Agricultural Terms and Helpful Expert Insight
Recommended Daily Amount: The amount of a substance, e.g. a vitamin or mineral, that should be consumed each day for a person or animal to be healthy. Abbreviation: RDA. Understanding RDAs helps farmers ensure their livestock receive proper nutrition, enhancing growth and productivity.
non-food crops: plural noun crops which are grown for purposes other than producing food, such as to provide renewable energy or chemicals. Non-food crops offer farmers opportunities to diversify their production and tap into emerging markets for bioenergy, industrial raw materials, and pharmaceuticals. By growing non-food crops, farmers can reduce dependency on traditional food markets, enhance income stability, and contribute to sustainable development. Understanding market demand and production requirements for non-food crops helps farmers make informed decisions and optimize their farming operations.
intensive animal breeding: A system of raising animals in which livestock are kept indoors and fed on concentrated foodstuffs, with frequent use of drugs to control the diseases which tend to occur under these conditions. Helps farmers manage intensive livestock production.
2,4-D: A herbicide that is absorbed into a plant through its leaves and is especially effective against broadleaved weeds growing in cereals. Utilizing 2,4-D can provide effective weed control and enhance crop growth.
Milk Marque: the name of a national cooperative which replaced the Milk Marketing Board, with the aim of liberalising the milk market. It was split into 3 regional companies in 1999. Understanding the role and history of Milk Marque can help farmers adapt to changes in the dairy industry and improve marketability.
Land Capability: Land capability is an estimate of the potential of land for agriculture, made on purely physical environmental factors such as climate and soil. In 2004 the total area of agricultural land in the UK was 18,436,000 hectares occupying more than 70% of the total land area. On average only 16.1% of this is Grade 1 or 2. Understanding land capability helps farmers plan appropriate crops and farming techniques for different types of land.
isoproturon: A herbicide used on cereals that is found as a contaminant of surface water. Helps farmers understand herbicide use and environmental impact.
kilocalorie: Kilocalorie – a unit of measurement of heat equal to 1000 calories. In scientific use, the SI unit joule is now more usual. 1 calorie = 4.186 joules. Helps farmers understand energy content in animal feed.
notifiable disease: a serious infectious disease of plants, animals, or people that has to be officially reported so that steps can be taken to stop it from spreading. Managing and preventing notifiable diseases is crucial for protecting farm productivity and public health. Farmers can benefit from understanding the regulations and protocols for reporting notifiable diseases, ensuring prompt action to contain outbreaks. Implementing biosecurity measures, regular monitoring, and vaccination programs helps reduce the risk of disease transmission and minimize economic losses. Effective disease management supports farm resilience and sustainability.
pedigree selection: The selection of animals for breeding based on the records of their ancestors. Using pedigree selection improves the genetic quality and productivity of livestock.
intensification: The use of intensive farming methods. Intensification of farming has contributed to soil erosion. Compare extensification. Helps farmers understand the impact of intensive farming on the environment.
salmonellosis: A disease caused by Salmonella bacteria. Farmers benefit from preventing salmonellosis to protect livestock health and prevent economic losses.
health and welfare plan: A written report made by a farmer in consultation with a vet, describing how livestock will be cared for. Creating a health and welfare plan ensures the well-being of livestock and compliance with animal welfare standards.
rooting depth: The depth of soil from which plant roots take up water, or the depth of soil to which roots reach. Understanding rooting depth helps farmers manage irrigation and optimize crop growth.
definite inflorescence: A type of inflorescence in which the main stem ends in a flower and stops growing when the flower is produced. Compare indefinite inflorescence. Understanding plant growth patterns, such as definite inflorescence, can help farmers manage crops more effectively. Knowledge of inflorescence types can aid in pruning, training, and optimizing flowering and fruiting in crops. Proper management of flowering can lead to higher yields and better quality produce.
Toggenburg: A small Swiss breed of goat, pale brown in color with white markings on the face, legs, and rump. In Britain, it has been developed into a larger, darker animal, which is a good milker with a long lactation period. Raising Toggenburg goats can provide high-quality milk and diversify farm products.
mangel fly: a fly whose yellow-white legless larvae cause blistering of the leaves of mangels and sugar beet. This holds back plant growth and in severe cases can kill the plant. Also called mangold fly. Controlling mangel fly infestations is important to protect crops and ensure healthy growth, leading to better yields and farm sustainability.
White Wyandotte: A dual-purpose breed of poultry. Raising White Wyandottes can provide high-quality eggs and meat, enhancing farm profitability.
Couch Grass: Couch grass /ku:t? r?s/ noun a kind of grass (Agropyron repens) with long creeping rhizomes, which is difficult to eradicate from cultivated crops. Also called scutch, twitch. Managing couch grass involves using integrated weed management strategies.
A business or individual responsible for transporting and distributing dairy products from processing facilities to retailers and consumers. For example, working as a dairy distributor to ensure timely delivery of milk and cheese to grocery stores.
The methods and facilities used to store milk before and after processing, including bulk tanks, refrigeration units, and warehouses. Proper milk storage is essential for maintaining quality and safety. For example, storing milk in refrigerated tanks to keep it fresh and prevent spoilage.
foot-and-mouth disease (FMD): A highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals. Understanding and preventing FMD is critical for protecting livestock health and preventing economic losses.
half-standard: A type of fruit tree with a trunk shorter than that of a full standard, about 1.2m from the ground to the first branches. Planting half-standard fruit trees can make harvesting easier and more efficient for farmers.
Joint Regulatory Authority: Joint Regulatory Authority – the body which processes applications to grow and sell genetically modified crops. Abbr JRA. Helps farmers understand and comply with regulations regarding GM crops.
The practices and strategies used to manage the financial aspects of farm operations, including budgeting, accounting, and investment. For example, implementing financial management practices to ensure farm profitability and sustainability.
magnetic resonance imaging: a technique that uses electromagnetic radiation to obtain images of invisible parts of a structure or the bodys soft tissues. Abbr MRI. MRI can be useful in veterinary diagnostics, allowing for detailed examination of livestock health issues, leading to accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.
pea: An important grain legume. Peas are grown for pulses and for their immature seeds which are eaten fresh as a green vegetable and are also often frozen. The young pods are also occasionally eaten as mangetouts. Peas are also grown for forage and may be used for hay and silage. They are often grown following a cereal crop in rotation, and enrich the soil with nitrogen. Most peas are harvested, transported, and processed on the same day, and the majority are taken for freezing and canning. Vining peas are Britains most important contract vegetable crop. Growing peas improves soil fertility and provides a valuable food source.
espalier: A method of training a fruit tree, in which its branches are made to grow flat against a wall or other support. Compare cordon. A tree, especially apple or pear, trained in this way. From a vertical trunk pairs of branches are usually trained horizontally about 50cm apart. Training fruit trees as espalier can help farmers save space and increase fruit production.
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