Category: S

saddleback: 1. A breed of pig now known as the British Saddleback 2. Any pig with a white saddle, such as the American-bred Hampshire breed. Farmers benefit from raising saddleback pigs due to their hardy nature and efficient meat production.

synthetic auxin: an auxin manufactured from synthetic materials. Understanding and using synthetic auxins effectively supports healthy plant growth and optimal yields, enhancing farm productivity.

semi-: 1. Half 2. Partly. Farmers benefit from understanding semi- processes for better management of partial growth or development stages.

seed royalties: Money paid by seed growers to breeders of seeds. Farmers benefit from seed royalties as a form of intellectual property protection and incentive for breeding new and improved seed varieties.

sheep’s sorrel: A common weed (Rumex acetosella). Farmers benefit from managing sheep’s sorrel to prevent weed competition and maintain crop health.

swell: to grow fat. Properly managing crop swelling ensures healthy growth and optimal yields, supporting farm productivity.

supplementary levy: in the EU, a payment introduced to penalise milk production over the quota level. Understanding and managing supplementary levies ensures compliance with regulations and financial planning for dairy operations, supporting farm profitability.

SSSI: abbreviation Site of Special Scientific Interest. Understanding SSSI designations helps farmers manage land resources effectively, promoting conservation and sustainable agricultural practices.

set: 1. A seed potato 2. A seed onion 3. A badger’s burrow. To harden. The resin sets in a couple of hours. To form fruit or seed. To plant something. Farmers benefit from understanding and managing set plants for effective crop production.

syndrome: a group of signs of a disease that occur together. Properly managing syndromes ensures effective disease control and livestock health, supporting farm productivity.

sand: Fine grains of weathered rock, usually round grains of quartz, found especially on beaches and in the desert. Farmers benefit from understanding soil composition, including sand content, to manage soil health and optimize crop growth.

shepherd: A person who looks after sheep. Farmers benefit from employing skilled shepherds for efficient and effective livestock management.

seedbed: An area of land tilled to produce a fine tilth, firm and level, into which seeds will be sown. Some crops such as potatoes do not need a fine tilth and a rough damp bed is preferable. Farmers benefit from preparing seedbeds to ensure successful seed germination and crop establishment.

shearer: A person who clips the fleece off a sheep. Farmers benefit from employing skilled shearers to ensure efficient and high-quality wool production.

screwworm: A fly similar to the bluebottle, but dark green in colour, common in Central and South America. It devastated cattle in the USA in the 1950s, but has now been eradicated there. Farmers benefit from preventing screwworm infestations to protect livestock health and prevent economic losses.

space allowance: the amount of space a farmed animal should have in which to move around, feed, and rest. (NOTE: Guidelines on minimum space allowances are set out in the animal welfare codes.) Ensuring proper space allowance for livestock supports animal health and welfare, promoting better productivity and ethical farming practices.

sulphuric acid: a strong acid that exists as a colourless oily corrosive liquid and is made by reacting sulphur trioxide with water. It is used in batteries and in the manufacture of fertilisers, explosives, detergents, dyes, and many other chemicals. Formula: H2SO4. Understanding and using sulphuric acid effectively supports soil fertility and healthy crop growth, enhancing farm productivity.

stipula: a newly sprouted feather. Properly managing stipula development ensures healthy growth and productivity in poultry farming.

Saler: A hardy breed of French cattle, found in the Cantal department of central France. The animals are reddish in colour and are reared both for meat and for milk production. The Saler is one of the best French suckler cows. Farmers benefit from Saler cattle due to their dual-purpose nature, providing both milk and meat efficiently.

string bean: same as French bean. Growing string beans provides farmers with a versatile crop for fresh and processed markets, enhancing farm income and sustainability.

seep: To flow slowly through a substance. Water seeped through the rock. Chemicals seeped out of the container. Farmers benefit from managing seepage to prevent soil and water contamination.

stunt: to reduce the growth of something. Properly managing stunted growth ensures healthy plant development and better yields, supporting farm productivity.

supplementary ration: a type of concentrate fed to livestock to supplement feeds of hay and roots. Properly managing supplementary rations ensures optimal livestock nutrition and health, supporting productivity and well-being.

strawberry foot rot: a bacterial disease affecting sheep, causing ulcers. Managing strawberry foot rot ensures sheep health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

seaweed: Any of the large algae that grow in the sea and are usually attached to a surface. Farmers benefit from using seaweed as a natural fertilizer and soil conditioner.

sustainable products: products which are created and supplied using sustainable methods. Producing and marketing sustainable products ensures responsible resource use and supports farm sustainability.

Stilton: English blue cheese. Properly managing cheese production ensures product quality and market value, supporting farm income and consumer trust.

seedhead: The top of a stalk with seeds, either in a seedcase or separately attached to the stem. Farmers benefit from managing seedheads for seed collection and crop management.

succession: a series of stages, one after the other, by which a group of organisms living in a community reaches a stable state or climax. Properly managing ecological succession ensures sustainable land use and biodiversity on farms.

soil series: the classification of soils based on their similarities, used in soil mapping. (NOTE: Soil series are defined using a combination of three main properties: the parent material; the texture of the soil material and the presence or absence of material with a distinctive mineralogy; and the presence or absence of distinctive horizons.) Understanding soil series helps farmers manage land resources effectively, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

streptococcal: referring to an infection caused by streptococci. Managing streptococcal infections in livestock ensures health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

stirk: a Scottish term for cattle, both male and female, under two years old. Properly managing stirks ensures healthy growth and productivity in cattle operations, supporting farm profitability.

selective pesticide: A pesticide which takes toxic action against specific pests without affecting the growing crop. Farmers benefit from using selective pesticides to control pests without harming crops.

slaughterhouse: same as abattoir. Proper management of slaughterhouses ensures humane treatment of animals and high standards of meat processing, maintaining quality and safety.

sedentary agriculture: Subsistence agriculture practised in the same place by a settled farmer. Farmers benefit from understanding sedentary agriculture to ensure sustainable land use and productivity.

synthetic additive: a substance added to food, especially animal feed, in order to improve it. Understanding and using synthetic additives effectively supports livestock nutrition and health, enhancing farm productivity.

silage: Food for cattle formed of grass and other green plants, cut and stored in silos. Silage is made by fermenting a crop with a high moisture content under anaerobic conditions. It may be made from a variety of crops, the most common being grass and maize, although grass and clover mixtures, green cereals, kale, root tops, sugar beet pulp and potatoes can also be used. Trials indicate that very high-quality grass silage can be fed to adult pigs. Farmers benefit from producing silage for high-quality livestock feed and efficient forage management.

scaly leg: A disease affecting the legs of poultry, caused by a mite which burrows under the leg scales causing considerable itching. Large hard scales develop on the unfeathered parts of the legs. Farmers benefit from treating scaly leg to ensure poultry health and productivity.

shin: 1. The lower part of the foreleg of cattle 2. The upper part of a ploughshare. Farmers benefit from understanding shin anatomy for effective livestock management and care.

sainfoin: A forage legume very similar to lucerne, grown mainly in areas with calcareous soil. Farmers benefit from sainfoin as a forage crop that improves soil fertility and provides nutritious livestock feed.

Sustainable Development Commission: an independent body which advises the UK government on ethical considerations in environmental, social, and economic development. Engaging with advisory bodies like the Sustainable Development Commission ensures support for ethical and sustainable agricultural practices.

spp.: abbreviation species (plural) (NOTE: The singular is sp.). Understanding species classifications helps farmers manage biodiversity and select appropriate crops and livestock for their specific conditions.

sheep walk: An area of land on which sheep are pastured. Farmers benefit from managing sheep walks for efficient and sustainable grazing practices.

shrivel: To become dry and wrinkled. The leaves shrivelled in the prolonged drought. Farmers benefit from managing shriveling to ensure healthy plant growth and crop production.

salivary digestion: The first part of the digestive process, which is activated by the saliva in an animal’s mouth. Farmers benefit from ensuring livestock have adequate salivary digestion to promote better nutrient absorption and overall health.

sheep scab: A serious disease of sheep, caused by a parasitic mite, which results in intense irritation, skin ulcers, loss of wool and emaciation. It is a notifiable disease. Farmers benefit from preventing and managing sheep scab to ensure livestock health and productivity.

stable: steady and not easily moved; not changing; a building in which horses are kept. Ensuring stable conditions for livestock promotes health and productivity, supporting efficient farm operations.

seed dressing: The treatment of seeds with a fungicide and/or an insecticide to prevent certain soil and seed-borne diseases. Farmers benefit from using seed dressings to protect seeds from diseases and pests, ensuring healthy crop growth.

style: the elongated structure that carries the stigma at its tip in many flowers. Understanding the structure and function of styles helps farmers manage plant reproduction and optimize yields.

spacing: the process of making places between things, e.g., between plants in a row. Proper spacing of crops ensures healthy growth and reduces competition for resources, leading to better yields.