7 U.S.C. § 7916 — Planting flexibility

(a) Permitted crops. Except as subsection (b) limits, a farmer may plant any commodity or crop on a farm's base acres. (b) Limitations regarding certain commodities. Fruits, vegetables (other than lentils, mung beans, and dry peas), and wild rice cannot be planted on base acres unless they're destroyed before harvest. These crops also can't be grown on base acres if they come from a tree or other perennial plant. (c) Exceptions. Those bans don't apply in three situations. First, in a region with a history of double-cropping covered commodities together with these restricted crops, as the Secretary determines — double-cropping is allowed there. Second, on a farm the Secretary finds has a history of planting these restricted crops on base acres — but then direct and counter-cyclical payments are cut by one acre for every acre planted to the restricted crop. Third, for producers on a farm the Secretary finds has an established planting history of one specific restricted crop — but the amount planted can't exceed the farm's average annual planting of that crop in 1991–1995 or 1998–2001 (skipping years nothing was planted), and again, payments are cut by one acre for every acre planted. (d) Special rule for 2002 crop year. For 2002 only, if a farm's base acres (as calculated under section 7911(a)) come out higher than the contract acreage used to figure its fiscal year 2002 payment, the restricted-crop ban doesn't apply to harvesting these crops on that extra "excess" acreage — but direct and counter-cyclical payments for 2002 are still cut by one acre for every acre of excess base acres planted to a restricted crop.