Category: S

seeding year: The calendar year in which the seed is sown. Farmers benefit from tracking seeding years for effective crop rotation and planning.

small and medium-sized enterprises: organisations that have between 10 and 500 employees and are usually in the start-up or growth stage of development. Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture promotes innovation, economic growth, and job creation in rural communities.

shear: To clip the fleece from a sheep. Farmers benefit from shearing sheep to produce high-quality wool for the market.

sessile: Attached directly to a branch or stem without a stalk. The acorns of a sessile oak tree have no stalks or very short stalks. Farmers benefit from understanding sessile plant structures for better crop management and growth.

stomach digestion: the part of the digestive process which takes place in the animal’s stomach. Properly managing stomach digestion ensures optimal nutrition and health in livestock, supporting productivity and well-being.

semi-digger: A type of mouldboard on a plough. Farmers benefit from using semi-digger mouldboards for efficient and precise ploughing.

staggers: a condition of animals in which they stagger about, as in looping-ill and swayback disease. Grass staggers in cattle is caused by hypomagnesaemia. Managing staggers ensures livestock health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.

stabilisation lagoon: a pond used for storing liquid waste; a pond used for purifying sewage by allowing sunlight to fall on a mixture of sewage and water. Properly managing stabilisation lagoons ensures effective waste treatment and resource recycling, supporting sustainable farming practices.

stock bull: a bull kept for breeding purposes in a pedigree herd. Properly managing stock bulls ensures healthy breeding programs and improves livestock genetics, supporting farm profitability.

soil capping: a hard crust on the surface of the soil which can be caused by heavy rain drops or the passage of heavy farm machinery. Preventing soil capping ensures proper water infiltration and root growth, promoting healthy crops.