Category: S

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.

salinity: The concentration of salt in an amount of water or soil. Farmers benefit from monitoring and managing soil salinity to ensure healthy plant growth and soil conditions.

soot: a black deposit of fine particles of carbon which rise in the smoke produced by the burning of material such as coal, wood, or oil. Proper management of soot and air quality ensures environmental health and supports sustainable farming practices.

spit: the depth of soil that is dug with a spade. Proper soil management at different depths ensures healthy root growth and overall soil health, supporting productive agriculture.

sporicide: a substance that kills spores. Using sporicides helps farmers manage pests and diseases, ensuring healthy crop growth and better yields.

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.

stud fees: money paid to the owner of a stud animal for servicing a female. Properly managing stud fees ensures fair compensation for breeding services, supporting farm income and genetic improvement.

spread: to put something such as manure, fertiliser, or mulch on an area of ground. Properly spreading agricultural inputs ensures even distribution and optimal benefits, supporting healthy crop growth and better yields.

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.

subtropics: an area between the tropics and the temperate zone. Properly managing subtropical crops ensures optimal growth and yields, supporting farm productivity and sustainability.

strain: a group within a species with distinct characteristics. Properly managing strains of crops or livestock ensures optimal productivity and quality, supporting farm profitability and sustainability.

shelf-life: The number of days or weeks for which a product can stay on the shelf of a shop and still be good to use. Farmers benefit from understanding and managing shelf-life for food safety and quality control.

Soil Association: a UK organisation that certifies organically grown food. Partnering with the Soil Association provides farmers with certification and support for organic farming practices, enhancing market opportunities and sustainability.

semi-mounted: Referring to an implement which is supported by a tractor but also has its own wheels. Farmers benefit from using semi-mounted implements for stability and ease of use in agricultural operations.

soil loosener: a trailed implement which loosens the surface of the soil. Using soil looseners improves soil aeration and structure, promoting healthy root growth and better crop yields.

sharefarming: A joint enterprise between a party with an interest in the land and another party involved in farming operations. Usually one party provides the capital and the other the farm management inputs such as labour and equipment. Farmers benefit from engaging in sharefarming for collaborative farming opportunities and resource sharing.

Syzygium: is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Properly managing Syzygium plants ensures healthy growth and optimal yields, supporting productive agriculture.

sheep’s fescue: A species of grass useful under hill and marginal conditions. Farmers benefit from growing sheep’s fescue for its adaptability and resilience in challenging environments.

skin spot: a potato disease causing pimple-like dark brown spots which can harm the buds in the eyes of seed tubers. Managing skin spot disease ensures healthy potato crops, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

soil pan: a hard layer in the soil. ‘Greater resistance in digging soils of similar texture and moisture content indicates poor structure. Concentration of roots indicates hard to penetrate layers or blocks of soil. A soil pan may be present if roots grow horizontally or do not penetrate to any depth.’ [Farmers Guardian] Managing soil pans ensures proper root growth and water infiltration, supporting healthy crop growth and productive agriculture.

sapling: A young tree. Farmers benefit from planting and managing saplings to ensure sustainable forestry and orchard practices.

seminal: Referring to semen or to seed. Farmers benefit from understanding seminal processes for effective breeding and crop production.

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.

spraing: a disease of potatoes spread by nematodes in the soil. Managing spraing ensures healthy potato crops, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

stipule: one of the pair of wing-like growths at the base of a leaf stalk. Properly managing stipules ensures healthy growth and optimal yields of plants and crops.

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.

sativus: A Latin word meaning ‘sown’ or ‘planted’, used in the generic names of many plants. Farmers benefit from understanding sativus species for selecting appropriate crops for cultivation.

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.

shrubby: Growing like a shrub. Farmers benefit from understanding shrubby plants for better crop and landscape management.

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.

snout: the nose and mouth of some animals, including the pig. Proper management of livestock snout health ensures overall animal well-being and productivity.

starter: a culture of bacteria, used to inoculate animals or to start growth in milk used in cheese production. Using starters effectively supports dairy production and cheese quality, enhancing farm income and market value.

syconium: a fleshy fruit consisting of an enlarged hollow receptacle with a number of tiny flowers on the inside. Understanding syconiums helps farmers manage fruit production and optimize yields.

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.

SRPBA: abbreviation Scottish Rural Property and Business Association. Engaging with the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association provides farmers with advocacy, resources, and support, helping them succeed in their operations.

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.