Glossary Entries beginning with P

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Glossary of Agricultural Production, Programs and Policy

4th Edition

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P (support practice factor)

See Support practice (factor) (P).
See Also:
Support practice (factor) (P).

P.L. 480

Common name for the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. The act sought to expand foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products, combat hunger, and encourage economic development in developing countries. Title I of the Food for Peace Program, as it is called, made U S. agricultural commodities available through long-term dollar credit sales at low interest rates for up to 40 years. It is administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service. Donations for emergency food relief needs were provided under Title II, an authority administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Title III, administered by theUSAID, authorized Food for Development grants. The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 made fundamental changes in the U.S. food aid program, including shortening the maximum repayment term of Title I loans, from 40 to 30 years, and expanding Title II to include non-emergency assistance. The Act also authorized a new Title III Food for Development Program that provides government-to-government grant food assistance to the least developed countries. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 authorized agreements with private entities under Title I, allowed Title II local currencies to be used in other countries besides those in whichTitle II commodities are sold, and broadened the range of commodities available under Title IV. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Title III, Subtitle A) reauthorized the programs through 2007, added conflict prevention as aprogram objective, provided for the streamlining of the Food for Peace Program, and authorized the sale of commodities to be at reasonable market prices in the economy where thecommodities are sold. As a bona fide overseas food aid program that is not used to circumvent export subsidy reduction commitments, P.L. 480 is consistent with the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. Also Public Law 480. See John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FTF).
See Also:
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. authorized. export subsidy. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. food aid program. Food for Development. Food for Peace Program. Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Foreign Agricultural Service. grant. John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FTF). market. prices. program. Public Law 480. Title I. Title II. Title III. Title IV. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

P.L. 566

See Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954.
See Also:
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954.

PIK and roll

A procedure by which producers may attempt to profit from situations in which certificate exchange values (posted county prices) are below nonrecourse loan rates. With this procedure, a producer may place the eligible commodity under the nonrecourse loan at the loan rate and use generic commodity certificates, when available, to exchange forCommodity Credit Corporation commodities. If the posted county price is below the nonrecourse loan rate, then the producer may be able to acquire the quantity placed under loan for less than the proceeds of the nonrecourse loan, in addition to saving interest and storage payments.
See Also:
certificate. Commodity Credit Corporation. eligible commodity. loan rate. nonrecourse loan. posted county price. producer. under loan.

PIK certificates

See Payment-in-Kind, and Generic commodity certificate(s).
See Also:
Generic commodity certificate(s). Payment-in-Kind.

Pack

The quantity of fresh or processed product placed in containers such as cans. It generally refers to the output of a processing industry; for example, a frozen pack of broccoli.
See Also:
processed. processing.

Packer (livestock)

(1) In livestock marketing, any person engaged in the business of buying cattle in commerce for purposes of slaughter; of manufacturing or preparing meats or meat food products from cattle, for sale or shipment in commerce; or of marketing meats or meat food products from cattle in a raw form, acting as a wholesale meat broker, dealer, or distributor. (2) For federal cattle price reporting purposes, (a) a cattle processing plant that is federally inspected; (b) for any calendar year, a cattle processingplant that slaughtered an average of at least 125,000 head of cattle per year during the immediately preceding five calendar years; and (c) in the case of a cattle processing plant that did not slaughter cattle during the immediately preceding five calendar years, the USDA considers the plant capacity of the processing plant in determining whether the processing plant should be considered a packer under the terms of the price reporting program. (3) For hog price reporting, packer has the same meaning as that set forth in Sec. 201 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, except that it includes only those packers that slaughtered in excess of 100,000 head annually.
See Also:
dealer. livestock. marketing. meat. meat broker. Packers and Stockyards Act. processing. program.

Packer concentration

The belief that market dominance, due to the concentration of meat slaughter within the hands of relatively few companies, has led to a lack of competition resulting in low red meat prices for producers. In 1996, a Congressionally mandated USDA study on concentration in the red meat industry failed to provide definitive evidence that concentration had an appreciable effect on cattle prices. A USDA advisory committee recommended increased monitoring and enforcement of antitrust and regulatory policy, limiting packer activities regarding price differentiation, improving collection and reporting of market data, and value-based pricing. Congress later adopted the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999. See Big Three, and Concentration.
See Also:
Big Three. concentration. Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999. market. meat. packer. red meat. value-based pricing.

Packer trust

The Packers and Stockyards Act, as amended, provides that all livestock purchased by a packer (whose average annual purchases of livestock exceed $500,000) from cash sellers, and all inventories of or receivables or proceeds from meat, meat food products, or livestock products derived from such will be held by such packer in trust for the benefit of all unpaid cash sellers of such livestock until full payment has been received by the unpaid sellers. To ensure that producersare paid promptly and fully, the Packers and Stockyards program requires the registration and bonding of each marketing agency and dealer.
See Also:
dealer. livestock. meat. packer. packer (. Packers and Stockyards Act. Packers and Stockyards program.

Packer-owned cattle

Cattle that a packer owns for at least 14 days immediately before slaughter.
See Also:
packer.

Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (P.L.67-51) (7 U.S.C. §§ 181 et seq.)

Signed into law August 15, 1921. The Act, as amended, was enacted to protect (a) producers and consumers against unfair business practices in the marketing of livestock, meat, and poultry; and (b) members of the livestock marketing and meat and poultry industries against unfair, deceptive, discriminatory, and monopolistic practices of competitors.
See Also:
livestock. marketing. meat. poultry.

Packers and Stockyards Administration (P&S)

See Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).
See Also:
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

Packers and Stockyards program (P&S; P&SP)

Under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, the USDA is authorized to assure free and open competition, fair trade practices, and financial protection to the meat, livestock, and poultry industries by insuring timely payments, auditing accounts, investigating suspected fraudulent marketing and bribery, and checking the accuracy of scales and weighing practices. The P&S is now part of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
See Also:
authorized. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. livestock. marketing. meat. Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921. poultry.

Packing house

A structure used for the cleaning, sorting, grading, packing, or storage of agricultural products.
See Also:
grading. storage.

Packing plant

A facility where cattle are slaughtered and processed.
See Also:
processed.

Packing shed

A facility for the grading, cleaning, washing, and packing of fruits and vegetables.
See Also:
grading.

Paddock(s)

A grazing area that is a subdivision of a grazing management unit and is enclosed and separated from other areas by a fence or barrier.
See Also:
grazing. grazing management unit.

Paddy kernels

(1) Whole or broken unhulled kernels of rice. (2) Whole or broken kernels of brown rice and whole or broken kernels of milled rice having portions of the hull remaining that cover one-eighth or more of the whole or broken kernel.
See Also:
broken. brown rice. hull. milled rice.

Paddy rice

See Rough rice.
See Also:
Rough rice.

Paid diversion program

Also Paid land diversion. See Diversion payments.
See Also:
Diversion payments. Paid land diversion.

Paid land diversion (PLD)

See Diversion payments.
See Also:
Diversion payments.

Palatability, palatable

Acceptable to the taste or sufficiently agreeable in flavor to be eaten.

Pale, soft, exudative (PSE)

An undesirable condition of muscle, especially noticeable in pork, that is often stress related. The lean meat is watery. Also Pale, soft, watery (PSW).
See Also:
muscle. Pale, soft, watery (PSW).

Pale, soft, watery (PSW)

See Pale, soft, exudative (PSE).
See Also:
Pale, soft, exudative (PSE).

Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)

An index developed in 1965 to measure the "departure" of the moisture supply. The index is on the supply-and-demand concept of a water balance equation, taking into account more than a precipitation deficit at only specific locations. The objective of the PDSI is to provide a measurement of moisture conditions that are "standardized," so that comparisons using the index could be made between locations and between months. The PDSI is calculated based on precipitation and temperature data as well as the local Available Water Content of the soil. The USDA has used the Index to determine when to grant emergency drought assistance. See Crop Moisture Index (CMI).
See Also:
Crop Moisture Index (CMI). grant. soil.

Pampas grass

A giant perennial grass with saw-toothed leaves and white to pink flower plumes. Pampas grass seeds itself freely, dispersing long distances. Once established, it can crowd out native plants, damage grazing lands, and create a fire hazard. Pampas grass is a particular pest in California where it has invaded and degraded habitats along the entire California coastline.
See Also:
grazing lands. perennial.

Panicle

The terminal grain-producing shoot of a rice plant.
See Also:
grain. plant.

Parasitoid

An insect that is parasitic only in its immature stages, killing its host in the process of its development, and free-living as an adult.

Parasitologist

One who studies internal and external parasites.

Parastatal

A business, with some degree of autonomy, that is otherwise owned and controlled by a government.

Paratill (paraplow)

Deep tillage with little disturbance of surface residue. It can be done with a no-till planter.
See Also:
no-till. residue.

Parboiled rice

Rough rice soaked in warm water under pressure, steamed, and dried before being milled. Because of this process, the rice retains more naturalnutrients but requires a longer cooking period (25 minutes) than regular rice (20 minutes). Since this process eliminates the surface starch common to regular rice, it insures a separateness of grain that is especially desirable for kitchens preparing rice in large quantities.
See Also:
grain. milled. process. Rough rice.

Parcel

A contiguous tract of land with uniform tenure and land characteristics.
See Also:
tenure.

Parent tree

Any tree whose seeds are used to produce progeny for use in genetic experimentation. Usually the parent tree is selected because it displays characteristics either interesting from a research standpoint or desirable in an operational forest management program.

Parity

(1) A relationship that defines a level of purchasing power for a unit of farm commodity equal to an earlier base period, which is sometimes proposed as a fair price. (2) Equality in the present purchasing power of a unit (bushel, hundredweight) of a product compared with its purchasing power during the base period 1910-14. Parity price for any commodity equals its ten-year average price, multiplied by the ratio of the current Parity Index compared to the ten-year average of the Prices-Received Index. The Parity Index reflects prices paid by producers for items of production and family living including interest, taxes, and wage rates. Both the Parity Index and Prices-Received Index are expressed on a base of 1910-14 equaling one hundred. The near threefold gains in farm productivity are not reflected in parity prices. (3) In terms of pig production, the number of times that a breeding female has given birth to a litter of pigs. (4) Gross income from agriculture that will provide the farm operator and his family with a standard of living equivalent to those afforded persons dependent upon other gainful occupation. For an agricultural commodity for any year, gross income that bears the same relationship to parity income from agriculture for such year as the average gross income from such commodity for the preceding ten calendar years bears to the average gross income from agriculture for such ten calendar years. See Parity price(s).
See Also:
agricultural commodity. base period. breeding. bushel. commodity. farm. hundredweight. litter. Parity Index. Parity price(s). Prices-Received Index.

Parity Index

The index of prices paid by producers for items used in production including interest, taxes, and wage rates.

Parity price(s)

(1) A measurement of the purchasing power of a unit (bushel, hundredweight) of farm product. Parity was originally defined as the price that gives a unit of a commodity the same purchasing power today as it had in the 1910-14 base period. In 1948, the parity price formula was revised to allow parity prices for individual commodities to reflect a more recent relationship of farm and nonfarm prices by making the base price dependent on the most recent ten-year average price for commodities. Except for wool, mohair, and certain minor tobaccos, parity was not generally used to set price-support levels for any program commodity. However, parity remains part of permanent legislation. (2) The current price for a unit of a farm commodity that would give it the same relative purchasing power for goods and services that it had in the 1910-14 base period, adjusted for the changes in its price over the past ten years, compared with changes in the prices received by producers for all farm products during that same period.
See Also:
base period. base price. bushel. commodity. farm. hundredweight. mohair. Parity. permanent legislation. price-support. program. wool.

Parity ratio

A measure of the relative purchasing power of farm products. It is the ratio between the prices-received index by producers for all farm products and the prices-paid index by producers for commodities and services used in farm production and family living. The parity ratio measures relationships between prices received and prices paid. It does not measure farm income or producers' total purchasing power. It does not reflect producers' off-farm income, government payments, or producers' assets.
See Also:
farm. farm income. prices-paid index. prices-received index.

Partial county yield average

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1102(d) & (e)), if the yield per plantedacre on a farm of an oilseed or covered commodity for any of the 1998 through 2001 crop years was 75 percent of the county yield for that commodity, the USDA assigns a yield that is equal to 75 percent of the county yield. Also Plug.
See Also:
acre. commodity. covered commodity. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. oilseed. Plug.

Partial payment(s)

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Secs. 1104(f)(2) and 1304(g)(2)), for covered commodities and peanuts, if the USDA estimates that counter-cyclical payments will be required, producers may request scheduled partial payments to be made prior to the end of the 12-month marketing year.
See Also:
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. marketing year.

Partially regulated distribution plant

A nonpool plant that is not a plant fully regulated under another federal milk marketing order, a producer-handler plant, or an exempt plant, from which there is a route disposition in the marketing area during the month.
See Also:
exempt plant. federal milk marketing order. marketing area. nonpool plant. route disposition.

Participation loan

A loan in which two or more lenders share in providing loan funds to a borrower. Generally, one of the lenders originates, services, and documents the loan. In practice, the Farm Service Agency has often agreed to take a subordinate lien position when participating with another lender.
See Also:
Farm Service Agency. lien. loan.

Particle drift

See Pesticide drift.
See Also:
Pesticide drift.

Partner(s); partner institution(s); partnership

Traditionally, the units that cooperate with the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, namely the State Agricultural Experiment Stations and the Cooperative Extension Service of the land grant institutions. See Land grant(s); land grant institution(s); land grant university(ies); land grant college(s); land grant colleges and/or universities, Cooperative Extension Service (CES), and State agricultural experiment stations (SAES).
See Also:
Cooperative Extension Service. Cooperative Extension Service (CES). Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Land grant(s); land grant institution(s); land grant university(ies); land grant college(s); land grant colleges and/or universities.

Partners in Quality (PIQ)

A voluntary alternative to the end-line inspection program. Individual packing houses must continually demonstrate and document their ability to pack product that meets all requirements of federal and state laws and of their customers. Packers that ensure the quality in the finished product by designing and implementing a PIQ system may issue special federal certificates daily or at a customer's request. The certificates indicate that the product was packed under a USDA-approved quality system. The effectiveness of the program is verified through periodic, unannounced USDA audits.
See Also:
inspection. Packers. program.

Partnerships for high-value agricultural product quality research

The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Sec. 402) authorized the USDA to make matching grants to eligible partnerships of land grant colleges or universities and other academic or research institutions for high-value agricultural product research and extension activities in order to enhance U.S. commodity competitiveness and increase exports. The program was reauthorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 7123).
See Also:
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. authorized. commodity. eligible. extension. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. program.

Parturition

See Calve(d).
See Also:
Calve(d).

Pasteurization; pasteurizing; pasteurized

The process of destroying microorganisms in food that can cause disease through the application of heat or through irradiation. Under high-temperature, short-time pasteurization, milk is heated to 160¿ to 175¿ F for 15 to 25 seconds to destroy pathogenic and other undesirable microorganisms that may be found in milk. Ultra-high-temperature pasteurization occurs at 275¿ to 280¿ F for about two seconds. See Cold pasteurization, Flash pasteurization, Steam pasteurization, Ultra-high temperature (UHT), and Ultrapasteurized; ultrapasteurization.
See Also:
Flash pasteurization. high-temperature, short-time. irradiation. microorganisms. pasteurization. process. Steam pasteurization. Ultra-high temperature (UHT). Ultrapasteurized; ultrapasteurization. undesirable microorganisms.

Pasture Flood Compensation program

See 1998 Flood Compensation Program (FCP), and 2000 Flood Compensation Program (FCP).
See Also:
1998 Flood Compensation Program (FCP). 2000 Flood Compensation Program (FCP).

Pasture Recovery Program (PRP)

Authorized by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001.The program provided assistance to owners and operators of pastureland, on which livestock was normally grazed, that was damaged or destroyed by drought during calendar years 1999 and 2000. To qualify for assistance, owners and operators had to reestablish the vegetative cover forage crop. The PRP was only available to producers in counties that were approved for both the Livestock Assistance Program and the Emergency Conservation Programfor drought emergency measures for 1999 damage, and the ECP only for 2000 damage.
See Also:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001. Authorized. Emergency Conservation Program. forage. livestock. Livestock Assistance Program. pastureland. program. vegetative cover.

Pasture and hutch (production system)

The use of reduced confinement and the increased use of outdoor shelters and pastures as components of an alternative livestock production system that allows for the lowering or elimination of subtherapeutic feeding of antibiotics. Generally used by smaller operations, some confined livestock operations may utilize pasturing to some extent during moderate weather. A pasture and hutch system allows for pasture rotation, continuous grazing or rooting, and the periodic changing of hutch surfaces. Hutches can be modified or moved to adjust for changes in temperature, sunlight, predominating winds, and direction of inclement weather.
See Also:
continuous grazing. livestock. pasture. rotation. subtherapeutic.

Pasture management

The cultural treatment, in the form of fertilization,weed control, reseeding, or renovation, that is usually a part of a pasture management strategy in addition to grazing management.
See Also:
cultural. grazing management. pasture management. weed.

Pasture rotation

The rotation of animals from one pasture to another so that some pasture areas have no livestock grazing on them during certain periods of time.
See Also:
grazing. livestock. pasture. rotation.

Pasture(d) poultry

A sustainable agricultural practice of raising poultry on grass, often in conjunction with other types of agricultural production. The poultry provide insect control, returnfertilizer to the land, and provide compost materials from brooder house bedding and offal derived from the slaughtering process. Pasture poultry production also typically includes on-farm slaughter andprocessing using mobile systems. See Free range.
See Also:
brooder house. compost. farm. fertilizer. Free range. offal. poultry. process. processing. sustainable.

Pasture; pastureland; pasture land

(1) Land used primarily for the production of adapted, introduced, or native species in a pure stand, grass mixture, or a grass-legume mixture. (2) The fenced area of domesticated forages, usually improved, on which animals aregrazed. (3) To graze. (4) Cropland used only for pasture or grazing, woodland pastured, and other pastureland and rangeland.
See Also:
Cropland. graze. grazing. legume. rangeland. species. woodland.

Pastureland

See Pasture; pastureland; pasture land.
See Also:
Pasture; pastureland; pasture land.

Pathogen(s); pathogenic

Disease-producing organisms.

Pathologist

One who studies disease organisms. See Pathogen(s).
See Also:
Pathogen(s).

Patronage

The measure of a patron's business with a cooperative.
See Also:
cooperative.

Patronage dividend(s)

Profit (margin) income of a cooperative that is distributed to its members. See Patronage refund(s).
See Also:
cooperative. margin. Patronage refund(s).

Patronage refund(s)

Cooperatives typically charge market prices for supplies and services furnished to members and competitive prices for products delivered for further processing and marketing in order to generate sufficient income to cover costs and meet continuing needs for operating capital. At the close of the fiscal year, a cooperative computes its earnings on business conducted on a cooperative basis, and may return some of these earnings to the patrons (as cash or equity allocations)on the basis of how much business each patron did with the cooperative during the year. These distributions are called patronage refunds. See Patronage dividend(s).
See Also:
cooperative. fiscal year. further processing. marketing. Patronage dividend(s).

Patrons of Husbandry

See National Grange.
See Also:
National Grange.

Pay weight

The weight of useable product delivered to the processing plant and paid for at the rates specified by contract.
See Also:
contract. processing.

Payment acres (acreage)

(1) Under former programs, the number of acres within the crop acreage base eligible for deficiency payments; usually the crop acreage base less theacreage reduction program acres and the normal flex acres. (2) The number of eligible acres on eligible farms to be used for calculations of program payments. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1101(f) and 1301), 85 percent of the base acres for a covered commodity and peanuts. See Eligible oilseed acreage, Maximum payment acres, Payment rate,and Permitted acres (acreage).
See Also:
acreage reduction program. base acres. covered commodity. crop acreage base. eligible. Eligible oilseed acreage. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. farms. Maximum payment acres. normal flex acres. Payment rate. payments. Permitted acres (acreage). program.

Payment cap(s)

Under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, per person limits placed on gains realized from marketing loans and loan deficiency paymentsof $75,000 per year. This cap was against all crops, not each one. Provisions of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, doubled the per person cap on gains on crop marketing loans and loan deficiency payments to $150,000 per person; $300,000 for up to three entities. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the per person cap is $75,000 for loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains, including an additional $75,000 cap for peanuts, honey, wool, and mohair. See Payment limitation(s).
See Also:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. mohair. Payment limitation(s). person. wool.

Payment formula

See Payment rate.
See Also:
Payment rate.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes

A program administered by the Bureau of Land Management that recompenses local governments for the property tax dollars they would have received from private landowners if all federal lands were liquidated.
See Also:
Bureau of Land Management. program.

Payment limitation(s); payment limit(s)

A limit set by law on the amount of money any one individual producer may receive in farm program payments, such as deficiency and disaster payments, in any one year under the commodity programs. Under the Agricultural and Consumer Protection Act of 1973, the limit on government payments to wheat, feed grains, and upland cotton producers was $20,000 and to rice producers, $55,000. Under the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, the limit on government payments to wheat, feed grains, and upland cotton producers was $40,000 for the 1978 crop and $45,000 for the 1979 crop. Under the Food Security Act of 1985, the limits were $50,000 on deficiency payments, paid land diversion payments, and Conservation Reserve Program payments; $250,000 on Findley payments, loan deficiency payments, gains on marketing loan repayments, and disaster payments; $250,000 on gains from honey marketing loan repayments; and $500,000 maximum to any one person for all payments. Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, the limits were $75,000 on Findley payments, LDPs, gains on marketing loan repayments, and disaster payments; and $250,000 maximum to any one person for all payments. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 115) reduced the payment limitation to $40,000 per person and to $80,000 on the three-entity rule. The limit on marketing loan gains (or the sum of marketing loan gainsandLDPs) was maintained at $75,000 ($150,000 for the 1999 and 2000 crop years). Other limitations were $10,000 for Environmental Quality Incentives Program payments, $50,000 for CRP rental payments, and $100,000 for Noninsured (crop disaster) Assistance Program payments. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1603) further reduced payment limits to $40,000 on direct payments; $65,000 on counter-cyclical payments; $75,000 for LDPs and marketing loan gains on loan commodities; and an additional $75,000 limit on peanuts, honey, wool, and mohair. Peanuts have a separate payment limit from loan commoditiesin for direct payments and countercyclical payments. In addition, there is a $50,000 limit for CRP; $100,000 for NAP; $450,000 for EQIP (applied on a direct attribution basis); $50,000 on Agricultural Management Assistance program payments; and $20,000 on Tier I, $35,000 on Tier II, and $45,000 on Tier III Conservation Security Program payments. Also Payment cap(s). See Actively engaged in farming, Adjusted gross income limit; adjusted gross income cap, Husband and wife rule,Permitted entities, Separate Person(s), Significant contribution, and Three-entity rule.
See Also:
Actively engaged in farming. commodity. Conservation Reserve Program. Conservation Security Program. deficiency. direct attribution. disaster payments. Environmental Quality Incentives Program. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. feed grains. Food and Agriculture Act of 1977. Food Security Act of 1985. Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Husband and wife rule. marketing loan. mohair. Noninsured (crop disaster) Assistance Program. Payment cap(s). payments. Permitted entities. person. Person(s). producer. program. Separate. Significant contribution. three-entity rule. Tier I. Tier II. Tier III. upland cotton. wool.

Payment quantity

(1) The total eligible quantity of a program commodity to be multiplied by the payment rate. (2) For production flexibility contractsas authorized by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, the payment quantity for a given contract commodity was equal to 85 percent of the contract acreage times the program yield for that commodity. (3) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10105), for market loss assistance for apple producers, the lesser of the quantity of apples produced on a farm in 2000 or 5 million pounds of apples. (4) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1502), for national dairy market loss payments, the lesser of the quantity of milk produced by a single dairy operation for an applicable month or 2.4 million pounds. (5) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1206), for payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments for grazed acreage of wheat, barley, oats, and triticale, the quantity of grazed acreage on the farm times the payment yield used for calculating direct payments.
See Also:
authorized. barley. commodity. contract acreage. contract commodity. eligible. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. national dairy market loss payments. payment rate. payment yield. payments in lieu of. program. program yield. triticale.

Payment rate

(1) Under programs designed to reimburse producers for income or production losses, rates calculated based on previous multiple-year average prices (throwing out high and low years) or per unit formulas, and often adjusted to bring the actual payment rate within authorized spending levels. (2) Under the production flexibility contracts,as authorized by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, the rate determined annually for each contract commodity by dividing the total annual level of funding available for each commodity (after adjustments) by the total of all production under contract. The annual payment rate for each contract commodity was the above figure multiplied by a farm's payment quantity. The sum of all such payments per farm was subject to a payment limitation. (3) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1103),the fixed rates used to calculate direct payments on covered commodities for a crop year.
See Also:
authorized. commodity. contract. contract commodity. crop year. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. payment limitation. payment quantity.

Payment yield

(1) An applicable average yield based on actual, county, or national total production per crop and divided by units of production. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec.1102 and 1302),for the 2002 through 2007 crops of a covered commodity and peanuts, the yield established for a farm used in calculating direct payments and counter-cyclical payments. See Assigned yield(s),Farm program payment yield, Payment yield (peanuts), and Update; updating. (2) For crop insurance purposes, the yield determined by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation based upon National Agricultural Statistics Service yields for each insurable crop type and practice, as adjusted by the FCIC, and used to determine whether an indemnity is due.
See Also:
Assigned yield(s). covered commodity. crop insurance. farm. Farm program payment yield. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. indemnity. National Agricultural Statistics Service. Update; updating.

Payment-in-kind (PIK)

(1) A payment made to eligible producers in the form of an equivalent amount of commodities owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation. Payments-in-kind were first used in the 1930s to reduce government-held surpluses of upland cotton. A PIK program in 1983 offered surplus agricultural commodities owned by the government in exchange for agreements to reduce production by cutting crop acreage. (2) A program that has provided payment to producers, in the form of commodities, for reducing acreage of certain crops and placing thatacreage in soil conserving uses. The term may also apply to the Export Enhancement Program or other programs in which payments are made in the form of commodities. See Generic commodity certificates,In-kind payments, and Negotiable marketing certificates.
See Also:
acreage. Commodity Credit Corporation. eligible. Export Enhancement Program. In-kind payments. program. soil. surplus. upland cotton.

Payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments

Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1206), a producerwho would otherwise be eligible for a loan deficiency payment for wheat, barley, oats, or triticale but who elects to use acreage planted to these commodities for the grazing of livestock can receive a loan deficiency payment if the producer enters into an agreement to forgo any other harvesting of the wheat, barley, oats, or triticale on that acreage. The payment quantity is determined by multiplying the acreage grazed times the payment yield for direct payments for that covered commodity on the farm.
See Also:
acreage. barley. covered commodity. eligible. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. grazing. livestock. loan deficiency payment. payment quantity. payment yield. producer. triticale.

Payments to 1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University

Under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, the programs that provide for (a) the support of continuing agricultural research and (b) Extensioneducational activities at the 1890 land grantsand Tuskegee University. The research component concentrates on small farms, sustainable agriculture, rural economic development, human nutrition, and rural youth and elderly research to meet the mandate of assisting rural, underprivileged persons and small producers improve their standards of living. The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (Sec. 753), made West Virginia State College eligible to receive funds under this program.
See Also:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002. eligible. Extension. National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977. program. rural. small farms. sustainable agriculture.

Payments to Counties for National Grasslands (7 U.S.C. § 1012)

Provides 25 percent of net (rather than gross) receipts (sale, lease, rental, or other fees) for roads and schools directly to the counties where the national grasslands are located. See Forest Service Payments to States.
See Also:
Forest Service Payments to States.

Payments to States and Possessions

An account under Title I, Agricultural Programs, of agricultural appropriations. SeeFederal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP).
See Also:
agricultural appropriations. Agricultural Programs. Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP).

Peace Clause

The Agreement on Agriculture contains a "due restraint" or "peace clause" (Article 13) that regulates the application to other World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements on subsidies in respect to agricultural products. The article provides that green box domestic support measures cannot be the subject of countervailing duty action or other subsidy action under the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, nor can they be subject to actions based on nullification or impairment of tariff concessions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
See Also:
Agreement on Agriculture. countervailing duty. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. green box. subsidy. World Trade Organization (WTO). WTO.

Peanut (price-support) program

As authorized by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, the peanut production control and price-support programoperated with a two-tier pricing system: a quota price-support level for domestic edible use, and an additionals price-support levelfor all other peanut production (crush and export). Production was controlled through the use of a national poundage quota equal to domestic edible use. Price-support loans were available to producer marketing associations through the Commodity Credit Corporation. The price-support level (quota loan rate) for quota peanuts through 2002 was $610 per ton. For additional peanuts, the price-support level was mandated to be at a level that ensured no losses to the CCC. The peanut price-support program provided loans to eligible producers through marketing associations under cooperative agreements with the CCC. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Secs. 1301-1310), the peanut program was converted to a system of direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, and nonrecourse loans with marketing loan provisions that are more similar to the programs for covered commodities. The marketing quota was eliminated and compensation for loss of quota asset value was authorized. As with other crops that are eligible for marketing loans and loan deficiency payments, peanut producers may receive loans by pledging production as collateral. Producers with or without a history of peanut production are eligible. The peanut loan rate is fixed at $355 per ton. Producers can pledge their stored peanuts for up to nine months and then repay the loan at a rate that is the lesser of (a) $355 per ton plus interest or (b) a lower, USDA-determined repayment rate designed to minimize commodity forfeiture, government-owned stocks, and storage costs and to allow peanuts to be marketed freely and competitively, both domestically and internationally. See Marketing associations (peanuts).
See Also:
authorized. CCC. commodity. Commodity Credit Corporation. compensation for loss of quota asset value. crush. eligible. export. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. loan. loan rate. marketing. Marketing associations (peanuts). marketing loan. marketing quota. national poundage quota. price-support level. price-support program. producer. production control. quota peanuts. stocks. two-tier.

Peanut Standards Board

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1308 (c)) requires the establishment of an eighteen-member board to advise the USDA on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. New members of the Board were appointed in December 2002.
See Also:
handling.

Peanut commodity card

Cards provided by the Farm Service Agency to each peanut producer for the purpose of administering the peanut price-support program. These cards are no longer used. See Smart cards (peanuts).
See Also:
Farm Service Agency. producer. Smart cards (peanuts).

Peanut marketing assessment(s)

Under the formerpeanut program, a budget-deficit marketing assessment, applying only to the marketing of domestically produced peanuts, was collected from producers and first purchasers. Imports were not subject to this levy. The assessment rate for the 1997-2002 crops was 1.2 percent of the quota loan rate or additionals loan rate, whichever applied. Assessments received from the 1996 through 1998 crop years were applied against peanut program losses. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 eliminated the peanut marketing assessment. See Assessment(s) (programs).
See Also:
assessment. Assessment(s). Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. levy. marketing. marketing assessment.

Peanut marketing associations

See Marketing associations (peanuts).
See Also:
Marketing associations (peanuts).

Peanut meal

Obtained by grinding shelled peanuts and removing the oil either mechanically or by solvent extraction. Solvent-extracted peanut meal contains 48 percent protein and the mechanically extracted product contains 45 percent protein.
See Also:
protein.

Peanut poundage quota

See Farm poundage quota(s) (peanuts).
See Also:
Farm poundage quota(s) (peanuts).

Peanut quota

See Farm poundage quota(s) (peanuts).
See Also:
Farm poundage quota(s) (peanuts).

Peanut sheller

See Sheller(s) (peanuts).
See Also:
Sheller(s) (peanuts).

Pedology

The study of soils.

Peer review(ed)

The evaluation by experts in the field of (a) a proposed scientific research project, or (b) a paper submitted for publication in the trade journal for a given profession or discipline. See Peer reviewer(s).
See Also:
Peer reviewer(s).

Peer reviewer(s)

Experts or consultants qualified by training and experience to give expert advice on the scientific and technical merit of grant applications or the relevance of those applications to one or more of the application evaluation criteria. Peer reviewers may be ad hoc or convened as a panel. See Peer review(ed).
See Also:
grant. Peer review(ed).

Pellet mill

See Pelleting (steam).
See Also:
Pelleting (steam).

Pelleting (steam)

Steam-pelleted feeds manufactured by using moisture, heat, and pressure to form ground feed ingredients into larger homogenous feed particles. Steam is added to the ground feed ingredients to increase the moisture level to 15 to 18 percent and temperature to 160¿ to 185¿F. Steam helps to gelatinize starches, which bind the feed particles together. The hot "mash" is then forced through a pellet die in a pellet mill. The pellets exit the die at about 10 percent moisture.
See Also:
feed. feeds. pellet mill.

Pencil shrink(age)

(1) A percentage adjustment inlivestock live weight that is subtracted to insure that responsibility for weight loss during transport is shared by buyer and seller. (2) The adjustment of the price for high-moisture grain by using a formula that allows the buyer to calculate what the bushel weight would remain if the grain was dried, without actually drying the grain.
See Also:
bushel. grain. livestock.

Penetrative stunning device(s)

A penetrative captive bolt stun guns used for slaughter that uses a steel bolt powered by either compressed air or blank cartridges. The bolt is driven into the animal's brain rendering it unconscious prior to being bled during the slaughter process.
See Also:
process.

Per-acre yield goal (sugar)

The production goal peracre of sugarcane at a level that is not less than the average per-acre yield for the two highest years from among the 1999, 2000, and 2001 crop years. The goal will ensure an adequate net return per pound to producers, taking into consideration any available production research data, and adjusted by the average recovery rate of sugar produced from sugarcane byprocessors.
See Also:
acre.

Percent calf crop

The percentage of calves produced within a herd in a given year relative to the number of cows and heifers exposed to breeding.
See Also:
breeding.

Percentage share lease

A flexible lease in which the owner receives a cash rent equal to a specified share of the gross value of the crop (yield times price). If the owner pays part of the production costs, the share could be 50 percent, similar to a standard crop-share lease. If the owner pays no production costs, the share will be smaller. See Adjustment for price and yield lease, Adjustment for price only lease, Adjustment for yield only lease, and Base rent plus bonus lease.
See Also:
Adjustment for price and yield lease. Adjustment for price only lease. Adjustment for yield only lease. Base rent plus bonus lease. cash rent. crop-share lease. flexible lease.

Percolation

The downward movement of water through soil under the influence of gravity.
See Also:
soil.

Perennial stream

A stream or river that usually has water flow during normal weather conditions.

Perennial(s) (crop)

An agricultural or horticultural commodity that is produced from the same root structure for two or more years.
See Also:
commodity.

Performance-Based Inspection System (PBIS)

Automated scheduling and management system for processing plant inspection tasks, based on plant characteristics and inspection findings. PBIS is intended to makeprocessing inspection more uniform nationwide, and provides the Food Safety and Inspection Service with its first easily accessible database on plant performance. The computer-driven system is a sophisticated inspection tool based on public health risk assessment principles. The system eliminates inspector subjectivity and allows for efficient utilization of manpower. It enables the FSIS to capture, store, and sort the vast quantities of information generated by the 13 million inspection tasks performed in processing establishments each year. These data allow the FSISto examine the long-term operation of a particular plant or the performance of a particular control point nationwide.
See Also:
Food Safety and Inspection Service. inspection. processing. risk assessment.

Peril point

A hypothetical limit beyond which a reduction in tariff protection would cause serious injury to a domestic industry.
See Also:
tariff.

Perique

A type of tobacco, grown only in Louisiana, that uses a unique process of packing the dried leaves in casks under great pressure for approximately nine months.
See Also:
process. tobacco.

Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 (PACA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 499a-499t)

Signed into law June 10, 1930. Administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service, the PACA establishes a code of trading ethics and encourages fair trading in the marketing of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. It prohibits unfair and fraudulent business practices and provides a forum to resolve contract disputes. Injured parties can collect damages from any buyer or seller who fails to live up to contract obligations. The law protects sellers of produce by imposing a trust on a buyer's inventory and receivables, which gives the seller a security interest in the product until payment is received. See Amendments to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 (PACA).
See Also:
Agricultural Marketing Service. Amendments to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 (PACA). contract. marketing. security interest.

Perishable agricultural commodity(ies)

Under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930, fresh fruits and vegetables of every kind and character, whether or not frozen or packed in ice, including cherries in brine.
See Also:
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930.

Perishable manufactured dairy products

Manufactured dairy products with limited storage life, including ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, and sour cream.

Permaculture

A contraction of "permanent agriculture." It is an alternative agriculture system described as sustainable and unique in its emphasis on design; the location of each element in a landscape and the evolution of the landscape over time. The goal of permaculture is to produce an efficient, low-maintenance integration of plants, animals, people, and structure to be applied at the scale of a home garden all the way through to a large farm.
See Also:
alternative agriculture. farm. sustainable.

Permanent capital

In the Farm Credit System, the total capital of an association including member stock and retained earnings.
See Also:
Farm Credit System.

Permanent capital ratio

Of a credit institution, the permanent capital divided by the average daily balance of the institution's risk-adjusted asset base. It is a measure of an institution's capital strength.
See Also:
asset. average daily balance. permanent capital.

Permanent legislation; permanent law

The laws on which many agricultural programs are based that are in force in the absence of all temporary amendments and temporarily suspended provisions. The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 and the Agricultural Act of 1949 serve as the principal laws authorizing the major commodity programs. These laws are frequently amended; provisions are added, suspended, or repealed. For the past several decades, periodic omnibus agriculture acts have provided for specific, fixed-period commodity programs by adding temporary amendments to these laws and suspending conflicting provisions of those laws for the same period. The temporarily suspended provisions of the 1938 and 1949 Acts go back into effect if current amendments lapse and new legislation is not enacted. An attempt was made to eliminate the permanent legislation during the debate on the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, but the effort was rebuffed. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 171) suspended permanent price-support authority through 2002. Permanent price-support authority was suspended through 2007 by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1602).
See Also:
Agricultural Act of 1949. Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. agricultural programs. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. price-support.

Permanent pasture

A pasture, containing perennial plants, that has been grazed for multiple years.
See Also:
pasture. perennial.

Permanent vegetative cover

(1) Under the Conservation Reserve Program, perennial stands of approved combinations of certain grasses, legumes, forbs, shrubs with a life span of ten or more years, or trees. (2) Used to prevent excessive runoff of water or soil loss to water pollution.
See Also:
Conservation Reserve Program. forbs. runoff. soil.

Permeability

The ease with which air or plant roots penetrate into or pass through a specific horizon.
See Also:
horizon. plant.

Permeate

The portion of the processing stream that permeates or crosses the membrane during ultrafiltration. This stream contains compounds that are small enough to go through the pores of the membrane. See Retentate.
See Also:
processing. Retentate.

Permissive inspection (grain)

See Grain inspection.
See Also:
Grain inspection.

Permit nutrient plan (PNP)

A proposed site-specific plan that describes how a producer intends to meet the effluent discharge limitations and other requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Under final rules adopted by theEnvironmental Protection Agency in December 2002, a permit nutrient plan was not adopted as part of the required permitting procedure. Instead, the EPA required that a nutrient management plan be developed and available upon request by permitting authorities.
See Also:
discharge. effluent. Environmental Protection Agency. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. nutrient. nutrient management plan. producer.

Permitted acres (acreage)

Under former programs, the acreage of a program crop or permitted cropthat a participating producer was eligible to plant, after reducing acreage by the percentage required in that year. The permitted acreage was usually the crop acreage base less any land idled by the acreage reduction program, normal flex acreage, and paid land diversion programs. See Payment acres (acreage) and Maximum payment acres.
See Also:
acreage. crop acreage base. eligible. Maximum payment acres. paid land diversion. Payment acres (acreage). permitted crop. producer. program crop.

Permitted crop(s)

(1) Under the Food Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, any program crop, oilseeds, and any experimental or industrial crop designated by the USDA to be grown on flexible acres. Crops not permitted were fruit and vegetable crops (including potatoes and dry edible beans), unless the USDA designated them as experimental or industrial crops or declared that no substantial domestic production or market existed. Also excluded were peanuts, tobacco, wild rice, trees, and nuts. (2) Under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, any commodity, except fruits and vegetables, could be grown on contract acreage. Dry peas, lentils, and mung beanscould be planted. Producers who historically double-croppedfruits and vegetables could continue to do so without a loss of payments. Producers who had a history of growing fruits and vegetables could plant on contract acres with a corresponding acre-for-acre loss of contract payments. (3) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 1106), all crops to be planted on base acres except fruits and vegetables (unless destroyed before harvest, but in no event, any fruit or vegetable that grows on trees or on perennial plants) or wild rice. Exceptions to the vegetable prohibition are lentils, mung beans, and dry peas. Other exceptions are production (a) in any region in which there is a history of double-cropping of covered commodities with prohibited agricultural commodities, and (b) on a farm that has a history of planting otherwise-prohibited agricultural commodities on base acres, except that direct payments and counter-cyclical payments are reduced by anacre for each acre planted to such an agricultural commodity. See Flexibility.
See Also:
acre. agricultural commodity. base acres. commodity. dry peas. farm. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. Flexibility. industrial crop. lentils. market. mung beans. oilseeds. perennial. program crop. tobacco. wild rice.

Permitted entities

Under payment limitation provisions, no individual may receive payments for more than three entities in which the individual holds substantial beneficial interest. If the individual receives payments as an individual, then he/she may not also receive payments from more than two entities that receive payments as a separate person. For example, if an individual has a farming interest and also owns stock in more than two farming corporations, the individual must select just two of those corporations through which he/she may indirectly receive payments. If the individual does not have an individual farming interest, then he/she may select three farming corporations from which to receive indirect payments. Any individual that owns 10 percent or more of a farming entity that is receiving payments is subject to the rule.
See Also:
beneficial interest. entity. payment limitation. separate person. stock. substantial.

Persistent bioaccumulative and toxic (chemicals) (PBT)

Chemical pollutants that are toxic, persist in the environment, accumulate in food chains, and pose risks to human health and ecosystems.

Persistent pesticides

Pesticides that do not break down chemically, or break down very slowly, and remain in the environment after a growing season.
See Also:
growing season.

Person(s)

Under 7 U.S.C. § 1308(e)(2)(A), an individual (including any individual participating in a farming operation as a partner in a general partnership), a participant in a joint venture, a grantor of a revocable trust, a corporation, joint stock company, association, limited partnership, charitable organization, irrevocable trusts and estates, state, state political subdivision, or state agency. Partnerships and joint ventures may not be persons. Sometimes "person" is used interchangeably with separate person. A separate person is a "person" who has satisfied certain requirements for economic "separateness and distinctness." A separate person who is actively engaged in farming is eligible to receive payments up to the applicable limit. See Separate person(s), Separately eligible, and Status date.
See Also:
actively engaged in farming. eligible. separate person. Separate person(s). Separately eligible. Status date.

Pervasive poverty

Under the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program eligibility requirements, conditions of poverty must be reasonably distributed throughout the entire nominated area. The degree of poverty shall be demonstrated by citing available statistics on low-income population, levels of public assistance, numbers of persons or families in poverty, or similar data. See Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program (EZ/EC).
See Also:
Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program (EZ/EC).

Pest Management Center(s) (PMC)

Authorized by the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Sec. 406) and administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Four regional centers were created as part of a nationwide pest management information network designed to respond quickly to information needs in both the public and private sectors. PMCs also aid the USDA and its partner institutions identify, prioritize, and coordinate national pest management research, education, and extension activities and programs.
See Also:
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. Authorized. Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. extension activities. pest management.

Pest Management program

Smith-Lever 3(d) program with two components: integrated pest management (IPM), and cotton pest management. The IPM component addresses the efficient control of pests on crops and livestock and in urban situations. The cotton pest management component focuses on cotton insects in 11 states. Funds are distributed on the basis of a formula using boll weevil losses and pesticide sales in each state. See Smith-Lever 3(d) (funds).
See Also:
boll weevil. cotton. integrated pest management (IPM). livestock. pest management. pesticide. program. Smith-Lever 3(d). Smith-Lever 3(d) (funds). urban.

Pest control

See Pest management.
See Also:
Pest management.

Pest management

The managing of agricultural pest infestations (including weeds, insects, and diseases) to reduce adverse effects on plant growth, crop production, and environmental resources.
See Also:
crop production. pest. plant. resources.

Pest(s)

(1) An insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life that is injurious to agricultural production, health, or the environment. (2) Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10403(13)), a protozoan, plant, bacteria, fungus, virus, viroid, infectious agent, arthropod, parasite, vector, or any allied organism that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in livestock.
See Also:
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. livestock. nematode. plant. vector. weed.

Pesticide Data Program (PDP)

An Agricultural Marketing Service program to collect data on pesticide residues in food. PDP data on pesticides in selected commodities are used by theEnvironmental Protection Agencyto support its dietary risk assessment process and pesticide registration process, by the Food and Drug Administrationto refine sampling for enforcement of tolerances, by the Foreign Agricultural Service to support export of U.S. commodities in a competitive global market, by the Economic Research Service to evaluate pesticide alternatives, and by the public sector to address food safety issues.
See Also:
Agricultural Marketing Service. Economic Research Service. Environmental Protection Agency. export. Food and Drug Administration. Foreign Agricultural Service. market. pesticide. program. risk assessment.

Pesticide Impact Assessment (PIA)

See Regional Pest Management Centers.
See Also:
Regional Pest Management Centers.

Pesticide Recordkeeping Program

See Federal Pesticide Recordkeeping Program.
See Also:
Federal Pesticide Recordkeeping Program.

Pesticide chemical

Under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, any substance that is a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, including all active ingredients and inert ingredients.
See Also:
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. inert. ingredients. pesticide.

Pesticide clearance

The interregional research project No. 4 (IR-4) was established in 1963 to assist producers of minor crops in obtaining registrations for pesticides needed to successfully grow food and ornamental commodities. SeeMinor-use drugs.
See Also:
interregional research project No. 4 (IR-4). minor crops. registration.

Pesticide degradate(s)

Breakdown products of pesticide active ingredients resulting from biological processes (metabolites) and chemical processes (e.g., hydrolysis, photolysis, or photooxidation). Also Transformation product(s), Breakdown product(s), and Daughter product(s).
See Also:
Breakdown product(s). Daughter product(s). metabolites. Transformation product(s).

Pesticide drift

The physical movement of a pesticide through the air, at the time of pesticide application or soon thereafter, from the target site to any non- or off-target site. Pesticide drift does not include movement of pesticides to non- or off-target sites caused by erosion, migration, volatility, or windblown soil particles that occurs after application, unless specifically addressed on the pesticide product label with respect to drift control requirements. Two types of drift cause chemicals to move off target: particle drift and vapor drift. Particle drift occurs when the wind scatters spray droplets off the application site onto neighboring shrubs, flowers, or lawns. Factors that encourage particles to drift include particle size, spray nozzle size and configuration, spray pressure, wind speed, and type of application equipment used. Vapor drift occurs when chemicals evaporate and move with air currents to other sites.
See Also:
drift. erosion. Particle drift. pesticide. Pesticide drift. soil. Vapor drift.

Pesticide recordkeeping

Certified applicatorsof restricted-use pesticides are required to maintain records comparable to records maintained by commercial applicators of pesticides in each state, even if the state does not require the maintenance of records.
See Also:
restricted-use.

Pesticide residue(s)

(1) A detectable level of a chemical residue found on a food product. (2) Under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the residue of a pesticide chemical, its metabolites, anddegradates in or on raw or processed foods.
See Also:
chemical. Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. metabolites. pesticide. processed. residue.

Pesticide resistance

See Resistance (pesticides).
See Also:
Resistance (pesticides).

Pesticide tolerance level(s)

A scientifically acceptable level of pesticide residue that can exist on a fruit or vegetable product. It usually is expressed in parts per million or billion. See Tolerance(s).
See Also:
pesticide residue. Tolerance(s).

Pesticide(s)

Chemicals used by producers to control pests (such as weeds –herbicides; insects –insecticides; plant diseases –fungicides; ornematodes –nematicides; to regulate plant growth or to simplify harvest –desiccants.
See Also:
desiccants. nematicides. plant.

Pfiesteria (piscicida)

A microscopic organism (dinoflagellate) that sometimes behaves like a plant and sometimes like an animal. It has many life stages, and in some forms is toxic and can kill fish. In humans, it has reportedly caused burning skin and respiratory irritation, followed by problems with concentration.
See Also:
dinoflagellate. plant.

Phage typing

A classification procedure that uses bacteriophages to distinguish between bacterial isolates that belong to the same genus and species. Each bacterial strain will exhibit resistance to some phages and be susceptible to infection by others. A battery of standard phages is used to test bacterial isolates. The profile of resistance and susceptibility is called the phage type.
See Also:
phage. species.

Phage(s)

See Bacteriophage(s).
See Also:
Bacteriophage(s).

Phase

A subdivision of the soil series, or higher unit of soil classification, based on characteristics that affect use and management of the soil, but which do not vary sufficiently to differentiate it as a separate series.
See Also:
classification. series. soil. soil series.

Phase I (tobacco)

See Tobacco settlement.
See Also:
Tobacco settlement.

Phase II (tobacco)

The Master Settlement Agreement called for participating manufacturers to address the negative impact that the MSA would have on tobacco growers and quota holders. This resulted in Phase II of the tobacco settlement which is a $5.15 billion fund divided among states that produce cigarette tobaccos. Also National Tobacco Growers' Settlement Trust.
See Also:
Master Settlement Agreement. National Tobacco Growers' Settlement Trust. tobacco settlement.

Phenology

The science that deals with the time of appearance of characteristic periodic phenomena in the life cycle of organisms in nature (e.g., migration in birds, flowering and leaf-fall in plants), particularly as these phenomena are influenced by locality factors.

Phenotype(s)

The visible or measurable expression of a character; for example, weaning weight, postweaning gain, or reproduction. Phenotype is influenced by genetics and environment.
See Also:
gain.

Phenotypic correlations

The correlations between two traits caused by environmental and genetic factors influencing both traits.

Phenoxy-type herbicides

See Chlorophenoxy herbicides.
See Also:
Chlorophenoxy herbicides.

Pheromone(s)

Biochemicals used to disrupt the mating behavior of insects.

Pheromone(s) trap

A trap that utilizes either a natural, or more typically, synthetic insect sex attractant pheromone that is usually species specific.
See Also:
attractant. pheromone. species.

Phosphorus (P)

See Macronutrient(s).
See Also:
Macronutrient(s).

Phylloxera

Insects (which include the grape phylloxera of American origin) that are a worldwide scourge of grape plants.

Physiologist

One who studies the chemistry and actions (metabolic and reproductive functions) of the body.

Phytochemical(s)

Substances found in edible fruits and vegetables that exhibit a potential for modulating the human metabolism in a manner favorable to reducing the risk of cancer.

Phytoestrogens

Natural constituents of the diet, produced by plants, that have been shown to have beneficial health effects.

Phytopathogenic

Organisms that can cause diseases in plants.

Phytosanitary

A commodity free of pests and disease.
See Also:
commodity. pests.

Phytosanitary certificate

A document issued by a government to an exporter that certifies that the commodity is free from pests and disease, in accordance with the importing country's standards.
See Also:
commodity. pests.

Phytosanitary measure

Any legislation, regulation, or official procedure for the purpose of preventing the introduction or spread of pests.
See Also:
introduction.

Phytosanitary procedure

Any officially prescribed method for performing inspections, tests, surveys, or treatments in connection with regulatedpests.
See Also:
pests.

Phytosanitary regulation

Rules designed to prevent the introduction or spread of pests by regulating the production, movement, or existence of commodities or other articles or the normal activity of persons.
See Also:
introduction.

Phytotoxic

Toxic to plants.

Pick(ed)(ing)

The process of harvesting a cotton crop by a mechanical spindle picker. The first harvest is known as the first pick. Under this harvesting method, a second pick (scrapping) is made at a later date to harvest late-opening bolls. First-pick cotton normally has fiber quality superior to second pick. The percentage of the first pick compared to the total is an indication of crop maturity. See Ground cotton,andPicker; picker system; picker harvester (cotton).
See Also:
cotton. fiber. first pick. picker. Picker; picker system; picker harvester. quality. second pick.

Picker (wool)

Equipment that opens the wool fiber and removes vegetable matter and other foreign material.
See Also:
foreign material. vegetable matter.

Picker; picker system; picker harvester (cotton)

A cotton harvesting system that pulls the cotton from the plant. Pickers are used on most cotton and produce cleaner fiber. See Pick(ed)(ing), and Stripper cotton; stripper system; stripper harvester.
See Also:
cotton. fiber. Pick(ed)(ing). plant. Stripper cotton; stripper system; stripper harvester.

Picking (wool)

The process of opening wool fiber and removing vegetable matter and other foreign material.
See Also:
foreign material. process. vegetable matter.

Pierce's Disease

A bacterial infection of the grape vine that is spread by an insect called the blue-green sharpshooter.

Pigford v. Glickman

See Pigford v. Veneman.
See Also:
Pigford v. Veneman.

Pigford v. Veneman

The class action suit by African-American producers against the USDA claiming racial discrimination in farm lending and benefit programs. The class is defined as all African-Americans who (a) farmed, or attempted to farm, between January 1, 1981, and December 31, 1996; (b) applied to the USDA during that time for participation in a federal farm credit or benefit program and who believed they were discriminated against on the basis of race; and (c) filed a discrimination complaint on or before July 1, 1997, regarding the treatment by the USDA of their credit or benefit application. Attorneys for the group of African-American producers and the USDA reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit on January 5, 1999. A consent decree was approved on April 14, 1999. The case was originally Pigford v. Glickman. See Track A, and Track B.
See Also:
class. class action. consent decree. farm. Pigford v. Glickman. program. Track A. Track B.

Pilot Program for Enrollment of Wetland and Buffer Acreage in the Conservation Reserve

See Farmable Wetland Pilot Project (FWP).
See Also:
Farmable Wetland Pilot Project (FWP).

Pine shoot beetle (PSB)

An exotic pest, native to Europe, that attacks many pine species.
See Also:
exotic pest. species.

Pipeline stocks

The minimum quantity of any commodity required to carry on normal processing and marketing operations.
See Also:
commodity. marketing. processing.

Plan of insurance

A risk protection program established by an insurer under which the insurer issues policies or contracts. Such plans are actuarially based, describe risks insured against and conditions on the payment of indemnities, and disclose premiums or other contributions required.
See Also:
program.

Plant

Under the Plant Protection Act, any plant (including any plant part) for or capable of propagation, including a tree, a tissue culture, a plantlet culture, pollen, a shrub, a vine, a cutting, a graft, a scion, a bud, a bulb, a root, and a seed.
See Also:
Plant Protection Act.

Plant Genome Mapping Program

See Agricultural Genome Initiative.
See Also:
Agricultural Genome Initiative.

Plant Protection Act (P.L. 106-224) (7 U.S.C. §§ 7701-7772)

Signed into law June 20, 2000, as Title IV of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. The act authorizes the USDA to prohibit and restrict the importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce of any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed, article, or means of conveyance if the USDA determines the action is necessaryto prevent the introduction or dissemination of a plant pest or noxious weed. See Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, Federal Plant Pest Act, and Plant Quarantine Act.
See Also:
Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. biological control. Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974. Federal Plant Pest Act. introduction. noxious weed. pest. plant. plant product. Plant Quarantine Act.

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) unit that protects the nation's agricultural resources from the international spread of plant and animal pests and diseases. PPQ inspectors at international airport terminals, seaports, and border stations check passengers and baggage for products that could harbor pests or diseases. PPQ also checks ship cargoes, rail and truck freight, and mail from foreign countries; certifies U.S. agricultural products for export; and helps combat plant pests within the U.S. PPQ's National Biological Control Institute provides leadership for biocontrol programs. PPQ also coordinates the development and execution of biotechnology regulatory policy for APHIS and other USDA agencies, and issues permits for the movement and release of genetically engineered plants and organisms. Another part of PPQ is involved with environmental monitoring and residue analysis.
See Also:
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). biocontrol. Biological Control. biotechnology. export. plant. residue. resources.

Plant Quarantine Act (7 U.S.C. §§ 151-167)

Signed into law August 20, 1912, and amended in 1917, 1920, 1926, 1928, 1932, 1934, 1942, 1947, 1963, 1970, 1978, 1983, 1988, and 1994. The Act regulated the importation and movement of nursery stock and other plants and plant products within the U.S. to control the dissemination of injuriousplant pests and diseases. The Act was repealed by the Plant Protection Act.
See Also:
nursery stock. Plant Protection Act.

Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) (P.L. 91-577)

Signed into law December 24, 1970. Administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service, it extends patent-type protection to developers of plants that reproduce seeds. Developers of new varieties of such plants as soybeans, wheat, corn, and marigolds apply to USDA for certificates of protection for 20 years for most species and 25 years for woody plants. USDA examiners determine whether the variety actually is novel and entitled to protection. The holders of certificates can turn to the courts to protect their inventions from exploitation by others.
See Also:
Agricultural Marketing Service. species. variety. woody.

Plant germplasm

Living material (such as seeds, rootstock, or leaf plant tissue) from which new plants can grow. See Germ plasm; germplasm.
See Also:
Germ plasm; germplasm. plant. stock.

Plant growth regulator(s)

Substances (excluding fertilizers and other plant nutrients) that alter the expected growth, flowering, or reproduction rate of plants. See Growth regulator(s).
See Also:
Growth regulator(s). plant.

Plant material centers

Centers that provide native plants to help solve natural resource problems. Centers are operated by or receive technical assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and develop conservation systems using plant materials. The process includes developing techniques for the effective use of plants to protect and conserve our natural resources. Scientists at the centers seek out plants that show promise for meeting