March 29, 2025
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Strip Farming

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.

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Scald

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.

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Standard Gross Margin

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.

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Sustainable Agriculture

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.

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Sprinkler

sprinkler: a hose which sends out a shower of drops. Using sprinklers ensures efficient water distribution, promoting healthy crop growth and sustainable water use.

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Statutory Management Requirement

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.

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Speedwell

speedwell: a widespread weed (Veronica persica) found in cereal crops and oilseed rape. Because it spreads rapidly it is a hazard in row crops. Managing speedwell ensures healthy crop growth and reduces competition for resources, leading to better yields.

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Sessile

sessile: Attached directly to a branch or stem without a stalk. The acorns of a sessile oak tree have no stalks or very short stalks. Farmers benefit from understanding sessile plant structures for better crop management and growth.

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Staggers

staggers: a condition of animals in which they stagger about, as in looping-ill and swayback disease. Grass staggers in cattle is caused by hypomagnesaemia. Managing staggers ensures livestock health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

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Stabilisation Lagoon

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.

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Soil Capping

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.

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Soot

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.

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Spirochaete

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.

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Sugar Beet

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.

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Soft Wheat

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.

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Salination

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.

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Spread

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.

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Sharefarming

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.

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Skin Spot

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.

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Soil Pan

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.

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Sugar Beet Topper

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.

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Sheep Pox

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.