Farming & Horticulture

The mechanical tools and heavy implements used to plant, cultivate, and harvest.

• Barley reel
  A specialized grain-cleaning machine used to separate wild oats and other impurities from harvested grain.
• Binderalso reaper-binder
  A historic harvesting machine that cuts grain stalks and ties them into sheaves.
• Bolster
  A structural spacer block mounted above the front axle of a wagon.
• Broadcasteralso broadcast spreader, spinner
  An implement that flings seed or dry fertilizer evenly across the soil surface.
• Chaff cutter
  A mechanical device used to chop straw or hay into small pieces for livestock feed.
• Chaffer
  The upper adjustable sieve in a combine harvester that separates grain from heavier plant debris.
• Chattering damselalso damsel
  A vibrating component in a traditional gristmill that feeds grain into the millstones.
• Cleaning shoealso shoe
  The assembly inside a combine harvester that separates the clean grain from chaff and small debris.
• Cleaning sievealso bottom sieve
  The bottom screen in a combine harvester's cleaning shoe that performs the final separation of grain.
• Cog mill
  A historic animal-powered grinding machine driven by a large horizontal toothed wheel.
• Combine harvesteralso combine
  A large self-propelled machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans grain crops in one pass.
• Concave
  A curved, grated metal surface inside a combine harvester that helps thresh grain.
• Cornshuckeralso husker, corn husker
  A mechanical device or machine component designed to strip the husks off ears of corn.
• Cotton stripperalso stripper
  A harvesting machine that pulls the entire cotton boll, including burs and leaves, off the plant.
• Disc harrowalso Disk harrow, Discs
  A heavy tillage implement with rows of concave steel blades used to chop up soil and crop debris.
• Double hoe
  A hand tool featuring a flat chopping blade on one side and cultivator prongs on the other.
• Duckfootalso duckfoot sweep, duckfoot share
  A wide, shallow tillage point shaped like the webbed foot of a duck. Shop talk
• Flooder
  A mechanical gate, valve, or channel structure used to release large volumes of water across a field.
• Harpoon fork
  A historic mechanical hay fork used to hoist large loads of loose hay into a barn loft.
• Haymaker
  A machine or farm worker dedicated to cutting, drying, and baling grass for livestock feed.
• Light ploughalso ard, scratch plough
  A simple, symmetrical tillage tool that breaks the soil surface without turning it over.
• Loppersalso lopping shears
  Heavy-duty pruning shears with long handles operated with both hands.
• Mouldboard ploughalso moldboard plow
  A primary tillage implement that cuts, lifts, and completely turns over a layer of soil.
• Mower-conditioneralso haybine, moco
  A harvesting machine that cuts forage crops and crushes the stems to accelerate drying.
• Ploughalso plow, Ploughing
  A heavy farm implement with a blade used to break up soil and cut furrows in preparation for sowing.
• Potato spinneralso spinner digger
  An implement that uses a rotating wheel of tines to dig up potatoes.
• Press box
  A heavy-duty chamber in a cotton gin where loose lint is compacted into dense bales.
• Pulley-ploughalso cable plough
  A historic tillage implement drawn across a field by a stationary engine and cables.
• Pulverizeralso cultipacker, clod buster
  A heavy implement used to crush hard soil clods and smooth the seedbed.
• Rake
  A toothed implement used by hand or pulled by a tractor to gather loose material or level soil.
• Reelalso pickup reel
  A rotating cylindrical frame on a harvester header that sweeps crops into the cutting mechanism.
• Ripperalso subsoiler, deep ripper
  A heavy tractor attachment with deep shanks used to break up compacted soil layers.
• Ripple
  A comb-like tool used to strip seeds and seed pods from the stalks of harvested flax.
• Seam presser
  A heavy agricultural implement used to flatten and consolidate newly turned plough furrows.
• Seederalso seed drill, planter
  A mechanical implement used to distribute and bury seeds in the soil at a controlled rate and depth.
• Seeding plough
  A tillage implement equipped with a hopper that drops seed into the furrow as it cuts.
• Sharealso ploughshare
  The leading cutting edge of a plough or cultivator that slices horizontally through the soil.
• Sharebeamalso frog
  The heavy structural frame of a plough bottom that holds the cutting share in place.
• Sicklealso reaping hook
  A hand tool with a curved, semicircular blade used for harvesting grain or cutting tall grass.
• Sodbuster ploughalso sodbuster plow, breaking plough
  A heavy-duty plough designed to cut through thick, virgin prairie turf.
• Stalk-cutteralso stalk chopper, flail mower
  A tractor-drawn implement equipped with rotating blades to chop crop residue.
• String trimmeralso weedwhacker, strimmer
  A handheld power tool that uses a spinning plastic line to cut grass and weeds.
• Swing ploughalso Swing plow
  A traditional horse-drawn plough that lacks a supporting wheel under the front beam.
• Tedder
  A tractor-drawn implement that lifts and fluffs cut hay to accelerate the drying process.
• Thresheralso threshing machine
  A machine that separates grain or seeds from the stalks and husks of a crop.
• Tomato cage
  A wire framework placed around a tomato plant to keep its stems and fruit off the ground.
• Tractor
  A heavy-duty agricultural vehicle designed to deliver high tractive effort at slow speeds for hauling and powering implements.
• Trainer
  A physical container or framework designed to guide and restrict plant root or shoot growth.
• Turnploughalso mouldboard plough, turn plow
  A plough designed to cut and completely flip over a layer of soil.
• Turnwrestalso turnwrest plough, Kentish turnwrest
  A historic type of plough designed to turn soil in the same direction on both outward and return passes.
• Widger
  A small, spatula-like hand tool used for delicate planting and transplanting tasks.
• Windboard
  A deflector panel on a harvester that prevents grain or chaff from blowing away.
• Wrest
  A historic plough component attached below the mouldboard to clear out the furrow bottom.

The physical techniques and management systems used to grow food and raise animals.

• Aftermathalso rowen, eddish
  The secondary growth of pasture grass that emerges after the primary hay crop is harvested.
• AMS
  The Aggregate Measurement of Support, an index of government subsidies provided to the agricultural sector.
• Aquacultural
  Relating to the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled environments.
• Aquaculturistalso fish farmer
  A professional who breeds, raises, and harvests aquatic organisms in controlled environments.
• Basis
  The local cash price of a crop minus the current futures market price.
• Bedding
  The practice of planting fast-growing, temporary plants for seasonal floral displays.
• Beetle bank
  A raised strip of permanent grasses planted across a field to house predatory insects.
• Biodynamicalso Biodynamics
  Describes an organic farming system integrating ecological practices with esoteric and astrological concepts.
• Bottom heat
  Gentle warmth applied directly under seed trays or plant cuttings to encourage root growth.
• Broadcasting
  The method of scattering seed or fertilizer uniformly over the surface of a field.
• Brown bagalso brown-bagging
  Saving and replanting harvested seed for the next crop instead of buying fresh commercial seed. Shop talk
• Brown bagging
  The agricultural practice of planting seeds saved from a previous harvest.
• Brushed
  Cleaned by mechanical rotating brushes to remove field dirt prior to packing.
• Budding
  A grafting technique that splices a single vegetative bud into the bark of a rootstock.
• Carpet bedding
  A landscaping technique where low-growing plants are arranged in tight geometric patterns.
• Chelsea chop
  A pruning method where perennial plants are cut back by a third in late spring. Shop talk
• Chemigation
  The process of applying agricultural chemicals directly through an irrigation system.
• Chop and drop
  A mulching technique where cover crops or weeds are cut down and left on the soil surface to decompose. Shop talk
• Cold treatment
  The process of chilling seeds to break their dormancy and trigger germination.
• Commodity exchange
  A centralized market where agricultural products are bought and sold through standardized contracts.
• Container plantalso potted plant
  A plant grown entirely in a pot or planter rather than directly in the ground.
• Conventional
  A farming system that relies on synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
• Convertible husbandryalso alternate husbandry, up-and-down husbandry
  A historic farming system that alternates arable cropping with periods of grass pasture.
• Crop rotation
  The practice of planting different types of crops sequentially on the same plot of land.
• Cure up
  The process of drying and aging a harvested crop to achieve a desired color, flavor, or storage stability. Shop talk
• Custom
  Agricultural work performed by a hired operator who provides both the labor and the machinery. Shop talk
• Cut and come again
  A harvesting method where only the outer leaves of a plant are taken, allowing the center to regrow. Shop talk
• Dead furrowalso finish furrow
  A wide, unplowed trench left in a field where two opposite plowing passes meet or finish.
• Deadhead
  The practice of cutting or pinching off faded flowers from a plant.
• Disbud
  The removal of side buds from a plant stem to concentrate growth in the main flower or fruit.
• Disbudding
  The physical process of snapping off side buds to force a plant to grow one large flower or fruit.
• Discalso Disk
  The act of breaking up soil clods and crop residue using a tractor-drawn implement with steel blades.
• Double cropping
  The practice of planting and harvesting two consecutive crops on the same piece of land in a single year.
• Exposure
  The degree of sunlight, wind, and weather a specific growing site receives.
• Fallow
  Cultivated land that is deliberately left unplanted for one or more growing seasons to recover its fertility.
• Fallow cropalso green manure, cover crop
  A crop grown on land that is otherwise resting, typically to suppress weeds or improve soil structure before being ploughed under.
• Fieldwork
  The physical agricultural tasks performed outdoors on the land rather than inside buildings.
• Flog
  To severely overwork or overgraze a piece of land until its agricultural productivity collapses. Shop talk
• Forcing
  The horticultural practice of artificially manipulating a plant's environment to induce out-of-season blooming or fruiting.
• Forest gardeningalso food forest
  A low-maintenance, sustainable plant-based food production system based on woodland ecosystems.
• Gardening
  The practice of cultivating plants, flowers, and vegetables on a localized scale.
• Graftalso scion
  A piece of living plant tissue attached to another plant to grow together as one.
• Grain engulfment
  A fatal hazard where a worker sinks entirely into shifting bulk agricultural commodities.
• Grain entrapment
  A dangerous situation where a worker becomes stuck in flowing bulk seed or corn.
• Grass-cockalso Haycock
  A small, temporary pile of cut grass left in the field to dry before final collection.
• Hügelkultur
  A permaculture method of building raised garden beds over a core of decaying woody debris.
• Harvestalso Harvesting
  The act or season of gathering a mature crop from the fields.
• Hillingalso earthing up, Earth up
  The agricultural practice of piling soil up around the base of a growing plant.
• Hook
  A traditional term for a field that is planted with the same crop for two consecutive years. Shop talk
• Hydroponic
  Describing a method of cultivating plants in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil.
• Informal
  A style of garden design or planting that mimics natural landscapes rather than using rigid geometry.
• Intensive
  A farming approach that maximizes output per unit of land through high inputs of labor or capital.
• Intensive farmingalso industrial agriculture
  An agricultural system designed to maximize crop or livestock yields using high levels of inputs.
• Jhumalso jhum cultivation, shifting cultivation
  A traditional slash-and-burn shifting cultivation system used in parts of India.
• Laddering
  A soil preparation technique that crushes clods and levels the ground.
• Lazy-bed
  A traditional method of crop cultivation using raised ridges of soil and organic matter.
• Leyalso lea, lay
  A field temporarily sown with grass or forage crops as part of a crop rotation.
• Living mulch
  A low-growing cover crop planted alongside a main crop to suppress weeds and protect the soil.
• Lollipopalso lollipopping
  To strip the lower branches and foliage from a plant to concentrate growth at the top. Shop talk
• Make hay while the sun shines
  To cut, dry, and bale forage grass during a window of dry weather.
• Meeker
  To prepare a fine seedbed using a specialized smoothing harrow.
• Milpa
  A traditional Mesoamerican agricultural system based on crop rotation and intercropping.
• Monoculturealso monocropping
  The practice of growing a single crop species over a wide area for consecutive seasons.
• Mulchalso Mulching
  A protective layer of material spread over the soil surface to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• No-tillalso zero tillage, direct drilling
  A farming method that grows crops without disturbing the soil through plowing or cultivation.
• Nursealso nurse crop, nurse tree
  A larger, faster-growing plant or tree used to shelter a younger, more fragile crop.
• Olla
  An unglazed terracotta pot buried in the soil to provide slow, steady irrigation to plant roots.
• One-way
  To make a single pass over a field with a disc harrow to turn soil and kill weeds. Shop talk
• Open-field system
  A historic agricultural arrangement where large, unfenced village fields were divided into narrow strips.
• Organic
  Grown or raised without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms.
• Organic farming
  An agricultural system that relies on ecological processes and natural inputs rather than synthetic chemicals.
• Outfield
  A historic term for marginal arable land that was cropped continuously without receiving manure.
• Outplantalso plant out
  To transfer young plants from a protected greenhouse environment into the open field.
• Over the topalso OTT
  An application method where chemicals are sprayed directly downward onto the crop canopy.
• Pampinate
  The historic practice of stripping excess foliage and shoots from grapevines.
• Permaculture
  A design approach to agriculture that mimics natural ecosystems to create self-sustaining landscapes.
• Pinchalso tip, Pinching
  To remove the growing tip of a plant stem to encourage lateral branching and bushier growth.
• Plant outalso transplant, set out
  To transplant seedlings or young plants from a protected environment into their final outdoor location.
• Plasticulture
  The practice of using plastic materials in agricultural applications to improve crop yields.
• Pleachalso plash
  To interweave the living branches of trees or shrubs to form a dense hedge or living fence.
• Pollard
  A pruning method where a tree's upper branches are cut back to the trunk.
• Polyculture
  The agricultural practice of growing multiple crop species in the same space.
• Pot outalso plant out
  To transfer a plant from a container into the open ground.
• Prickalso prick out
  To transplant tiny seedlings from a crowded seed tray into individual pots. Shop talk
• Propagoalso layer
  A shoot or branch that is pinned to the ground to take root.
• Prune
  The selective removal of branches, buds or roots from a plant.
• Rafteralso ridge
  To plow land by turning alternating furrows onto the adjacent unplowed strips.
• Rape culturealso rapeseed cultivation
  The agricultural practice of cultivating rapeseed for oil or animal feed.
• Regrowingalso kitchen scrap gardening
  The practice of cultivating new edible plants from kitchen scraps and vegetable bases.
• Return flowalso irrigation return flow, tailwater
  The portion of applied irrigation water that drains back into the surface or groundwater system.
• Roguealso cull
  To remove inferior, diseased, or off-type plants from a crop to maintain genetic purity.
• Row up
  To form soil into continuous ridges or beds in preparation for planting. Shop talk
• Sabbath of the land
  A historic agricultural practice of leaving fields completely uncultivated every seventh year.
• Scarify
  To mechanically break up the soil surface or to weaken a hard seed coat to encourage germination.
• Scourge
  To severely deplete soil fertility by over-cropping without returning nutrients. Shop talk
• Scuffle
  To lightly cultivate the top layer of soil to uproot small weeds and break up crusts. Shop talk
• Shielalso shieling
  To move livestock to temporary summer pasture and live in a seasonal hut.
• Smart farmingalso precision agriculture, digital farming
  The use of connected technology, sensors, and data analytics to optimize agricultural production.
• Solarizealso soil solarization
  To heat soil by covering it with clear plastic to kill pests, weeds, and pathogens.
• Splice graftingalso whip grafting
  A grafting technique where both the scion and rootstock are cut at matching diagonal angles.
• Spray drainalso brush drain
  A historic trench drain filled with tree branches to channel excess water out of a field.
• Sproutalso germinate
  To begin growing from a seed, bulb, or dormant root system.
• Stitch
  An agricultural term for the raised ridge of soil left between two ploughed furrows.
• Stone mulchingalso lithic mulch
  The agricultural technique of covering the soil surface around plants with rocks or gravel.
• Stoolalso stump
  The base of a plant or tree that has been cut close to the ground to force new shoots.
• Storm
  The traditional practice of stacking sheaves of seed-hay into small, weather-resistant piles to protect them from impending rain.
• Strip cropping
  Planting different crops in alternating narrow bands across a field.
• Stubblealso ratooning
  To grow a secondary crop from the root systems left behind after a harvest.
• Subsistence farming
  An agricultural system focused on producing just enough food to sustain the farm family.
• Sustainable development
  Agricultural growth that meets current production needs without degrading natural resources.
• Thinning
  The selective removal of excess seedlings or young fruit to reduce competition.
• Three sisters
  A traditional companion planting method combining maize, climbing beans, and squash.
• Thresh
  To mechanically shatter harvested crop heads to separate the edible grain from the stalk and chaff.
• Tongue graftingalso whip and tongue grafting
  A propagation technique using interlocking cuts to join a scion and rootstock of similar diameter.
• Trashalso residue, stubble
  The leftover plant residue on a field after harvesting. Shop talk
• Under glass
  Plants grown in a controlled, enclosed environment like a greenhouse. Shop talk
• Underwater
  To provide a plant or crop with less water than it needs for optimal growth.
• Whipstitchalso raftering, half-ploughing
  A traditional tillage method where only every alternate furrow is ploughed and turned over onto the adjacent unploughed strip.
• Windbreakalso shelterbelt
  A line of trees or fencing placed to protect crops and soil from high winds.
• Windingalso winnowing
  The traditional process of using wind to separate grain from chaff.
• Winnow
  The process of using airflow to separate heavy grain from lighter chaff and dust.
• Winter-hained
  Describes a pasture that has been closed off to livestock during the colder months to protect the soil and grass.

The specific classifications, growth stages, and commercial types of cultivated plants.

• Antitranspirant
  A chemical spray applied to plant leaves to reduce water loss.
• Apple seedalso pip
  The reproductive pip found in the core of an apple, used primarily in breeding programs.
• Atomic gardeningalso mutation breeding
  A historic plant breeding technique that uses radiation to induce genetic mutations.
• Auriculaalso Primula auricula, mountain cowslip
  A highly bred, ornamental species of primrose known for its striking, multi-colored flowers.
• Baptisiaalso false indigo
  A genus of herbaceous perennial legumes grown for their tall spikes of flowers and durable foliage.
• Beardedalso bearded iris
  A clipped term for a bearded iris, a popular ornamental flower with fuzzy hairs on its lower petals. Shop talk
• Bearded iris
  A type of rhizomatous iris characterized by fuzzy lines of hair on the lower petals.
• Bizarre
  A traditional class of florists' carnation featuring two distinct colors striped on a white background.
• Bolter
  A plant that prematurely produces a flowering stem before it is ready for harvest.
• Bourbon rose
  A vigorous, highly fragrant class of heritage roses known for repeat blooming.
• Bush
  A woody plant characterized by multiple stems branching near the ground.
• Cash crop
  An agricultural crop grown specifically to be sold for profit rather than for the farmer's own use.
• Catch
  The successful germination and establishment of a newly planted crop. Shop talk
• Chaffy
  Describing an ear of corn that has loose, poorly developed kernels and excess cob tissue. Shop talk
• China Girl
  A registered cultivar name applied to specific varieties of ornamental shrubs like hollies and dogwoods.
• Cleft grafting
  A propagation technique where a small scion is inserted into a split cut in a larger rootstock.
• Clove
  A single, individual segment of a compound bulb, such as garlic, used for propagation or consumption.
• Collet
  The exact transition zone between the root and the stem of a seedling.
• Cultigen
  A plant species or variety that exists solely because of human selection and breeding.
• Earlet
  A small or underdeveloped grain-bearing spike on a cereal plant.
• Early bloomer
  A plant variety that produces flowers earlier in the season than its peers.
• Edible beanalso dry bean
  A commercial classification for dry beans grown for human consumption.
• Epialso orchid cactus
  The abbreviation for Epiphyllum, a genus of tropical epiphytic cacti cultivated for their massive, brightly colored blooms. Shop talk
• Etiolated
  A plant condition marked by pale, weak growth caused by a lack of sunlight.
• Family treealso multi-grafted tree, fruit salad tree
  A single fruit tree that has been grafted with multiple different compatible varieties.
• Fastigiate
  A growth habit where branches grow closely together, parallel, and straight up.
• Fenniealso fenestration
  A natural hole or split in the leaf of certain tropical houseplants. Shop talk
• Fennyalso fennie, fenestration
  A colloquial nickname for the natural holes or splits that develop in the leaves of certain tropical plants. Shop talk
• First flush
  The initial wave of new growth, buds, or harvestable yield produced by a plant in a single season.
• Floweringalso bloom, anthesis
  The specific developmental phase when a plant produces blossoms and becomes receptive to pollination.
• Fodder radishalso tillage radish, forage radish
  A robust variety of daikon radish grown specifically to feed livestock or improve soil structure.
• Germinate
  The initial process where a seed breaks dormancy and begins to sprout.
• Golden pea
  A common name for several leguminous plants characterized by bright yellow, pea-like flowers.
• Green cornalso sweet corn
  Ears of maize harvested early while the kernels are still soft and milky.
• Grex
  A taxonomic group used in horticulture to classify the offspring of an artificial cross.
• Half-standard
  A grafted tree trained to have a clear trunk of three to four feet before the branching head.
• Hederaalso ivy
  A genus of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants commonly known as ivy.
• Heirloomalso heritage variety
  An older, open-pollinated plant variety preserved by growers rather than commercial breeding programs.
• Indoor plantalso houseplant
  A plant cultivated specifically to survive and thrive inside residential or commercial buildings.
• IOM soybean
  A premium food-grade soybean grown specifically in Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan.
• Keiki
  A small plantlet that grows asexually on the floral spike of an orchid.
• Knee-high by the Fourth of July
  An old agricultural rule of thumb used to gauge the progress of a corn crop in early summer. Shop talk
• Late bloomer
  A plant variety that produces flowers or fruit later in the growing season than is typical for its species.
• Lodging
  The flattening of a crop in the field due to weak stems or severe weather.
• Maincrop
  The primary, full-season variety of a crop planted for maximum yield and storage.
• Market class
  A commercial categorization of a commodity based on physical traits and end use.
• Mortgage burner
  A highly profitable crop or livestock breed that generates enough income to pay off farm debt. Shop talk
• Musang Kingalso Mao Shan Wang, D197
  A premium, highly sought-after cultivar of durian known for its rich flavor and deep yellow flesh.
• MV
  An abbreviation for a plant cultivar developed through formal scientific breeding programs.
• Nicotianaalso flowering tobacco, ornamental tobacco
  An ornamental flowering plant related to tobacco, grown for its fragrant blooms.
• NRC
  The abbreviation for non-rice crop, used in agricultural planning and rotation.
• Old rosealso heritage rose, antique rose
  Any cultivated rose variety belonging to classes established before the introduction of hybrid teas.
• Oxalisalso wood sorrel, false shamrock
  A large genus of flowering plants known for their clover-like leaves and sour taste.
• PBRalso Plant Breeders' Rights, plant variety rights
  Plant Breeders' Rights, a form of intellectual property protecting new plant varieties.
• Perennialization
  The process of breeding or managing an annual plant so that it lives for multiple years.
• Portland rose
  A historic group of garden roses known for their compact size and repeat blooming.
• Portulacaalso moss rose, sun rose
  A genus of succulent flowering plants known for heat and drought tolerance.
• Pupalso offshoot, sucker
  A small offshoot growing from the base of a mature plant. Shop talk
• Regal geraniumalso Martha Washington geranium
  A bushy, hybrid pelargonium cultivated for its large, brightly colored flowers.
• Resedaalso mignonette
  A genus of fragrant flowering plants commonly known as mignonette.
• Rind graftingalso bark grafting
  A grafting method where a small scion is slipped under the bark of a larger rootstock.
• Ripe
  The stage of development when a fruit or crop reaches its peak maturity for harvesting.
• Rootstockalso stock
  The lower underground portion of a grafted plant that provides the root system.
• Rosa mundialso Rosa gallica versicolor
  A historic rose variety known for its striking pink-and-white striped petals.
• Row crop
  A crop planted in distinct, widely spaced rows to allow machinery to pass through for cultivation and harvesting.
• Russian violet
  A hardy, highly fragrant perennial violet species used in ornamental horticulture.
• Seed
  Any plant part intended for sowing and propagation, including true botanical seeds, tubers, or bulbs.
• Seed corn
  High-quality maize kernels kept specifically for planting the next season's crop.
• Shatteralso pod shatter
  The tendency of a plant's seed pods to split open and drop their seeds before harvest.
• Smother cropalso cover crop, catch crop
  A dense, fast-growing plant sown specifically to outcompete and suppress weeds.
• Spawn
  The mycelium used to start mushroom cultivation, or underground shoots of certain plants.
• Specialty crop
  Fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops grown for human use rather than staple commodities.
• Spruce tip
  The soft, bright green new growth that emerges at the ends of spruce branches in spring.
• Standing crop
  The total amount of unharvested plant material present in a field at a specific time.
• Startalso plug, transplant
  A young seedling grown in a small container that is ready to be transplanted. Shop talk
• Sticklingalso steckling
  A small vegetative cutting or overwintered root that is planted to produce seed.
• Stratificationalso cold stratification, cold treatment
  A seed treatment that simulates winter conditions to break dormancy.
• Stripling
  A young seedling that has had its leaves removed prior to transplanting.
• Subsistence crop
  An agricultural crop grown primarily to feed the farmer's household.
• Suckeralso water sprout, basal shoot
  An unwanted shoot that grows from the base or roots of a plant.
• Tetalso Tetraploid
  A clipped term for a tetraploid plant, which possesses four sets of chromosomes. Shop talk
• Thug
  An aggressive, fast-spreading plant that crowds out other species in a garden bed. Shop talk
• Tillage radishalso fodder radish, radish ripper
  A deep-rooted cover crop planted specifically to break up compacted soil.
• Tillering
  The production of secondary stems from the crown of a grass plant.
• Volunteer
  A plant that grows on its own from seeds left behind by a previous crop.
• Wick
  The vital lower section of a plant stem situated just above the root system. Shop talk

The terminology of breeding, feeding, and managing domestic animals and honey bees.

• Apidictor
  An acoustic instrument used to monitor the internal sounds of a beehive.
• Aquafeed
  Manufactured nutritional pellets or meals designed for farmed aquatic animals.
• Balling
  A defensive bee behavior where workers tightly cluster around a queen to kill her. Shop talk
• Battery cagealso conventional cage
  A small, wire enclosure used in high-density commercial egg production to house laying hens.
• Battle
  An older regional term describing thick, rich pasture grass that rapidly fattens livestock. Shop talk
• Bee vacuumalso bee vac
  A specialized low-suction machine used to safely capture honeybee swarms.
• Boar hogalso boar
  An intact male pig kept specifically for breeding purposes. Shop talk
• Bull
  Showing physiological signs of estrus and a readiness to accept a mate.
• Cervine
  A deer belonging to the subfamily Cervinae, often raised in agricultural settings for meat or velvet.
• Chew the cud
  The process by which ruminant animals regurgitate and re-chew partially digested food.
• Cobbler
  A difficult or heavily soiled sheep that shearers intentionally leave in the pen until the end of a run. Shop talk
• Creepalso creep gate, creep feeder
  A barrier or enclosure that allows young animals to enter while excluding adults.
• Cullalso draft
  To remove inferior or unproductive animals or plants from a breeding stock or harvest.
• Dairy cakealso cattle cake, cake
  A concentrated, pressed feed supplement formulated to maximize milk production in dairy cows.
• Dancealso waggle dance, round dance
  A choreographed sequence of movements performed by worker bees to communicate resource locations.
• Dry off
  The process of stopping a dairy cow from producing milk prior to her next calving.
• Duplet
  An historic term for an empty box added to a beehive for expansion.
• Ear tag
  A plastic or metal identification clip pierced through the ear of livestock.
• Earmarkalso ear notch
  A permanent identification notch or slit cut into the ear of livestock.
• Eke
  A shallow wooden spacer added to a beehive to increase internal volume.
• Fed cattlealso fat cattle, finished cattle
  Steers and heifers that have been fattened on a high-energy grain diet and are ready for slaughter.
• Feeder cattlealso feeders
  Weaned calves or yearlings that have reached the target weight to enter a feedlot.
• Fresh
  Describes a dairy cow that has just given birth and started a new lactation cycle.
• Giddyalso sturdy
  Describing a sheep suffering from a neurological parasitic infection that causes aimless circling. Shop talk
• Gold bee
  A colloquial name for various native North American bees exhibiting bright yellow or golden coloration. Shop talk
• Granny
  An older ewe that attempts to steal a lamb from its actual mother. Shop talk
• Green meatalso green feed
  Fresh, succulent green forage or vegetable matter fed to livestock. Shop talk
• Halfpenny
  A historic livestock earmark featuring a semicircular notch cut into the edge of the ear. Shop talk
• Haylage
  Forage that is baled and wrapped at a higher moisture content than dry hay to ferment.
• Honey plant
  A flowering species deliberately cultivated or managed to provide forage for bees.
• Kiddingalso parturition
  The physiological process and management event of a female goat giving birth to offspring.
• livestock unitalso LSU, animal unit
  A standardized metric used to compare the feed requirements of different farm animals.
• Nadir
  An empty hive box placed underneath an existing brood chamber to give the bee colony more space.
• NSM
  The abbreviation for not station mated, indicating a female animal has not been exposed to a male.
• Nucalso nucleus colony
  A small starter colony of bees containing a queen, workers, and a few frames of brood. Shop talk
• Nucleusalso nuc box, mating nuc
  A miniature hive box used to house a small starter colony of honeybees.
• Oatlage
  A fermented livestock feed made by chopping and ensiling whole oat plants.
• Parity
  The number of times a female animal has given birth.
• Queen
  To lead and reproduce within a bee colony as its sole fertile female. Shop talk
• Queen-cage
  A small protective enclosure used to introduce a new fertile female to a bee colony.
• Queen excluder
  A grid placed inside a beehive to keep the reproducing female out of the honey supers.
• Ram
  An intact male sheep kept primarily for breeding purposes.
• Requeen
  To introduce a new queen bee into an existing honeybee colony.
• Roughagealso forage
  Fibrous, bulky animal feed such as hay, straw, or pasture grass.
• Round dance
  A circular movement performed by a foraging honey bee to signal food located very close to the hive.
• Roundupalso muster
  The process of gathering grazing livestock from open pasture into a central enclosure.
• Sericulturealso silk farming
  The commercial rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.
• Service
  The act of a male animal mating with a female for breeding purposes.
• Seton
  A thread or material inserted under the skin of livestock to promote drainage or counter-irritation.
• Slap markalso slap tattoo
  A permanent identification tattoo applied to the shoulder of a pig before slaughter.
• Slap markeralso slapper
  A long-handled tool fitted with a block of sharp pins used to tattoo livestock.
• Smoke bloweralso bee smoker, smoker
  A handheld device that generates cool smoke to calm honey bees during hive inspections.
• Stockeralso stocker cattle
  A weaned calf that is grazed on pasture to add weight before entering a feedlot.
• Tang
  An old beekeeping method of striking metal objects to force a swarming colony to settle.
• Total digestible nutrientsalso TDN
  A calculated measure of the energy value available to an animal from a specific feed.
• Uncapping
  The process of removing the wax seal from honeycomb cells before extracting honey.
• Varroaalso varroa mite, varroosis
  A parasitic mite that attacks and weakens honey bees.

The chemical amendments and physical properties of the earth that support plant growth.

• Arability
  The suitability of a piece of land for growing cultivated crops.
• Arable
  Land that is suitable for or actively used to grow crops requiring tillage.
• Biobed
  A lined pit filled with an organic matrix designed to safely degrade pesticide spills.
• Compost heapalso compost pile
  A managed pile of organic waste left to decompose into nutrient-rich soil amendment.
• Garden soil
  A blended growing medium containing topsoil enriched with organic matter and nutrients.
• Peeleralso exhaustive crop
  A crop that rapidly depletes the soil of essential nutrients. Shop talk
• Phosphate
  A chemical compound containing phosphorus used extensively as an agricultural fertilizer.
• Remineralizationalso soil remineralization, rock dusting
  The application of crushed rock dust or trace minerals to depleted agricultural soils.
• SAR
  The sodium adsorption ratio, a measurement of water quality and soil sodicity.
• Sick
  Describes soil that can no longer support a specific crop due to depleted nutrients or accumulated pathogens. Shop talk
• Slurry
  A liquid mixture of animal waste and water used as an agricultural fertilizer.
• Sodium adsorption ratioalso SAR
  A water quality metric that indicates the potential for sodium to build up in soil.
• Soil fertility
  The capacity of soil to provide essential nutrients and a suitable environment for plant growth.
• Soiled
  Describing land that possesses a specific type or quality of soil.
• Sweeten
  The process of raising the pH of acidic soil by applying alkaline amendments.
• Tankage
  The dried, nitrogen-rich organic residue left over from animal rendering processes.
• Topsoil
  The uppermost layer of earth, rich in organic matter and biological activity.

The insects, weeds, and pathogens that damage crops and the methods used to stop them.

• Acquisition feeding time
  The duration an insect must feed on an infected plant to successfully pick up a pathogen.
• Adjuvantalso surfactant, spreader-sticker
  A chemical additive mixed with pesticides or herbicides to improve their performance.
• Aphicide
  A specialized chemical pesticide formulated specifically to target and kill aphids.
• Autocidealso sterile insect technique, SIT
  A pest control method that releases sterile insects to crash a target population.
• Barley scaldalso scald
  A fungal disease that causes water-soaked, bleaching lesions on the leaves of barley plants.
• Barley smutalso loose smut
  A fungal infection that replaces barley grain heads with masses of dark, powdery spores.
• Beneficial insectalso beneficials
  An insect species that aids agricultural production by pollinating crops or eating pests.
• Blacklegalso symptomatic anthrax
  A highly fatal bacterial disease in cattle and sheep that causes muscle necrosis.
• Brown leaf
  A condition in timothy grass that causes foliage to discolor and reduces hay quality.
• Bt
  Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil bacterium used as a biological pesticide.
• Bti
  Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a bacterial strain used to kill aquatic fly larvae.
• Chemosterilant
  A chemical compound used to control pest populations by rendering them incapable of reproduction.
• CMValso cucumber mosaic virus
  Cucumber mosaic virus, a widespread plant pathogen that causes stunting and mottled foliage.
• Colony collapse disorderalso CCD
  A phenomenon where the majority of worker bees permanently abandon a hive.
• Curlalso leaf curl
  A symptom of various plant diseases where leaves pucker, roll, and distort.
• Curly top
  A destructive viral disease that stunts plants and puckers their leaves, primarily transmitted by leafhoppers.
• Filth
  An older agricultural term for heavy weed infestations taking over productive pasture land. Shop talk
• Garden pest
  An organism that causes economic or aesthetic damage to cultivated plants.
• Invasive exoticalso invasive species, alien invasive
  An introduced plant species that aggressively outcompetes native flora in a new environment.
• Lanarkshire diseasealso redcore
  A destructive fungal root rot that primarily affects strawberry plants.
• Trap crop
  A sacrificial plant stand grown to lure pests away from a primary cash crop.

The specialized buildings, enclosures, and field layouts that make up an agricultural operation.

• Aflajalso falaj
  A traditional Middle Eastern irrigation system that channels groundwater to crops via gravity.
• Balkalso baulk
  An unploughed strip of land left between cultivated fields.
• Barn
  A large agricultural building used to house livestock, store equipment, or protect crops.
• Barnyardalso farmyard
  The enclosed or heavily trafficked area of ground immediately surrounding a barn.
• Bothy
  A basic, often single-room building used to house farm labourers. Shop talk
• Breadbasketalso food bowl
  A highly fertile agricultural region that produces a massive surplus of grain. Shop talk
• Campalso clamp
  A regional term for a mound of earth and straw used to store root crops outdoors. Shop talk
• Clamp
  A traditional outdoor mound used to store harvested root crops or silage.
• Cold frame
  A low, transparent-roofed box set on the ground to protect plants from freezing weather.
• Cottonfieldalso cotton patch
  A designated tract of agricultural land planted with cotton.
• Demonstration garden
  An educational planted area designed to show specific growing techniques or plant varieties.
• Farmyardalso yard, steading
  The central working area of a farm surrounded by barns, sheds, and equipment storage.
• Frame
  An enclosed, transparent structure used to protect young plants from cold weather.
• Gangwayalso barn bridge, bank ramp
  A sloped access ramp leading directly into the upper level of a traditional bank barn.
• Grain elevator
  A towering agricultural facility used to stockpile and transfer bulk cereal crops.
• Granary
  A dedicated building or structure used to store threshed grain.
• Green roadalso drove road, green lane
  An unpaved, often grass-covered track used for moving farm equipment and livestock.
• Grow box
  A compact, self-contained enclosure designed for cultivating plants indoors.
• Grow room
  A dedicated indoor space equipped with climate control and lighting for cultivating crops.
• Hop garden
  A specialized agricultural field equipped with tall trellises for growing hops.
• Hopyard
  An outdoor agricultural facility engineered with tall trellis systems to cultivate hops.
• Hot bedalso hotbox
  A glass-covered garden frame heated from below by decomposing organic matter.
• Infield
  The arable land located closest to the farmstead or village.
• Labyrinth
  An ornamental garden feature consisting of a complex network of pathways enclosed by tall hedges.
• Living fencealso hedgerow
  A permanent agricultural barrier made from closely planted, woody vegetation.
• North forty
  A distant or remote section of a farm, originally referring to a specific forty-acre parcel. Shop talk
• Nursery
  A dedicated facility or area where young plants or animals are propagated and raised.
• Outrun
  A piece of outlying, uncultivated grazing land attached to an arable farm.
• Paddy fieldalso rice paddy
  A flooded parcel of arable land used for growing semi-aquatic crops like rice.
• Parterre
  A formal garden construction consisting of plant beds arranged in symmetrical patterns.
• Pig farmalso hog farm, swine operation
  An agricultural facility designed for breeding, raising and finishing domestic swine.
• Potato penalso potato tower, potato box
  A vertical growing structure used to cultivate potatoes in a small footprint.
• Siloalso tower silo
  A tall, cylindrical storage structure used to ferment and store high-moisture forage crops.
• Sneckalso thumb latch, sneck latch
  A traditional thumb-operated latch used on farm gates and barn doors. Shop talk
• Threshing floor
  A hard, flat surface where harvested grain is beaten to separate the edible kernels from the stalks.
• Treillagealso trellis, espalier
  An elaborate lattice structure used to support climbing plants or trained fruit trees.
• Trough
  A long, narrow open container or channel used to hold water or feed for livestock.
• Washpitalso wash pit
  An outdoor water channel or pool used for cleaning livestock.
• Wilderness
  A heavily planted, labyrinthine section of a formal garden designed to look natural.

The informal nicknames and job titles used by the workers who make a living on the land.

• Agricultural holder
  The individual or legal entity bearing the economic and operational responsibility for a farm.
• Congest
  A historic term for a smallholder whose land cannot adequately support a family.
• Dairy farmeralso dairyman
  An agricultural operator who manages a herd of cattle, goats, or sheep specifically for milk production.
• Dew-drink
  A traditional morning ration of beer or liquor consumed by farmhands before starting harvest work. Shop talk
• Month handalso month man
  A temporary agricultural worker hired for a specific block of time during peak season. Shop talk
• Month manalso month hand
  A farmworker contracted for a single month to help during periods of heavy labor demand. Shop talk
• Muckology
  The informal study or practical knowledge of handling and managing livestock manure. Shop talk
• Pastoralistalso grazier, herdsman
  A livestock farmer who manages grazing animals on extensive tracts of land.
• Stookeralso shocker
  A farm worker who manually gathers cut sheaves of grain and stands them upright to dry.