milk ripe stage: a stage in the development of grain such as wheat where the seed has formed but is still soft and white and full of white sap. Also called milky stage. Understanding the milk ripe stage can help farmers manage grain production more effectively, ensuring better yields and quality.
mixed farming: the practice of combining arable and dairy farming. Understanding mixed farming can help farmers diversify their income streams and improve sustainability.
maggot: a soft-bodied, legless larva of a fly such as a bluebottle, warble fly or frit fly. Maggots may attack crops and livestock. Controlling maggot infestations can prevent significant damage to crops and livestock, ensuring better farm productivity and reducing economic losses.
moratorium: an official suspension of an activity. Understanding the implications of moratoriums can help farmers navigate regulatory changes and ensure better compliance and sustainability.
moisture deficit: the difference between the amount of water in the soil and the amount needed by the crop. Understanding moisture deficit can help farmers manage irrigation and crop health more effectively, ensuring better productivity and sustainability.
milo: US sorghum. Understanding the characteristics and uses of milo can help farmers optimize their grain production and marketability, ensuring better profitability.
mammalian meat and bone meal: same as meat and bone meal. Understanding the nutritional value and uses of mammalian meat and bone meal can help farmers provide balanced diets for their livestock, leading to better growth and productivity.
mecoprop: a commonly used herbicide, mostly used to control weeds in cereal and grass crops, that is found as a contaminant of water. Abbr MCPP, CMPP. Understanding the application and effects of mecoprop can help farmers manage weed infestations more effectively, ensuring better crop health and yields.
metabolism: the chemical processes of breaking down or building up organic compounds in organisms. Metabolism covers all changes which take place in the body: the building of tissue (anabolism), the breaking down of tissue (catabolism), the conversion of nutrients into tissue, the elimination of waste matter and the action of hormones. Understanding metabolism can help farmers manage livestock nutrition and health more effectively, ensuring better growth and productivity.
mosaic: a disease caused by a virus which attacks various plants including sugar beet, potatoes, tobacco and turnips. Understanding and managing mosaic can help farmers protect their crops and ensure better yields.