Corn as a Cover Crop

RMA recently made a one-time change that allows for more flexibility on insured acreage with a prevented planting claim, including use of corn as a cover crop on prevented planting acres, with use for silage allowed after September 1, if cover crop guidelines from local agricultural experts are followed.  This is in response to delayed and prevented planting resulting from above average rainfall and wetness.

Short summary:  The USDA Risk Management Agency has made a one-time change to the 2019 crop year prevented planting rules that effectively allows silage corn, if planted as a cover crop following local agricultural expert guidelines, to be acceptable as a post-prevented planting cover crop. Under this one-time rule change, producers are allowed to produce this crop while retaining their prevented planting payment. This change couples with previously announced one-time changes to the prevented planting rules – including expanded acceptable uses for post-prevented planting cover crops and a change in the cover crop haying and grazing start date rule – serve to help those struggling to meet their forage needs due to the weather. 

For more information:

  • Visit the UVM Agricultural Risk Management and Crop Insurance Education website at http://go.uvm.edu/ag-risk where you will find
    • a Fact Sheet from Cornell University Targeted States program director Dr. Jenny Ifft and co-director Jerzy Jaromczyk in the “News and Events”section and
    • in the “Other Resources” section you will find links to RMA information on Prevented Planting flood provisions, Change to Haying and Grazing Date for Prevented Planting Acres Planted to a Cover Crop, and FAQ about Prevented Planting Due to Flooding.
  • Contact your crop insurance agent.

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