Now is the time to talk to your crop insurance agent.
In Pennsylvania, we have experienced wet years when we have so much rain we are unable to plant certain crops in a timely manner. This year, we are facing the prospect of not being able to plant due to lack of rain — a truly rare circumstance.
The late May and early June plantings of corn and soybeans have been stopped because even heavy no-till planters are not able to achieve the soil penetration needed for proper seed placement. Additionally, the extremely dry conditions mean there is not enough moisture to achieve uniform seed germination and plant survival. Therefore, the best short-term strategy is to keep the seed in the bag and wait for a change in the weather pattern.
The weather forecasts do not offer a lot of hope for significant change in the moisture situation in the near term. So, one has to consider the possibility that perhaps this year we may have a scenario that qualifies for prevented planting coverage from our crop insurance.
The first day one can file a prevented planting claim is June 11 for corn and June 21 for soybeans. However, there is a late planting window that runs through July 5 for corn and July 15 for soybeans.
Source: lancasterfarming.com
Photo Credit: photo-library-igor-stevanovic
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops