Please note: The glossary is currently under construction
A
a catalogue entry in the order of acquisition, e.g. BRA-xxxxxx (Brazil), CPI xxxxx (Australia), PI xxxxxx (USA).
a soil whose pH is below 7 - in practice, often applied to soils of pH <6.5. See acidification. Soil is regarded as 'very acid' when the pH is <5.0.
a reduction in soil pH through leaching and various chemical processes. In extremes this reduces the availability of molybdenum, phosphorus and sulphur but increases the availability of the toxic elements, manganese and aluminium.
ADF:
acid detergent fibre - a laboratory estimate of the less digestible fibre in the plant. ADF is the best indicator of the fibre requirement for healthy rumen fermentation.
a farming system that integrates crops and/or livestock with trees and/or shrubs.
the integration of soil and plant sciences in growing crops and pastures.
a soil with a pH >7; in practice, often applied to soils of pH >7.5.
suppression of other species by production of phytotoxic chemicals that inhibit germination and growth of other plants. adj. allelopathic.
an agroforestry intercropping system in which crops are grown between rows of shrubs and trees, closely planted within the rows.
see alley cropping.
soils formed from sediments deposited on land by streams as in a river flood-plain.
the action of making better; improvement, e.g. liming acid soils.
a plant which completes its life cycle within one year. cf. perennial.
growing upward after an oblique or semi-horizontal beginning.
B
= hermaphrodite; bearing both male and female organs in the same flower.
an implement comprising a very large sweep or wing blade used for the removal of tree regrowth by underground cutting of roots.
a fungus that produces grey coloured spores on leaves usually as a result of wet or humid conditions.
the foliage, tender branches or twigs of trees and shrubs, used as feed for cattle and other animals.
C
of soils, relating to a high content of free calcium carbonate, making the soil alkaline.
the branches and foliage of a tree above the bole.
CEC:
Cation Exchange Capacity.
clay:
soil particles <0.002 mm in diameter; also used to define a soil textural class. cf. sand, silt. Clayey soils have higher water retention capacity than sandy or loamy soils.
growing upward, but not self-supporting.
preservation of forages to provide feed when other feed is not available or of low quality, e.g. hay, haylage, silage.
the cutting back of a tree or shrub to encourage numerous slender stems to develop from the cut stem.
a crop planted to prevent soil erosion and to suppress weeds; can also improve soil and/or provide forage.CP:
crude protein - an estimate of the protein value of a feedstuff, calculated by multiplying the nitrogen percentage in the dry matter by 6.25.
specialised planter used for sowing into a rough, unprepared seedbed. � External web link.systems where feed, crop residues and/or litter is cut and carried to penned or tethered livestock.
D
falling seasonally, e.g. of the leaves or bark of some trees. cf. evergreen.the resting or inactive phase of plants or seeds, due to the presence or absence of a growth factor, as of seed when influenced by a need for light or darkness, specific temperature, or after-ripening, or by possession of a coat impermeable to water.a prolonged period without precipitation during which the soil water content is reduced to such an extent that plants suffer from lack of water.this rates the ability of a species or strain to survive prolonged periods of dry weather. Ratings assume the species is well adapted to the normal environment, is being utilized each year and is under good management.DSE:
dry sheep equivalent. A measure based on the feed requirement of grazing animals, usually used to assess the capacity of land to carry livestock. The standard unit is represented by the ability to maintain a 45 kg wether at constant body weight from one year to the next. Other animals are rated in relation to this. cf. AU.E
EC:
Electrical Conductivity used to measure soil salinity. It measures the concentration of soluble salts in the soil solution to which plant roots are exposed. EC (L5) is the EC measured in a 1:5 soil to water suspension and expressed in units of decisiemens per metre (dS/m).
bearing green leaves throughout the year. cf. deciduous.F
a farming system in which land is left without a crop for a given period to accumulate soil moisture and release nitrogen from organic matter.edible parts of plants (other than separated grain) that can provide feed for grazing animals, or that can be harvested for feeding. Increasingly used to refer to the species planted to provide forage.forb:
a non-woody (herbaceous) plant other than a grass, sedge, rush, etc. cf. herb.relative ability to withstand the damaging effect of frost.G
surface humps and hollows associated with the shrinking and swelling of clay soils. cf. vertisol.member of the family Poaceae (Gramineae).an animal to forage relationship measured in terms of animal units per unit weight of forage at any instant.Feed cut and fed fresh to livestock.
any crop that is turned into the soil to add organic matter, nitrogen or other nutrients.
ground cover (soil blanketing):
a plant, usually with a low-growing spreading habit, grown specifically to cover and protect the soil.
that portion of the year when temperature and moisture favour plant growth.H
the growth form of a plant, comprising its size, shape, texture and orientation.a physiological condition of seed in which a proportion of viable seeds do not immediately absorb water or oxygen, delaying germination. cf. dormancy.hay:
pasture or crop material that is conserved in a dried state.pasture or crop material that is dried to about 50% moisture content and is preserved for feeding to animals. Usually the air has been evacuated forcefully, as in an airtight, glass-lined silo, rather than by compression of the stack. cf. silage.a closely planted row of shrubs, trees or grass established on the contour through cropland for erosion control. They are often cut to provide feed for livestock, and degradable mulch for improving soil fertility. See "alley cropping".herb:
any vascular plant that does not produce a woody stem. cf. forb.not woody; soft in texture.an animal that subsists principally or entirely on plants or plant materials.I
literally, "in glass"; a biologic or biochemical process occuring outside a living organism.
the artificial introduction of micro-organisms (often rhizobia or mycorrhizae) into a habitat to initiate the symbiosis in crop and pasture legumes.a liquid suspension, gel, or peat based material containing live microorganisms (rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi) that is introduced by inoculation.growing two or more crops together, planted simultaneously or staggered, with or without a row arrangement.flooding. In this context, refers to the periodic covering of the soil with water.pasture receiving supplementary water to maintain growth.in vitro dry matter digestibility. A laboratory measure estimating the percentage of a feedstuff the animal can digest.
L
the process of returning land to some degree of its former self after it has been damaged by industry, natural disaster, etc.
strictly, a fruit (pod) characteristic of the families Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Fabaceae, but also used as a common name for a plant species in these families.a pasture phase as part of a sequence of crops for soil nitrogen and organic matter replenishment, soil structure improvement and disease break.woody, due to the deposition of lignin in cell walls.
loam:
a soil texture class with relatively equal amounts of sand and silt and somewhat smaller proportion of clay; generally a desirable quality. May be subdivided into texture classes like 'sandy loam', 'silt loam' and 'clay loam'.grassland, natural or sown, used as grazing for domestic animals, maintained for a period of 4 or more years.M
animals with a single stomach e.g. pigs and poultry. cf. ruminant.a covering used to maintain soil temperature and moisture and to discourage the growth of weeds. e.g. thick layer of plant material.a symbiotic union between a fungus and a plant root; the term is often used in reference to the fungus.N
neither acid or alkaline; commonly pH 6.6-7.3. cf. acid, alkaline.defined by a significant accumulation of clay (30% or more by mass and extending as much as 150 cm below the surface) and by a blocky aggregate structure. Iron oxides and high water content are believed to play important roles in creating the soil structure. Also nitosol.the process of forming nodules, usually in reference to the symbiosis in legume roots.of a root, a swelling caused by excessive development of tissue, e.g. the nodule of a legume when invaded by a nitrogen-fixing bacterium. Legume nodules assume various shapes specific to the host plant, e.g. aeschynomenoid, desmodioid.O
a cross between relatively unrelated individuals.P
the relish with which a particular species or plant part is consumed by an animal.grassland, natural or sown, used as grazing for domestic animals.a plant whose life cycle extends over more than two growing seasons. cf. annual, biennial.pH:
a numerical measure of the acidity of a soil. The neutral point is pH 7.0. All pH values below 7.0 are acid and all above are alkaline.a pasture phase, often incorporating legumes, in a rotational system of cropping. cf. ley pasture.the relative lengths of alternating periods of darkness and light affecting the growth and maturity of an organism, as flowering.the photochemical process induced by a photosensitizer.
pod:
a general term for a dry, dehiscent or indehiscent fruit, usually in reference to a legume.soil usually forming in a broadleaf forest and characterised by moderate leaching, which produces an accumulation of clay and, to some degree iron, that has been transported from another area by water. The humus formed produces a textural layer that is less than 50 cm from the surface.transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma.a natural or modified system of pondage, in which suitably adapted forages are grown in water, primarily for dry season fodder production.a fungal disease that displays white power-like spots on leaves and stems.
ppm:
parts per million. = mg/kg.
estimated maximum yield, which can be sustained when grown in an environment to which it is well adapted.in reference to legume nodulation; ability of the plant to nodulate freely with a number of different strains of rhizobium.lying flat on the ground.the original geographic source of a plant or its propagules.R
the average annual rainfall (mm) in your environment.a generic term for bacteria that live symbiotically in nodules on the roots of legumes and fix nitrogen that is used by the host plants (incl. Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium, Methylobacterium ).developing rhizomes.a root-like stem lying prostrate on or under the ground and developing adventitious roots and scale-leaves; buds formed in scale-leaf axils may form either rhizome branches or upright shoots. cf. stolon.
a root-like stem lying prostrate on or under the ground and developing adventitious roots and scale-leaves; buds formed in scale-leaf axils may form either rhizome branches or upright shoots. cf. stolon.
the part of a soil immediately associated with a root-system.
the large, first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant from which ingested food is regurgitated for rechewing (rumination) and in which digestion is aided by symbiotic microbial action.cud-chewing mammals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer that have a stomach divided into four compartments (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum). cf. monogastric.see stolon.S
soil containing high amounts of soluble salts.sand:
soil particle coarser than silt but finer than gravel, gritty to the feel.a community, dominated by perennial xeromorphic grasses with a scattering of shrubs and trees, in regions with summer rainfall and a definite dry season.of seed, the breaking of dormancy by removal of the barrier inhibiting absorption of water (e.g. by abrasion, heat treatment, sulphuric acid). See hardseededness.a climbing or semi-climbing plant without special means of securing a hold to a support.the union of gametes contributed by the one individual.
self fertilization. cf. autogamous.
a pasture phase as part of a sequence of crops for nitrogen replenishment and disease break.a perennial plant where the individuals live for only two or three years.a woody plant, usually less than 3 m high, with many stems from the base.conserved fodder, harvested while green, and preserved by the formation of organic acids (mainly lactic) in anaerobic fermentation. cf. haylage.silt:
soil particle finer than sand, but not as fine as clay, silky to the feel.a measure of exchangeable sodium in relation to other exchangeable cations. Plant species vary in their tolerance of sodicity.
levels of available soil aluminium and manganese increase with decreasing pH below pH 5.5. Plants vary in their tolerance of these elements.
the capacity for water to pass through the soil profile.the ability of a soil to hold and release nutrients for plant growth.
In
the "Selection Tool", the ratings refer to fertility conditions of the soil as
applied in the system, not the natural fertility. "High fertility" relates to
those soils that can sustain good plant growth of fertility-demanding species
with the addition of little or no fertiliser. By contrast, "low fertility"
relates to those soils requiring significant fertiliser inputs to achieve
productive growth in fertility-demanding species.
= soil pH.
process by which salts such as sodium chloride accumulate in a soil profile.a measure of the total amount of soluble salt in soil, usually measured in terms of conductivity of an extracted solution and expressed in terms of decisiemens per metre (dS/m). See also saline soil, E.C.a measure of the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay in the soil. � Soil classification triangle.
bulked forage produced during the growing season and maintained in the paddock to provide feed during the dormant season. Also stockpiled forage, standing hay or foggage.
stem:
the main axis or a branch of the main axial system of a plant, typically bearing leaves.= runner; a slender prostrate stem, growing above the ground, and rooting at intervals, usually at the nodes.
having stolons; trailing over the soil surface and rooting at the nodes.the dried stalks and leaves of a field crop (especially maize) after the grain has been harvested, which can be used as animal fodder.
a low growing plant having a woody base and herbaceous canopy.
a community of pasture plants.T
naturally occurring, astringent tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. They are found in many legumes and can have a large influence on their nutritive value.
the main, descending root of a plant that has a single, dominant root axis.the degree of hotness or coldness as measured on some definite temperature scale.tree:
a woody plant, at least 3 metres high, usually with an evident trunk.a tuft, or small hillock of growing grass.climbing by winding the stem around the support.
U
extensively weathered, strongly acid soils of tropical and subtropical climates; often with high levels of exchangeable aluminium.
V
black or brown clay soils (30% or more clay), developing deep wide cracks when dry, commonly with a gilgai micro relief. cf. gilgai, e.g. black cotton soils.W
saturated state of a soil profile due to poor drainage.