Late planting period starts this weekend (May 25th) for corn in Northern counties of South Dakota. South Dakota producers routinely purchase crop insurance on corn, soybeans, wheat and sunflowers. The most commonly used insurance products have provisions for prevented planting, late planting, replanting, and planting of a second crop. In addition to agronomic considerations for how well a crop may recover or how late a crop could be planted with a reasonable chance of success, several dates are important from an insurance standpoint.

The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report on Friday, May 10th, showed the projections for the 2013-2014 U.S. crops. Few adjustments were made to the 2012-2013 supply and demand estimates.

Are you concerned about the late start of the corn planting season this spring and wondering where we are at in comparison to previous years?  This week’s “Corn Concept” is to get each corn plant off to the same start.

Soil moisture conditions have changed some with recent snows and moistures.  However, in some parts of the state, there still exists the possibility of dry planting conditions this spring.  Regardless of soil moisture conditions where you are at, fortunately there is a calculator that can give some useful starter guidelines for various crops, starter fertilizers, and soil moisture conditions.

South Dakota producers insured a record 5.8 million acres of corn in 2012 when the statewide level of liability coverage was $3 billion. For the 2013 crop year, higher premium rates for corn in South Dakota will be offset by the lowest volatility factor in a decade. For the common policy types and coverage levels, producers will not see much change in premiums. For corn, the insurance must be purchased or changed by March 15 and the earliest planting date is April 10.

As March brings in climatological spring, many are anxious for the return to warmer temperatures and longer days. And, in the case of South Dakota, many are anxious for some relief from the ongoing drought that has plagued much of the state in 2012. The latest climate outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center indicate that some improvement in drought conditions may be on its way.

Recordkeeping is an important part of any crop production enterprise. Financial records are a must, but production records are equally valuable and can add value to land parcels. Records of soil test results, scouting, weather, fertilizer, soil amendment, and pesticide applications are important for future reference.

The planting season is starting to sneak up on us already, and it is now less than 2 months away for crops like spring wheat. Let me assume that you still have not selected or made 100% of your seed purchases for all your crops, or that your intended acres for each crop may change due to weather conditions. I think most farmers will agree that they want to buy the variety that returns the highest profit per acre.

Who needs to be certified or recertified as a Private Pesticide Applicator? If you plan to apply any pesticides to an agriculture commodity worth $1,000 or more, you need to be certified. It does not matter what pesticide you apply (herbicide, insecticide, or fungicide, etc.) you need to be certified as a Private Applicator.

“What should I do, or how should I farm with these dry conditions -- should I look at changing to no till?” It is not a question I can really answer. It is a question that a person needs to answer for themselves. The question I can help with is to make sure  you are looking at all possible options, whether that be no-till, minimum till, organic, all corn, rotations of corn, wheat, beans, rotations of corn and beans, more acres, or less acres. Ultimately I want you to do the best job possible with the type of farming you select to get the best yields with the least cost.