Category: S

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.

soil management: the study of soil’s physical properties and how to maintain a healthy and functional soil system. Proper soil management ensures long-term soil health and productivity, supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

sterilised milk: milk prepared for human consumption by heating in sealed airtight containers to kill all bacteria. See Comment at milk. Properly managing milk sterilisation ensures product safety and quality, supporting consumer health and market value.

sprinkle: to water something with drops in a light shower. Properly managing sprinkling ensures efficient water use and healthy crop growth.

silage tower: A container used for making and storing silage. Farmers benefit from using silage towers for efficient and controlled silage production and storage.

SPCS: abbreviation Seed Potato Classification Scheme. Understanding the Seed Potato Classification Scheme helps farmers ensure high-quality potato production, supporting market value and consumer trust.

snow rot: a white mould growth affecting wheat, causing leaves to turn brown and shrivel (Typhula incarnata). Managing snow rot ensures healthy wheat crops, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

subsidy: money given by a government or organisation to help an industry, charity, or other organisation. The reform will result in subsidies for farming being replaced by payments for caring for the environment. Understanding and accessing subsidies ensures financial support for farmers, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

schistosomiasis: A tropical disease caused by flukes taken in from water affecting the intestine or bladder. Also called bilharziasis. Farmers benefit from managing schistosomiasis to ensure livestock health and productivity.

stem canker: a fungal disease affecting many types of plant including oilseed rape. Managing stem canker ensures healthy crop growth, preventing yield losses and maintaining quality.

shaggy: Referring to an animal such as Highland cattle which has long hair. Farmers benefit from understanding shaggy breeds for efficient livestock management and production.

stone trap: in a combine harvester, a trough with a trap door, which prevents stones passing into the concave. Properly managing stone traps ensures efficient combine harvester operation and crop quality.

sustainability: the ability of a process or human activity to meet present needs but maintain natural resources and leave the environment in good order for future generations. Implementing sustainable practices ensures long-term agricultural productivity and environmental health.

sewage: Waste water and other material such as faeces, carried away in sewers. Also called sewage waste. Farmers benefit from managing sewage for effective waste disposal and sanitation.

species: a group of organisms that can interbreed. A species is a division of a genus. Abbr sp. (NOTE: The plural is species.). Understanding species classifications helps farmers manage biodiversity and select appropriate crops and livestock for their specific conditions.

semolina: A coarse flour made from wheat after the fine flour has been ground. It is used to make puddings. Farmers benefit from producing and using semolina for its culinary applications and market demand.

systemic acquired resistance: an induced resistance to pathogens that develops in uninfected parts of a plant after the infected parts have been treated with a systemic pesticide. Properly managing systemic acquired resistance ensures effective disease control and healthy crop growth, enhancing farm productivity.

stem rot: a disease caused by deficiency of nutrients. Managing stem rot ensures healthy plant growth and prevents yield losses, supporting farm productivity.