Agricultural Terms and Helpful Expert Insight
Let-Down: Let-down refers to the let-down of milk, the release of milk from the mammary gland. The hormone oxytoxin activates the release of milk. The let-down lasts between seven and ten minutes, when the extraction of milk from the udder is easiest. Understanding the let-down process helps dairy farmers optimize milking efficiency.
Leaf Area Index: Leaf area index is the area of green leaf per unit area of ground. Abbr LAI. Monitoring leaf area index can help farmers assess crop health and optimize irrigation and fertilization.
Liquid Fertilizer: Liquid fertilizer is a simple solution, not kept under pressure, of the normal raw materials of solid fertilizers, as opposed to pressurized solutions such as aqueous ammonia. Utilizing liquid fertilizers can improve nutrient delivery and crop growth.
Livestock Unit: A livestock unit is the part of a farm where livestock are reared. Managing livestock units effectively can enhance farm productivity and animal welfare.
Label: Label is a piece of paper attached to produce, showing the price and other details. It can also be a verb to identify something by using a label. Government regulations cover the labelling of food; it should show not only the price and weight, but also where it comes from, the quality grade, and a sell-by date. Proper labelling ensures that farmers’ products meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations, promoting transparency and trust in the marketplace.
Low-Intensity Land: Low-intensity land is land on which crops are not intensively cultivated. Managing low-intensity land can enhance biodiversity and soil health.
Let-Down: Let-down refers to the let-down of milk, the release of milk from the mammary gland. The hormone oxytoxin activates the release of milk. The let-down lasts between seven and ten minutes, when the extraction of milk from the udder is easiest. Understanding the let-down process helps dairy farmers optimize milking efficiency.
Leaf Stripe: Leaf stripe is a disease of barley and oats (Pyrenophora graminea) where the young leaves show pale stripes and seedlings often die. Managing leaf stripe through disease prevention and control measures can protect barley and oat crops and improve yields.
Light Sussex: Light Sussex is a dual-purpose breed of poultry, one of the several varieties of the Sussex breed. The birds are white, with black stripes to the feathers of the neck and black feathers on the wings and tail. Raising Light Sussex chickens can enhance poultry production and farm profitability.
Lion Quality: Lion Quality is the symbol used on eggs in the UK to show that they come from a British Egg Industry Council-approved supplier. Adhering to quality standards like Lion Quality can enhance product marketability and consumer trust.
Leptospira Hardjo: Leptospira Hardjo is a bacterium which infects cattle and humans, causing leptospirosis and Weils disease. Abbr LH, lep hardjo. Understanding and preventing leptospirosis can protect livestock health and prevent zoonotic diseases.
Lifetime: Lifetime refers to 1. the time during which an organism is alive, and 2. the approximate time it would take for the part of an atmospheric pollutant concentration created by humans to return to its natural level assuming emissions cease. Average lifetimes range from about a week for products such as sulphate aerosols to more than a century for CFCs and carbon dioxide. Also called atmospheric lifetime. Understanding the lifetime of agricultural products and pollutants can help farmers make sustainable decisions.
Leaf Joint: A leaf joint is a point on the stem of a plant where a new shoot may grow. Understanding plant growth points can aid in effective pruning and plant management.
Laying Cage: A laying cage is a specially built cage for laying hens. The cages are arranged in tiers and each cage should allow the birds to stand comfortably, allow the eggs to roll forward, and permit access to food and water, easy cleaning, and easy handling of the birds. Properly designed laying cages can improve poultry welfare and egg collection efficiency.
Lazy-Bed: A lazy-bed is a small arable plot used for growing potatoes, cereals, and other crops, found in the West Highlands of Scotland. If the soil is thin, seed potatoes are placed on the surface of the soil and covered with turf. Utilizing lazy-bed farming can optimize crop growth in challenging soil conditions.
Level: Level means having a flat, smooth horizontal surface. It also refers to a relative amount, intensity, or concentration, such as an unsafe level of contamination or reduced noise levels. A level is also a flat low-lying area of usually marshy land, often reclaimed by artificial drainage in parts of Fen Country in Eastern England round the Wash. Maintaining level land can improve water management and crop growth.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Liquefied petroleum gas is propane or butane or a combination of both produced by refining crude petroleum oil. Abbr LPG. Liquefied petroleum gas is used for domestic heating and cooking and for powering vehicles. Utilizing liquefied petroleum gas can provide farmers with a clean and efficient energy source.
Laying Hen: A laying hen is a female domestic fowl which is kept primarily for egg production. Raising laying hens can provide a steady source of income from egg sales.
Lupin: Lupin is a leguminous plant (Lupinus polyphyllus) grown as a crop for protein and seed oil. Lupins were originally grown in the UK as green manure on acid sandy soils, and for some sheep folding. They are now grown for grain production. The seeds of lupin contain 3040% protein and 1012% edible oil. The white lupin is an early-ripening sweet type but is difficult to harvest and must be combined carefully. Growing lupins can provide farmers with a nutritious and marketable crop for animal feed and oil production.
Land Tenure: Land tenure is the way in which land is owned and possessed. This may be by an individual owning the freehold, by a tenancy agreement between freeholder and tenant, or by a form of community ownership. Understanding land tenure arrangements is essential for securing land rights and planning long-term agricultural investments.
Long-Grain Rice: Long-grain rice is varieties of rice with long grains, grown in tropical climates such as India. Understanding rice varieties like long-grain rice can aid in crop selection and market targeting.
Lactic Acid: Lactic acid is a sugar which forms in cells and tissue, and is also present in sour milk, cheese, and yoghurt. Lactic acid is important for preserving dairy products and adding flavor, helping farmers and producers to create a variety of dairy goods.
Lomé Convention: Lomé Convention is an agreement reached in 1975 between the European Community and 66 developing nations (the ACP states). It gives entry into the EU for certain agricultural produce without duty, with sections on guaranteed prices. Cotonou Agreement. Understanding trade agreements like the Lomé Convention can help farmers access new markets and enhance agricultural trade.
Lamb: Lamb refers to 1. a young sheep under six months of age, and 2. meat from a lamb. To lamb means to give birth to lambs. Most ewes lamb without difficulty, but some may need help. Proper lambing management ensures the health of both ewes and lambs, leading to higher survival rates and better meat production.
Land Classification: Land classification is the classification of land into categories, according to its value for a broad land use type. In England and Wales, the Defra classification map has five main grades, between Grade 1 (completely suitable for agriculture) and Grade 5 (land with severe limitations, because of its soil, relief, or climate). Knowing land classification assists farmers in optimizing land use and adhering to agricultural policies.
Lambing Sickness: Lambing sickness is a bacterial disease of sheep picked up from the soil, which can cause rapid death. Managing lambing sickness through vaccination and proper hygiene can prevent significant losses in sheep flocks.
Linnaean System: Linnaean system is the scientific system of naming organisms devised by the Swedish scientist Carolus Linnaeus (170778). Carl von Linné is another form of his name. The Linnaean system (or binomial classification) gives each organism a name made up of two main parts. The first is a generic name referring to the genus to which the organism belongs, and the second is a specific name which refers to the particular species. Organisms are usually identified by using both their generic and specific names, e.g., Homo sapiens (man) and Felix catus (domestic cat). The generic name is written or printed with a capital letter. Both names are usually given in italics, or are underlined if written or typed. Utilizing the Linnaean system can aid in accurate identification and classification of plants and animals on the farm.
Lime: Lime is 1. calcium oxide made from burnt limestone, used to spread on soil to reduce acidity and add calcium, 2. a hardwood tree. Genus: Tilia, and 3. a citrus fruit tree, with green fruit similar to, but smaller than, lemons. Latin name: Citrus aurantifolia. To lime means to treat acid soil by spreading lime on it. Utilizing lime can improve soil health and fertility, supporting crop growth.
Leader-Follower System: The leader-follower system is a system of grazing where priority is given to a group of animals (the leaders) and the crop is later grazed by a second group of animals (the followers). So first-year heifers might be followed by second-year heifers. Implementing the leader-follower system can optimize pasture use and improve livestock health.
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