Category: C

Common: Common adjective belonging to several different people or to everyone common land noun an area of land to which the public has access for walking COMMENT: About 80% of common land is privately owned and, subject to the interests of any commoners, owners enjoy essentially the same rights as the owners of other land. Commoners have different types of ‘rights of common’, e.g. to graze animals, or to extract sand, gravel, or peat. Managing common land involves balancing public access with sustainable land use practices.

Condition Scoring: Condition scoring noun a method of assessing the state of body condition of animals; scores range from 0–5 for cattle and 1–9 for sows. Low condition scores indicate thinness, and high scores fatness. A score of about 3 is ideal. ‘Condition scoring is the ideal on-farm method of assessing cow body reserves as it requires no specialist equipment or weighing facilities and once you get a grasp of the points system it is relatively quick to do.’ [Dairy Farmer]. Using condition scoring helps monitor and manage livestock health and nutrition.

Cotyledon: Cotyledon /k?ti li:d?n/ noun the green plant structure resembling a leaf that appears as a seed germinates and before the true leaves appear, developing from the embryo of the seed COMMENT: Cotyledons are thicker than normal leaves, and contain food for the growing plant. Plants are divided into two groups, those producing a single cotyledon (monocotyledons) and those producing two cotyledons (dicotyledons). Understanding cotyledon development aids in managing seed germination and crop growth.

Chill Starvation: A disease affecting very young lambs, caused by loss of body heat during severe weather conditions. Preventing chill starvation involves providing adequate shelter and nutrition to young lambs to ensure their survival and growth.

Canal: A waterway made by people to irrigate land. Constructing and maintaining canals ensures adequate water supply for irrigation, supporting crop growth and farm sustainability.

Clot: (of blood) to become thick and stop flowing, forming a scab if exposed to the air. Understanding blood clotting mechanisms helps farmers manage livestock health and address injuries effectively.

Catching Pen: A pen into which sheep are put while waiting to be sheared. Using catching pens ensures safe and efficient handling of livestock during shearing and other management practices.

Carnallite: A white or pale mineral containing hydrated magnesium and potassium chlorides, used as a source of potassium in fertilizers. Using carnallite in fertilizers improves soil fertility and crop yields.

Cherry Tomato: A variety of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) with very small fruit. Growing cherry tomatoes provides nutritious and versatile produce for fresh markets, enhancing farm income.

Cast Ewes: Old breeding ewes sold by hill farmers to lower ground farmers for one more crop of lambs. Managing cast ewes involves ensuring their health and productivity to maximize lamb production and farm income.