Farmers in Corn Belt Face Replant and Prevent Plant

 The cool, wet conditions this spring have not only slowed planting, but created some agronomic challenges for farmers.  Not only has it forced some farmers in the northern corn belt to look at prevent plant this year, others facing replant situations.  

There has been replanting around the corn belt for various reasons this spring, from hail, to too much rains, and just overall poor stands. Specifically in states like Indiana, Michigan and Ohio planting was pushed into May with the cool, wet conditions and the window was very narrow, so farmers planted into less than ideal soils.  That created some emergence issues.  

Farm Journal associate field agronomist, Missy Bauer says, "Most of the replants that were in our area in southern Michigan, northwest Ohio, northeast Indiana all related back to crusting issues where they just couldn't get out of the ground.  So, maybe they did initially did germinate but then just weren't able to get up.  So I would say that was a majority of ours and in some areas depending on when you planted, how much got planted in that first window you know some of them there was a fair amount of replants, you know maybe 20-30-percent, maybe other areas maybe only 10 or 15-percent but it just really went back to those conditions but certainly crusting was a big problem."  

The last planting date for crop insurance is also past for most crops, even soybeans in the northern states.
So farmers are faced with prevent plant decisions as they lose 1-percent of their coverage a day after those dates.   From an agronomic standpoint, Bauer says farmers can still plant late and achieve average yields, but the key is can the crop make it to maturity before the first frost date?

Bauer says, "That's got to be their priority is looking at those maturity groups that are available to them that they can get and make sure they feel comfortable doing some of those calculations.  You know we've got really good history, you look at the last five years of data on okay, if I plant on June 10 or if I plant on June 15 from that day you know how many heat units do I need to get to the end and see okay under a five year average is that going to happen or is it not?"

Bauer says prevent plant decisions need to be based on each operation.  For instance, for producers that need feed for livestock that is going to trump yield considerations.   

With the current market prices there is definitely more incentive this season for farmers to plant later this spring verses take prevent plant and the same is true for replant situations

 

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