Dictionary of Agricultural Terms
By Students’ Academy
Copyright@2011Students’ Academy
Smashwords Edition
Chapter 1
A
Acequia
In Agricultural terms Acequia means an irrigation ditch or canal.
Acre-foot
Acre Foot refers to the volume of water that would cover one acre to a depth of one foot.
ADG
Full form of ADG is Average Daily Gain.
ADG also refers to the amount of body weight gain in a day.
Agribusiness
Agribusiness refers to the business of production and manufacturing of agricultural good and services like fertilizer and farm equipment makers, food and fiber processors, wholesalers, transporters, and retail food and fiber outlets.
AI
Full form of AI is Artificial Insemination.
AI also refers to impregnating of an animal through artificial means, not through natural breeding.
Annual
Annual refers to the entire life cycle of a plant that dies within one year of less.
Aquifer
Aquifer refers to a stratum of earth or permeable rock that stores significant quantities of water.
Associated Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI)
Associated Milk Producers Inc. is a milk cooperative owned by farmers; it purchases milk from New Mexico dairy producers. Southern Region headquarters in Arlington, Texas.
AUM
Full form of AUM is Animal Unit Month.
AUM also refers to the amount of forage required by a mature cow (or other grazing animal) and her calf for one month.
Chapter 2
B
Barrow
Barrow refers to a male pig that is castrated before reaching sexual maturity.
BFP
Full form of BFP is Basic Formula Price, which is determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It serves as a basis for pricing milk in the United States.
Biological control
Biological Control refers to the control on plants, diseases, and animal pests with the use of natural enemies; or inhibiting the reproduction of pests by methods that result in the laying of infertile eggs, etc.
Biological diversity
Biological Diversity refers to large and plentiful number of species, and variety of natural communities. Both the number of species and the number of individuals within each species are important in considering the extent of biological diversity in an area.
Biological Diversity is also referred to as biodiversity.
Boar
Boar is a male hog which is sexually active or mature.
Breeding stock
Breeding Stock refers to a sexually mature male and female livestock that are retained to produce offspring.
Browse
Browse collectively refers to leaves, buds, and woody stems used as food by deer and other animals.
Brush
Brush generally refers to undesirable shrubs and small trees.
BST
BST is the full form of Bovine Somato Tropin; it commonly refers to as growth hormone. Which is produced naturally by the cow; it stimulates metabolic functions which are related to growth and milk production.
Bull
Bull is an uncastrated male bovine.
Chapter 3
C
Calf crop
Calf Crop generally refers to the number or percentage of calves which are produced in a herd within a given year relative to the number of cows and heifers exposed to breeding.
Canopy
Canopy is the uppermost layer in a forest, formed collectively by tree crowns.
Chisel
Chisel, which is generally made of steel, is a farm implement which is used to break through and shatter compacted or otherwise impermeable layers of soil.
Class 1 milk
Class 1 Milk refers to the milk which is used for fluid use.
Clear-cut harvest
Clear Cut Harvest refers to the harvest and regeneration technique that is applied for the removal of all the trees (regardless of size) from an area.
The term Clear Cut Harvest is commonly used with shade-intolerant species such as Douglas fir or lodgepole pine, which require full sunlight to reproduce and grow well.
Combine
Combine commonly refers to a self-propelled or tractor-drawn machine which cuts, threshes, and cleans the standing crop. It is adapted to harvesting all the small grains, soybeans, grain sorghums, peanuts, beans, etc.
Contour farming
Contour Farming is the term which generally refers to the operations such as plowing, planting, cultivating, and harvesting on the contour, or at right angles to the natural slope to reduce soil erosion, protect soil fertility, and use water more efficiently.