Agricultural Terms and Helpful Expert Insight
spring wheat: wheat which is sown in spring and harvested towards the end of the summer. Growing spring wheat provides farmers with a seasonal crop that supports crop rotation and sustainable agricultural practices.
sole furrow: the last slice cut during ploughing. Proper ploughing techniques, such as creating sole furrows, ensure efficient soil preparation and promote healthy crop growth.
spot price: the market price for produce or livestock at a specific time. If most of the feeds needed can be bought forward during dips in the market, the end result is a high quality, highly competitive diet and significant feed cost savings compared to spot prices. [Farmers Guardian]. Monitoring spot prices helps farmers make informed decisions about sales and purchases, optimizing profitability.
septic tank: An underground tank for household sewage that is not connected to the main drainage system and in which human waste is decomposed by the action of anaerobic bacteria. Farmers benefit from using septic tanks for waste management and sanitation.
swath turner: a haymaking machine used to move individual swaths sideways and turn them over at the same time, so making the drying process faster. It is also used in wet conditions to scatter a swath to dry it more quickly. Using swath turners ensures efficient haymaking and fodder quality, supporting livestock nutrition and farm productivity.
Slaughter Premium Scheme: until 2005, a subsidy that provided direct support to all producers of domestic cattle. (NOTE: Now superseded by the Single Payment Scheme.) Understanding historical subsidy schemes helps farmers adapt to current financial support structures and manage their operations effectively.
streptococcus: a bacterium belonging to a genus that grows in long chains and causes diseases such as strangles and mastitis. (NOTE: The plural is streptococci.) Understanding streptococcus bacteria helps farmers manage livestock health and prevent disease outbreaks, supporting productivity and well-being.
shorthorn: A breed of cattle, with short horns. In the 18th century, Charles Colling used many of the breeding principles established by Robert Bakewell to develop the shorthorn breed, which became the most common in Britain and remained so for over a hundred years. It has later developed into three different strains: the Beef Shorthorn, the Dairy Shorthorn and the Lincoln Shorthorn. Farmers benefit from raising shorthorn cattle for their versatility in meat and milk production.
successional cropping: the growing of several crops one after the other during the same growing season; the process of sowing a crop such as lettuce over a long period, so that harvesting takes place over a similarly long period. Properly managing successional cropping ensures efficient land use and continuous crop production, supporting farm productivity.
surface-rooting: referring to a plant whose roots are shallow in the soil. Compare deep-rooted. Properly managing surface-rooting plants ensures healthy growth and optimal yields, supporting productive agriculture.
strip farming: a method of farming where strips of land across the contours are planted with different crops. Using strip farming techniques ensures sustainable soil management and healthy crop growth.
scald: 1. A defect in stored apples, where brown patches appear on the skin and the tissue underneath becomes soft 2. A bacterial disease of sheep. It causes lameness in lambs. Farmers benefit from managing scald to maintain the quality of stored produce and the health of their livestock.
Standard Gross Margin: a measure of the business size of a farm, calculated by looking at the different types of enterprises on the farm and how much each contributes to the overall profit made. Abbr SGM. Understanding Standard Gross Margin helps farmers manage financial performance and optimize farm profitability.
sustainable agriculture: environmentally friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to the ecosystem. Adopting sustainable agriculture practices ensures long-term productivity and ecological balance, supporting farm profitability and environmental health.
Statutory Management Requirement: a set of environmental and animal welfare requirements, which farmers must meet to receive a Single Farm Payment. Abbr SMR. Understanding Statutory Management Requirements ensures compliance with regulations and access to financial support, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
seeding year: The calendar year in which the seed is sown. Farmers benefit from tracking seeding years for effective crop rotation and planning.
small and medium-sized enterprises: organisations that have between 10 and 500 employees and are usually in the start-up or growth stage of development. Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture promotes innovation, economic growth, and job creation in rural communities.
stomach digestion: the part of the digestive process which takes place in the animals stomach. Properly managing stomach digestion ensures optimal nutrition and health in livestock, supporting productivity and well-being.
semi-digger: A type of mouldboard on a plough. Farmers benefit from using semi-digger mouldboards for efficient and precise ploughing.
stabilisation lagoon: a pond used for storing liquid waste; a pond used for purifying sewage by allowing sunlight to fall on a mixture of sewage and water. Properly managing stabilisation lagoons ensures effective waste treatment and resource recycling, supporting sustainable farming practices.
stock bull: a bull kept for breeding purposes in a pedigree herd. Properly managing stock bulls ensures healthy breeding programs and improves livestock genetics, supporting farm profitability.
soil capping: a hard crust on the surface of the soil which can be caused by heavy rain drops or the passage of heavy farm machinery. Preventing soil capping ensures proper water infiltration and root growth, promoting healthy crops.
spirochaete: a bacterium with a spiral shape. But there is a difference between bacteria normally associated with foot-rot and a type seen in the new strain. A spirochaete, a bacterium that can penetrate the skin surface and is more usually linked with digital dermatitis in cattle, has been identified. [Farmers Weekly]. Understanding spirochaetes helps farmers manage livestock health and prevent disease outbreaks, supporting productivity and well-being.
sugar beet: a specialised type of beet grown for the high sugar content of its roots. It is cultivated in temperate regions, and in Britain is an especially important crop in East Anglia. The crowns and leaves of the crop are used for feedingstuff, as is also the residue after the sugar content has been extracted from the roots. Properly managing sugar beet crops ensures healthy growth and high yields, supporting farm productivity and profitability.
soft wheat: wheat containing grains which, when milled, break down in a random manner. Soft wheats have less protein than hard wheats and have poor milling qualities. Growing soft wheat provides farmers with a crop suitable for specific market demands, such as pastry and cake flours.
systemic (of a pesticide): referring to a substance absorbed into the plant through the root or leaf and moved around within the plant. Properly managing systemic pesticides ensures effective pest control and healthy crop growth, enhancing farm productivity.
stripper-header: a machine which harvests a crop such as linseed and strips off the seedheads. Using stripper-headers ensures efficient crop harvesting, reducing labor costs and enhancing productivity.
salination: A process by which the salt concentration of soil or water increases, especially as a result of irrigation in hot climates. Also called salinisation. Farmers benefit from understanding and managing salination to prevent soil degradation and maintain crop productivity.
spike tooth harrow: a tractor-trailed implement consisting of a simple frame with tines attached where the frame members cross. Using spike tooth harrows improves soil aeration and preparation, promoting healthy root growth and better crop yields.
soil mapping: the process of making maps showing different types of soil in an area. Using soil maps helps farmers manage land resources effectively, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Scots pine: A common commercially grown European conifer. Latin name: Pinus sylvestris. Farmers benefit from growing Scots pine for timber and as a sustainable forestry crop.
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