Agricultural Terms and Helpful Expert Insight
sugar beet topper: an attachment to a sugar beet harvester which collects the sugar beet tops. Some have choppers and blower units, which chop up the tops and then blow them into a trailer. Using sugar beet toppers ensures efficient harvesting and use of crop residues, supporting farm productivity.
sheep pox: A highly contagious viral disease. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing and in the final stages scabs and ulcers appear. It is a notifiable disease. Farmers benefit from preventing sheep pox to protect livestock health and prevent economic losses.
stewardship: the protection of the environment for the benefit of future generations of human beings by developing appropriate institutions and strategies. Implementing stewardship practices ensures sustainable management of land and resources, promoting long-term agricultural productivity.
strawberry: a soft fruit of the Fragaria species, used as a dessert fruit, but also preserved as jam. Growing strawberries provides farmers with high-value crops for fresh and processed markets, enhancing farm income and sustainability.
seedless hay: Hay obtained from a grass crop after threshing out the seedheads. Farmers benefit from using seedless hay for high-quality forage.
sodium chloride: common salt. Proper management of sodium chloride levels in livestock diets supports overall health and productivity.
sugar cane: a large perennial grass, whose stems contain a sweet sap. COMMENT: Sugar cane is rich in sucrose which is extracted and used for making sugar. Cane sugar is now one of the most scientifically produced tropical products, although cutting is still often done by hand. Cane is grown in many tropical and subtropical regions, in particular in the Caribbean. The principal sugar producers are Cuba, India, Brazil, China, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii for cane sugar, and Russia, the Ukraine, France, and Germany for beet sugar. Rum is a by-product of sugar cane. Properly managing sugar cane crops ensures healthy growth and high yields, supporting farm productivity and profitability.
smallholding: a small agricultural unit under 20 hectares in area. Managing smallholdings efficiently supports diverse and sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to local food security and economic resilience.
subsoiler: a heavy cultivator consisting of a strong frame with long tines attached to it. It is used to break up compacted soil to allow free passage of air and water, a process called subsoiling. Using subsoilers ensures efficient soil aeration and structure, promoting healthy crop growth and better yields.
stock: animals or plants that are derived from a common ancestor; a plant with roots onto which a piece of another plant, the scion, is grafted; a supply of something available for future use. Properly managing stock ensures healthy growth and productivity in livestock and crop operations, supporting farm profitability and sustainability.
slash and burn agriculture: a form of agriculture in which forest is cut down and burnt to create open space for growing crops. Also called swidden farming. (NOTE: The space is abandoned after several crops have been grown and then more forest is cut down.) Understanding the environmental impact of slash and burn agriculture encourages farmers to adopt more sustainable practices, preserving forests and promoting long-term agricultural productivity.
spray: a mass of tiny drops of liquid; special liquid for spraying onto a plant to prevent insect infestation or disease; to send out a liquid in a mass of tiny drops; to send out a special liquid onto a plant to prevent insect infestation or disease. Using sprays effectively helps farmers manage pests and diseases, ensuring healthy crop growth and better yields.
stockman: a farm worker who looks after animals, especially cattle. (NOTE: Animal welfare codes lay down rules about how well-trained stockmen should be in order to ensure the good health and welfare of the animals or birds in their care.) Properly training and managing stockmen ensures livestock health and productivity, supporting farm profitability and ethical farming practices.
sweet corn: a type of maize in which the grains contain a large amount of sugar rather than starch. It is grown for human consumption. Also called corn on the cob. Properly managing sweet corn crops ensures healthy growth and high yields, supporting farm productivity and profitability.
staphylococcal: caused by staphylococci. Managing staphylococcal infections in livestock ensures health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.
sustainable yield: the greatest productivity that can be derived from a renewable resource without depleting the supply in a specific area. Properly managing sustainable yields ensures long-term productivity and resource conservation, supporting farm profitability and environmental health.
surface runoff: a flow of rainwater, melted snow, or excess fertiliser from the surface of land into streams and rivers. Properly managing surface runoff ensures water conservation and prevents soil erosion, supporting sustainable farming practices.
spaced plant: a plant grown in a row so that its canopy does not touch or overlap that of any other plant. Properly spacing plants ensures healthy growth and reduces competition for resources, leading to better yields.
sludge composting: the decomposition of sewage for use as a fertiliser or mulch. Using sludge composting techniques provides farmers with a sustainable method for recycling waste and enhancing soil fertility.
straw chopper: a device fitted to the back of a combine which chops straw into short lengths and drops it on the stubble. Chopped straw is easier to plough in. Using straw choppers ensures efficient straw management and soil preparation, supporting productive agriculture.
swede: a vegetable (Brassica rutabaga) with a swollen root. An important forage crop, it is grown for feeding sheep and cattle, either in the field or as winter feed for housed livestock. Swedes have a slightly higher feeding value and keep better than turnips, so they are often lifted and clamped. Properly managing swede crops ensures healthy growth and high yields, supporting farm productivity and profitability.
sheep: A ruminant of the genus Ovis, family Bovidae. It is one of many domesticated varieties, farmed for their wool, meat and milk. Most sheep in the UK are kept for meat, and milk production is relatively unimportant. Wool is an important byproduct of sheep farming in the UK, but is the main product of sheep in some other countries, such as Australia. In 2005 the total sheep population of the UK was approximately 40 million, accounting for 30% of all sheep in the EU member states. Sheep are kept under a wide range of environmental and management conditions, from coastal lowland areas such as Romney Marsh to the upland areas of Wales, Scotland and the North of England. Lambs from the upland areas are moved to lowland farms for fattening. In the UK, a great many breeds of sheep have survived and there are some 50 recognised breeds as well as a variety of local types and many crossbreds. More recently, the introduction of continental breeds has increased the variety. A broad classification into three main categories may be made: the long-woolled breeds which include the Romney, Lincoln and Leicester; the short-woolled breeds including the Southdown, Dorset Down and Suffolk, and the mountain, moorland and hill breeds which include the Cheviot, Radnor, Scottish Blackface, Swaledale and Welsh Mountain. Farmers benefit from raising sheep for their versatile products, including meat, wool, and milk, and their adaptability to various environmental conditions.
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