Letham Shank Glossary

Common terms used in Agriculture and the Countryside.

Lactation

The period after birth in which the mother produces milk for the offspring.

Ladybird

A colourfull small beetle whose larvae prey on aphids (greenfly)making them welcome on all farms.

Lambing

The period of the year when the flock is synchronised to give birth in an interval of a few weeks. The process of an individual ewe giving birth.

Leaching

The loss of nutrients, pesticides, lime, or other elements of the soil by the action of water as it percoolates through the soil profile.

Leaf Miner

The larvae of certain moths and flies which live in the laminations of a leaf. They leave lighter coloured patches or trails as they eat the tissue.

Legume

Podded plants such as clover, lentils, peas & beans which encourage nitrogen fixing bacteria on their root nodules. This nitrogen is available as fertiliser when the plant dies.

LERAP

(Local Environmental Risk Assessment Plan) A set of regulations which control use of certain pesticides adjacent to watercourses. Records must be kept when a 'Lerap' applies to any operation.

Ley

Field sown with grass for one or more years. Short term leys usually yield heavier crops than longer leys due to the grass varieties used. They may be noted as a three year ley, 5 year ley etc.

Licks

Minerals, vitamins and trace elements may be given to livestock via enhanced salt blocks. Animals lick the blocks for their taste and ingest the essential ingredients.

Lifters

Attachments for the header of a combine which assist in combining a lodged crop by easing it off the ground.

Lime

Generally ground limestone which is used to neutralize soil acidity. Essential for crop growth and application rates average 5000kg/ha.

Linkage (three point)

The lift system universally used on tractors to attach and lift machinery such as ploughs, cultivators, drills etc. consisting of two lower powered lift arms and a fixed top central link.

Lodging

The term used to describe a crop which is falling over due to bad weather, (wind/rain) disease, or an inherent varietal weakness. Severe lodging makes harvesting extremely difficult due to moisture being trapped in the closely packed stems and lack of airflow.