M

milk sinus: the space in each teat into which the milk is secreted. Understanding the function of the milk sinus can help farmers manage dairy production more effectively, ensuring better milk quality and yield.

MCPA: a herbicide that kills the most persistent broad-leaved weeds, such as nettles, buttercups, charlock, dock seedlings, plantains and thistles. Understanding the application and effects of MCPA can help farmers manage weed infestations more effectively, ensuring better crop health and yields.

magnesium: a light, silvery-white metallic element that burns with a brilliant white flame. The addition of magnesium to soil may prevent deficiency diseases in crops or in livestock, such as interveinal yellowing of leaves in potatoes and sugar beet, and hypomagnesaemia or ‘grass staggers’ in grazing animals. Ensuring adequate magnesium in soil and livestock diets is crucial for healthy crop and livestock growth, leading to better yields and farm sustainability.

mill: a factory where a substance is crushed to make a powder, especially one for making flour from the dried grains of cereals. Proper management of mills can help farmers process their crops more effectively, ensuring better quality and marketability.

Meatlinc: a new breed of sheep used as a terminal sire. Only the rams are sold. Understanding the characteristics and uses of Meatlinc sheep can help farmers improve their breeding programs and meat production, leading to better yields and profitability.

Merinolandschaf: a breed of sheep found in South Germany. Large traveling flocks are common. Raising Merinolandschaf sheep can provide farmers with a versatile and productive breed, contributing to better income and farm sustainability.

maltster: a person who makes malt for sale to breweries. Understanding the role of a maltster can help farmers connect with potential buyers and improve the marketability of their barley.

marginal: referring to areas of land such as field edges or banks beside roads which are at the edge of cultivated land. Cultivating marginal areas can help farmers utilize all available land resources, potentially increasing productivity and income.

metamorphosis: a process of change into a different form, especially the change of a larva into an adult insect. Understanding metamorphosis can help farmers manage insect life cycles more effectively, ensuring better pest control and crop protection.

minimal cultivation: a system of cultivation which subjects the land to shallow working and minimises the number of passes of machinery. No ploughing is needed. Although suitable for cereal production, minimal cultivation is not suitable for all crops or soil conditions. Crops like sugar beet and potatoes need a deeper tilth than that obtained by minimal cultivation. Understanding minimal cultivation can help farmers optimize their soil and crop management practices, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.