??> Bob, I do have a question about replanting of corn when the first
planting
> fails due to temperature or wetness.  Do you see many farmers replanting
> in
> the same season (this can lead to double treatment with seed treatments).

Most fields are not replanted due to moisture or wetness. Usually only a
portion of the field is affected. Standing water kills or stunts corn and
most fields will have an area which is effected in wet years.
All agriculture is a numbers game. You have to seed  to get crop insurance.
Many times fields are planted knowing the corn will not survive. The farmer
gets zero compensation for his effort unless seeded.
Once seeded the insurance will pay for the cost of prep, fertilizer and
seed. Once seeded with corn the farmer does not replant and simply collects
the insurance if wet problems arise. Some compensation for the below his
average yield.

Think when an almond grower rents hives from a Midwest beekeeper which do
not grade high. Why would he rent those three/five  framers?
The reason is simple. If the grower does not rent bees then he can't buy
crop insurance. I hear sad stories all the time from growers/farmers which
would rather gamble than buy crop insurance. Wealthy farmers/growers might
not buy crop insurance but those which could be bankrupt from a total
failure buy crop insurance.

So I do not see corn fields replanted.

> There are no replant restrictions for corn or canola; 30 days if replanted
> to soybeans, cereal grains and grasses; a year for most other crops.

I see fields which were going to be planted corn planted soybeans if it gets
too late to plant corn but never planted if already seeded for corn. I am
sure there are exceptions but I expect are rare. When I check with the USDA 
in summer many times what the farmer said in spring was to be planted was 
not planted.

Chemical companies point to every reason they can to draw the attention away
from bees having problems around corn in certain years when planted
according to label. Too many beekeepers reporting problems for *all *being
traced back to a farmer miss applying.

The USDA tries to track what is planted but not very scientific. At times I
have been in the local office when the farmers are coming in. The farmer
gives his USDA farm number and a folder is pulled with an ariel photo of the
farm. The farmer tells the USDA person what he intends to plant on each
field. Some fields will be corn for part and another crop for part. Large
farmers will have a list they made up with their intentions and the USDA
PERSON HAS TO FIND THE PHOTOS OF THE AREA until the correct plot (farm) is
found. At my office the USDA writes on the ariel photo with a magic marker.

At times the USDA wants to pull out a photo of my farm and write the way I 
am using the land. Becky (USDA rep) gets upset when I tell her the fence row 
is in pot and I have a whiskey still down in the trees.

If I want to see what is going to be planted next to my bees I point to the
area on the big map and the USDA pulls up the farm. When looking for new bee
locations I point to the farm and the USDA tells me the farmers name or at
least the farmer working the ground.

I assume the public could request the information but I am on a first name
basis with the USDA and have a USDA farm number so my wanting to see
information has never been denied.

I have a harder time tracking down crop dusters and field sprayers as they
do not report to the USDA.

bob

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