MHC
MHC: abbreviation moisture holding capacity. Understanding moisture holding capacity can help farmers manage soil and crop irrigation more effectively, ensuring better growth and productivity.
Agricultural Terms and Helpful Expert Insight
multiple ovulation and embryo transfer: same as MOET. Understanding the techniques and applications of MOET can help farmers improve their breeding programs and livestock productivity.
macroclimate: the climate over a large area such as a region or country. Understanding macroclimate can help farmers plan their crop production and manage risks associated with climate variations, ensuring better crop yield and farm sustainability.
macronutrient: a nutrient that an organism uses in very large quantities, e.g. oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium or iron. Knowing the macronutrient requirements of crops and livestock can help farmers ensure proper nutrition, leading to better growth and yields, ultimately improving farm productivity and profitability.
millet: a cereal crop grown in many of the hot, dry regions of Africa and Asia, where it is a staple food. Genera: especially: Panicum or Eleusine. The two most important species are finger millet and bulrush millet. Millet grains are used in various types of food. They can be boiled and eaten like rice, made into flour for porridge, pasta or chapatis, and mixed with wheat flour to make bread. Millets can be malted to make beer. Millets are also grown as forage crops, and the seed is used as a poultry feed. Growing millet can provide farmers with a versatile and high-yield crop, particularly in regions with suitable climates, contributing to food security and economic stability.
monoplane leaf: a leaf that is flattened out horizontally and does not have a ridge or prominent vein. Understanding the characteristics of monoplane leaves can help farmers manage crop health and productivity more effectively.
modified atmosphere: an oxygen-depleted atmosphere enriched with carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, used for disinfestation of pests or for increasing the shelf life of food. Abbr MA. Understanding the uses and effects of modified atmosphere can help farmers manage pest control and food preservation more effectively, ensuring better crop and product quality and marketability.
methyl phosphine: a compound with specific action against phosphine-resistant strains of storage pests. Understanding the uses and effects of methyl phosphine can help farmers manage pest infestations in stored products more effectively, ensuring better storage and marketability.
mountain timber: timber grown in mountain forests. Understanding the characteristics and uses of mountain timber can help farmers optimize their timber production and marketability.
mad cow disease: same as BSE (informal). Awareness and prevention of mad cow disease are crucial for maintaining the health of cattle and ensuring the safety of beef products, which protects the farm’s reputation and consumer trust.
meadowgrass: varieties of grass of the genus Poa. Understanding the characteristics and uses of meadowgrass can help farmers manage their grazing and hay production more effectively, leading to better livestock health and productivity.
manure spreader: a trailer with a moving floor conveyor and a combined shredding and spreading mechanism, used to distribute manure over the soil. Also called muck spreader. Using a manure spreader can help farmers efficiently apply manure to their fields, improving soil fertility and crop growth.
maintenance ration: the quantity of food needed to keep a farm animal healthy but not productive. Knowing the maintenance ration for livestock helps farmers manage feed costs and ensure animal health, leading to better resource allocation and farm efficiency.
multiple cropping: the growing of more than one crop on the same piece of land in one year, especially using early crops followed by later ones. Understanding multiple cropping can help farmers optimize their crop production and improve soil health, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.
morning glory: a climbing plant with attractive flowers. Genus: Ipomoea. Understanding the characteristics and uses of morning glory can help farmers manage their gardens and ornamental crops more effectively.
milk sheep: a sheep which is reared for its milk. Proper care and management of milk sheep can ensure better milk yield and quality, contributing to farm profitability and sustainability.
moveable henhouse: a henhouse which can be moved to different locations, allowing hens to graze on fresh pasture. Using moveable henhouses can help farmers manage poultry health and productivity more effectively, ensuring better yields and sustainability.
monoterpenes: a group of 10-carbon compounds found in plant oils, e.g. camphor and limonene. Understanding the applications and effects of monoterpenes can help farmers manage crop health and pest control more effectively.
myxomycete: a member of the class Myxomycetes, a slime mold. Understanding the role and management of myxomycetes can help farmers protect their crops and ensure better productivity.
mule: 1. an animal which is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, usually used as a pack animal in rough terrain 2. a crossbreed between a Bluefaced Leicester ram and a Swaledale ewe. Understanding the characteristics and uses of mules can help farmers optimize their livestock production and marketability, ensuring better profitability.
mangel: a plant similar to sugar beet, but with larger roots. Mangel is mainly grown in southern England as a fodder crop. Also called mangold. Varieties of mangels include Globes, Tankards (oblong-shaped), Longs and Intermediates. Mangels contain less than 15% dry matter and are normally harvested before maturity and dried off in a clamp. Growing mangels can provide a valuable fodder crop for livestock, especially in regions with suitable climates.
milk ripe stage: a stage in the development of grain such as wheat where the seed has formed but is still soft and white and full of white sap. Also called milky stage. Understanding the milk ripe stage can help farmers manage grain production more effectively, ensuring better yields and quality.
mixed farming: the practice of combining arable and dairy farming. Understanding mixed farming can help farmers diversify their income streams and improve sustainability.
moratorium: an official suspension of an activity. Understanding the implications of moratoriums can help farmers navigate regulatory changes and ensure better compliance and sustainability.
moisture deficit: the difference between the amount of water in the soil and the amount needed by the crop. Understanding moisture deficit can help farmers manage irrigation and crop health more effectively, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.