Cover Crops effect insurance coverage?

I was reading Digital Dale the other morning and there was a link to their website about how insurance coverage will work following a cover crop.  It listed May 10, 2013 as the day to stop haying or grazing the cover crop and terminate all cover crop growth at least seven days before the final planting date for the spring crop being planted.  It also went on to state that if your county is a county that will insure double cropping that this date doesn’t apply as you would then be able to insure your beans as a double crop.  I had to do some checking with my insurance guy about this.  He stated that yes, Wood County is a county that you can insure double crop soybeans but you have to take a reduced APH.  He also said that you must kill the crop before it heads or buds, must kill it by May 10^th and that there are some special haying and grazing rules this year only.

As you should always do with crop insurance double check with your agent about how this will affect you!  Both cover crops and crop insurance are things that you should have in your “toolbox” and knowing how they work together on your operation is important!

Don't forget that March 15 is the sales closing date for crop insurance!