Cover Crops and Crop Insurance in Wisconsin

Daniel H. Smith, Nutrient and Pest Management Program

Paul D. Mitchell, Extension State Specialist in Cropping Systems and Environmental Management, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Wisconsin farmers have increasingly been using cover crops, in part because of the agronomic benefits cover crops can provide. Wisconsin farmers have also increasingly chosen to buy crop insurance. Crop insurance policies include several management rules, including some that pertain to cover crops. Because cover crop rules for insurance have been changing and there are many farmers relatively new to cover crops and/or crop insurance, we review some of these cover crop rules for crop insurance. We wrote a 2 page bulletin overviewing the crop insurance rules for cover corps. Of particular interest may be

  • When must a cover crop be terminated by so the following crop can be insured?
  • What are the rules for harvesting the cover crop for forage?
  • What about interseeding and overseeding a cover crop?

Follow the link below to read the full bulletin detailing crop insurance rules for cover crops.

Cover Crops and Crop Insurance in Wisconsin: http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pdmitchell/CropInsurance/CCandInsurance2016.pdf