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Cover Crop ‘Forage’ an Option for Prevented Planting Acres

Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension

1973, 1981, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2022 . . . we each recall one or more years in our past when an extraordinarily wet Ohio spring prevented us from planting corn and soybeans in a timely fashion, if at all. Many around Ohio are now adding 2025 to the list.

According to USDA’s June 9 Crop Progress Report only 89% of Ohio’s corn had been planted. At the same time soybean planting progress stood at 84% complete. Today, as we sit here on June 11, we know a few things for certain:

• Throughout Ohio there remain thousands of unplanted acres that were originally intended for either corn or soybeans.
• The Risk Management Agency (RMA) ‘final planting date’ that allows planting without reducing the crop insurance guarantee for corn in Ohio was June 5, and is June 20 for soybeans.
• Despite the value of producing corn and soybeans for the marketplace, for those with coverage, today the income resulting from the Prevented Planting option offered by crop insurance must be considered a viable alternative. (see the recent C.O.R.N. newsletter and Ohio AgManager blog posting June Considerations When Using the Prevented Planting Option)
• With a short supply of high quality forage resulting from the 2024 Ohio drought, and spring 2025 weather that has prevented completing a timely forage harvest, for livestock producers, planting a cover crop mix that could be utilized as feed later this year could add value to unplanted acres.

Today, insured corn and soybean growers throughout Ohio find themselves at the crossroads of decisions that pit the overwhelming desire to plant and grow a crop against the reality that financially and agronomically it might be a sound alternative to accept a Prevented Planting insurance payment. Adding further support to the notion that today one might be better off not planting remaining intended corn acres (or perhaps soybeans as June 20 quickly approaches) is the opportunity to plant a cover crop mix in those insured but unplanted acres and utilize it for cattle feed later this year.

Once the final planting date is passed and the decision to apply for Prevented Planting (PP) has been made, cover crop mixes – including those a cow can eat – may be planted on PP acres and hayed or grazed at any time without affecting the PP payment. It may take some creativity to turn cover crop mixes into feed later this summer or fall but considering that availability of quality forages in Ohio may be limited it merits consideration.

When considering planting a cover crop mix on PP acres for it’s soil health benefits that you might later hay or graze, check with your crop insurance agent and Farm Service Agency for reporting requirements or any additional restrictions or timing issues you might need to consider.

For more detail on past experiences with planting and feeding spring oats and other annual forage cover crops in Ohio, search ‘summer annual’ and find any one of a number of previous articles posted at https://u.osu.edu/beef/ including:

Oats as a late summer forage crop

Utilizing Annual Forages for Cattle Feed

Wheat’s early, are oats a doublecrop ‘forage’ option?

Source: Ohio State University