Glossary Entries beginning with B

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Glossary of Agricultural Production, Programs and Policy

4th Edition

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BICO report

Provides U.S. agricultural export data on bulk commodities, value-added intermediate agricultural products, and high-value, consumer -oriented foods and beverages. In addition to these three product categories, the report also includes U.S. export data on forest products and edible fish and seafood products. Within these five product categories, trade data is provided for 46 separate product groups. The report organizes export data by country and by product.
See Also:
export. forest products. high-value.

BXN cotton

Transgenic cotton resistant to the herbicide Buctril7, thus allowing for the use of Buctril for broadleaf weed control.
See Also:
broadleaf. cotton. herbicide. resistant. Transgenic. weed.

Babcock test

Traditional method of measuring the butterfat content of milk.
See Also:
butterfat.

Baby beef

Baby beef and calf are interchangeable terms used to describe young cattle weighing about 700 pounds that have been raised mainly on milk and grass. The meat cuts from baby beef are smaller; the meat is light red and contains less fat than beef. The fat may have a yellow tint due to the vitamin A in grass.
See Also:
beef. calf. meat. raised.

Baby lamb

Animals produced year-round by controlled breeding and marketed at six to ten weeks of age before weaning.
See Also:
breeding.

Back months

Usually referring tofutures contractsthat represent next year's crop.
See Also:
futures contracts.

Backcross

The mating of a two-breed crossbred offspring back to one of its parental breeds.
See Also:
breed.

Backfire

A blaze set in front of an advancing forest fire in an effort to check the wildfire by cutting off its fuel supply.

Backgrounding

(1) The process of grazing weaned calves to increase their size. (2) The management and feeding period from weaning until moving to a feedlot.
See Also:
feedlot. grazing. weaned.

Backyard Conservation Campaign

A Natural Resources Conservation Service campaign to inform urban, suburban, and rural residents of the good conservation work being done by farmers and ranchers. At the same time, it encourages them to adopt miniature versions of the same practices in their own backyards, for example composting, mulching, tree planting, nutrient management, and water conservation.
See Also:
conservation. Natural Resources Conservation Service. nutrient. rural. urban.

Bactericide

A pesticide used to control or destroy bacteria.
See Also:
pesticide.

Bacteriologist

One who studies bacteria.

Bacteriophage(s)

Viruses whose hosts are bacterial cells. Bacteriophages infect host cells by delivery of the bacteriophage genome into the cytoplasm of the bacterial host, where it interacts with the cellular machinery to carry the bacteriophage life cycle forward. The result of infection often results in destruction of the cell.
See Also:
genome.

Bag

See Udder.
See Also:
Udder.

Bait(s)

Pesticide-impregnated material that acts as a food substance attractive to pests.
See Also:
Pesticide.

Baitfish

Golden shiners, fathead minnows, and goldfish used as fishing bait.

Baitfish industry (warmwater)

The production in ponds of golden shiners, fathead minnows, and goldfish used as fishing bait.

Baking quality

A term applied to wheat and flour indicating performance when made into bread.

Balance of trade

Comparison of exports versus imports with a specific trading partner or in the aggregate.
See Also:
exports. imports.

Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-177)

Signed into law December 12, 1985. Also known as the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, the law was designed to eliminate the federal budget deficit by October 1, 1990. Amended in 1987 (P.L. 100-119), the law mandated annual reductions in the federal budget deficit to eliminate it by 1993. Under the law, automatic spending cuts could occur for almost all federal programs if Congress and the President could not agree on a targeted budget package for any specific fiscal year.
See Also:
fiscal year. Gramm-Rudman-Hollings.

Balanced ration

For an animal, the daily food allowance containing all the dietary requirements to meet the purpose for which it is being fed, including normal health, growth, production, and well-being.

Balancing

A service, usually provided by cooperative associations of milk producers, to tailor the milk supplied to each handlerin a market to meet that handler's needs. It involves directing milk movements between producers' farms and handlers' plants, and diverting supplies in excess of handlers' needs to alternative outlets such as manufactured dairy product plants.
See Also:
cooperative. dairy product. farms. handler. manufactured. market.

Bale density

A unit of measurement of weight per unit volume normally expressed as pounds per cubic foot. Density is calculated by dividing the net bale weight by the bale volume in cubic feet. Volume is determined by multiplying bale length, width, and thickness. Thickness is determined by measuring from tie to tie across the crown of the bale. See Compress standard density, and Standard density (SD) (cotton).
See Also:
bale. Compress standard density. Density. Standard density (SD) (cotton).

Bale lists

Lists, provided to the Commodity Credit Corporation by cotton ginners on behalf of producers, that are the production evidence upon which loan deficiency payments are calculated.
See Also:
Commodity Credit Corporation. cotton.

Bale(d) (hay)

Both string- (35 to 60 pounds) and wire-baled (up to 180 pounds) hay using a square baler machine. Round bales produced by round baler machines can range from 600 to 2000 pounds with the bales being twine- or net-wrapped, some with plastic sheathing.
See Also:
hay.

Bale(s) (tobacco)

For flue-cured tobacco, rectangular packages weighing approximately 750 pounds. For burley tobacco, rectangular packages of either approximately 450 pounds (unitized bale) or approximately 75 pounds (farm bales or traditional bales). See Extruded tobacco.
See Also:
bale. burley tobacco. Extruded tobacco. farm. flue-cured tobacco. unitized.

Bale(s) (wool)

Traditionally, uncompressed wool bound in bags of between 240 pounds and 450 pounds.
See Also:
compressed. wool.

Bale(s); baled (cotton)

Approximately 480 (net) to 500 (gross) pounds of ginned, compressed, and bound cotton. See Flat or modified flat bale; flat/modified flat bale, and Mote bales.
See Also:
compressed. cotton. Flat or modified flat bale. Mote bales.

Baling (cotton)

After ginning, the cotton lint is compressed into rectangular bales that are sheathed in burlap or plastic bagging and bound with metal bands. The bales are then sent to mills for further manufacturing.
See Also:
compressed. cotton lint.

Baling (hay)

Following mowing and drying, hay is lifted onto conveyor belts that carry the hay into the baling chamber of a mechanical hay baler. See Bale(d) (hay).
See Also:
Bale(d) (hay). hay.

Band application

A method of applying fertilizer in bands near plant rows where the fertilizer will be more efficiently used rather than applying it in an application to the entire soil surface.
See Also:
fertilizer. soil.

Bang's disease

See Brucellosis.
See Also:
Brucellosis.

Bank guarantee (export)

An assurance, obtained from a bank by a foreign purchaser, that a bank will pay an exporter up to a given amount for goods shipped if the foreign purchaser defaults. See Letter(s) of credit.
See Also:
Letter(s) of credit.

Bank(s) for Cooperatives (BC)

A bank, operating under Title III of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended, including CoBank, individual and regional Banks for Cooperatives, and Agricultural Credit Banks, that provides credit to all agricultural and aquacultural cooperatives. TheFarm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 5402) provided greater authority to finance the importand export of agricultural supplies. See CoBank, and Farm Credit System (FCS).
See Also:
agricultural supplies. CoBank. export. Farm Credit Act of 1971. Farm Credit System (FCS). Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. import.

Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935 (7 U.S.C. §§ 427 et seq.)

Signed into law June 29, 1935. The Act, as amended, sought to promote the interests of agriculture by authorizing the USDA to engage in basic research, including research pursued cooperatively with state agricultural experiment stations. The Act also increased support for land grant universities.
See Also:
basic research.

Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 (P.L. 75-210) (7 U.S.C. §§ 1010-1012)

Signed into law July 22, 1937. The Act authorized federal acquisition of eroded and exhausted farm lands, and required the USDA to develop a program of land conservation and utilization to correct maladjustments in land use and assist in such things asreforestation and the protection of fish, wildlife, and natural resources.
See Also:
authorized. conservation. farm. program. reforestation. resources. utilization.

Bargaining association(s)

Cooperative organization whose major objective is to improve the economic climate of the producers of a particular commodity as to price, terms of sale, or better markets. Bargaining associations generally fall into five categories: bargaining or sales agent, marketing type, exclusive representative in collective bargaining, market service association, and exclusive agency bargaining. Also Farm bargaining association(s).
See Also:
bargaining or sales agent. commodity. Cooperative. exclusive representative in collective bargaining. Farm bargaining association(s). market service association. marketing type.

Bargaining or sales agent (bargaining association)

Under this type of bargaining association, the membership agreements generally provide that, as the exclusive bargaining or selling agent, the bargaining association will bargain or negotiate with buyers the prices and terms of sale on behalf of the members. The members agree that they will not otherwise sell or contract for the sale of their production except under such minimum terms as established or approved by the bargaining association. In most cases, liquidated damages are provided for should the members market the production they have under contract with the bargaining association at prices or terms that are less than those established by the bargaining association.
See Also:
association. bargaining. bargaining association. contract. market.

Barley

A cereal grain that tolerates poorer soils and lower temperatures better than does wheat. It is used as alivestock feed, for malt, and for preparing foods. The roasted grains are a coffee substitute.
See Also:
feed. grains. livestock. malt.

Barn (freestall)

An on-farm structure that houses dairy cows. It consists of multiple individual stalls arranged in rows with the rows separated by alleys. Freestall barns are open-sided structures with only a roof supported by poles. Cows are free to wander and occupy any open stall when in the barn, as opposed to a stanchion barn in which cows occupy designated stalls.
See Also:
farm. Freestall barn. stanchion barn.

Barn (herringbone)

See Barn (milking).
See Also:
Barn (milking).

Barn (milking)

An on-farm structure that contains the milking machine. Cows are brought to the milking barn in large groups for milking, usually twice and sometimes three times a day. The barn may be referred to by the arrangement of the milking machine. For example, a herringbone barn is a milking barn that contains a milking machine with parallel stalls at angles, resembling the bones of a fish. A rotary barn describes a milking machine built in a circle that rotates as cows are milked.
See Also:
farm. herringbone barn. rotary barn.

Barn (rotary)

See Barn (milking).
See Also:
Barn (milking).

Barn (stanchion)

An older style, on-farm structure that houses dairy cows. Stanchion barns are typically enclosed on all sides. Cows occupy designated stalls, as opposed to a freestall barn in which cows are free to wander and occupy any open stall.
See Also:
freestall barn.

Barn sour

(1) A horse that objects to being ridden away from the barn. (2) A herd-bound horse that objects to leaving its pasture mates.
See Also:
barn.

Barn(s)

A building (other than a dwelling) on a farm, ranch, or other agricultural operation for housing animals, storing or processing crops, storing and maintaining agricultural equipment, or serving an essential or useful purpose related to agricultural activities conducted on the adjacent land. See Historic barn,andHistoric barn preservation program.
See Also:
agricultural operation. farm. Historic barn. Historic barn preservation program. processing.

Barrel cheese; barrel(s)

A form of packaging rather than a type of cheese. The barrel is a plastic-lined cardboard container that holds approximately 500 pounds of cheese. Barrel packaging is typically used for bulk cheese that will be further processed. See Block(s).
See Also:
Block(s). bulk.

Barrow(s)

A young, castrated male pig.

Barter

Trade in which goods, materials, and services are traded directly for goods, materials, and services, all without the exchange of money.

Basal area (tree)

A cross-sectional area of a tree, in square feet, measured at breast height (4.5 feet above the ground level). Used as a method of measuring the volume of timber in a given stand.
See Also:
breast height. stand.

Basal cover (area)

The area of ground surface covered by the stem or stems of a rangeland plant, usually measured one inch above the soil, in contrast to the full spread of the foliage.
See Also:
plant. rangeland. soil.

Base

See Base acres (acreage), and Crop acreage base (CAB).
See Also:
Base acres (acreage). Crop acreage base (CAB).

Base acres (acreage)

Under Sec. 1101(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the acreage of a covered commodity and oilseeds eligible to participate in direct payments and counter-cyclical payments. See Alternative calculation methods, Crop acreage base (CAB),and Update; updating.
See Also:
acreage. Alternative calculation methods. covered commodity. Crop acreage base (CAB). eligible. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. oilseeds. Update; updating.

Base acres (acreage) (peanuts)

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1302(d)), for direct paymentsand counter-cyclical payments, the total number of acres assigned to a farm of a historic peanut producer using a four-year (1998-2001) average ofacreage planted to peanuts or acreage on which the producer was prevented from planting peanuts.
See Also:
acreage. assigned. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. historic peanut producer. producer.

Base adjustment

(1) Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, the Farm Service Agency was given the authority to adjust a crop acreage base for any program crop on any farm if the crop acreage base was adversely affected by factors beyond the control of that producer. (2) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1101(e)), the USDA is directed to provide for an adjustment in base acreage when a Conservation Reserve Program contract expires or is terminated voluntarily. See Update; updating.
See Also:
crop acreage base. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Farm Service Agency. Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. producer. program crop. Update; updating.

Base and yield analyzer

A decision support tool to assist producers in analyzing the economic consequences of selecting various base and yield alternatives under the direct payment program and counter-cyclical program. The analyzer is designed to help producers navigate through the numerous base and yield options, which is especially important since counter-cyclical payments are based on uncertain future crop prices.
See Also:
base.

Base building

Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, in order to increase crop acreage base for any program crop, every program crop on that farm must have been kept out of the program during the year in which the producer wished to increase the crop acreage base. Crop acreage base for wheat and feedgrains was calculated using a five-year average; a three-year average was used for rice and cotton. Therefore, any wheat and feedgrain farm that remained out of the program for one year could increase its wheat and feedgrain crop acreage base the following year by 20 percent of that acreageplanted above the previous crop acreage base; the figure was 33 percent for cotton and rice. See Update; updating.
See Also:
acreage. cotton. crop acreage base. farm. Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. producer. program. program crop. Update; updating.

Base grade (cotton)

A selected grade of cotton used by cotton merchants as a basis for contracts, premiums, and discounts.
See Also:
cotton. grade.

Base mix

A uniform feed mixture of macro-minerals, micro-minerals, vitamins, and a carrier blended together in one product and added to energy and protein sources to make up a complete feed.
See Also:
carrier. complete feed. feed. protein.

Base payment(s)

Under the Conservation Security Program, the payment of 5 percent of either the average national rental rate for the 2001 crop year for the specific land use or another appropriate rate that ensures regional equity, up to $5000 for Tier I contracts; 10 percent of either the average national rental rate for the 2001 crop year for the specific land use or another appropriate rate that ensures regional equity, up to $10,500 for Tier II contracts; and 15 percent of either the average national rental rate for the 2001 crop year for the specific land use or another appropriate rate that ensures regional equity, up to $13,500 for Tier III contracts. See Tier I (conservation security) payment(s), Tier II (conservation security) payment(s), and Tier III (conservation security) payment(s).
See Also:
Conservation Security Program. crop year. Tier I (conservation security) payment(s). Tier II (conservation security) payment(s). Tier III (conservation security) payment(s).

Base period

(1) The specified time period used as a base for an index. (2) In the Uruguay Round, 1986-88 was the base period for calculating domestic support and market access levels, and the base period for export subsidies was 1986-90. (3) For tobacco, the five calendar years immediately preceding the year for which farm acreage allotments or marketing quotas are currently being established. For burley tobacco marketing quotas established effective for the 1994 and subsequent crop years, the base period shall be the three calendar years immediately preceding the year for which farm marketing quotas are currently being established. For all other kinds of tobacco, the five-year base period shall remain in effect.
See Also:
burley tobacco. market. tobacco. Uruguay Round.

Base period price

The average price for an item in a specified time period used as a base for an index, such as 1910-14, 1957-59, and 1967.

Base price

(1) A basic contract price established on minimum quality standards from which premiums or discounts are assessed. (2) See Parity price(s). (3) See Base price (livestock). (4) See Base price (milk). (5) The price used to calculate revenue guarantees for revenue insurance products. Base prices are averages of settlement prices of Chicago Board of Trade futures contracts. See Projected price.
See Also:
Base price (livestock). Base price (milk). contract. Parity price(s). Projected price. revenue insurance.

Base price (livestock)

The price paid for livestock delivered at the packing plant before application of any premiums or discounts, expressed in dollars per hundred pounds of carcass weight.
See Also:
carcass weight. livestock. packing plant.

Base price (milk)

Previously, in federal milk marketing orders the basic formula price served as the Class III price and as the building block, or base price, upon which differentials were placed for both the Class I price for fluid milk and the Class II price for soft, perishable, manufactured dairy products. Under the recent USDA final rule, the base price is now the higher of the Class III price for cheese or the separate Class IV price for butter and dry milk products.
See Also:
basic formula price. Class I price. Class II price. Class III price. Class IV price. fluid milk.

Base programs (Extension)

The major, ongoing educational efforts central to the mission of the Cooperative Extension System and common to most System units. The System's base programsinvolve Smith-Lever 3(b&c), Payments to 1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University, and D.C. Extension, and include agricultural competitiveness and profitability; community resource and economic development; family development and resource management; 4-H and youth development; leadership and volunteer development; natural resources and environmental management; and nutrition, diet, and health. See Cooperative Extension System (CES).
See Also:
4-H. Cooperative Extension System. Cooperative Extension System (CES). Extension. Payments to 1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University. resources. Smith-Lever 3(b&c). System.

Base rent plus bonus lease

A flexible leasein which a minimum base rent is established using an expected price and yield. A bonus is paid if the actual price or yield is higher than expected. See Adjustment for price and yield lease, Adjustment for price only lease, Adjustment for yield only lease, and Percentage share lease.
See Also:
Adjustment for price and yield lease. Adjustment for price only lease. Adjustment for yield only lease. flexible lease. Percentage share lease.

Base updating

See Update; Updating.
See Also:
Update; Updating.

Basic commodity(ies)

Six storable commodities designated in the Agricultural Act of 1949as requiring specific price-support programs (rice, cotton, corn, wheat, peanuts, and tobacco).
See Also:
Agricultural Act of 1949. cotton. storable.

Basic conservation system

A combination of conservation practices, including crop rotation and installing conservation structures, that reduces annual soil loss due to erosion to T levels.
See Also:
conservation. crop rotation. erosion. soil. T.

Basic food groups

Using the Food Guide Pyramid, the (a) bread, cereals, rice and pasta group; (b) vegetable and fruit group; (c) dairy group; (d) meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group; and (e) fats, oils, and sweets group.
See Also:
Food Guide Pyramid. meat. poultry.

Basic food(s)

(1) According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, rice, grains, oilseeds, and meat. (2) According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the main bulk of rations in emergency operations that provide the majority of energy, protein, and fat required by recipients. These foods include staples such as wheat, corn, grain sorghum, roots, and tubers, as well as vegetable oil and protein-rich foods such as pulses.
See Also:
Food and Agriculture Organization. grain sorghum. grains. meat. oilseeds. protein. pulses. U.S. Agency for International Development.

Basic formula price (BFP)

Under an old dairy pricing formula, the price calculated monthly by the USDA that was the building block for pricing most milk in the nation. In May 1995 the BFP replaced the Minnesota-Wisconsin price as the base priceof manufacturing milk. It was based on market prices paid by processors for unregulated Grade B milk in the upper Midwest, and was primarily driven by the price of cheese on the National Cheese Exchange in Wisconsin. The BFP has served as the Class III price and the base price for the Class I price and the Class II price. The USDA issued an interim final rule to replace the BFP with the higher of the new Class III price for cheese or the separate Class IV price for butter and dry milk products in December 2000 to be effective January 1, 2001. These, in turn, were enjoined by the federal District Court of the District of Columbia on January 31, 2001. In October 2001, the USDA issued a recommended decision altering the pricing formulas. A final decision, making some minor changes from the recommended decision, was made November 7, 2002.
See Also:
base price. Class I price. Class II price. Class III price. Class IV price. Exchange. Grade B milk. National Cheese.

Basic loan rate

The loan rate established by the Commodity Credit Corporationfor a commodity before any adjustments for premiumsand discounts. Also Formula loan rate. See Announced loan rate, Loan rate(s), and Nonrecourse loan(s).
See Also:
Announced loan rate. commodity. Commodity Credit Corporation. Formula loan rate. loan rate. Loan rate(s). Nonrecourse loan(s).

Basic quota (tobacco)

The sum of purchase intentions by manufacturers announced on December 1, plus a three-year average of unmanufactured exports, plus an adjustment for the difference between stabilization inventories and the required reserve stock level.
See Also:
reserve stock level.

Basic research

Fundamental research on principles of organisms that adds new knowledge without assurances of direct application.
See Also:
Fundamental research.

Basic unit(s)

Under crop insurance, producers can designate a basic unit per crop on all tracts of land they own or cash lease combined within a county. Producers also receive a basic unit for all land under a crop-share lease per different landlord. See Enterprise unit(s), Insurance unit(s), Optional unit(s), andWhole farm unit(s).
See Also:
cash lease. crop insurance. crop-share lease. Enterprise unit(s). Insurance unit(s). Optional unit(s). Whole farm unit(s).

Basing point(s)

Under federal milk marketing orders, the site used to establish prices based on the distance from the site. See Class I differential(s), and Multiple basing point(s).
See Also:
Class I differential(s).

Basis

In commodity futures trading, the difference between the futures price and a cash market price. A Chicago futures price usually reflects the Chicago cash price plus the cost of storage, insurance, and interest from today until the delivery date in the future. Local basis differs from basis at the delivery point by roughly the cost of transportation.
See Also:
cash market. cash price. commodity futures trading. delivery. delivery point. futures. price. storage.

Basis contract(s)

A grain or cotton marketing contractthat allows a producer to lock in a basis that is over or under a specific futures contract. The price received is the futures month price, plus or minus the basis level agreed to in the contract. See Forward contract(s)(ing).
See Also:
basis. contract. cotton. Forward contract(s)(ing). futures. futures contract. grain. marketing. producer.

Basis point

One one-hundredth of one percent.

Basis risk

Risk of varying fluctuations of the spot priceand the futures price between the moment at which a position is opened and the moment at which it is closed.
See Also:
futures. price. spot.

Basted

The industry practice of injecting a specific volume of liquid into raw poultry and poultry parts to improve tenderness, juiciness, or flavor, and to improve cooking time. The basting solution may be broth, butter, or vegetable oil.
See Also:
poultry.

Batt

Matted lint cotton.

Battery cage(s)

A wire-mesh cage used to house layers during laying season.
See Also:
cage. layers.

Beak trimming

See Debeak.
See Also:
Debeak.

Bed(s)

A truncated mound of soil mechanically formed (through plowing or blading) at regular spacing across a field for the purpose of improving temperature and moisture conditions during seed germination and stand establishment. In the humid southern and irrigated western U.S., cotton is usually planted in single-row or double-row beds. Also Seedbed.
See Also:
cotton. irrigated. Seedbed. soil.

Bedding

Typically, straw, sawdust, wood shavings, seed hulls, hay, peat moss, or sand used as flooring in animal facilities for animal comfort and an absorbent for waste collection.
See Also:
hay.

Bedrock

Solid rock that generally underlies soil and other unconsolidated materials. See Horizon(s).
See Also:
Horizon(s). soil.

Beef

Meat from cattle (bovine species) other than calves. Meat from calves is called veal.
See Also:
bovine. Meat. species. veal.

Beef (carcass) grading

The beef carcass grades identify two separate general characteristics: (a) the expected yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts from the major wholesale cuts (round, sirloin, short loin, rib, and square-cut chuck) of a carcassBreferred to as the yield grade, and (b) characteristics of the meat that predict the palatability of the leanBreferred to as the quality grade. When officially graded, the grade of a steer, heifer, cow, or bullock carcass may consist of the quality grade only, the yield grade only, or a combination of the quality grade and the yield grade. The grade of a bull carcass consists of the yield grade only. While inspection is mandatory, grading is voluntary, and a plant pays to have its meat graded.
See Also:
beef. bull. bullock. cow. grading. heifer. inspection. lean. meat. palatability. quality grade. retail cuts. steer. wholesale cuts. yield grade.

Beef Belt

Area of the U.S. where commercial beef production, slaughtering, and processing are concentrated.
See Also:
beef. processing.

Beef cattle price (index) (BPI)

The average annual price for beef cattle in the sixteen contiguous Western states to be utilized in the formula for calculating grazing fees.
See Also:
beef. sixteen contiguous Western states.

Beefalo

A hybrid cattle breed that is 3/8 bison, 3/8 Charolais, and 1/4 Hereford.
See Also:
breed. hybrid.

Beefy; beefiness

A term used to designate the desirable physical conformation of a beef animal, as contrasted with a dairy animal which is trimmer and more angular.
See Also:
beef. conformation.

Beestings

The first milk a cow gives after calving; very high in protein.
See Also:
protein.

Beet sugar

Sugar, whether or not principally of crystalline structure, that is processed directly or indirectly from domestically produced sugarbeets (including sugar produced from sugarbeet molasses).
See Also:
molasses. processed.

Beggar-thy-neighbor policy

A course of action through which a country tries to reduce unemployment and increase domestic output by raising tariffs and instituting nontariff trade barriers that impedeimports, thereby encouraging retaliation, which worsens the economic difficulties that precipitated the initial protectionist action.
See Also:
nontariff trade barriers. retaliation.

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

Authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 7405), a development program for beginning farmers and ranchers to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives. Matching grants to a state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of public or private entities are available to implement the program, including providing services such as mentoring, resource referral, model land leasing, business training,risk management, whole-farm planning, diversification and marketing strategies, basic farming practices, curriculum development, and environmental compliance. See Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse.
See Also:
Authorized. Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. marketing. program. risk management. technical assistance. whole-farm planning.

Beginning; beginning farmer(s) and (or) rancher(s) (qualified)

(1) For purposes of Farm Service Agency loans, research, Extension, and conservation programs, a producer who has operated a farm or ranch for no more than ten years. The producer must substantially participate in the operation of the farm. (2) Under the Farm Credit System YBS initiative, a farmer, rancher, produceror harvester of aquatic products, or one who is in the process of establishing an agricultural operation and who has not assumed the full control and risk thereof for longer than ten years. (3) Under the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 7405), a person who has not operated a farm or ranch, or has not operated a farm or ranch for more than ten years, and who meets other criteria set by the USDA.
See Also:
agricultural operation. authorized. Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. conservation. Extension. farm. Farm Credit System. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. person. producer.

Belly wool; bellies

Wool that grows on the belly of the sheep. It is often uneven, tender, and shorter than wool from other parts of the body. It is often coarser, stained, and seedy.
See Also:
tender. Wool.

Belt(s)

Inclined conveyors for moving grain horizontally. Belts are preferred over legs because they cause less damage to grain and create less dust. Also Inclined belt(s). SeeLeg, Marine leg, Sampler, and Tripper.
See Also:
grain. Inclined belt(s). Leg. Marine leg. Sampler. Tripper.

Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (Beltsville) (BARC)

Established at Beltsville, Maryland, in 1910 and is the largest ARS laboratory in the country. BARC includes the Beltsville Human Nutrition Center, the Livestock and Poultry Science Laboratory, the Natural Resources Institute, the Plant Sciences Institute, and the National Agricultural Library.
See Also:
Livestock. National Agricultural Library. Poultry. Resources.

Benchmark

An annual set of strategies and goals established for the purpose of measuring performance.

Beneficial interest(s)

For a commodity to be eligible for a loan or loan deficiency payment, the producer must have beneficial interest in the commodity in addition to other eligibility requirements. A producer retains beneficial interest in the commodity if all of the following remain with the producer: (a) control of the commodity, (b) risk of loss, and (c) title to the commodity. For loans, the producer must retain beneficial interest in the commodity from the time of harvest through the date the loan is redeemed or the Commodity Credit Corporationtakes title to the commodity. For loan deficiency payments, the producer must retain beneficial interest in the commodity from the time of harvest through the date the LDP is requested. See Good faith exception to beneficial interest requirement.
See Also:
commodity. Commodity Credit Corporation. control. eligible. Good faith exception to beneficial interest requirement. LDP. loan. loan deficiency payment. producer. risk of loss.

Beneficials; beneficial insects

Insects of benefit to man because of their useful products such as beeswax, silk, shellac, or honey; their promotion of soil fertility; their use as food for wildlife; their destruction of noxious weedsand injurious insects; their aiding in pollination; and their use in scientific investigations.
See Also:
pollination. soil fertility.

Benefit-cost analysis

A process used for economic appraisal of a project or program. It consists of adding up all the benefits and costs of a project to society, adjusting them by using a discount rate to reflect the opportunity cost of the invested funds, and computing the value received from the project. The discount rate reflects (a) the assumptions of the researcher about preferences society has for consumption today over the future, (b) the amount that could be earned if the funds had been invested elsewhere (opportunity cost), or (c) some combination of each.
See Also:
program.

Best management practice(s) (BMP)

A concept describing the set of activities that represent the most effective way to limit environmental impacts on, most generally, surface water. In farming, BMPs include practices designed to lessen water contamination, erosion, and runoff. These practices include ridge-, no-, and reduced-tillage; contour farming; filter strips; strip cropping; irrigation water management; and judicious fertilizer use.
See Also:
contour farming. erosion. fertilizer. irrigation water management. no. ridge. runoff. strip cropping.

Bias

Occurs when problems in research design lead to effects that are not related to the variables being studied.

Bid

In commodity futures trading, an expression indicating a desire to buy a commodity at a given price; opposite of offer. See Offer.
See Also:
commodity. commodity futures trading. offer.

Bidding down

(1) Under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, if the USDA determines that the environmental values of two or more applications for cost-share payments or incentive payments are comparable, the USDA shall not assign a higher priority to an application only because it would present the least cost to the program. (2) Under the Farmland Protection Program, if the USDA determines that two or more applications for the purchase of a conservation easement or other interest in eligible land are comparable in achieving the purposes of the program, the USDA shall not assign a higher priority to any one of those applications solely on the basis of lesser cost to the program.
See Also:
conservation easement. cost-share. eligible land. Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Farmland Protection Program. payments. program.

Biennual (plant)

Typically, plants that germinate from seed in the spring and devote the first year's growing season to developing. During the second spring or summer in the following year, the plants flower, set seed, and then die at the end of that growing season.
See Also:
germinate. growing season.

Big Three

The three largest beef packers that control three-quarters of the slaughter market share in the U.S. See Concentration.
See Also:
beef. Concentration. market. packers.

Bilateral (trade) agreement(s)

A trade agreement between any two nations. The agreement may be either preferential (applying only to the two countries involved), or most favored nation (negotiated between the two countries but extending to all or most other countries that comply with the terms of the agreement between the two nations).

Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (P.L. 104-210)

Signed into law October 1, 1996. The Act converts Title IV of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, known as the Model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, into permanent law, within the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. The Act is designed to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and churches for distribution to needy individuals. The Act promotes food recovery by limiting the liability of donors to instances of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. The Act further states that, absent gross negligence or intentional misconduct, persons, gleaners, and nonprofit organizations shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery products received as donations. It also establishes basic nationwide uniform definitions pertaining to donation and distribution of nutritious foods and will help assure that donated foods meet all quality and labeling standards of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
See Also:
Child Nutrition Act of 1966. s.

Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust

The Africa: Seeds of Hope Act of 1998 established a replenishment mechanism to enable the USDA to purchase commodities for overseas emergencies in advance, when prices are low, instead of waiting for emergencies when commodity prices may be high. The Trust enhances the capacity of the U.S. to respond to urgent humanitarian food crises in a timely manner. The Trust was reauthorized through fiscal year 2007 by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 3202). See Food Security Commodity Reserve.
See Also:
authorized. commodity. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. fiscal year. Food Security Commodity Reserve.

Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowship

A fellowship program,authorized by the Congressional Hunger Fellows Act of 2002,toaddress hunger and other humanitarian needs in the U.S. See Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship.
See Also:
authorized. Congressional Hunger Fellows Act of 2002. Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship. program. to.

Bill(s) of lading (B/L)

A document issued by a carrier to a shipper (origin of goods, destination, consignor, consignee, description of shipment) that is both a receipt for merchandise and a contract to deliver it as freight. See Waybill (WB).
See Also:
contract. deliver. Waybill (WB).

Binational Agricultural Research and Development program (BARD)

An agreement between the U.S. and Israel to establish an endowment fund to help sponsor greater scientific cooperation between the two countries in the area of agricultural research.

Binding(s)

See Bound tariff rate(s).
See Also:
Bound tariff rate(s).

Bioaccumulation

The net accumulation of a substance by an organism as a result of uptake from all environmental sources. As an organism ages, it can accumulate more of these substances, either from its food or directly from the environment. Bioaccumulation of a toxic substance has the potential to cause harm to organisms, particularly to those at the top of the food chain. See Biomagnification.
See Also:
Biomagnification.

Bioassay

A method of testing a material for its effects on living organisms.

Bioavailability

The relative ability of nutrients in foods to be properly digested or absorbed.

Biobased

Generally, products which are predominately made from biological materials. Also known as biodegradable. See Biobased product(s).
See Also:
Biobased product(s). biodegradable.

Biobased Products/Bioenergy Initiative

A Presidential initiative within the Department of Energy to expand markets for agricultural and forestry products, to reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports, expand ruralbusiness opportunities, and cut pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
See Also:
forestry. greenhouse gas. rural.

Biobased industrial product(s)

Fuels, chemicals, building materials, electric power, or heat produced from biomass.
See Also:
biomass.

Biobased product(s)

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002(Title IX, Sec. 9001), a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.
See Also:
biological products. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. feed. forestry. plant.

Biobased products pilot project

The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Sec. 404) authorized the USDA to enter into cooperative agreements with private entities to use the facilities and expertise of the Agricultural Research Service to develop and commercialize newbiobased products and to carry out an ARS-based pilot project. The pilot program was reauthorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 7124).
See Also:
Agricultural Research Service. Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. authorized. biobased products. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. program.

Biochemical pesticides

Naturally occurring substances that control pests through nontoxic mechanisms. Biochemical pesticides include substances such as pheromones that interfere with the growth or mating of a pest. See Biopesticide(s).
See Also:
Biochemical. Biopesticide(s). pest.

Biochemical(s)

Naturally occurring or identical to naturally occurring substances, including hormones, pheromones, and enzymes.

Biochemist

One who studies the chemistry of living organisms.

Biocides

Chemical pesticides that kill microorganisms.
See Also:
microorganisms.

Biocontrol

See Biological control(s) (biocontrol) (of pests).
See Also:
Biological control(s) (biocontrol) (of pests).

Biodegradable

See Degradable.
See Also:
Degradable.

Biodiesel

An alternative fuel, most commonly produced from soybean oil, that can be blended with petroleum diesel.
See Also:
alternative fuel.

Biodiesel Fuel Education Program

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9004), a program to educate governmental and private entities that operate vehicle fleets, other interested entities, and the public about the benefits of biodiesel fuel use.
See Also:
biodiesel. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. program.

Biodiversity

Naturally occurring variety of different organisms in an ecological system.
See Also:
variety.

Biodynamic agriculture; biodynamic farming

A concept and practice of farming that emphasizes working in concert with the forces within "living nature." Central to the biodynamic method are certain herbal preparations that guide the decomposition processes for manures and compost.
See Also:
compost.

Bioenergy

(1) Useful, renewable energy produced from the conversion of complex carbohydrates in organic matter to energy. Organic matter may either be used directly as a fuel or processed into liquids and gases. (2) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9010), both biodiesel and fuel grade ethanol.
See Also:
biodiesel. ethanol. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. organic matter.

Bioenergy Feedstock Development programs

The Department of Energy (DOE) programs, assisted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and funded by the DOE, that provide technical leadership in feedstock research through two integrated programs: Biopower Feedstock Development Program and Biofuels Feedstock Development Program. These programs perform research, development, and analysis to establish that biomass supply systems can be environmentally beneficial and commercially viable. They emphasize developing new, sustainable energy resources based on solar energy captured by living plants. The research is carried out in partnership with universities, other government agencies, and the private sector.
See Also:
Biofuels Feedstock Development Program. biomass. Biopower Feedstock Development Program. sustainable.

Bioenergy Program

A programestablished under the authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (Sec. 5(e)) and amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9010), to expand industrial consumption of agricultural commodities by promoting their use in production of bioenergy. The CCC will make cash payments to bioenergy producers compensating them for a portion of their increased commodity purchases made to expand existing production of bioenergy and to encourage the construction of new production capacity.
See Also:
bioenergy. CCC. commodity. Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. program.

Bioengineering; bioengineered

See Biotechnology, and Genetic engineering; genetically engineered.
See Also:
Biotechnology. Genetic engineering; genetically engineered.

Biofilms

Microscopic animals, plants, and bacteria attached to a surface by a slime layer that also offers protection. Some biofilms possess bioremediation properties.
See Also:
bioremediation.

Biofuels

Liquid fuels that are derived from biological materials.

Biofuels Feedstock Development Program

See Bioenergy Feedstock Development programs.
See Also:
Bioenergy Feedstock Development programs.

Biogas

The gas (a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, and small amounts of other gases) produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic material, primarily animal and agricultural waste. The resulting gas may be used as a fuel.

Bioinformatics

The integration of mathematical, statistical, and computer methods to quicken and enhance the understanding of biological data.

Biointensive IPM

The emphasis on a range of preventive tactics and biological controls to keep a pest population within acceptable limits. Reduced-risk pesticides are used if other tactics have not been adequately effective, as a last resort, and with care to minimize risks. See Integrated pest management (IPM).
See Also:
Integrated pest management (IPM). pest.

Biointensive gardening

A production system that makes it possible for one person to grow all of his or her food using sustainable agriculture methods that maintain the fertility of the soil without relying on nonrenewable resources such as petrochemicals or imported organic matter. Also Mini-farming.
See Also:
Mini-farming. organic matter. renewable resources. soil. sustainable agriculture.

Biological agents

Living organisms and their products derived from live organisms that are disseminated with the intention of causing disease in the target population of humans, animals, and plants.

Biological control agent(s) (organism)

A natural enemy, antagonist, or competitor, and other self-replicating biotic entity, used to control pestsor noxious weeds.
See Also:
biotic.

Biological control(s) (biocontrol) (of pests)

(1) Control, but not always a total eradication, of an insect pest achieved by using natural enemies, either indigenous or imported, or diseases to which the pest is susceptible. (2) The use of other organisms to eliminate or severely reduce pathogen populations.
See Also:
pathogen. pest.

Biological farming

A system of crop production in which the producer tries to minimize the use of pesticides for control of crop pests. Typically, biological farming also encompasses various and more specific practices and techniques such as organic farming, biodynamic agriculture, holistic management, and natural farming. Also Ecological farming
See Also:
biodynamic agriculture. crop production. Ecological farming. holistic management. natural farming. organic farming. producer.

Biological oxygen demand (BOD)

The presence of oxygen-depleting waste materials in water which threatens aquatic life.

Biological products

All viruses, serums,toxins (excluding substances that are selectively toxic to microorganisms, e.g., antibiotics), or analogous products at any stage of production, shipment, distribution, or sale, that are intended for use in the treatment of animals and that act primarily through the direct stimulation, supplementation, enhancement, or modulation of the immune system or immune response. The term includes, but is not limited to, vaccines, bacterins, allergens, antibodies, antitoxins, toxoids, immunostimulants, certain cytokines, antigenic or immunizing components of live organisms, and diagnostic components, that are of natural or synthetic origin, or that are derived from synthesizing or altering various substances or components of substances such as microorganisms, genes or genetic sequences, carbohydrates, proteins, antigens, allergens, or antibodies.
See Also:
antigen. cytokines. microorganisms.

Biologicals

See Biological products.
See Also:
Biological products.

Biologics

Immunization materials, made from living or "killed" organisms and their products, used for the detection and prevention of diseases; includes serums, vaccines, bacterins, antigens, and antitoxins. See Biological products.
See Also:
Biological products.

Biomagnification

The process by which the concentration of a substance increases in different organisms at higher levels in the food chain. For example, if an organism is eaten by another organism, these substances move up the food chain and become more concentrated at each step. See Bioaccumulation.
See Also:
Bioaccumulation.

Biomarkers

Also biological markers. Molecular indicators or compounds that indicate an unambiguous link with a natural product or condition.

Biomass

Any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Title IX, Sec. 9001), biomass includes agricultural crops, trees grown for energy production, wood waste and wood residues, plants (including aquatic plants and grasses), residues, fibers, animals wastes and other waste materials, and fats, oils, and greases (including recycled fats, oils, and greases), but not recycled paper or unsegregated solid waste.
See Also:
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. organic matter.

Biomass (energy)

Liquid fuels produced from renewable resources.
See Also:
renewable resources.

Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 (Title III of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000)

The Act establishes a biomass research and development initiative. Because biomassis in the national interest, Congress determined it is appropriate to provide pre-commercial investment in fundamental research and research-driven innovation in the biomass processing area. The USDA and Department of Energy (DOE) were directed to cooperate and coordinate policies and procedures that promote research and development leading to the production of biobased industrial products. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9008) extended the termination of authority from December 31, 2005, to September 30, 2007.
See Also:
biomass. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act. fundamental research. processing.

Biomass industrial product

Fuels, chemicals, building materials, or electric power or heat produced from biomass.
See Also:
biomass.

Biopesticide(s)

Pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals, as opposed to synthetic pesticides. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, biopesticides are thought to be advantageous because they are usually less harmful than conventional pesticides, generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, are often effective in small quantities that decompose quickly, and can greatly decrease the use of conventional pesticides without crop yield loss when used as a component of integrated pest management programs. There are three major classes of biopesticides: microbial pesticides, plant pesticides, and biochemical pesticides. See Bt corn, and Bt cotton.
See Also:
biochemical pesticides. Bt corn. Bt cotton. Environmental Protection Agency. integrated pest management. microbial pesticides. pest. plant pesticides.

Biopower

Renewal energy produced through the use of plant materials. See Energy crops.
See Also:
Energy crops. plant.

Biopower Feedstock Development Program

See Bioenergy Feedstock Development programs.
See Also:
Bioenergy Feedstock Development programs.

Biorefinery

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9003(b)(2)), equipment and processes that convert biomass into fuels and chemicals and may produce electricity.
See Also:
biomass. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

Biorefinery Development Grants

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 9003), grants used to assist in the development of new and emerging technologies using biomass including developing transportation and other fuels, chemicals, and energy from renewable resources; increasing the energy independence of the U.S.; providing beneficial effects on conservation, public health, and the environment; diversifying markets for raw agricultural and forestry products; and creating jobs and enhancing the economic development of the rural economy.
See Also:
biomass. conservation. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. forestry. renewable resources. rural.

Bioremediation

The process by which living organisms act to degrade or transform hazardous organic contaminants.
See Also:
organic.

Biosecurity

(1) A practice designed to prevent the spread of disease on farms. It is accomplished by maintaining the farm in such a way that there is minimal traffic of biological organisms (e.g., viruses, bacteria, rodents) across its borders. Biosecurity has three major components: isolation, traffic control, and sanitation. (2) Securing a nation's food supply from accidental and deliberate threats. See Bioterrorism.
See Also:
Bioterrorism. farm. farms.

Biosolid(s)

The soil-like residue of materials removed from waste during the treatment process. During treatment, bacteria and other tiny organisms break waste down into simpler, harmless organic matter. The organic matter, combined with bacterial cell masses, settles out to form biosolids.
See Also:
organic matter. process. residue. soil.

Biosphere

The zone where all living things are located.

Biota; biotic

The animal and plant life of a particular region considered as a total ecological entity.
See Also:
plant.

Biotechnology

Use of microorganisms, plant cells, animal cells, or parts of cells to produce new products or to carry out life processes.
See Also:
microorganisms. plant.

Biotechnology and Agricultural Trade Program

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 3204) required the USDA to establish a program to remove, resolve, or mitigate nontariff trade barriers to U.S. exports through quick response intervention or developing protocols as part of bilateral agreements on food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and disease issues.
See Also:
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. nontariff trade barriers. program. sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Bioterrorism

(1) Terrorism directed at a nation's food supply. (2) The use of biological agents such as microorganisms or toxins to cause fear and/or to sicken or kill plants, animals, and humans. See Biosecurity.
See Also:
Biosecurity. microorganisms.

Biotic (communities)

The assemblage of native and exotic plants and animals associated with a particular site or landscape, including microorganisms, fungi, algae, vascular and herbaceous plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates.
See Also:
herbaceous. microorganisms.

Biotrophs

Parasitic fungi that need a living host to complete their life cycles.

Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-210)

Division B of the Trade Act of 2002that contains the reauthorization of trade promotion authority.
See Also:
authorization. Trade Act of 2002. trade promotion authority.

Bird-by-bird inspection

See Continuous inspection.
See Also:
Continuous inspection.

Birds, rats, and mice

See Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
See Also:
Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

Birth litter (swine)

Total born pigs produced by one breeding female at one farrowing. See Nurse litter (swine), and Wean litter (swine).
See Also:
breeding. farrowing. Nurse litter (swine). Wean litter (swine).

Black cutters

See Dark-cutting beef.
See Also:
Dark-cutting beef.

Black light test

A common test for the presence of aflatoxin that is also known as the BGYF (bright greenish yellow fluorescence) test. Corn is inspected under the UV lamp (long-wave ultraviolet light) for a characteristic bright greenish yellow fluorescence in broken and damaged kernels. The characteristic fluorescence is associated with the presence of kojic acid produced from the aflatoxin-producing fungi.
See Also:
acid. aflatoxin. broken. damaged kernels.

Black-out (pullet) house

The housing used for light (either artificial or natural) management to stimulate the final elements ofpullet sexual maturity for efficient egg production. The properly sensitized bird will come into production on time, an essential element to managing breeder flock placement times. One by-product of a good black-out program is better control of growth and feed consumption.
See Also:
breeder. feed. program. pullet.

Blackleg

Clostridium bacterial infection of cattle that causes swelling of legs and is often fatal.

Blair House Agreement

See 1992 Blair House Memorandum of Understanding on Oilseeds (Blair House Agreement).
See Also:
1992 Blair House Memorandum of Understanding on Oilseeds (Blair House Agreement).

Blanching

Except for tree nuts and peanuts, a prepackaging heat treatment of foodstuffs for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to partially or completely inactivate the naturally occurring enzymes and to effect other physical or biochemical changes in the food.
See Also:
biochemical.

Blast

A rice disease caused by the fungus Pyricularia grisea. The disease can have different forms: leaf blast, node blast, or neck blast. Lesions on panicle neck nodes may result in empty panicles.
See Also:
panicle.

Bleached; bleached grains

Grains treated with sulfurous acid or any other bleaching agent.
See Also:
acid. Grains.

Blend price

The price paid to producers for Grade A milk when classified pricing is used in an individual handler pool. The blend price is an average of class prices weighted by the quantity of milk utilized in each class. Producers participating in a pool receive its blend price with adjustments for butterfat content and farm location, if so specified. See Marketwide pool(ing), and Total value of producer milk.
See Also:
blend. butterfat. classified pricing. farm. Grade A milk. individual handler pool. Marketwide pool(ing). pool. Total value of producer milk.

Blend(s)

(1) The combination of different classes and types of tobacco to produce a desired flavor, aroma, or burn. The blend of most cigarettes and smoking tobaccos is kept secret. (2) Combining grains with different moisture or other content in order to meet contract specifications. (3) Wools from several different lots that are blended and mechanically mixed to achieve uniform quality and color. (4) A textile containing two or more different fibers, variants of the same fiber, or different colors and grades of the same fiber.
See Also:
contract. fiber. grains. textile. tobacco.

Blended credit

A former financing plan for export sales in which government credit guarantees or government credit at lower interest rates was blended with regular commercial credit to provide lower interest rates and more favorable terms for foreign buyers. For example, blended credit included a combination of GSM-5 funds at zero percent interest with GSM-102 funds at commercial rates for terms up to three years.
See Also:
export. GSM-102. GSM-5.

Blended foods

PL 480 foods consisting of finely granulated precooked cereal flour, soy flour, and grains fortified with vitamins and minerals. These have a shorter cooking time, easier digestibility, higher donor cost, and shorter shelf life.
See Also:
cereal. grains.

Blending

See Blend(s).
See Also:
Blend.

Blight(s)

Fungal disease with symptoms of very rapid browning of leaves and stems of plants, resulting in death.

Blind experiment

See Double-blind experiment, and Single-blind experiment.
See Also:
Double-blind experiment. Single-blind experiment.

Block cheese

See Block(s).
See Also:
Block(s).

Block grant(s)

Typically regarded as mandatory grants to states, some block grants consist of smaller, specific-purpose grants consolidated into one "block." Block grants provide greater flexibility of use, and place fewer federal administrative restrictions on grantees. See Grant(s).
See Also:
Grant(s).

Block(s)

The most common packaging or style of cheese produced for wholesale distribution before it is further processed for distribution and sale. This style of natural cheese is aged in 20-, 40-, 60-, or 640-pound blocks that, like the packaging for barrel cheese, is typically used for bulk cheese. See Barrel cheese; barrel(s).
See Also:
barrel cheese. Barrel cheese; barrel(s). bulk.

Blood

An indication of fineness of wool. To have "more blood" means to have finer wool.
See Also:
wool.

Blood meal

Meal prepared from animal blood; contains 80 to 86 percent crude protein and is an excellent source of lysine.
See Also:
crude protein.

Blue Box policies

A popular expression to represent the set of provisions in the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture that exempts from reduction commitments those payments from production control programs, such as diversion payments on set-aside land.
See Also:
diversion payments. production control. set-aside.

Blue tongue

Viral disease of cattle and sheep that is transmitted by flies and mosquitos and is characterized by the swelling of the tongue.

Boar(s)

Male pig of breeding age.
See Also:
breeding.

Board foot

A volume measurement used in the estimation of lumber production; one-foot long multiplied by one-foot wide multiplied by one-inch thick.

Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD)

An organization created by the federal government to advise officials managing foreign assistance programs regarding the use of U.S. land grant and other qualified universities to support agricultural development abroad.
See Also:
land grant.

Board mill

A lumber mill that produces lumber boards or sheets of chipboard and plywood.

Board of trade

Any exchange or association, whether incorporated or unincorporated, of persons who are engaged in the business of buying or selling any commodityor receiving the same for sale on consignment.
See Also:
commodity. exchange.

Body condition

The body reserves of fat in an animal at specific stages of its production cycle.

Boll Weevil Eradication

See National Boll Weevil Eradication Program.
See Also:
National Boll Weevil Eradication Program.

Boll Weevil Eradication Loan Program

Authorized by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesAppropriations Act, 1997 (P.L. 104-180, 7 U.S.C. § 1989), and administered by the Farm Service Agency to provide assistance to producers and state government agencies to eradicate boll weevils.
See Also:
Authorized. Farm Service Agency. Rural Development.

Boll weevil(s)

Imported from Mexico, this weevil feeds on cotton bolls and is the greatest insect pest to cotton, having caused the abandonment of cotton production areas and immense disruption of economic activity. Adult boll weevils puncture cotton squares and bolls, feeding on the tissue inside, and laying their eggs in the holes. The grubs that hatch feed on the squares and bolls causing destruction or the reduced ability to develop fibers.
See Also:
cotton. pest.

Boll(s)

The fruit of the cotton plant in which the linted seeds are produced.
See Also:
cotton. plant.

Bollworm

A caterpillar that attacks cotton squares causing the squares to drop or fail to open. Bollworms also feed on corn ears, tobacco, beans, alfalfa, and flowers. AlsoPink bollworm and Corn earworm.
See Also:
alfalfa. Corn earworm. cotton. tobacco.

Bombers

An overweight carcass. Such carcasses produce primal cuts that do not fit the box.
See Also:
fit the box. primal cuts.

Bone meal

Animal bones that are steamed under pressure and then ground. It contains 1.5 to 2.5 percent nitrogen, 12 to 15 percent phosphorus, and 20 to 34 percent calcium. It is used as a fertilizer and as a mineral supplement for feeding farm animals.
See Also:
farm. fertilizer. phosphorus. supplement.

Bonus foods; bonus commodities

Commodities offered to child nutrition programs participants over and above entitlement foods. Bonus foods are offered periodically as they become available through agricultural surpluses. Entitlement foods.
See Also:
child nutrition programs. entitlement foods.

Book of business

The aggregation of all eligible crop insurance contracts in force between the reinsured company and its policyholders that have a sales closing date within theyear and are eligible to be reinsured.
See Also:
eligible. reinsured. sales closing date. year.

Booting stage

The reproductive phase of rice growth and development.

Border 21 Program

A binational effort between the U.S. and Mexico to work cooperatively toward sustainable development through protection of human health and the environment as well as proper management of natural resources in each country.
See Also:
resources. sustainable.

Border irrigation

A cross between flood and furrow irrigation that best fits straight levee rice fields or fields with no side slope. It is a flush irrigation system that moves water down the slope in a shallow flushbetween two small levees or dikes (borders). The border spacing is based on the well's flow rate and the length of the field.
See Also:
flood. flush. flush irrigation. furrow irrigation. slope.

Border price

The cost, insurance, and freight (c.i.f.) price of a commodity, with specific characteristics, at the main port of entry of an importing country. See World price(s).
See Also:
commodity. cost, insurance, and freight (c.i.f.). World price(s).

Border protection

Any measure that acts to restrain imports at point of entry.

Border(s)

See Field border(s).
See Also:
Field border(s).

Borer

An insect larva pest that makes tunnels or burrows inside a plant stem.
See Also:
pest. plant.

Borrower training (certification) (program)

Under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, as amended (Sec. 359), the USDA shall make provisions for an educational training program on financial and farm management concepts for borrowers of Farm Service Agency direct loans. To be eligible to obtain a direct loan, a borrower must obtain management assistance under this section, appropriate to the management ability of the borrower. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 5316) continues to allow waivers to borrowers who demonstrate adequate knowledge of financial and farm management, but removes liberal waiver authority previously given to county committees and requires the USDA to establish nationwide standards on waiver applicability.
See Also:
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. direct loan. eligibl. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. program.

Boston price

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1502(c)), the monthly benchmark price, under the applicable federal milk marketing order, used to establish the availability of dairy counter-cyclical payments. Eligible producers will receive a payment equal to 45 percent of the difference between $16.94 per hundredweight and the lower Boston price.
See Also:
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. federal milk marketing order. hundredweight.

Botanical pesticides

Natural pesticides derived from plants.
See Also:
pesticides.

Botulism

A serious foodborne illness caused by bacteria commonly found in soil, and often attributable to improper home-canning. Botulism can cause paralysis, respiratory failure, and death. See Foodborne illness(es).
See Also:
foodborne illness. Foodborne illness(es). soil.

Bound tariff rate(s)

Tariff rates resulting from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tradenegotiations incorporated as part of a country's schedule of concessions. Bound rates are enforceable under Article II of GATT. If a World Trade Organizationmember raises a tariff above the bound rate, the affected countries have the right to retaliate against an equivalent value of the offending country's exports or receive compensation, usually in the form of reduced tariffs on other products they export to the offending country. Also Tariff binding(s).
See Also:
compensation. GATT. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. tariff. Tariff binding(s). World Trade Organization.

Bovine

Refers to a general family grouping of cattle.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Also known as Mad Cow Disease. A chronic, degenerative, fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. See Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE).
See Also:
Mad Cow Disease. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE).

Bovine growth hormone (bST)

Bovine somatotropin. SeeGrowth hormones; growth promotants.
See Also:
Bovine. Growth hormones; growth promotants.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV)

An exogenous retrovirus that is associated with the development of malignant lymphoma in cattle.
See Also:
exogenous.

Bovine respiratory disease

Complex collection of viruses that attack cattle under stress causing severe damage to the lungs. This opens the way for invasion by pasteurella bacteria causing pneumonia. A major cause of death in transported cattle.

Bovine tuberculosis

A highly contagious bacterial disease of livestock, other animals and birds, and humans. It is a slow, debilitating disease with a long incubation period affecting the respiratory system. Animals that become infected may live and potentially spread the disease for years. Infected animals may not show symptoms until they have reached the terminal stage.
See Also:
livestock.

Boxed beef

Processed, individually packaged beef products shipped from packers to retailers. These primal cuts (round, loins, ribs, and chuck) and subprimal cuts are intermediate cuts between the carcass and retail cuts.
See Also:
beef. packers. primal. primal cuts. Processed. retail cuts.

Bran

The outer layers of a cereal grain which are removed in milling.
See Also:
cereal. grain. milling.

Brand(ing)

Typically, the use of a hot iron brand for marking cattle so as to establish proof of ownership. See Ear notching, Ear tag,Freeze brand(ing),and Wattle(s) (cattle).
See Also:
Ear notching. Ear tag. Wattle(s) (cattle).

Branded beef

See Branded commodity(ies) (beef, pork, lamb).
See Also:
Branded commodity(ies) (beef, pork, lamb).

Branded commodity(ies) (beef, pork, lamb)

A specifically labeled product that is differentiated from commodity items by its brand name.
See Also:
commodity.

Breakdown

(1) To perform the series of steps involved in skillfully cutting, boning, and trimming a whole carcass into retail cuts. (2) The results of a transformation of a chemical product, such as a pesticide, after it is applied.
See Also:
pesticide. retail cuts.

Breakdown product(s)

See Pesticide degradate(s).
See Also:
Pesticide degradate(s).

Breaker

A person, firm, or other business unit that breaks shell eggs to produce egg products.
See Also:
egg products.

Breaking stock

Shell eggs designated for breaking to produce egg products.
See Also:
egg products.

Breast height (timber)

4.5 feet above ground level.

Bred heifer

A pregnant heifer with her first unborn offspring.
See Also:
heifer.

Breed(s)

Animals having common origins and characteristics that distinguish them from other groups within the same species.
See Also:
species.

Breeder seed

Seed of the highest genetic purity produced for maintaining purity of a variety. It is used to produce foundation seed.
See Also:
foundation seed. variety.

Breeder(s)

(1) An animal raised and maintained for breeding purposes. (2) One who raises plants or animals forbreeding purposes.
See Also:
breeding. raised.

Breeding

(1) Generally, the producing of offspring. (2) More particularly, the applied science and art of systematic genetic improvement of a species or population.
See Also:
species.

Breeding finisher pig(s)

A pig in the finishing production stage intended for sale or transfer for breeding purposes.
See Also:
breeding.

Breeding herd

The total inventory of breeding females and boars or bulls in a herd.
See Also:
breeding.

Breeding soundness examination (bulls) (BSE)

Inspection of bulls for physical conformation and soundness through measuring scrotal circumference and semen motility and morphology.
See Also:
conformation. &n