevented planting claim and, if approved, receive an indemnity

You must report all prevented planting acres on your acreage report. And, report the prevent plant acres to Farm Service Agency by June 20 for corn and June 30 for soybeans.

If you choose to plant a second crop after the late planting period, you’ll receive 35% of the prevented planting indemnity, and pay 35% of the premium on the prevented planting crop. You also must insure the second crop if it’s insurable. Your Actual Production History for the prevented planting acres will be 60% of the approved yield.

Other need-to-knows
If you plant a cover crop on the prevented planting acreage, you cannot hay or graze that cover crop until after Nov. 1. Summer cover crops include sudangrass, pearl and japanese millet, cow peas, sunhemp, sunflowers and buckwheat.

As you get later into the summer, oats, annual ryegrass, clovers, hairy vetch, field peas and brassicas would get planted in August. Beginning in September, winter small grains are the option.

Acres eligible for a prevented planting claim equals the maximum number of acres of the crop that have been planted in the county in any one of the four most recent crop years. Contact your crop insurance agent with specific questions.

Source: Penn State Extension Field Crop News