Category: S

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.

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.

sucrose: a sugar that is abundant in many plants, which consists of one molecule of glucose joined to one of fructose. Understanding sucrose content in crops supports nutritional value and marketability, enhancing farm profitability.

soil pH: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. Managing soil pH ensures optimal nutrient availability for crops.

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.

spike: a tall pointed flower head (inflorescence) in which small flowers without stalks grow from a central flower stem; a pointed end of a pole or piece of metal. Understanding the structure of spikes helps farmers manage plant growth and optimize yields.

suckle: to feed with milk from the udder. Properly managing suckling ensures optimal nutrition and health for young livestock, supporting productivity and well-being.

soft rot: a bacterium, Erwinia carotovora, which affects stored potatoes and carrots. The cell walls dissolve causing the vegetables to become mushy, slimy, and foul-smelling. Managing soft rot ensures healthy storage of root crops, preventing losses and maintaining quality.

seed coat: Same as testa. Farmers benefit from understanding seed coats for better seed handling and storage.

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.

sappy: Referring to tree trunks or branches, or wood, that are full of sap. Farmers benefit from recognizing sappy wood for identifying tree health and suitability for various uses.

silvicide: A substance which kills trees. Farmers benefit from using silvicides for managing unwanted tree growth and maintaining crop health.

staphylococcal: caused by staphylococci. Managing staphylococcal infections in livestock ensures health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

stability: the state of being stable and not changing. Maintaining stability in agricultural practices supports consistent productivity and economic resilience for farmers.

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.

SVSSVS: abbreviation State Veterinary Service. Engaging with the State Veterinary Service ensures compliance with health and welfare regulations, supporting livestock productivity and farm sustainability.

SFPS: Single Farm Payment Scheme. Farmers benefit from engaging with SFPS for financial support and resources in farming operations.

sandstone: A sedimentary rock formed of round particles of quartz. Farmers benefit from recognizing sandstone presence for understanding soil characteristics and geological impacts on farming.

seconds: Grain of medium size. Farmers benefit from managing seconds to ensure high-quality grain production.