Category: S

shock: Same as stook. Farmers benefit from managing shocks for efficient grain collection and storage.

seminal roots: The secondary roots of a plant which support the primary root. This root system is then replaced by adventitious roots. Farmers benefit from understanding seminal roots for better crop management and growth.

SPS: abbreviation Single Payment Scheme. Understanding the Single Payment Scheme helps farmers manage their financial support and comply with regulations, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

spade: a common garden tool, with a wide square blade at the end of a strong handle. it is used for making holes or digging by hand. Using spades for manual tasks supports efficient soil management and crop planting, promoting healthy growth.

soil compaction: the process in which soil is pressed down, e.g., by heavy loads, and becomes very firm with little space between its particles. ‘The healthy world market price for soybeans has led to the development of continuous production of this crop and consequently some problems have developed, particularly soil compaction, weed species development, and reduction of soil fertility.’ [Arable Farming] Preventing soil compaction ensures proper root growth and water infiltration, supporting healthy crop growth and sustainable agriculture.

soil parent material: material from which soil is formed. Understanding soil parent material helps farmers manage land resources effectively, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

seed weevil: A pest affecting brassica seed crops. Seeds are destroyed in their pods by the larvae. Farmers benefit from managing seed weevil infestations to protect seed crops and ensure high yields.

sheep maggot fly: A type of fly that lays its eggs on the wool of sheep. The eggs hatch into maggots that burrow into the flesh causing a condition known as ‘strike’. Farmers benefit from managing sheep maggot fly infestations to protect livestock health and productivity.

speckled yellowing: a disease of sugar beet caused by a deficiency of manganese. Managing speckled yellowing ensures healthy sugar beet crops, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

second early potatoes: The crop of potatoes that follows the first early crop. Farmers benefit from growing second early potatoes to extend the harvesting season and improve crop rotation.

self-sterile: Referring to a plant that cannot fertilise itself from its own flowers. Farmers benefit from understanding self-sterility for effective breeding and crop production.

sunflower: an important oilseed crop grown in temperate areas. COMMENT: The oil extracted from the seeds is used for cooking and for margarine production. The residual cake after pressing is a high-protein livestock feed, and the whole plant can be fed to cattle. It is also useful as a green manure plant. Birds can cause serious damage to sunflower crops by feeding on the ripening seeds. The main producing countries are Russia, the Ukraine, Argentina, and Romania. Properly managing sunflower crops ensures healthy growth and high yields, supporting farm productivity and profitability.

Site of Special Scientific Interest: an area of land in England, Wales, and Scotland that is officially protected to maintain its fauna, flora, or geology. Abbr SSSI. Farmers with land designated as an SSSI can receive support for conservation efforts, enhancing biodiversity and ecological health on their farms.

splay leg: a disorder in piglets, which are born unable to stand properly. Managing splay leg conditions ensures healthy growth and mobility in piglets, supporting productivity and well-being.

stale seedbed: a method of killing weeds by using a contact herbicide just before drilling. Using stale seedbed techniques helps farmers manage weeds effectively, promoting healthy crop growth and better yields.

Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department: The department of the devolved Scottish Executive government which deals with farming, the environment, animal welfare and rural development in Scotland. Abbr SEERAD. Farmers benefit from SEERAD’s support and resources for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

soakaway: a channel in the ground filled with gravel, which takes rainwater from a downpipe or liquid sewage from a septic tank and allows it to be absorbed into the surrounding soil. Properly managing soakaways ensures efficient drainage and reduces the risk of waterlogging and soil erosion.

soil salinity: the quantity of mineral salts found in a soil. (NOTE: High soil salinity is detrimental to most agricultural crops, although some plants are adapted to such conditions.) Managing soil salinity ensures healthy crop growth and prevents yield losses, supporting productive agriculture.

slug: an invertebrate animal without a shell. It causes damage to plants by eating leaves or underground parts, especially in wet conditions. Managing slug populations protects crops from damage, ensuring healthy growth and better yields.

secretion: A liquid which is secreted. Farmers benefit from understanding secretion processes to manage livestock health and productivity.

second: Coming after the first. Farmers benefit from understanding secondary growth and development stages for better crop and livestock management.

Scottish Rural Property and Business Association: A group which represents the interests of Scotland’s rural businesses. Abbr SRPBA. Farmers benefit from engaging with SRPBA for support and advocacy in rural business matters.

seed plot: Same as nursery plot. Farmers benefit from using seed plots for controlled seed germination and growth.

support price: the price at which the EU will buy farm produce which farmers cannot sell, in order to store it. Also called intervention price. Understanding and managing support prices ensures financial stability and market access for farmers, supporting farm profitability.

systematic relating to a system: understanding and managing systematic agricultural practices ensures efficient farm operations and productivity.

stock farming: the rearing of livestock for sale. Properly managing stock farming operations ensures healthy growth and productivity, supporting farm profitability and sustainability.

skim coulter: the part of a plough which turns a small slice off the corner of the furrow about to be turned and throws it into the bottom of the one before. It is attached to the beam behind the disc coulters. Using skim coulters improves soil aeration and preparation, promoting healthy root growth and better crop yields.

selenium: A trace element, an essential part of the diet for all animals. White muscle disease is the symptom of selenium deficiency. Farmers benefit from understanding selenium’s role in preventing deficiencies and ensuring livestock productivity.

slug pellet: a small hard piece of a mixture containing a substance such as metaldehyde which kills slugs. Slug pellets are usually coloured blue-green. Using slug pellets effectively helps farmers control slug infestations, protecting crops and improving yields.

septoria: A fungal disease which affects the leaves of wheat crops. Farmers benefit from managing septoria to protect wheat crops and ensure high yields.

surplus: more than is needed. Properly managing surplus production ensures efficient resource use and supports farm profitability.

Systolic blood pressure: is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart beats. Understanding and managing systolic blood pressure in livestock ensures health and productivity, supporting farm profitability and well-being.

Sheep Annual Premium Scheme: Until 2005, a subsidy for breeding ewes. Now superseded by the Single Payment Scheme. Farmers benefit from engaging in subsidy programs for financial support in livestock production.

spruce: a temperate softwood coniferous tree. Genus: Picea. Cultivating spruce provides farmers with a renewable source of timber for construction and paper production, supporting sustainable forestry practices.

silage effluent: An acidic liquid produced by the silage process which can be a serious pollutant, especially if it drains into a watercourse. Farmers benefit from managing silage effluent to prevent environmental contamination and ensure sustainable farming practices.

sheepman: A shepherd, a farm worker who looks after sheep. Farmers benefit from employing skilled sheepmen for efficient and effective livestock management.

solid-not-fat percentage: a measure of milk quality, showing the percentages of all substances other than fat in the milk. Abbr SNF percentage. Monitoring the solid-not-fat percentage in milk ensures high-quality dairy production, supporting consumer health and market value.

stabilise: to take measures to prevent soil being eroded, especially from a hillside. Implementing soil stabilisation techniques protects land resources from erosion, promoting long-term soil health and sustainable agricultural productivity.

scythe: A hand implement with a long slightly curved blade attached to a handle with two short projecting hand grips. Scythes are now used for cutting grass and were formerly used for reaping. Farmers benefit from using scythes for manual harvesting and grass cutting.

sex linkage: An existence of characteristics which are transmitted through the X chromosomes. Farmers benefit from understanding sex linkage for managing genetic traits in breeding programs.

steppe: a wide grassy plain with no trees, especially in Europe and Asia. (NOTE: The North American equivalent of a steppe is a prairie.) Managing steppes supports sustainable grazing and biodiversity, promoting ecological balance and agricultural productivity.

Single Farm Payment Scheme: An initiative under the CAP which calculates farmers’ subsidies with reference to the amount of land used in production, as well as the total eligible livestock or crop output. It replaces individual subsidy schemes. Abbr SPS. Farmers benefit from engaging with the Single Farm Payment Scheme for financial support and resources in farming operations.

subfertility: a situation where an animal is less fertile than expected. Properly managing subfertility ensures healthy breeding programs and improves livestock productivity, supporting farm profitability.

shading: The action of cutting off the light of the sun. Parts of the field near tall trees suffer from shading. In Scotland, shading of weed growth by late-drilled wheats was more important in the spring and early summer than in southern Europe where growers placed more importance on preventing weed growth in the winter and early spring. Farmers benefit from managing shading to optimize crop growth and reduce weed competition.

Solari piggery: a type of housing for pigs, with fattening pens on each side of a central feeding passage, housed in an open-sided Dutch barn. Proper management of pig housing, such as Solari piggeries, ensures the health and productivity of pigs, supporting efficient livestock production.

Scottish Blackface: A very hardy breed of small mountain sheep. The fleece gives a long coarse springy wool, valued for making carpets. Older ewes are crossed with Border Leicester rams to give Greyface hybrids. Farmers benefit from raising Scottish Blackface sheep for their hardiness and valuable wool production.

scrub: 1. Small trees and bushes 2. An area of land covered with small trees and bushes. Farmers benefit from managing scrubland to maintain biodiversity and prevent invasive species.

sericulture: Raising silkworms for the production of silk. Farmers benefit from engaging in sericulture for the production of valuable silk products.

switchback: an acute disease of sheep that produces paralysis of the legs. Managing switchback disease ensures sheep health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

stillbirth: the birth of a dead animal or abortion at a late stage of pregnancy. Properly managing stillbirths ensures livestock health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.