(NDAgConnection.com) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers of the option to request an Unrated Practice or Type (TP) written agreement through their insurance company to insure broadcast seeded crops when the policy prohibits the practice or is unavailable for the crop in the county. The broadcast practice may be suitable when producers are delayed from planting timely because of cold, wet weather during the planting period.

“We have received many questions this spring from insurance companies asking on behalf of their insured producers about broadcast seeding due to the poor planting conditions, especially in North Dakota and South Dakota,” said Eric Bashore, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) Billings Regional Office director. “We’re continuing to monitor the progress of the delayed planting and replants due to cold temperatures, overland flooding and heavy storms throughout North Dakota and South Dakota during this spring planting season. If you’re looking at non-conventional planting options, please contact your crop insurance agent.”

If the requirements of a written agreement request are met, broadcast seeding may be made insurable under the non-conventional practice, which is a crop that is planted in a two-step operation:

– The seed is first broadcast by any method onto the surface of a seedbed, which has been properly prepared for the planting method and production practice.

– The seed is subsequently incorporated into the soil at the proper depth in a timely manner.

Non-conventional planted soybeans are currently insurable without a written agreement in 20 South Dakota counties.

The deadline to request a TP written agreement for crops with a March 15 Sales Closing Date is July 15. However, if a written agreement is requested after the crop is planted, a favorable crop inspection appraisal will be required before insurance attaches.

Learn more about prevented planting and replanting. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers should contact their crop insurance agent. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. If producers have additional questions, they can contact RMA’s Regional Office in Billings at (406) 657-6447.