For the next several weekends, AFSC’s adjusting team will be on-call for clients who have concerns regarding frost damage to their fields.
While branch offices are closed during the weekend, clients can call and leave a message and a team member will follow-up the next regular business day. Clients who wish to speak to an adjuster during the weekend can call the number provided on their AFSC branch office’s outgoing phone message.
It is important to check fields after a frost event and to monitor the crop for three to four days to see if there is any recovery. In most cases, it is important to wait for the plant to have time to regrow in order to make an accurate decision. One way to assess recovery is to mark individual plants that could recover and recheck these plants over the following days.
Clients are required to notify AFSC and receive approval of intent to reseed an insured crop. Acres that are not released by AFSC prior to reseeding are not eligible for the reseeding benefit.
Frost can be extremely variable; fields with heavy straw residue will likely show more damage than fields with less straw residue. For canola, research shows that a normal crop can be attained from a plant stand ranging from one to four plants per square foot, the lower number particularly for herbicide-tolerant varieties or when seeded into dry conditions.
There are a variety of resources available for producers online. Below are two links from the Canola Council that addresses many of the questions regarding frost on canola and reseeding.
https://www.canolacouncil.org/canola-watch/2019/05/22/two-common-questions-after-a-spring-frost/
https://www.canolacouncil.org/canola-watch/2016/05/18/frost-canolas-resilience-may-surprise-you/
For more information, please use Live Chat on our website or AFSC Connect, call our Client Service Centre at 1.877.899.2372 or contact your branch office.
