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CV Crop, Soil & Pasture Team

 

 
Corn - Nitrogen fertilizer is what those plants need. But Nitrogen spread on saturated soil can be a waste of money if the plants can't get it. Wait a few days until the soil moisture gets back down to "Field Capacity" or Nitrogen will be lost to denitrification or leached right away. Plants that have been drowned in wet pockets most likely will not recover and N fertilizer may best be spread on the better parts of the fields where the crop has the ability to respond. Most of the good corn I see is over my waist and a liquid N application of UAN between the rows with a high-wheel rig may be the only option.

Hay -  I know you want to get that hay before quality goes down any more. BUT - wheel ruts and compaction hurt future yields. Try to be patient and not do more damage to your land. Of course manure after this cut, especially by drag line or with aeration holes would be ideal.

Soybeans - It seems too late to me to plant soybeans, but they do plant soy after wheat as a double crop most everywhere else. That means a July planting. Beans are day-length sensitive and a nice fall could mean a good crop even this late in the game. You can decide on how much risk to take. A claim for prevented planting is a reasonable way to go.

For areas that are severely pugged (aka 'ankle breakers') you may consider running a harrow to help smooth out the soil surface, and then planting your choice of seed. For large areas of bare soil that have developed near gates, water tubs and other heavy use areas, consider a crop like tillage radish. It can be seeded alone at 10 lb/acre or mixed with a grass such as ryegrass and seeded . Last year, we had good success seeding tillage radish into a heavy use area at this rate, yielding both nutritious tops that can be grazed after 45 days and large tap roots that help break up soil compaction. 

 

   Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid (Sudex) is an option that can still be planted and harvested twice before fall. Plant at 40 to 50 lb/ac and add 50 lb/ac N after cutting for a second cut. Harvest or graze after plants reach 30" to 36", but don't wait until it is up over 48" because quality drops fast. The BMR Sudangrass is another option that is harvested as haylage, has a finer stem and higher feed quality. Both these options present a prussic acid hazard if grazed too short or if the plants get frosted. Harvest as silage and this is not a concern.Sorghum is a crop more like corn that is harvested once at the end of the season after seed heads form. That results in higher energy and lower protein like a corn silage crop. All these warm season grass crops need manure or fertilizer if you want good yields. Millet (Pearl or Japanese) can also be planted at 15-20 lb/ac and used as pasture or harvested forage without concerns of prussic acid poisoning. Expect a 30 to 45 day grow time to first harvest depending on weather and how much manure you get on the field before planting.

Italian Ryegrass may be a good option that would provide one good harvest this fall, and then it will survive the winter as a grass hay crop. That would be a great opportunity to frost seed or no-till clovers in the spring for next year hay crop. Plant at 20 to 25 lb/ac, again with manure or N fertilizer to promote leaf growth.

Forage Cover Crops
Oats or Barley will grow and if you underseed with grasses, clover or alfalfa for a summer seeding before the middle of August will get you a head start on next year. Seed a little heavy at ~2 bu/ac (Oats 75 lb/ac and Barley 100 lb/ac) and take a cut off in mid-September before frost as haylage, or dry hay if we get a nice fall.

Wheat, Winter Rye or Triticale can all be planted in August at 100 to 150 lb/ac. They will over-winter and can be harvested in May for haylage or wrapped bales. This year we measured 1 to 2 ton/acre DM yields with respectable forage quality at 16-18% protein, 47-56% NDF, .62 NEL and 105 to 133 RFV. These grain crops can also stand a late fall grazing and come back in the spring. These fields could then go right back into a corn rotation or a new seeding of hay in the spring.

Do You Have Any Other Ideas?
I'd really like to hear from you if you have any other thoughts on a great strategy for this situation. Call Me.

I hope you already talked with your Crop Insurance Agent about any prevented plantings or crop failures. Every farm policy is different, so be sure you are talking with your agent or adjuster. Here is summary information from Pam Smith, Bob Parsons and USDA RMA (Risk Management Agency)

Here is a good review from USDA Risk Management Agency
How to File a Crop Insurance Claim

Case 1 - Prevented planting coverage. In the case you are prevented from planting, crop insurance will pay an indemnity to the farmer
for the crop loss.  Farmers can then plant a cover crop and harvest or graze after November 1. Any harvest before that will impact the crop insurance payment (100% vs 35%). We do not have very much prevented planting acreage in Vermont this year.

Case 2 - Failed crop. The crop is deemed a failure and its past a practical replanting date. In this case, the farmer gets an indemnity payment for the crop and they can plant an alternative crop, such as a late season forage without impacting their indemnity payment. The acreage must first be reported to the insurance agent who will work with the farmer to determine if the crop is a failure and then advise on any limitations on replanting an alternative crop. If the crop is deemed a failure, then the farmer will have alternative crop options.
This is the case most Vermont farmers are facing.

 
Report crop damage promptly:
* Before replanting (many policies have replanting payments),
* Within 72 hours of discovery of damage,
* 15 days before harvest begins (if loss is possible),
* Within 15 days after harvesting is completed (by insurance unit) or the end of the insurance period. Caution: Do not destroy evidence that is needed to support your claim without clear direction from the insurance company, preferably in writing.