Category: E

environmental set-aside: A scheme of suspending cultivation of food crops for a period with clearly defined environmental aims and designed appropriately for local conditions. Understanding environmental set-aside helps farmers adopt practices that protect sensitive environments and improve sustainability.

ethene: Same as ethylene. Understanding ethylene helps farmers manage crop ripening and storage.

ES: Abbreviation for Environmental Stewardship. Participating in Environmental Stewardship helps farmers receive funding for implementing environmentally friendly farming practices.

early weaning: The practice of removing young from the dam earlier than is usual. Early weaning can benefit farmers by improving the health and growth rates of both the young and the dam.

excrement: Faeces. Managing excrement helps farmers maintain hygiene and prevent disease spread.

English Beef and Lamb Executive: An association providing market information for beef and lamb producers and suppliers. Abbr EBLEX. Farmers can benefit from EBLEX by accessing market information and support for beef and lamb production.

ethology: The study of the behavior of living organisms. Understanding ethology helps farmers manage livestock behavior and welfare.

ejector: A mechanism at the back of a farmyard manure spreader, which throws out the manure over a wide area. Understanding how ejectors work helps farmers optimize manure spreading.

estate: 1. A rural property consisting of a large area of land and a big house. 2. A plantation. Managing estates effectively helps farmers optimize land use and productivity.

entero-: Prefix referring to the intestine. Understanding prefixes like “entero-” helps farmers and agricultural scientists accurately describe and manage pests and diseases.

endive: A salad plant (Cichorium endiva). Growing endive can provide farmers with a nutritious and profitable crop.

egg binding: An unsuccessful attempt by a hen to lay an egg. Managing egg binding is important for poultry farmers to ensure the health and productivity of their hens.

ET: Abbreviation for embryo transfer. Embryo transfer techniques help farmers enhance livestock genetics and improve herd quality.

E number: A classification of additives to food approved by the European Union. Understanding E numbers helps farmers in food processing and product formulation to comply with regulations and ensure food safety.

Energy Crops Scheme: A system set up by Defra under which farmers can apply for grants to establish energy crops on their land. The ECS supports farmers in developing sustainable energy production practices.

ecto-: Prefix meaning outside. Compare endo-. Understanding prefixes like “ecto-” helps farmers and agricultural scientists accurately describe and manage pests and diseases.

eelworm: A minute worm-like animal (Nematode) which attacks a great variety of food crops. Stem eelworm. Managing eelworm infestations is crucial for protecting crop health and yield.

enriched cage: A type of cage in which battery hens are kept, where the bird’s living conditions have been improved by an increase in the size of the cage and the inclusion of perches, nests, and litter so that the bird can peck and scratch. Enriched cages will replace existing battery cages in 2012 when the EU Directive on the welfare of laying hens comes into force. However, a review of the Directive is underway, with a report expected next year. Using enriched cages helps farmers improve animal welfare and comply with regulations.

endocrine gland: A gland such as the pituitary gland which produces hormones introduced directly into the bloodstream. Understanding endocrine glands helps farmers manage livestock health and reproduction.

enteric: Referring to the intestine. Understanding enteric health helps farmers manage livestock nutrition and prevent digestive diseases.

Essex Saddleback: A breed of pig which has been bred with the Wessex Saddleback to form the British Saddleback. Raising Essex Saddleback pigs can provide farmers with high-quality pork and contribute to the preservation of rare breeds.

environmental tax: Same as ecotax. Understanding environmental taxes helps farmers adopt practices that protect the environment and comply with regulations.

exposure: The harmful effect of having no protection from the weather. Suffering from exposure after spending a night in the snow. Understanding exposure risks helps farmers protect crops and livestock from environmental harm.

erode: To wear away gradually, or to wear something away. The hills have been eroded by wind and rain. Understanding erosion helps farmers adopt practices that protect soil health and prevent land degradation.

elephant grass: Same as miscanthus. Growing miscanthus can provide farmers with a renewable energy source and improve soil health.

essence: A concentrated oil extracted from a plant, used in food, cosmetics, analgesics, and antiseptics. Vanilla essence. Understanding essence extraction helps farmers in value-added production and marketing.

ecotax: A tax that is used to encourage people to change from an activity that damages the environment or to encourage activities with beneficial environmental effects. Also called environmental tax. Ecotaxes can incentivize farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices.

EIA: Abbreviation for environmental impact assessment. Conducting an EIA helps farmers plan sustainable agricultural practices and comply with environmental regulations.

electrical conductivity: A measurement of salt concentration in soils. Monitoring electrical conductivity helps farmers manage soil salinity and improve crop health.

E. coli: Abbreviation for Escherichia coli. Understanding E. coli helps farmers ensure food safety and implement measures to prevent contamination.

ecosystem services: The benefits provided by ecosystems that support human life and agriculture, such as pollination, water purification, and soil fertility. Protecting ecosystem services is essential for sustainable farming.

EA: Abbreviation for Environment Agency. Understanding the role of the EA can help farmers comply with environmental regulations and improve sustainable farming practices.

etiolation: The process by which a green plant grown in insufficient light becomes yellow and grows long shoots. Understanding etiolation helps farmers manage plant health and optimize growth conditions.

erysipelas: An infectious disease mainly affecting pigs and also turkeys. In pigs, the symptoms are reddish inflammations on the skin and a high fever. It may cause infertility or abortion and manifests itself in three forms: acute, sub-acute, and chronic. Also called Diamonds disease. Managing erysipelas is crucial for farmers to ensure the health and productivity of their livestock.

exceed: To be more than expected, needed, or allowed. The concentration of radioactive material in the waste exceeded the government limits. It is dangerous to exceed the stated application rate; do not apply more than the recommended amount. Understanding limits helps farmers comply with regulations and ensure safe practices.

excretion rate: The rate at which a substance such as nitrogen is excreted by an animal. Understanding excretion rates helps farmers manage livestock nutrition and waste.

extraction rate: The percentage of flour produced as a result of milling grain. Understanding extraction rates helps farmers optimize processing and improve product quality.

etiolation: The process by which a green plant grown in insufficient light becomes yellow and grows long shoots. Understanding etiolation helps farmers manage plant health and optimize growth conditions.

ecologically sustainable development: Development which limits the size of the human population and the use of resources, so as to protect the existing natural resources for future generations. This principle helps farmers plan for long-term sustainability and resource conservation.

estimated breeding value: The value of an animal, calculated using an estimate of how many offspring it will have and what they will be worth. Abbr EBV. Knowing EBV helps farmers select and breed livestock for desirable traits, improving herd quality and productivity.

ectoparasite disease: A disease caused by lice and other insects, usually characterized by intense irritation. Farmers need to manage ectoparasite diseases to ensure the health and welfare of their livestock.

emission standard: The amount of an effluent or pollutant that can legally be released into the environment, e.g., the amount of sewage which can be discharged into a river or the sea, or the amount of carbon monoxide that can legally be released into the atmosphere by petrol and diesel engines. Complying with emission standards helps farmers reduce pollution and avoid legal penalties.

encephalopathy: BSE. Managing encephalopathy is crucial for farmers to prevent the spread of diseases and maintain animal health.

excreta: The waste material excreted from the body of an animal, e.g., faeces, urine, droppings, or sweat. Managing excreta helps farmers maintain hygiene and prevent disease spread.

ecosphere: The part of the Earth and its atmosphere where living organisms exist, including parts of the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. Also called biosphere. Knowledge of the ecosphere helps farmers adopt practices that protect and sustain the environment.

export refunds: Refunds made by the EU to farmers to compensate for a lower export price for produce. Accessing export refunds helps farmers manage financial stability and market fluctuations.

Escherichia coli: A Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in faeces and associated with acute gastroenteritis if it enters the digestive systems of humans or animals. Understanding E. coli helps farmers ensure food safety and implement measures to prevent contamination.

ecoparasite: A parasite which is adapted to a specific host. Compare ectoparasite, endoparasite. Understanding ecoparasites helps farmers manage pest control and animal health.

earmarking: The process of identifying an animal by attaching a tag to its ear. Earmarking helps farmers keep track of livestock health, breeding, and management efficiently.

environmental pollution: The pollution of the environment by human activities. Preventing environmental pollution helps farmers maintain healthy ecosystems and comply with regulations.