Farmers, agricultural engineers, advisers and exporters meet English in seed catalogs, pesticide labels, machinery manuals, research papers, FAO reports and talks with foreign buyers. This glossary collects the words a newcomer needs first, from crops, soil and irrigation to fertilizers, crop protection, farm machinery, livestock, greenhouses, harvest and storage, and agricultural trade and subsidies. Each entry explains the meaning, shows how people in farming really use the word and gives its Turkish equivalent.
100 terms
10 topics
45 core terms
201 example sentences
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Crop Production
crop
noun
Meaning
A plant grown on a large scale for food, feed, fiber or income, such as wheat, cotton or tomatoes; also the amount of it gathered in one season.
Where you use it
The most basic word in farming. Farmers grow, plant and harvest crops; advisers talk about the main crop, cash crops, field crops and crop losses. It is countable: 'two crops a year' means two harvests from the same land.
Examples
Cotton is still the main crop on most farms in the Harran Plain.
After the wheat harvest, some farmers plant a second crop of maize for silage.
Usage note
'Crop' is also a verb in photo editing ('crop an image'), but in farming it is almost always a noun.
Common phrases
grow a crop · main crop · cash crop · second crop · crop losses
The amount of crop, milk or other product obtained from a given area or animal, usually given as tonnes per hectare or kilograms per decare.
Where you use it
Used constantly in field trials, seed catalogs and farm reports. People talk about high, average and low yields, yield losses and yield potential. It is also a verb: 'The field yielded six tonnes per hectare.'
Examples
The new variety gave a yield of 650 kilograms per decare in our trials.
Late frost reduced apricot yields by almost half this year.
Usage note
'Yield' is the amount per area (verim). The total production of a region or country is 'production' or 'output'; Turkish 'rekolte' is usually closer to these.
Common phrases
high yield · yield per hectare · yield loss · yield potential · increase yields
The small part of a plant from which a new plant grows; in farming, also the grain or material kept or bought for sowing.
Where you use it
Farmers buy certified seed, hybrid seed or treated seed and talk about seed quality, seed cost and seed companies. 'Seed' is often uncountable for the material you sow ('we bought 20 tonnes of seed'). 'Seed potatoes' are potatoes used for planting.
Examples
Only certified seed is eligible for the seed subsidy.
The seed was treated with a fungicide before sowing.
To put seeds in or on the soil so that they will grow into plants, by hand or with a machine.
Where you use it
Used for crops grown from seed, such as wheat, barley, sunflower or maize. Farmers sow early or late, in autumn or spring, and the noun is sowing (sowing date, sowing depth). The past participle is 'sown' or 'sowed'.
Examples
We sow winter wheat in late October in Central Anatolia.
Most of the sunflower fields were sown before the April rains.
Usage note
Pronunciation trap: the verb 'sow' rhymes with 'go'. The noun 'sow' (a female pig) rhymes with 'cow'. Do not confuse it with 'sew' (dikiş dikmek), which sounds the same as the verb.
Common phrases
sow seeds · sow wheat · sowing date · sowing depth · direct sowing
The practice of growing different crops on the same field in a planned order over several seasons to keep the soil healthy and reduce pests, diseases and weeds.
Where you use it
Agronomists recommend, plan and follow crop rotations. A rotation is described by its crops and length, for example a three-year rotation of wheat, chickpeas and sunflower. Legumes are often included because they add nitrogen to the soil.
Examples
Crop rotation with chickpeas reduced our nitrogen fertilizer needs.
Growing maize after maize without crop rotation increases pest problems.
A certified way of farming that avoids synthetic pesticides and mineral fertilizers and relies on rotations, compost, manure and natural pest control.
Where you use it
Used in certification, marketing and export. Farmers convert to organic farming, go through a conversion period and are inspected by a certification body. Products are labeled 'organic' or, in the EU, also 'bio' or 'eco'.
Examples
Organic farming gives us a better price for our dried figs in Germany.
The farm is in the second year of its conversion to organic farming.
Usage note
In this context 'organic' does not mean 'natural' in general; it is a legally protected label that requires certification.
Common phrases
organic farming · organic certification · conversion period · certified organic · organic produce
A specialist in crop production and soil management who advises farmers on varieties, fertilizer, irrigation and crop protection.
Where you use it
A common job title at seed, fertilizer and crop protection companies, cooperatives and advisory services. Agronomists visit fields, walk the crop, take samples and write recommendations. The field of study is 'agronomy'.
Examples
Our agronomist recommended a lower seeding rate for the dry fields.
She works as a field agronomist for a seed company in Adana.
A metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, or ten decares; the standard unit for land and yields in international agriculture.
Where you use it
Written 'ha'. Farm sizes, seeding rates, fertilizer rates and yields are given per hectare: '5 t/ha', '200 kg N/ha'. American texts also use acres; one hectare is about 2.47 acres.
Examples
The farm covers 120 hectares, mostly wheat and sunflower.
Irrigated maize here yields around 12 tonnes per hectare.
Usage note
One hectare equals 10 dönüm (decares), so divide kg/da by 100 to get t/ha: 500 kg/da is 5 t/ha.
Common phrases
per hectare · tonnes per hectare · hectares of land · a 50-hectare farm
A named type of a crop plant with particular features, such as yield, quality, earliness or disease resistance, developed by breeders and sold as seed or plants.
Where you use it
Farmers choose, test and register varieties; seed catalogs describe early, late, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties. Breeders and official registers often use 'cultivar' as a more technical synonym.
Examples
This durum wheat variety performs well under dry conditions.
We tested four tomato varieties for resistance to the new virus.
Usage note
Do not use 'species' (tür) for a variety. Wheat is a species; 'Bezostaya' is a variety of wheat.
Common phrases
new variety · high-yielding variety · early variety · resistant variety · variety trial
A grass grown for its edible grain, such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, oats or rye; also the grain itself.
Where you use it
Used in statistics, trade and agronomy: cereal crops, cereal production, cereal prices. People often say 'grain' for the harvested product and 'cereals' or 'small grains' for the crops in the field.
Examples
Cereals cover more than half of the country's arable land.
Wheat and barley are the main winter cereals in this region.
Usage note
In everyday English, 'cereal' also means a breakfast food such as cornflakes. In agriculture it means the crop or its grain.
Common phrases
cereal crops · cereal production · winter cereals · spring cereals · cereal prices
The process in which a seed starts to grow and sends out a root and a shoot, once it has enough water, warmth and oxygen.
Where you use it
Seed labels state the germination rate as a percentage. Agronomists talk about fast, uneven or poor germination, and test seed lots in the lab. The verb is 'germinate'; 'emergence' is when seedlings appear above the soil.
Examples
The seed lot has a germination rate of 92 percent.
The amount of seed sown per unit of area, given as kilograms per hectare or as number of seeds per square meter or hectare.
Where you use it
Agronomists calculate and adjust the seeding rate according to seed size, germination, sowing date and soil moisture. Also called 'seed rate' or 'sowing rate'. For maize and sunflower, people usually talk about plant population instead.
Examples
Increase the seeding rate by ten percent if you sow late.
The recommended seeding rate for wheat here is about 450 seeds per square meter.
Common phrases
seeding rate · recommended seeding rate · adjust the seeding rate · seeds per square meter · plant population
The transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part, which is needed for many crops to set fruit and seed.
Where you use it
Fruit growers, beekeepers and greenhouse growers talk about poor or good pollination, cross-pollination and pollinators such as honeybees and bumblebees. Many orchards rent beehives during flowering.
Examples
Greenhouse tomato growers use bumblebee hives for pollination.
Cold, rainy weather during flowering led to poor pollination in the cherry orchards.
The loose upper layer of the earth, made of minerals, organic matter, water and air, in which plants grow and take up water and nutrients.
Where you use it
Agronomists describe soil by its texture (sandy, clay, loamy), structure, depth, fertility and pH. Common phrases are soil sample, soil test, soil moisture and soil health. 'Dirt' is informal and not used in professional texts.
Examples
These heavy clay soils stay wet for a long time after rain.
Take soil samples from at least ten points in the field.
Usage note
Use 'soil' for the growing medium and 'land' for an area you own, rent or farm. 'Ground' is the surface you stand on.
Land that is plowed or cultivated and used for growing annual crops such as cereals, vegetables or fodder crops.
Where you use it
Used in statistics, land use planning and farm descriptions. FAO statistics separate arable land from permanent crops such as orchards and from permanent pasture. Farmers also say 'arable farming' for crop farming without livestock.
Examples
The family owns 40 hectares of arable land and 10 hectares of olive groves.
Urban growth is turning fertile arable land into housing.
Common phrases
arable land · arable farming · arable crops · loss of arable land · hectares of arable land
The ability of a soil to supply plants with the nutrients, water and conditions they need to grow well and give good yields.
Where you use it
Advisers assess, maintain, improve and build up soil fertility. The term appears in soil reports, organic farming rules and research. Low soil fertility is corrected with fertilizer, manure, compost and rotations with legumes.
Examples
Years of burning the stubble have lowered soil fertility on this farm.
Legumes in the rotation help to maintain soil fertility.
Usage note
In Turkish 'verim' can mean both 'yield' and 'fertility'. Use 'yield' for the harvest and 'fertility' for the soil's capacity.
The part of the soil formed from decaying plant and animal material; it holds water and nutrients and improves soil structure.
Where you use it
Usually given as a percentage in soil test reports ('2 percent organic matter'). Farmers increase organic matter with manure, compost, cover crops and crop residues, and lose it through intensive tillage and stubble burning.
Examples
Most of our fields have less than 1.5 percent organic matter.
Leaving the straw on the field slowly builds up organic matter.
The loss of the top layer of soil when it is carried away by water or wind, often made worse by bare ground, slopes and heavy tillage.
Where you use it
A central topic in soil conservation, land planning and environmental reports. Experts distinguish water erosion and wind erosion and recommend contour farming, terraces, cover crops and reduced tillage to control it.
Examples
Plowing up and down the slope speeds up soil erosion.
Cover crops reduced soil erosion on the hillside vineyards.
Common phrases
prevent soil erosion · water erosion · wind erosion · erosion control · soil conservation
The upper layer of soil, usually a few tens of centimeters deep, which is darker and richer in organic matter, roots and soil life than the layers below.
Where you use it
Used in soil conservation, construction and gardening. Erosion removes topsoil, and building projects strip and store it. The layer below is called 'subsoil', which is often compacted by heavy machinery.
Examples
One heavy storm can wash away several centimeters of topsoil from a bare slope.
Take samples from the topsoil, at a depth of 0 to 30 centimeters.
Common phrases
fertile topsoil · loss of topsoil · topsoil and subsoil · strip the topsoil
A measure of how acidic or alkaline a soil is, on a scale from 0 to 14; it affects which nutrients plants can take up.
Where you use it
Given in every soil test report. Most field crops grow best at a pH of about 6 to 7.5. Farmers raise the pH of acid soils with lime and lower it with sulfur. Say 'a pH of seven point eight', reading the letters as 'pee aitch'.
Examples
The soil pH is 8.1, so iron deficiency is likely in the peach trees.
Blueberries need a low soil pH, around 4.5 to 5.5.
Common phrases
soil pH · high pH · acid soil · alkaline soil · raise the pH
The preparation of soil for growing crops by mechanical work such as plowing, harrowing or cultivating.
Where you use it
Agronomists distinguish primary tillage (plowing) from secondary tillage (harrowing, seedbed preparation) and compare conventional, reduced and no-till systems. The verb is 'till' ('till the soil'), which sounds slightly literary.
Examples
Reduced tillage saved us about 30 percent in diesel costs.
Too much tillage breaks down soil structure and causes crusting.
Describing farmland that is left without a crop for a season or longer, so that it can store moisture, recover fertility or be cleaned of weeds.
Where you use it
Farmers leave land fallow or let it lie fallow; the land is then 'in fallow'. It is also a noun ('a year of fallow'). In dry regions, the wheat-fallow system stores two years of rain for one crop.
Examples
In Central Anatolia many farmers still leave half of their land fallow each year.
The fallow field was cultivated twice to control weeds.
Common phrases
leave land fallow · lie fallow · fallow land · summer fallow · wheat-fallow system
A crop grown mainly to protect and improve the soil between main crops, rather than to be harvested, such as vetch, clover, rye or mustard.
Where you use it
Used in soil conservation, organic farming and orchards. Farmers sow cover crops after harvest and later mow, graze or incorporate them. Legume cover crops add nitrogen; when they are plowed in, they are called green manure.
Examples
We sow a vetch and barley cover crop between the rows of the olive grove.
The cover crop protected the soil from winter rains and added organic matter.
Common phrases
sow a cover crop · legume cover crop · winter cover crop · green manure · terminate a cover crop
A system in which crops are sown directly into the remains of the previous crop without plowing or other soil cultivation.
Where you use it
Part of conservation agriculture. It reduces erosion, fuel use and labor, and helps keep soil moisture, but it needs a special no-till drill and careful weed control. Farmers 'switch to no-till' or 'go no-till'.
Examples
After five years of no-till farming, the soil holds water much better.
No-till farming cut our diesel use, but weed control became harder.
Usage note
Also written 'zero tillage' or 'direct drilling' in British English.
The amount of dissolved salts in soil or water; high salinity makes it hard for plants to take up water and lowers yields.
Where you use it
Measured as electrical conductivity (EC), in decisiemens per meter (dS/m). Salinity often develops when irrigation raises the water table and drainage is poor. Engineers talk about soil salinity, salinity tolerance and leaching salts.
Examples
Poor drainage has caused salinity problems in parts of the irrigated plain.
Barley has a higher salinity tolerance than most other cereals.
The artificial supply of water to land or crops through channels, pipes, sprinklers or drippers, used when rain alone is not enough.
Where you use it
A key word in project reports, water management and farm planning. People talk about irrigation systems, irrigation water, irrigated land and irrigation schemes. The verb is 'irrigate'. The opposite of irrigated farming is rain-fed or dryland farming.
Examples
Without irrigation, maize is not profitable in this region.
The cooperative is applying for a loan to modernize its irrigation network.
Common phrases
irrigation system · irrigation water · irrigated land · irrigation scheme · pressurized irrigation
A long period with much less rain than normal, which leaves soil dry and causes water shortages and crop losses.
Where you use it
A frequent word in news, insurance claims and research. Crops suffer from drought stress; breeders develop drought-tolerant varieties; governments declare drought emergencies and pay drought relief.
Examples
The 2021 drought cut wheat production in Central Anatolia sharply.
We are testing drought-tolerant barley varieties on dryland fields.
Usage note
Pronunciation trap: 'drought' rhymes with 'out', not with 'thought'.
A method that delivers water slowly and directly to the roots of each plant through pipes and small emitters, wasting very little water.
Where you use it
Common in orchards, vineyards, greenhouses and vegetables. People talk about drip lines, drip tape, emitters, filters and flow rates. Drip irrigation is also used to apply dissolved fertilizer, which is called fertigation.
Examples
After switching to drip irrigation, we used about 40 percent less water.
Clean the filters regularly, or the drip irrigation emitters will clog.
Common phrases
drip irrigation system · drip line · drip tape · install drip irrigation · subsurface drip irrigation
A method of irrigation that sprays water into the air through pipes and rotating heads, so that it falls on the crop like rain.
Where you use it
Used for field crops, pastures and vegetables. Systems range from portable hand-move lines to large center pivots and linear machines. Wind, evaporation and water pressure affect its uniformity.
Examples
We use sprinkler irrigation on the potatoes and drip on the onions.
Avoid sprinkler irrigation at midday, when wind and evaporation losses are highest.
Common phrases
sprinkler irrigation · center pivot · sprinkler head · sprinkler system · linear move
Water stored underground in soil and rock layers called aquifers, which farmers pump up through wells for irrigation and livestock.
Where you use it
Used in water management and policy. Experts talk about groundwater levels, groundwater depletion and overpumping, and about pollution of groundwater by nitrate from fertilizers. Wells need permits in many countries.
Examples
Groundwater levels in the Konya Basin have fallen by many meters.
Too much nitrogen fertilizer can pollute the groundwater.
Usage note
Modern English writes it as one word, 'groundwater'. The opposite is 'surface water' (rivers, lakes and reservoirs).
A surface irrigation method in which water flows by gravity along small channels made between crop rows.
Where you use it
Common for cotton, maize and vegetables on flat land. It is cheap to set up but loses much water through deep percolation and runoff, which can raise water tables and cause salinity. Flood and basin irrigation are related surface methods.
Examples
Most cotton fields in the plain still use furrow irrigation.
Switching from furrow irrigation to drip cut our water use in half.
Deciding when to irrigate and how much water to apply, based on crop needs, weather data and soil moisture.
Where you use it
Used by irrigation engineers and advanced growers. Tools include soil moisture sensors, tensiometers, weather stations and evapotranspiration data. Good irrigation scheduling saves water and energy and avoids both stress and overwatering.
Examples
We base irrigation scheduling on readings from soil moisture sensors at 30 and 60 centimeters.
Better irrigation scheduling reduced our pumping costs by a quarter.
The application of dissolved fertilizers through an irrigation system, usually drip, so that nutrients reach the roots with the water.
Where you use it
Common in greenhouses, orchards and high-value vegetables. Growers use a fertilizer tank, venturi injector or dosing pump and must use fully soluble fertilizers. It allows small, frequent doses matched to crop stage.
Examples
With fertigation, we feed the tomatoes a little every day instead of a big dose once a month.
Flush the drip lines with clean water after each fertigation cycle.
Common phrases
fertigation system · fertigation program · dosing pump · water-soluble fertilizer · venturi injector
The total water lost from a field by evaporation from the soil surface plus transpiration through plant leaves; it shows how much water a crop uses.
Where you use it
Shortened to ET. Irrigation engineers calculate reference evapotranspiration (ET0) from weather data and multiply it by a crop coefficient (Kc) to estimate crop water use, following the FAO-56 method.
Examples
In July, evapotranspiration from the cotton field reaches about 8 millimeters per day.
The weather station calculates daily evapotranspiration for our irrigation app.
Common phrases
reference evapotranspiration · crop evapotranspiration · crop coefficient · ET data
A natural or manufactured substance added to soil or plants to supply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and increase growth.
Where you use it
Farmers and advisers apply, spread or broadcast fertilizer, and talk about fertilizer rates, prices and recommendations. Common types are nitrogen fertilizer, compound fertilizer and foliar fertilizer. In everyday Turkish, 'kimyevi gübre' usually means mineral fertilizer.
Examples
Fertilizer prices have almost doubled since last season.
Apply the fertilizer before sowing and mix it into the soil.
Usage note
British English spells it 'fertiliser'. Both spellings are correct; keep one style in a document.
Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the three main plant nutrients; also the three numbers on a fertilizer bag that show how much of each it contains.
Where you use it
Farmers and dealers refer to a fertilizer by its NPK ratio, such as 15-15-15 or 20-20-0. On most labels the numbers are percentages of N, P2O5 and K2O by weight. 'NPK fertilizer' means a compound fertilizer containing all three.
Examples
We apply 25 kilograms per decare of 15-15-15 NPK at sowing.
The soil test shows that you don't need a full NPK fertilizer this year.
Usage note
Read it letter by letter: 'en-pee-kay'. The 'P' and 'K' come from the chemical symbols, so K is potassium, not calcium.
Animal dung, often mixed with straw or bedding, that is spread on land as an organic fertilizer to add nutrients and organic matter.
Where you use it
Farmers spread, store and compost manure. Common types are farmyard manure, cattle manure, poultry manure and liquid manure (slurry). Well-rotted manure is preferred because fresh manure can burn plants and carry weed seeds.
Examples
We spread about three tonnes of manure per decare before planting the orchard.
Fresh poultry manure is too strong for young seedlings.
A laboratory test of soil samples that measures nutrients, pH, organic matter, lime, salinity and texture, used as the basis for fertilizer recommendations.
Where you use it
Also called 'soil testing' or a 'soil test'. Farmers take samples, send them to a lab and receive a soil analysis report with recommendations. Advisers say fertilizer should be planned 'according to soil analysis'.
Examples
According to the soil analysis, the field is low in phosphorus but rich in potassium.
We repeat the soil analysis every three years on each field.
Common phrases
soil analysis report · send samples for soil analysis · soil test results · based on soil analysis
A dark, crumbly material made by letting plant waste, manure and other organic matter break down under controlled conditions, used to improve soil.
Where you use it
Farmers make, turn and spread compost; compost heaps or windrows must stay moist and warm to break down well. It is also a verb ('compost the manure'). Compost is common in organic farming and greenhouse growing media.
Examples
We turn the compost every two weeks to keep it aerobic.
The vineyard uses compost made from grape pomace and sheep manure.
Common phrases
make compost · spread compost · compost heap · mature compost · green waste compost
A nutrient that plants need only in very small amounts but cannot grow normally without, such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron and molybdenum.
Where you use it
Contrasted with macronutrients (N, P, K, calcium, magnesium, sulfur). Advisers recommend micronutrient fertilizers as soil or foliar applications when soil tests or plant symptoms show a shortage.
Examples
Zinc is the micronutrient most often lacking in Central Anatolian wheat soils.
A condition in which a plant does not get enough of a particular nutrient, shown by symptoms such as yellow leaves, poor growth or low yield.
Where you use it
Agronomists diagnose, correct and prevent deficiencies, often naming the nutrient: nitrogen deficiency, iron deficiency. Symptoms are described by where they appear, on old or young leaves, and by their pattern, such as yellowing between the veins.
Examples
Yellowing of the older leaves points to a nutrient deficiency, most likely nitrogen.
A leaf analysis confirmed the nutrient deficiency before the symptoms got worse.
Common phrases
nitrogen deficiency · iron deficiency · deficiency symptoms · correct a deficiency · leaf analysis
To spread fertilizer on the surface of a field where a crop is already growing, usually nitrogen in spring for cereals.
Where you use it
A standard term in cereal and pasture management. Farmers top-dress wheat with ammonium nitrate or urea, often in one or two splits. The noun is 'top dressing' or 'top-dressing'.
Examples
We top-dress the wheat with ammonium nitrate in March, just before tillering ends.
The barley was top-dressed twice because of the heavy winter rains.
Common phrases
top-dress with nitrogen · top dressing · spring top dressing · split application
An insect, mite, rodent or other animal that damages crops, stored products or livestock; in a wider sense, any organism that harms crops.
Where you use it
Plant protection specialists monitor, identify and control pests. Typical phrases are pest pressure, pest control, pest population and key pests. In law and on labels, 'pest' can also include weeds and plant diseases, which is why 'pesticide' covers all of them.
Examples
Codling moth is the key pest in our apple orchards.
Pest pressure was unusually high after the warm winter.
Common phrases
pest control · pest pressure · key pest · storage pest · monitor pests
A chemical or biological product used to kill or control pests, weeds or plant diseases; the general name for insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and similar products.
Where you use it
Used in regulation, food safety, trade and advisory work. Farmers apply or spray pesticides; buyers check pesticide residues. EU and Turkish regulations use the official term 'plant protection product', while farmers simply say 'ilaç'.
Examples
The buyer rejected the lemons because of pesticide residues above the limit.
Always read the label before you mix a pesticide.
Usage note
Many learners think 'pesticide' means only insect killer. That is 'insecticide'; 'pesticide' is the umbrella term.
Common phrases
apply a pesticide · pesticide residues · pesticide label · pesticide use · registered pesticide
A wild plant growing where it is not wanted, especially among crops, where it competes with them for water, light and nutrients.
Where you use it
Farmers talk about weed control, weed pressure and weed competition, and they spray, hoe or cultivate to remove weeds. As a verb, 'weed' means to remove weeds by hand or with a tool ('weed the onion beds').
Examples
Weeds can cut sugar beet yields dramatically in the first weeks.
We need a better weed control plan for the organic fields.
Usage note
In informal English, 'weed' is also slang for cannabis, so the context matters.
A chemical product used to kill weeds or stop them from growing, either before or after they come up through the soil.
Where you use it
Advisers classify herbicides as selective or non-selective and as pre-emergence or post-emergence. Farmers apply or spray herbicides and worry about herbicide resistance in weeds and damage to the next crop.
Examples
We applied a pre-emergence herbicide right after sowing the sunflowers.
Some wild oat populations no longer respond to this herbicide.
Usage note
In American English the 'h' is often silent ('an herbicide'); in British English it is pronounced ('a herbicide').
A product used to prevent or control diseases caused by fungi, such as powdery mildew, rusts and blights.
Where you use it
Growers apply fungicides as protective sprays before infection or as curative sprays after it. Typical phrases: fungicide program, fungicide resistance and seed treatment fungicide. Copper and sulfur are traditional fungicides allowed in organic farming.
Examples
After a week of rain, the vineyard needs a fungicide spray against downy mildew.
Alternate fungicides with different modes of action to avoid resistance.
A product used to kill or control insects that damage crops, stored grain or animals.
Where you use it
Farmers spray insecticides when pest numbers pass a threshold. Advisers talk about broad-spectrum and selective insecticides, systemic insecticides and their effect on bees and natural enemies.
Examples
Do not spray the insecticide while the sunflowers are flowering, because it harms bees.
Aphid numbers were low, so we decided not to use an insecticide.
A microorganism such as a fungus, bacterium or virus that causes disease in plants or animals.
Where you use it
Used by plant protection specialists, researchers and veterinarians. They identify, isolate and control pathogens; phrases include soil-borne pathogens, seed-borne pathogens and plant pathogens. The science is 'plant pathology'.
Examples
Soil-borne pathogens such as Fusarium build up when tomatoes are grown in the same greenhouse every year.
The lab confirmed that the pathogen is a bacterium, so a fungicide will not help.
Usage note
Fungicides act on fungi only. Bacterial and viral diseases need other measures, such as resistant varieties, clean seed and vector control.
An approach to crop protection that combines monitoring, prevention, biological and cultural methods, and uses pesticides only when pest levels justify it.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to IPM ('eye-pee-em'). It appears in EU rules, retailer standards and advisory programs. Key ideas are scouting, pest traps, economic thresholds and the protection of natural enemies.
Examples
Under integrated pest management, we spray only when trap counts pass the threshold.
The supermarket requires all suppliers to follow integrated pest management.
Common phrases
IPM program · follow integrated pest management · economic threshold · pest monitoring · IPM strategy
To apply a liquid such as a pesticide or foliar fertilizer onto crops in small drops, using a sprayer.
Where you use it
Farmers spray a field, a crop or a pest ('spray for aphids'). The noun 'spray' means one application or the liquid itself: a fungicide spray, the first spray of the season. A 'spray program' lists all planned applications.
Examples
Don't spray when the wind is stronger than 15 kilometers per hour.
We sprayed the apples against scab three times in April.
Usage note
'Spray drift' is the movement of spray droplets by wind onto neighboring fields, a common cause of complaints and crop damage.
Common phrases
spray a field · spray for pests · spray program · spray drift · foliar spray
The presence of a large number of pests or weeds in a field, store or animal, at a level that can cause damage.
Where you use it
Advisers describe infestations as light, moderate or heavy and talk about the level of infestation. The adjective is 'infested' ('a field infested with wild oats'). It is used for insects, mites, rodents and weeds, but rarely for diseases.
Examples
The infestation of red spider mite spread quickly in the hot greenhouse.
A heavy infestation of grain weevils was found in the old warehouse.
Common phrases
heavy infestation · level of infestation · weed infestation · infestation spreads · detect an infestation
The control of pests, weeds or diseases by using their natural enemies, such as predatory insects, parasitic wasps or beneficial microorganisms.
Where you use it
Also called biocontrol. Greenhouse growers release beneficial insects, such as predatory mites against spider mites, and protect natural enemies by choosing selective pesticides. It is a key part of IPM and organic farming.
Examples
We switched to biological control for whitefly and reduced our insecticide sprays to almost zero.
Broad-spectrum insecticides can ruin a biological control program in a few hours.
Common phrases
biological control agent · release natural enemies · beneficial insects · predatory mites · biocontrol program
The minimum number of days that must pass between the last pesticide application and the harvest, as stated on the product label.
Where you use it
Shortened to PHI. Growers, advisers and exporters check it carefully because harvesting too early can leave residues above the legal limit. Spray records must show that the pre-harvest interval was respected.
Examples
This fungicide has a pre-harvest interval of 14 days on grapes.
The pickers started too early and ignored the pre-harvest interval, so the batch failed the residue test.
Common phrases
observe the pre-harvest interval · PHI on the label · residue limit · spray records
A powerful farm vehicle with large rear wheels, used to pull or drive machines such as plows, seed drills, sprayers and trailers.
Where you use it
Farmers describe tractors by horsepower (hp), number of driven wheels (two-wheel or four-wheel drive) and brand. Implements are mounted on or hitched to the tractor and driven by its power take-off.
Examples
We need a 100-horsepower tractor to pull the new five-furrow plow.
The tractor was fitted with GPS auto-steering last year.
A large self-propelled machine that cuts a grain crop, separates the grain from the straw and chaff, and collects the clean grain in a tank.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to 'combine' (stress on the first syllable). Farmers talk about combine capacity, header width, grain losses and combine operators; many hire a contractor's combine for the wheat harvest.
Examples
The combine harvester could not enter the field because the soil was too wet.
Check the combine settings if you see grain losses behind the harvester.
Usage note
As a machine, 'combine' is stressed on the first syllable (COM-bine). The verb 'combine' (birleştirmek) is stressed on the second.
Common phrases
drive a combine · combine operator · header width · grain tank · grain losses
A farm implement pulled by a tractor that cuts and turns over the top layer of soil to bury residues and weeds and prepare land for sowing.
Where you use it
Common types are the moldboard plow, disc plow and chisel plow. It is also a verb: farmers plow a field, often in autumn. Plowing depth and the number of furrows (bottoms) are standard specifications.
Examples
We stopped using the moldboard plow to protect the soil from erosion.
The field was plowed in November and left rough over the winter.
Usage note
British English writes 'plough' and 'ploughing'. Both rhyme with 'how', never with 'though' or 'tough'.
Common phrases
moldboard plow · disc plow · chisel plow · plow a field · plowing depth
A machine with a tank, pump and nozzles that applies liquids such as pesticides or foliar fertilizers onto crops in fine drops.
Where you use it
Field crops are sprayed with boom sprayers; orchards and vineyards with airblast sprayers. Operators calibrate the sprayer, choose nozzles and check the spray volume in liters per hectare.
Examples
Calibrate the sprayer before the season, or you will over-apply the herbicide.
The new sprayer has a 24-meter boom and GPS section control.
A machine that places seeds in rows at a set depth and rate and covers them with soil, often applying fertilizer at the same time.
Where you use it
Used for cereals and other small-seeded crops. Farmers set the seed drill for row spacing, depth and seed rate. For maize, sunflower and cotton, which need exact spacing, a precision planter (pnömatik mibzer) is used.
Examples
The seed drill was set to sow 20 kilograms of wheat per decare.
A no-till seed drill can sow directly into last year's stubble.
Usage note
Farmers often just say 'the drill'. In American English, 'planter' usually means a precision planter for row crops such as corn.
Common phrases
seed drill · no-till drill · combined seed and fertilizer drill · calibrate the drill · precision planter
A piece of farm equipment, such as a plow, harrow, seed drill or mower, that is attached to and pulled or powered by a tractor.
Where you use it
Used in machinery catalogs, dealer talk and manuals. Implements can be mounted on the three-point hitch, semi-mounted or trailed. Farmers attach, hitch up or unhitch implements and match their size to tractor power.
Examples
The dealer sells tractors and a full range of tillage implements.
This implement needs at least 120 horsepower at the PTO.
Usage note
As a noun, it is stressed on the first syllable and ends in a weak sound (IM-pli-ment). The verb 'implement' (uygulamak) ends with a clear 'ment'.
A rotating shaft, usually at the back of a tractor, that transfers engine power to drive implements such as balers, mowers and sprayers.
Where you use it
Almost always shortened to PTO ('pee-tee-oh'). Standard speeds are 540 and 1,000 revolutions per minute. Manuals warn about PTO safety, because loose clothing caught on a turning shaft causes serious accidents.
Examples
Engage the power take-off only when the implement is lowered and nobody is near it.
The baler runs at a power take-off speed of 540 rpm.
A machine that picks up cut hay, straw or forage from the field and presses it into tight, tied bundles called bales.
Where you use it
Farmers use small square balers, large square balers and round balers, and talk about bale weight, twine and net wrap. Wrapped round bales of wet grass become haylage or bale silage.
Examples
The baler broke down in the middle of the straw harvest.
A round baler makes bales of about 250 kilograms of hay.
Farming that uses GPS, sensors, satellite images and data to manage each part of a field according to its needs, applying inputs only where they are required.
Where you use it
Also called precision farming. Typical tools are auto-steering, yield mapping, variable rate application, section control and drones. Agronomists and machinery dealers use the term in sales talks, research and projects.
Examples
Precision agriculture helped us cut fertilizer use on the poorer parts of the field.
The project trains young farmers in precision agriculture tools such as yield maps and drones.
Animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry that are kept on a farm for meat, milk, eggs, wool or work.
Where you use it
A collective noun used with a plural verb ('livestock are') or, especially in American English, a singular verb. Common phrases are livestock farming, livestock production, livestock feed and livestock markets. In Turkish, the sector is simply 'hayvancılık'.
Examples
Most of our income comes from livestock, not from crops.
The drought forced many farmers to sell their livestock early.
Usage note
Do not say 'a livestock' or 'livestocks'. Name the animals, or say 'an animal' or 'a head of livestock'. The first part sounds like 'live' in 'live music', not like the verb 'live'.
Cows, bulls, steers and calves considered as a group and kept for milk, meat or work.
Where you use it
Used for both dairy cattle and beef cattle. It is a plural noun with no singular, so farmers count 'head of cattle'. Breeders talk about cattle breeds, cattle feed, cattle prices and cattle fattening.
Examples
The farm keeps about 300 head of dairy cattle.
Cattle prices usually rise before the religious holiday.
Usage note
'Cattle' is always plural: say 'The cattle are in the barn', never 'a cattle' or 'cattles'. For one animal, say 'a cow', 'a bull' or 'an animal'.
Common phrases
dairy cattle · beef cattle · head of cattle · cattle breed · cattle fattening
Food given to farm animals, such as hay, silage, grain or manufactured mixtures, chosen to meet their nutritional needs.
Where you use it
Usually uncountable. Farmers and nutritionists talk about feed costs, compound feed, concentrate feed and feed rations. Feed is often the largest cost in livestock farming. The verb 'feed' means to give food to animals.
Examples
Feed accounts for nearly 70 percent of our production costs.
We switched to a cheaper compound feed, and milk yield dropped.
Usage note
'Feed' (yem) is different from 'food' (insan gıdası). A 'feed mill' is a yem fabrikası.
A farm that keeps cows, or sometimes goats, sheep or buffalo, mainly to produce milk for sale.
Where you use it
People talk about dairy farms, dairy farmers, dairy cows and the dairy sector. A dairy farm has a milking parlor, a cooling tank and often its own forage crops. 'A dairy' can also mean a milk processing plant.
Examples
The dairy farm milks 250 cows twice a day.
Many small dairy farms closed when feed prices rose.
Birds kept for meat or eggs, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese; also the meat of these birds.
Where you use it
Used for the sector (poultry farming, the poultry industry) and the animals. Chickens raised for meat are broilers, and those kept for eggs are layers or laying hens. Poultry farms are often called poultry houses.
Examples
Turkey is one of the largest poultry meat exporters in the region.
All poultry on the farm were vaccinated against Newcastle disease.
Usage note
'Poultry' takes a plural verb when it means the birds ('The poultry are housed indoors'). It starts with the sound in 'pole', not 'pool'.
Land covered with grass and other plants where farm animals graze; also the plants growing on it.
Where you use it
Farmers put animals out to pasture, rotate pastures and talk about pasture quality and overgrazing. 'Meadow' is usually land where grass is cut for hay. In Turkey, many pastures are common land used by a whole village.
Examples
The sheep stay on mountain pasture from June to September.
Overgrazing has damaged most of the village pasture.
A group of animals of one kind, especially cattle, goats or buffalo, that live, feed and are managed together.
Where you use it
Farmers talk about herd size, herd health and the dairy herd, and they build up or reduce their herds. A veterinarian may do a herd visit. Some breeders also use 'herd' as a verb, meaning to move animals as a group.
Examples
We plan to increase the herd to 150 milking cows next year.
The vet checks herd health every month.
Usage note
English uses different words for groups: a herd of cattle or goats, but a flock of sheep or chickens. Turkish uses 'sürü' for both.
Common phrases
herd size · dairy herd · herd health · build up a herd · herd management
A group of animals of the same species with similar appearance and characteristics, developed and kept by people, such as Holstein cattle or Merino sheep.
Where you use it
Breeders compare breeds for milk, meat, fertility and hardiness and talk about pure breeds, crossbreeds and native breeds. As a verb, 'breed' means to keep animals in order to produce young ('breed cattle').
Examples
Holstein, known in Turkey as Siyah Alaca, is the most widely kept dairy breed on commercial farms.
Native breeds give less milk but cope better with poor pasture.
Usage note
For plants, use 'variety' (çeşit), not 'breed'. 'Breeding' is used for both: plant breeding and animal breeding (ıslah).
Green fodder such as maize or grass that is chopped, packed tightly and stored without air, so that it ferments and keeps as feed for months.
Where you use it
A basic feed on dairy and beef farms. Farmers make or ensile silage, cover the pile with plastic and judge it by dry matter, smell and color. Maize silage is the most common type in Turkey.
Examples
We harvest the maize for silage when the grain reaches the milk line halfway.
Poorly packed silage spoils quickly once the pit is opened.
Plant material such as grass, hay, alfalfa or silage that grazing animals eat, either in the field or after it has been cut and stored.
Where you use it
Contrasted with concentrates such as grain and compound feed. Farmers grow forage crops, talk about forage quality and aim for a balanced forage-to-concentrate ratio. 'Fodder' is a close synonym, especially for cut and stored feed.
Examples
Alfalfa is the most valuable forage crop on our farm.
Poor forage quality forced us to buy more concentrate feed.
The amount of milk an animal or herd produces, usually measured in liters or kilograms per day or per lactation.
Where you use it
A key figure in dairy farming, breeding and feeding. Farmers record milk yield at each milking, compare average milk yield per cow and use a standard 305-day lactation to compare animals.
Examples
Average milk yield on the farm is 28 liters per cow per day.
Heat stress in July lowered milk yield by about ten percent.
The act of a cow giving birth to a calf; also the period of the year when the cows in a herd give birth.
Where you use it
Dairy and beef farmers talk about the calving season, calving interval, difficult calving and calving pens. The verb is 'calve' ('The heifer calved last night'). A good calving interval is about 12 to 13 months.
Examples
Our calving interval has fallen to 13 months since we improved heat detection.
Move the cow to the calving pen a few days before calving.
Usage note
The 'l' is silent in 'calf', 'calve' and 'calving': say 'KAV-ing', not 'KAL-ving'.
Common phrases
calving interval · calving season · difficult calving · calving pen · first calving
A farm or area where beef cattle or lambs are kept in pens and fed rich rations so that they gain weight quickly before slaughter.
Where you use it
Common in American and Australian beef production; in Turkey people usually say 'besi' or 'besicilik'. Feedlot managers track daily weight gain, feed conversion and days on feed.
Examples
The feedlot buys young bulls at about 250 kilograms and fattens them for six months.
Daily weight gain in the feedlot averaged 1.4 kilograms per head.
The physical and mental well-being of animals, including good feed, water, housing, health care and the freedom to behave naturally.
Where you use it
Used in law, certification, retail standards and veterinary work. Inspectors assess animal welfare on farms, during transport and at slaughter. Common references are the 'Five Freedoms' and welfare standards set by buyers.
Examples
The retailer audits animal welfare on every farm that supplies its eggs.
Better ventilation in the barn improved animal welfare and reduced lameness.
Common phrases
animal welfare standards · animal welfare audit · Five Freedoms · improve animal welfare · welfare during transport
A building with a glass or plastic cover in which plants are grown under controlled temperature, humidity and light, often out of season.
Where you use it
Common in vegetable and flower production, with phrases such as glass greenhouse, plastic greenhouse, greenhouse tomatoes and greenhouse growers. Growers heat, ventilate and shade greenhouses and control the climate inside them.
Examples
Most greenhouse tomatoes in Antalya are exported to Europe and Russia.
Heating the greenhouse in January costs more than the fertilizer.
Usage note
'Greenhouse gas' and 'the greenhouse effect' are climate terms (sera gazı, sera etkisi), not about growing plants.
A young plant grown from seed, especially one raised in a tray or nursery before being planted out in the field or greenhouse.
Where you use it
Common in vegetable, tobacco and forestry production. Growers raise, buy and transplant seedlings and judge them by vigor, root development and freedom from disease. Grafted seedlings are widely used for tomatoes, peppers and watermelons.
Examples
We bought 30,000 grafted tomato seedlings from a nursery in Antalya.
The seedlings are ready to transplant when they have four or five true leaves.
Usage note
For young fruit and forest trees, Turkish says 'fidan'; English often says 'sapling' or 'nursery tree'.
To move a young plant from the tray or nursery where it was raised and plant it in the field or greenhouse where it will grow to maturity.
Where you use it
Used for vegetables, tobacco, rice and trees. Growers transplant seedlings by hand or with a transplanter and watch for transplant shock. The noun is also 'transplant' (the plant) or 'transplanting' (the job).
Examples
We transplant the pepper seedlings in late April, after the last frost.
Water the field right after you transplant, to reduce stress.
A method of growing plants without soil, with the roots in a nutrient solution or in an inert material such as rockwool, perlite or coco coir.
Where you use it
Common in modern greenhouses for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries and lettuce. Growers manage the nutrient solution by EC and pH. The adjective is 'hydroponic' (hydroponic tomatoes, a hydroponic system).
Examples
Hydroponics lets us grow tomatoes in the same greenhouse without soil diseases building up.
The new hydroponic lettuce farm uses about 90 percent less water than field production.
Usage note
Strictly, hydroponics means roots in water, but in practice growers also use it for all soilless culture in substrates.
A low-cost growing structure made of curved metal hoops covered with polyethylene film, used to protect crops and extend the season.
Where you use it
Popular for strawberries, berries, early vegetables and seedlings. Unlike a full greenhouse, it usually has no heating or automatic climate control. Growers ventilate it by rolling up the sides.
Examples
Strawberries in the polytunnel ripen about three weeks earlier than in the open field.
Strong winds tore the cover off two polytunnels last night.
Usage note
'Polytunnel' is mainly British. American growers say 'high tunnel' or 'hoop house'. Small tunnels over rows are 'low tunnels' (alçak tünel).
Common phrases
polytunnel cover · walk-in polytunnel · grow in polytunnels · low tunnel · high tunnel
The material in which plants grow instead of or in addition to soil, such as peat, perlite, coco peat or rockwool, used in pots, trays and greenhouse beds.
Where you use it
Growers choose a growing medium for its water holding, air space, pH and EC. The plural is 'growing media'. 'Substrate' is the common technical synonym in greenhouse and hydroponic production.
Examples
We raise our seedlings in a growing medium of peat and perlite.
Coco peat has become a popular growing medium in Turkish greenhouses.
Common phrases
growing medium · peat-based growing media · soilless substrate · coco peat · rockwool slab
The work of gathering a ripe crop from the field, the time of year when this happens, or the total amount gathered.
Where you use it
Used as a noun (the harvest, harvest time) and as a verb (harvest wheat, harvest grapes). Farmers say the harvest starts, is delayed or is in full swing; buyers ask about the size and quality of this year's harvest.
Examples
Rain stopped the wheat harvest for three days.
We usually harvest the hazelnuts in the second half of August.
Buyers expect a smaller harvest after the dry spring.
Common phrases
harvest time · start the harvest · a good harvest · harvest a crop · post-harvest
Fully developed and ready to be harvested or eaten, with the right color, sugar content, softness and flavor.
Where you use it
Used for fruit, vegetables and grain. The verb is 'ripen' and the noun is 'ripeness' or 'ripening'. Growers harvest fruit when it is ripe or slightly before; unripe fruit is called 'green' or 'immature'.
Examples
The cherries were not ripe enough, so we delayed picking by a week.
Tomatoes for export are picked before they are fully ripe.
Usage note
Growers distinguish 'mature' (ready to pick, will ripen later) from 'ripe' (ready to eat). Bananas are picked mature but green.
Common phrases
fully ripe · ripe fruit · ripen on the tree · ripening stage · unripe
A tall tower, bin or pit used to store grain in bulk, or to store chopped green crops as silage.
Where you use it
Grain silos are made of steel or concrete and fitted with aeration fans and temperature sensors. Silage is often kept in bunker silos or in wrapped bales instead of tower silos. Farmers fill, empty and ventilate silos.
Examples
The cooperative built two steel silos with a total capacity of 10,000 tonnes.
Check the grain temperature in the silo every week during summer.
Usage note
Pronounced 'SY-loh', with the stress on the first syllable.
Common phrases
grain silo · steel silo · bunker silo · silo capacity · fill a silo
The amount of water in grain, hay, soil or another material, usually given as a percentage of its weight.
Where you use it
Critical at harvest and in storage. Buyers and silos test moisture content with a moisture meter and deduct from the price for wet grain. Wheat is usually stored safely at about 13 to 14 percent moisture.
Examples
The maize came in at 24 percent moisture content, so it went straight to the dryer.
Grain with a high moisture content heats up and goes moldy in storage.
Common phrases
moisture content · moisture meter · high moisture · dry grain · moisture deduction
Keeping fresh produce at low, controlled temperatures and humidity to slow ripening and decay; also the building or room used for this.
Where you use it
Used for fruit, vegetables, potatoes and flowers. Apples and pears can stay in controlled atmosphere (CA) cold storage for many months. Exporters talk about cold storage capacity, pre-cooling and the cold chain.
Examples
The apples were kept in cold storage until March and then shipped to the Gulf.
Without enough cold storage, farmers have to sell right after the harvest when prices are low.
The amount or value of a crop that is lost between harvest and sale or consumption, because of damage, decay, pests, poor handling or bad storage.
Where you use it
Usually plural: post-harvest losses. A major topic in development work, food security and supply chains. Experts reduce losses through careful handling, cooling, proper drying, packaging and better storage.
Examples
Post-harvest losses of fresh tomatoes can exceed 20 percent without cooling.
Plastic crates instead of sacks reduced our post-harvest losses in transport.
Sorting harvested produce into classes by size, weight, color, shape and defects, so that each class meets a market standard.
Where you use it
Done by hand or on grading lines with optical sorters. Exporters grade fruit into classes such as Extra Class, Class I and Class II. The verb is 'grade' ('grade the apples by size').
Examples
After grading, only the Class I lemons go to the European buyers.
The new optical grading line checks every cherry for color and cracks.
Common phrases
grading line · size grading · quality grading · grade by size · optical sorter
A facility where fresh fruit and vegetables are received from farms, then washed, sorted, graded, packed and cooled before going to market or export.
Where you use it
Also called a packing house or packing shed. Exporters and buyers audit packhouses for hygiene, traceability and certification such as GLOBALG.A.P. Typical staff include packhouse managers, quality controllers and line workers.
Examples
The grapes are pre-cooled in the packhouse within two hours of picking.
The buyer's auditor spent a whole day in our packhouse.
Money or other support paid by the government to farmers to keep production profitable, lower costs or encourage certain practices.
Where you use it
Used in policy papers, trade talks and everyday farm conversations. Farmers apply for, receive or lose subsidies; economists discuss subsidy levels and their effect on markets. Turkish official texts usually say 'tarımsal destekleme'.
Examples
Farmers registered in the system receive a diesel and fertilizer subsidy per decare.
Export subsidies are a sensitive issue in international trade talks.
A basic product such as wheat, maize, soybeans, sugar or cotton that is bought and sold in large amounts and where one producer's goods are much like another's.
Where you use it
Used by traders, analysts and exporters. Commodity prices are set on exchanges such as the Chicago Board of Trade and on local commodity exchanges. Phrases include commodity markets, commodity prices and soft commodities (coffee, cocoa, sugar).
Examples
Global commodity prices for wheat fell after the record harvest in Russia.
Hazelnuts are a specialty crop, not a bulk commodity like maize.
An organization owned and run by its farmer members, who join together to buy inputs, process or sell produce, or share equipment and services.
Where you use it
Farmers join, set up or sell through a cooperative, often shortened to 'co-op'. There are marketing, supply, credit and irrigation cooperatives. Cooperatives give small farmers more bargaining power with buyers.
Examples
The olive growers formed a cooperative to bottle and export their own oil.
Our cooperative buys fertilizer in bulk and sells it to members at cost.
Common phrases
agricultural cooperative · join a cooperative · marketing cooperative · cooperative member · irrigation cooperative
A situation in which all people at all times can obtain enough safe, nutritious and affordable food for an active and healthy life.
Where you use it
A key term in FAO reports, national strategies and development projects. Governments aim to ensure or improve food security; the opposite is food insecurity. Experts discuss its four dimensions: availability, access, utilization and stability.
Examples
Rising grain prices are a threat to food security in import-dependent countries.
The project aims to improve food security for smallholder families.
Usage note
Do not confuse 'food security' (enough food for everyone) with 'food safety' (food that does not make people ill).
Common phrases
ensure food security · global food security · national food security · food insecurity
Insurance that pays farmers compensation when their crops are damaged or their yields fall because of hail, frost, drought, flood or other covered risks.
Where you use it
Farmers buy, take out or claim on crop insurance; loss adjusters assess damage in the field. Many governments subsidize premiums. In Turkey, state-supported agricultural insurance is provided through the TARSİM pool.
Examples
Our crop insurance covered most of the hail damage in the vineyard.
The government pays half of the crop insurance premium for registered farmers.
Common phrases
take out crop insurance · crop insurance premium · insurance claim · hail insurance · loss adjuster
A farmer who works a small area of land, often a few hectares or less, mainly with family labor and limited capital.
Where you use it
Common in FAO, World Bank and NGO reports and in development projects. Experts discuss smallholders' access to credit, markets, inputs and advice. The adjective form is 'smallholder' too: smallholder farmers, smallholder agriculture.
Examples
Most hazelnut growers on the Black Sea coast are smallholders with less than five hectares.
The program helps smallholder farmers sell directly to supermarkets.
Money paid by the government straight to farmers, often per hectare of land, to support their income rather than the price of a product.
Where you use it
A key tool of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, where most direct payments are 'decoupled', meaning not linked to what or how much is produced. Farmers claim them each year by declaring their land.
Examples
For many small farms, the direct payment is the difference between profit and loss.
To receive direct payments, farmers must meet basic environmental rules.
Common phrases
direct payments · decoupled payment · area-based payment · claim direct payments · payment per hectare
The price a farmer receives for a product when it leaves the farm, before transport, processing, wholesale and retail costs are added.
Where you use it
Used in market analysis, policy debates and news about the gap between what farmers earn and what consumers pay. Analysts compare farm-gate prices with retail prices to show the marketing margin.
Examples
The farm-gate price of potatoes was less than a quarter of the supermarket price.
Low farm-gate prices pushed many growers to leave their lemons on the trees.
The European Union's shared agricultural policy, started in 1962, which supports farm incomes, rural development and environmental goals across member states.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to CAP ('cap'). It has two pillars: direct payments and market measures, and rural development. It appears in EU documents, trade talks and Turkish EU accession texts, where IPARD funds support rural projects.
Examples
The Common Agricultural Policy takes up roughly a third of the EU budget.
Under the new Common Agricultural Policy, part of the direct payments depends on eco-schemes.
Common phrases
CAP reform · CAP payments · first pillar · second pillar · eco-schemes
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn agriculture vocabulary
Learn each noun together with the verbs farmers use with it: sow seeds, apply fertilizer, spray a field, irrigate an orchard, harvest a crop, graze cattle, leave land fallow. These partnerships make your English sound natural much faster than single words.
Read real texts from the field in English: seed catalogs, pesticide and fertilizer labels, tractor manuals, university extension leaflets, FAO and USDA crop reports, and articles in agronomy journals. Notice how rates, doses and yields are written.
Practise units out loud and learn to convert them: 'six tonnes per hectare', '200 kilograms of seed per hectare', '35 millimeters of rain', 'bushels per acre' in American texts. One hectare is ten decares (dönüm), so 600 kg/da is 6 t/ha.
Learn crop names in both varieties of English and check which one a document uses: maize (UK) and corn (US) are the same plant, and British texts write fertiliser, plough and tonne, while American texts write fertilizer, plow and ton.
Pay attention to grammar that surprises Turkish speakers: cattle, livestock and poultry have no singular form ('200 head of cattle', not '200 cattles'), and wheat, barley and feed are uncountable.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert dönüm and decares into hectares and acres?
A standard dönüm is the same as a decare: 1,000 square meters. Ten decares make one hectare (10,000 square meters), and one hectare is about 2.47 acres, so an acre is roughly four dönüm. For yields, divide kilograms per decare by 100 to get tonnes per hectare: 450 kg/da equals 4.5 t/ha. International reports almost always use hectares and tonnes per hectare.
What is the English for 'ziraat mühendisi'?
The literal translation is 'agricultural engineer', and it is correct on a CV. But in English-speaking countries an agricultural engineer usually works on machinery, irrigation systems and farm buildings. Someone who specializes in crops and soil is more often called an agronomist, and specialists use titles such as plant protection specialist, soil scientist, horticulturist or animal scientist. It helps to add your department, for example 'agricultural engineer (field crops)'.
What is the difference between crop, harvest and yield?
A crop is the plant you grow or the product you get from it: 'Wheat is our main crop.' The harvest is the act or season of gathering it, and also the total amount gathered: 'The harvest starts in June.' Yield is the amount produced per unit of land, usually in tonnes per hectare: 'Our yield was 5 tonnes per hectare.' In Turkish they correspond roughly to ürün, hasat and verim.
Should I write fertilizer or fertiliser, plow or plough?
Both are correct. American English writes fertilizer, plow, ton and liter; British English writes fertiliser, plough, tonne and litre. Choose one system and keep it in the whole document. Note that a metric tonne (1,000 kg) is slightly larger than an American short ton (about 907 kg), so check which unit a report means.
How can I improve my English for a job in agriculture?
Start with the texts you already use at work: read the English labels of seeds, fertilizers and crop protection products, and the manuals of your machinery. Then follow crop reports from the FAO or the USDA, and extension leaflets from universities, which are written in clear, practical English. Learn the main crop and pest names in English and practise describing a field visit aloud: what you saw, what the problem is and what you recommend.
