F

Fagopyrum: The Latin name for buckwheat, a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat is beneficial for farmers as it improves soil health, prevents erosion, and provides a nutritious food source.

Firm: Solid. The soil is firm and not too crumbly. Firm soil conditions support planting and crop establishment.

Furrow Slice: The soil displaced by the mouldboard of a plough when it creates a furrow. Properly managing furrow slices supports efficient soil management and crop establishment.

Fixed Costs: Costs such as rent that do not increase with the quantity of a product produced. Managing fixed costs is crucial for farm financial planning and profitability.

Fungus: A simple plant organism such as yeast, mushrooms, or mold with thread-like cells and without green chlorophyll. Properly managing fungal organisms supports crop and livestock health.

Flaxseed: Seed from the flax plant, crushed to produce linseed oil. Flaxseed is a valuable crop for its oil and nutritional benefits, providing farmers with a profitable and versatile product.

Fixation: The act of fixing something. Nitrogen fixation. Understanding nitrogen fixation helps farmers manage soil fertility and improve crop growth.

Food Grain: A cereal crop used as food for humans, e.g., wheat, barley, or rye. Properly managing food grains ensures high-quality food production and marketability.

Fertility: 1. The state of being fertile. 2. The proportion of eggs which develop into young. 3. A measure of the ability of a female to conceive and produce young or of the male to fertilise the female. Managing fertility is crucial for successful breeding and high productivity.

Farm Animal Welfare Council: An agency established by the British government to review the welfare of farm animals on agricultural land, at markets, in transit, and at the place of slaughter. Abbr FAWC. This council helps ensure ethical treatment and welfare standards for farm animals.