Category: S

spay: to remove the ovaries of a female animal. Properly managing spaying supports livestock health and population control, promoting sustainable farming practices.

shoddy: A waste product of the wool industry. It contains up to 15% nitrogen and is used as a fertiliser, particularly in market gardens. Farmers benefit from using shoddy for soil improvement and as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

self-regulating: Controlling itself without outside intervention. Most tropical rainforests are self-regulating environments. Farmers benefit from understanding self-regulating ecosystems for sustainable land management.

spacing drill: a precision seed drill. Using spacing drills ensures accurate planting and optimal crop establishment, supporting productive agriculture.

silo: A large container for storing grain or silage. There are many different types of silo. Some are pits dug into the ground, others are forms of surface clamp, while built silos are towers which may be either top- or bottom-loaded and are built of wood, concrete or steel. Farmers benefit from using silos for efficient and controlled grain and silage storage.

single-suckling: A natural method of rearing beef cattle, where calves are permitted to suckle their own mothers. Farmers benefit from using single-suckling systems for efficient and natural livestock rearing.

stocking density: the number of animals kept on a specific area of land. (NOTE: Animal welfare codes lay down rules for the maximum stocking density allowed to ensure that the health and welfare of the animals or birds is good.) Properly managing stocking density ensures livestock health and welfare, supporting productivity and ethical farming practices.

stand: a group of plants or trees growing together; a stand of conifers. Properly managing stands of trees or plants supports healthy growth and sustainable forestry or crop production.

solarisation: exposure to the rays of the sun, especially for the purpose of killing pests in the soil, by covering the soil with plastic sheets and letting it warm up in the sunshine. Using solarisation techniques helps farmers manage pests and diseases, ensuring healthy crop growth and better yields.

swine fever: a notifiable disease of pigs. Its symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, and general weakness, and it can be fatal. The disease was eradicated in Britain, but some further cases have been reported since 2000. The scientific name is classical swine fever, formerly called hog cholera. Managing swine fever ensures pig health and productivity, supporting farm profitability.