Category: M

marbling: the appearance of muscle with intramuscular fat, seen on the cut surface of meat. Understanding marbling can help farmers improve the quality of their meat products, leading to better marketability and higher prices.

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.

monopoly: an organisation which controls the supply of or trade in a commodity or service, and therefore controls its price. Understanding monopolies can help farmers navigate market dynamics and improve their business strategies.

Maine: Refers to Bleu du Maine and Maine-Anjou breeds. Understanding the characteristics of these breeds can help farmers make informed decisions about livestock management and breeding, ensuring better productivity and farm sustainability.

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.

maggot: a soft-bodied, legless larva of a fly such as a bluebottle, warble fly or frit fly. Maggots may attack crops and livestock. Controlling maggot infestations can prevent significant damage to crops and livestock, ensuring better farm productivity and reducing economic losses.

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.

milo: US sorghum. Understanding the characteristics and uses of milo can help farmers optimize their grain production and marketability, ensuring better profitability.

mammalian meat and bone meal: same as meat and bone meal. Understanding the nutritional value and uses of mammalian meat and bone meal can help farmers provide balanced diets for their livestock, leading to better growth and productivity.

mecoprop: a commonly used herbicide, mostly used to control weeds in cereal and grass crops, that is found as a contaminant of water. Abbr MCPP, CMPP. Understanding the application and effects of mecoprop can help farmers manage weed infestations more effectively, ensuring better crop health and yields.

metabolism: the chemical processes of breaking down or building up organic compounds in organisms. Metabolism covers all changes which take place in the body: the building of tissue (anabolism), the breaking down of tissue (catabolism), the conversion of nutrients into tissue, the elimination of waste matter and the action of hormones. Understanding metabolism can help farmers manage livestock nutrition and health more effectively, ensuring better growth and productivity.

mosaic: a disease caused by a virus which attacks various plants including sugar beet, potatoes, tobacco and turnips. Understanding and managing mosaic can help farmers protect their crops and ensure better yields.

mangetout: a variety of pea, which is picked before the seeds are developed, and of which the whole pod is cooked and eaten. Growing mangetout can provide a high-value crop for farmers, especially in markets where fresh vegetables are in demand, leading to better income and profitability.

moss killer: a compound that kills mosses, usually based on iron sulfate. Understanding the application and effects of moss killers can help farmers manage moss infestations more effectively, ensuring better crop health and yields.

machinery syndicate: a group of farmers who join together to buy very large items of equipment, which they can use in turn. This can benefit farmers by reducing the individual cost burden of expensive machinery, allowing access to high-quality equipment that they might not afford alone, leading to increased efficiency and productivity on their farms.

martingale: a device used to regulate the way a horse carries its head. It consists of a strap or straps, attached to the girth at one end, and at the other to the reins or to the noseband. Using a martingale can help farmers ensure better control and training of their horses.

mixed woodland: a wooded area where neither conifers nor broadleaved trees account for more than 75% of the total. Understanding mixed woodland can help farmers manage forest resources more effectively, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.

mat: a covering of undecayed grassland vegetation which forms on very acid soil, when the soil lacks the microorganisms necessary to break decaying matter down. Managing mats can help farmers improve soil health and productivity, leading to better crop yields.

Milk Marketing Board: until 1994, the board which organised the collection and buying of milk from farmers and its sale to customers. Understanding the role and history of the Milk Marketing Board can help farmers adapt to changes in the dairy industry and improve marketability.

Montgomery: A type of cheddar cheese, one of the best British farmhouse cheeses, matured for 15 months and producing a tangy flavour with a crumbly texture. Understanding the characteristics and marketability of Montgomery cheese can help farmers optimize their dairy production and income.

mechanically recovered meat: the scraps of meat which remain on an animal’s carcass after the prime cuts have been removed, which are removed using machinery, ground and used as cheap filler for burgers, pies, sausages, etc. Abbr MRM. Understanding the uses and regulations of mechanically recovered meat can help farmers maximize the value of their livestock products.

malt: best-quality barley grains which have been through the malting process and are used in breweries to make beer and in distilleries to make whisky. Understanding the malting process and the quality requirements for malt can help farmers produce high-value barley, leading to better marketability and income.

maize: a tall cereal crop grown in warm climates, that carries its grains on a large solid core (cob) of which there are only one or two per plant. Maize is grown for making silage, or for harvesting as ripened grain; some is grazed or cut as a forage crop, while a small proportion is sold for human consumption as ‘corn on the cob’. Maize needs rich deep well-drained soils and ideally a frost-free growing season with a lot of sunshine before harvest. Understanding the cultivation requirements and uses of maize can help farmers maximize their crop yield and profitability.

monoploid: a cell that has only one set of chromosomes. Compare diploid, polyploid. Understanding the characteristics and applications of monoploid cells can help farmers and researchers improve breeding programs and genetic studies.

manager: a person who is in charge of an organisation or part of one. Effective managers can help optimize farm operations and improve productivity and profitability.

min-till: same as minimum tillage. Understanding min-till can help farmers optimize their soil and crop management practices, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.

Multistage: multistage a system in which there are several stages. Understanding multistage systems can help farmers optimize their operations and improve productivity and sustainability.

mariculture: the breeding and keeping of sea fish or shellfish for food in seawater enclosures. Mariculture can provide farmers with a valuable source of income, particularly in coastal regions, contributing to economic diversification and sustainability.

monosomy: a chromosomal defect in which one chromosome of a pair is missing. Understanding and managing monosomy can help farmers improve breeding programs and genetic studies.

market gardener: a person who runs a market garden. Market gardeners play a crucial role in supplying fresh produce to urban areas, contributing to local food security and sustainable agriculture.

maximum residue level: the maximum amount of a pesticide that can remain in crops or foodstuffs under European Union regulations. Abbr MRL. Understanding and adhering to maximum residue levels can help farmers ensure the safety and marketability of their produce.

marram grass: a type of grass planted on sand dunes to prevent them being spread by the wind. Latin name: Ammophila arenaria. Understanding the role of marram grass in soil stabilization can help farmers manage erosion and protect their land.

mesotrophic: referring to water that contains a moderate amount of nutrients. Compare eutrophic, oligotrophic. Understanding the characteristics of mesotrophic water can help farmers manage water resources more effectively, ensuring better crop and livestock health.

market weight: the target weight at which livestock will be sold at market or slaughtered. Understanding and achieving market weight can help farmers maximize their income from livestock production.

monoculture: The cultivation of a single crop in a given area. While efficient, monoculture can lead to soil degradation and increased pest problems, so it’s important to manage it carefully.

monocropping: the practice of growing one type of crop on the same piece of land at the same time. Compare mixed cropping. Understanding monocropping can help farmers manage crop production more effectively, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.

meta-: prefix 1. changing 2. following. Understanding the uses of the prefix meta- can help farmers and researchers communicate more effectively about genetic and biological processes.

MPLS: same as milk progesterone level test. Understanding the techniques and applications of MPLS can help farmers improve their breeding programs and livestock health.

myriapod: a member of the class Myriapoda, an arthropod with a segmented body, such as a millipede or centipede. Understanding the role and management of myriapods can help farmers protect their crops and ensure better productivity.

mayweed: one of a group of weeds which affect cereals (Chamomilla spp, Anthemis spp, Matricaria spp). The weeds affect winter crops and vegetables, and are found on headlands. They can cause considerable problems to machinery. Also called dogdaisy, wild chamomile. Managing mayweed infestations can help farmers protect their crops and ensure better yields.

monkey puzzle tree: a large tree of Chile and western Argentina, with branches covered with stiff scale-like leaves. Latin name: Araucaria araucana. Also called Chile pine. Understanding the characteristics and uses of monkey puzzle trees can help farmers diversify their timber production and improve marketability.

maple: a hardwood tree of northern temperate regions, some varieties of which produce sweet sap which is used for making sugar and syrup. Genus: Acer. Growing maple trees can provide farmers with a valuable source of timber and maple syrup, contributing to diversified income streams and long-term economic stability.

Malus: the Latin name for the apple tree. Understanding the classification and characteristics of apple trees can help farmers manage orchards more effectively, leading to better fruit yields and income.

multiple resistant: referring to organisms which are resistant to more than one pesticide or antibiotic. Understanding and managing multiple resistance can help farmers protect their crops and livestock, ensuring better health and productivity.

microhabitat: a single small area such as the bark of a tree, where fauna and/or flora live. Also called microenvironment. Understanding microhabitats can help farmers manage soil and crop health more effectively, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.

milky stage: same as milk ripe stage. Understanding the milky stage can help farmers manage grain production more effectively, ensuring better yields and quality.

mezzadria: a system used in Southern Italy, where a vineyard is leased and the landlord is paid a half-share of the wine produced. Understanding the mezzadria system can help farmers manage vineyard operations and leases more effectively, ensuring better productivity and profitability.

MMBM: abbreviation mammalian meat and bone meal. Understanding the uses and nutritional value of MMBM can help farmers provide balanced diets for their livestock, leading to better growth and productivity.