Category: S

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.

skimmed milk: milk which has had both fat and fat-soluble vitamins removed. It is used as a milk substitute for calves and lambs. Providing skimmed milk as a substitute ensures young livestock receive adequate nutrition for healthy growth and development.

staple commodity: a basic food or raw material. Growing staple commodities provides farmers with essential crops for food security and market stability.

seed mixture: Seeds of different plants supplied by seed merchants to farmers to produce a new ley. It will include grasses and legumes. Farmers benefit from using seed mixtures for diverse and resilient pastures.

Suffolk: a breed of sheep developed from crosses between the now extinct Norfolk Horn ewes and the Southdown ram. It is a large quick-growing animal with a close short fleece and a black face which has no wool on it. Suffolk crosses perform well under a broad range of farming systems, being equally effective for over-winter storing and for intensive early lamb production. Properly managing Suffolk sheep ensures healthy growth and productivity, supporting farm profitability and sustainability.

strip: a long narrow piece, usually of the same width from end to end. Properly managing strips of land ensures efficient farming practices and healthy crop growth.

sharecropping: A system of land tenure, whereby tenants pay an agreed share of the crop to the landlord as a form of rent. Farmers benefit from engaging in sharecropping for land access and cultivation opportunities.

seed tree: A tree left standing when others are cut down, to allow it to drop seeds on the cleared land around it. Farmers benefit from managing seed trees for natural regeneration and sustainable forestry.

solar dryer: a device for drying crops using the heat of the sun. Using solar dryers provides farmers with a sustainable method for crop drying, reducing energy costs and preserving product quality.

sulphur: a yellow non-metallic chemical element that is essential to biological life. It is used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid and in the vulcanisation of rubber. COMMENT: In the United Kingdom, the removal of sulphur from the atmosphere means that some crops such as oilseed rape are deficient and sulphur needs to be added to fertilisers. Understanding and using sulphur effectively supports soil fertility and healthy crop growth, enhancing farm productivity.

swarm: a large number of insects such as bees or locusts flying as a group. Properly managing swarms ensures effective pest control and supports agricultural productivity.

swine: a collective term for pigs. Properly managing swine ensures healthy growth and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

stud: same as stud farm; US a male horse kept for breeding; metal nail with a head projecting above the surface. Properly managing studs ensures healthy breeding programs and improves livestock genetics, supporting farm profitability.

swampy: referring to land that is permanently wet. Properly managing swampy lands ensures biodiversity and ecological balance, supporting sustainable land use and agricultural productivity.

strike: the infestation of the flesh of sheep by the larvae of blowflies. It causes extreme irritation and death can occur in a short time. Managing strike ensures sheep health and productivity, preventing losses and supporting farm profitability.

salt poisoning: A disease of pigs usually caused by inadequate provision of water, but which may also be caused by increased salt in the ration. Pigs become constipated before twitching, fits and death. Farmers benefit from preventing salt poisoning by ensuring proper water provision and diet management.

sustainable consumption and production: the idea that agricultural production should not cause environmental damage, exploit workers, or use up natural resources that cannot be replaced. Abbr SCP. Understanding and implementing sustainable consumption and production practices ensures responsible resource use and supports farm sustainability.

selective breeding: The process of choosing parent organisms with desirable traits to produce offspring with those traits. Selective breeding improves crop and livestock quality.

spay: to remove the ovaries of a female animal. Properly managing spaying supports livestock health and population control, promoting sustainable farming practices.

shoddy: A waste product of the wool industry. It contains up to 15% nitrogen and is used as a fertiliser, particularly in market gardens. Farmers benefit from using shoddy for soil improvement and as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

self-regulating: Controlling itself without outside intervention. Most tropical rainforests are self-regulating environments. Farmers benefit from understanding self-regulating ecosystems for sustainable land management.

spacing drill: a precision seed drill. Using spacing drills ensures accurate planting and optimal crop establishment, supporting productive agriculture.

silo: A large container for storing grain or silage. There are many different types of silo. Some are pits dug into the ground, others are forms of surface clamp, while built silos are towers which may be either top- or bottom-loaded and are built of wood, concrete or steel. Farmers benefit from using silos for efficient and controlled grain and silage storage.

single-suckling: A natural method of rearing beef cattle, where calves are permitted to suckle their own mothers. Farmers benefit from using single-suckling systems for efficient and natural livestock rearing.

stocking density: the number of animals kept on a specific area of land. (NOTE: Animal welfare codes lay down rules for the maximum stocking density allowed to ensure that the health and welfare of the animals or birds is good.) Properly managing stocking density ensures livestock health and welfare, supporting productivity and ethical farming practices.

stand: a group of plants or trees growing together; a stand of conifers. Properly managing stands of trees or plants supports healthy growth and sustainable forestry or crop production.

solarisation: exposure to the rays of the sun, especially for the purpose of killing pests in the soil, by covering the soil with plastic sheets and letting it warm up in the sunshine. Using solarisation techniques helps farmers manage pests and diseases, ensuring healthy crop growth and better yields.

swine fever: a notifiable disease of pigs. Its symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, and general weakness, and it can be fatal. The disease was eradicated in Britain, but some further cases have been reported since 2000. The scientific name is classical swine fever, formerly called hog cholera. Managing swine fever ensures pig health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

slatted mouldboard: a type of mouldboard which breaks up the soil as it is being ploughed. Using slatted mouldboards improves soil aeration and structure, promoting healthy root growth and better crop yields.

scrubland: Land covered with small trees and bushes. Farmers benefit from managing scrubland to maintain biodiversity and prevent invasive species.

sluice: a channel for water, especially through a dam or other barrier. Proper management of sluices ensures efficient water control and irrigation, promoting healthy crop growth and sustainable water use.

suffrutescent: referring to a perennial plant that is woody at the base of the stem and does not die down to ground level in winter. Properly managing suffrutescent plants ensures healthy growth and optimal yields, supporting productive agriculture.

Shropshire: A medium-sized breed of sheep with a black face and heavy fleece, now rare. Farmers benefit from raising Shropshire sheep for their valuable wool and meat production.

support: to hold the weight of something; to provide what is necessary for an activity or way of life. Properly managing support systems ensures efficient farm operations and productivity.

soil nutrition: the condition of soil in terms of the plant nutrients it contains; the action of putting nutrients into soil through the application of fertilisers. Proper soil nutrition ensures healthy crop growth and optimal yields, supporting productive agriculture.

shears: Large clippers used to shear a sheep. Farmers benefit from using shears for efficient and precise wool clipping.