Category: S

Se: Se symbol selenium. Selenium is a trace element essential for animal health. Farmers benefit from understanding selenium’s role in preventing deficiencies and ensuring livestock productivity.

Scottish halfbreed: A crossbred type of sheep obtained by using a Border Leicester ram on a Cheviot ewe. They are used widely in lowland Britain. Farmers benefit from raising Scottish halfbreeds for their adaptability and efficient meat and wool production.

stone: a single small piece of rock; a hard endocarp that surrounds a seed in a fruit such as a cherry. Properly managing stones in fields and crops ensures healthy plant growth and efficient farm operations.

Shetland: A rare breed of cattle, native to the Shetland Isles. It is medium-sized, black and white, with short legs, short horns and a bulky body. A breed of sheep, native to the Shetland Isles. The colour varies from white, through grey and black to light brown; the ewes are polled and the rams horned; it produces fine soft wool of high quality, used in the Shetland wool industry. A small Shetland ewe yields a fleece 1.5–2 kilos in weight. A breed of pony, used as a riding horse for children. Farmers benefit from raising Shetland breeds for their hardiness and valuable products, including wool, meat, and pony services.

Simmental: A breed of cattle originating in Switzerland, the colour of which is yellowish-brown or red. It is a dual-purpose breed, with a high growth rate potential and good carcass quality. Farmers benefit from raising Simmental cattle for their efficient meat and milk production.

sandy soil: Soil containing a high proportion, approximately 50%, of sand particles. Sandy soil feels gritty. These soils drain easily and are naturally low in plant nutrients through leaching. They are often called ‘light’ soils, as they are easy to work and also ‘hungry’ soils since they need fertilizer. Market gardening is particularly well-suited to sandy soils. Farmers benefit from managing sandy soils to improve water retention and nutrient levels for successful crop production.

substratum: a layer of rock beneath the topsoil and subsoil. COMMENT: The plural is substrata. Properly managing substratum ensures soil stability and fertility, supporting productive agriculture.

snow mould: a fungal pre-emergent blight and root rot of cereals (Micronectriella nivalis). Managing snow mould ensures healthy cereal crops, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

springer: a cow almost ready to calve. Also called down-calver. Properly managing springers ensures healthy calving and productivity in dairy and beef operations.

synthetic hormone: a hormone manufactured from synthetic materials. Understanding and using synthetic hormones effectively supports healthy plant and livestock growth, enhancing farm productivity.

slurry spreader: a machine which spreads slurry. Using slurry spreaders ensures efficient application of slurry, improving soil fertility and supporting sustainable farming practices.

SEPA: Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Farmers benefit from engaging with SEPA to ensure environmentally sustainable farming practices.

spermicide: a substance that kills spermatozoa. Using spermicides helps farmers manage reproduction in livestock, supporting population control and productivity.

selection: The process of identifying plants or animals with desirable characteristics such as high yield or disease resistance as part of the activity of breeding new varieties. An individual chosen from a group in a breeding programme on the basis of distinctive characteristics. Farmers benefit from selection processes to improve crop and livestock productivity.

shade plants: Plants which prefer to grow in the shade. Farmers benefit from growing shade plants to diversify crops and optimize land use.

spray irrigation: a system of irrigation using sprinklers which are located along a boom. Some booms rotate and can distribute water over a large circular area. Using spray irrigation ensures efficient water distribution, promoting healthy crop growth and sustainable water use.

secondary substances: Chemical substances found in plant leaves, believed to be a form of defence against herbivores. Farmers benefit from understanding secondary substances to improve crop protection and resistance.

salivary: Referring to saliva. Farmers benefit from recognizing the importance of salivary health in livestock for optimal feeding and digestion.

swidden farming: same as slash and burn agriculture. Properly managing swidden farming ensures sustainable land use and agricultural productivity.

straight fertiliser: a fertiliser that supplies only one nutrient such as nitrogen. Compare compound fertiliser, mixed fertiliser. Properly managing straight fertilisers ensures precise nutrient application, supporting healthy crop growth and better yields.

salt: Sodium chloride as part of the diet. Salt is used to preserve food by keeping it in salt or in salt water. Farmers benefit from using salt for preserving food and maintaining animal health by supplementing diets.

swayback disease: an often fatal disease of lambs caused by copper deficiency in the ewe’s diet. Lambs become unsteady and unable to walk. The disease is often a problem when there has been no snow during the winter. Managing swayback disease ensures sheep health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

spider: one of a large group of animals, with two parts to their bodies and eight legs. Class: Arachnida. Managing spider populations on farms promotes ecological balance and reduces pest issues, supporting healthy crop growth.

sidewalk farmer: US a farmer who cultivates land some way away from his or her house in a town. Farmers benefit from understanding sidewalk farming for efficient land use and crop management.

Single Payment Scheme: An initiative under the CAP which calculates farmers’ subsidies with reference to the amount of land used in production, as well as the total eligible livestock or crop output. It replaces individual subsidy schemes. Abbr SPS. Farmers benefit from engaging with the Single Payment Scheme for financial support and resources in farming operations.

single flower: A flower with only one series of petals, as opposed to a double flower. Farmers benefit from understanding single flowers for better crop and ornamental plant management.

sycamore: a large tree with a smooth, greyish trunk, large broad leaves, and small yellowish-green flowers. Properly managing sycamore trees ensures healthy growth and optimal yields, supporting productive forestry and agricultural practices.

stag: a male deer; the male of various animals castrated after maturity; a male turkey. Managing stag populations on farms supports biodiversity and ecological balance, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

slurry injector: a tractor-hauled machine which injects slurry into the soil. Using slurry injectors enhances soil nutrient levels and promotes healthy crop growth, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers.

squirrel: a medium-sized rodent living in trees. (NOTE: Squirrels are harmless as far as crops are concerned. There are two types of squirrel in the UK: the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).) Managing squirrel populations supports biodiversity and ecological balance on farms.

self-raising flour: A type of flour with baking powder added to it. Farmers benefit from using self-raising flour for convenience in baking and food preparation.

stallion: an uncastrated full-grown male horse, especially one kept for breeding. Managing stallions effectively supports healthy breeding programs and improves livestock genetics.

staple: the length and fineness of fibres such as wool or cotton, used in determining quality. Properly managing staple quality ensures high-value wool and cotton production, supporting farm income and market value.

smudging: the process of burning oil to produce smoke to prevent loss of heat from the ground and so to minimise or prevent frost damage to crops and orchards. Using smudging techniques protects crops from frost damage, ensuring better yields and quality.

snap beans: US beans which are eaten in the pod, e.g., green beans or French beans, or of which the seed is eaten after drying, e.g., haricot beans. As opposed to broad beans or Lima beans, the seeds of which are eaten fresh. Growing snap beans provides farmers with a versatile crop for fresh and processed markets, enhancing farm income.

stem eelworm: a pest affecting cereals, in particular oats. The plant stem swells and is prevented from growing and producing any ears. Managing stem eelworm populations protects crops from damage, ensuring healthy growth and better yields.

straw walker: the part of a combine harvester where straw is carried away from the threshed grain after it has been separated from the stalks. Properly managing straw walkers ensures efficient combine harvester operation and crop quality.

suckler: a calf or other young animal which is suckling. Properly managing sucklers ensures healthy growth and development, supporting livestock productivity and farm profitability.

shifting cultivation: An agricultural practice using the rotation of fields rather than of crops. Short cropping periods are followed by long fallows and fertility is maintained by the regeneration of vegetation. A form of cultivation practised in some tropical countries, where land is cultivated until it is exhausted and then left as the farmers move on to another area. In shifting cultivation, the practice of clearing vegetation by burning is widespread. One of the simplest forms involves burning off thick and dry secondary vegetation. Immediately after burning, a crop like maize is planted and matures before the secondary vegetation has recovered. Where fire clearance methods are used, the ash acts as a fertiliser. Farmers benefit from understanding and managing shifting cultivation for sustainable land use and productivity.

salivary gland: A gland which secretes saliva. Farmers benefit from understanding the function of salivary glands to maintain the digestive health of their livestock.

sweetener: an artificial substance such as saccharin added to food to make it sweet. Properly managing sweeteners ensures product quality and consumer health, supporting market value and farm profitability.

staple crop: A crop that is grown in large quantities and forms the basis of a traditional diet. Understanding staple crops helps farmers meet food security needs.

silty soil: Soil containing a high proportion of silt. Such soils are difficult to work and drainage is a problem. Farmers benefit from managing silty soils to improve drainage and soil structure.

stecklings: young sugar beet plants grown in seedbeds in summer, to be transplanted in the autumn or following spring. Properly managing stecklings ensures healthy growth and optimal yields of sugar beet crops.

saline: Referring to salt. Farmers benefit from managing saline conditions to ensure optimal soil health and crop growth.

sawfly: A family of insects, the larvae or caterpillars of which cause serious damage to fruit and crops. Farmers benefit from controlling sawfly to prevent crop damage and yield loss.

sell-by date: A date on the label of a food product which is the last date on which the product should be sold and can be guaranteed as of good quality. Farmers benefit from understanding sell-by dates for food safety and quality control.

support energy: the total energy expenditure necessary for the production of plant and animal agricultural foodstuffs. Properly managing support energy ensures efficient resource use and sustainability in agricultural production.

soil fertility: the potential capacity of soil to support plant growth based on its content of nitrogen and other nutrients. Managing soil fertility ensures healthy crop growth and optimal yields, supporting productive agriculture.

sideland: A strip of land left at the side of a field during ploughing. It may be ploughed up with the headlands. Farmers benefit from managing sideland for efficient land use and crop rotation.