M

market gardening: The commercial production of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and other plants on a relatively small scale. Market gardening can provide farmers with high-value crops and income diversification.

milk recording: keeping a record of the milk given by each cow at each milking, the quality of the milk is analysed each month. Proper milk recording can help farmers manage dairy production more effectively, ensuring better quality and yield.

methyl alcohol: same as methanol. Understanding the properties and uses of methyl alcohol can help farmers utilize alternative fuels and solvents more effectively.

Meat Hygiene Service: a division of the Food Standards Agency which deals with hygiene in slaughterhouses and meat preparation facilities. Abbr MHS. Understanding the role of the Meat Hygiene Service can help farmers ensure the safety and quality of their meat products, leading to better marketability and consumer trust.

Milk Development Council: a body which collects levies on milk and distributes the money to research and development projects. Abbr MDC. Understanding the role of the Milk Development Council can help farmers access resources and support for improving milk production and quality.

meadow: a field of grass and wild plants, sometimes grown for fodder. Managing meadows can provide farmers with valuable grazing and hay resources, contributing to better livestock health and productivity.

mating likes: same as assortive mating. Understanding mating preferences can help farmers improve breeding programs and ensure better livestock productivity.

Mendel’s laws: the laws governing heredity. The two laws set out by Gregor Mendel following his experiments growing peas, were (in modern terms): that genes for separate genetic characters assort independently of each other and that the genes for a pair of genetic characters are carried by different gametes. For animal breeders, the main feature of Mendelism is that it is based on simple and clearly-defined traits that are inherited as separate entities: these were traits such as colour, which are controlled by single genes. Understanding Mendel’s laws can help farmers improve their breeding programs and ensure better genetic diversity and productivity.

methane: a colourless flammable gas produced naturally from rotting organic waste, as in landfill sites or animal excreta. Formula: CH4. Methane is produced naturally from rotting vegetation in marshes, where it can sometimes catch fire, creating the phenomenon called will o’ the wisp, a light flickering over a marsh. Large quantities may also be formed in the rumen of cattle. It occurs as the product of animal excretions in livestock farming. Excreta from livestock can be passed into tanks where methane is extracted leaving the slurry which is then used as fertiliser. The methane can be used for heating or as a power source. Methane is also a greenhouse gas, and it has been suggested that methane from rotting vegetation, from cattle excreta, from water in paddy fields, and even from termites’ nests, all contribute to the greenhouse effect. Understanding the production and management of methane can help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and utilize methane as a renewable energy source, contributing to environmental sustainability and farm profitability.

mastitis: a common bacterial disease affecting dairy animals in which the udders become inflamed and swollen, and the passage of the milk is blocked. Common causes are staphylococci such as Staphylococcus aureus (staphylococcal mastitis), streptococci (Streptococcus uberis) or other bacteria (E. coli mastitis). The condition can be treated with antibiotics. Managing and preventing mastitis is crucial for maintaining the health and productivity of dairy animals, ensuring better milk yield and quality.