Encyclopedia
Definitive guides for crops, pests, and agricultural diseases.
Sesbania sesban
Sesbania sesban is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing perennial shrub widely used in agroforestry, soil improvement, and fodder production across tropical and subtropical regions. It thrives in marginal soils and provides multiple benefits including green manure, fuelwood, and erosion control.
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Shail Rice
Shail Rice is a specialty rice variety known for its high yield and adaptability to various climates. Ideal for both commercial and small-scale farming, it offers exceptional grain quality and disease resistance.
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Shallot (Dutch Yellow)
Dutch Yellow shallots are a mild, sweet, elongated allium prized by chefs and home gardeners for their rich flavor and long storage life. This guide covers every stage of production from soil preparation through curing and storage with professional-grade, field-tested recommendations.
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Shallot (French Grey)
French Grey shallots are a premium, cold-hardy heirloom variety prized for their intense flavor, elongated bulbs, and superior storage life. This definitive guide covers soil preparation, planting timelines, organic pest management, and post-harvest curing techniques for commercial and home growers.
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Shallot (Zebrune)
Shallot (Zebrune) is a French heirloom variety prized for its elongated, copper-pink bulbs and mild, sweet flavor. This guide delivers professional, research-backed cultivation methods for home gardeners and small-scale farmers seeking reliable yields and long storage life.
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Shallots (Zebrune)
Shallots 'Zebrune' is a classic French banana shallot prized for its elongated copper-brown bulbs, refined sweetness, and excellent storage life. It is a cool-season allium that rewards careful soil preparation, precise spacing, and disciplined moisture management with high-quality bulbs ideal for fresh cooking and long keeping.
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Shatavari Root
Shatavari Root is a perennial climbing herb prized for its tuberous roots used in traditional medicine and emerging commercial cultivation. It thrives in subtropical climates with well-drained soils and requires 2–3 years from planting to first harvest. Professional growers value it for drought tolerance once established and consistent demand in herbal markets.
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Shea Nut (Vitellaria paradoxa)
Vitellaria paradoxa, commonly known as the shea tree, is a long-lived African savanna species prized for its nutrient-rich nuts that yield shea butter used globally in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. This guide covers every stage of commercial and smallholder cultivation from propagation through harvest and storage.
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Shellac Resin
Shellac resin is a natural polymer secreted by the lac insect Kerria lacca and harvested from host trees in tropical and subtropical regions. This definitive guide covers every stage of commercial production, from host tree selection and insect inoculation to resin harvesting, processing, and storage best practices.
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Sherpa Rice
Sherpa Rice is a high-altitude rice variety known for its adaptability to cooler climates and unique flavor profile. Ideal for regions with cooler temperatures and well-drained soils, Sherpa Rice offers a challenging yet rewarding growing experience.
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Shishito (Lion Head)
Shishito (Lion Head) is a mild, thin-walled Japanese pepper prized for its sweet, slightly smoky flavor and thin skin that blisters beautifully when grilled or pan-seared. This high-value specialty crop performs well in both open-field and protected cultivation, offering rapid returns and consistent demand in fresh markets and restaurants.
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Shishito Pepper
Shishito pepper is a thin-walled Japanese frying pepper prized for its mild, sweet, grassy flavor and heavy yields over a long warm season. It is one of the most rewarding specialty peppers for home gardeners and market growers because plants are productive, adaptable, and harvestable at the green stage before full maturity.
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Siletz Tomato
Siletz Tomato is an early-maturing, determinate heirloom-type variety developed for cool, short-season climates. It produces medium-sized, flavorful red fruits ideal for fresh eating and canning. This guide covers every stage from soil preparation through storage.
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Siling Haba
Siling Haba is a long, slender Filipino chili pepper prized for its moderate heat and bright flavor. This professional guide covers soil preparation, planting, care schedules, pest management, and harvesting for reliable commercial and home yields.
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Siling Labuyo
Siling Labuyo is a small, extremely pungent Philippine chili pepper prized for its intense heat and culinary versatility. This compact, high-yielding perennial shrub thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and is widely grown for both fresh and dried markets.
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Silver Queen Sweet Corn
Silver Queen Sweet Corn is a classic late-season white sweet corn prized for its tall plants, large ears, creamy kernels, and exceptional old-fashioned sweetness. Best known in the eastern United States, it performs best in warm weather, fertile well-drained soil, and blocks planted for strong wind pollination and uniform ear fill.
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Silvery Fir Tree Tomato
The Silvery Fir Tree Tomato is a compact, highly ornamental heirloom variety known for its silvery, fern-like foliage and abundant clusters of small, flavorful red fruits. This determinate tomato reaches 24–36 inches in height, making it ideal for containers, small gardens, and intensive planting systems. It offers reliable yields with strong disease resistance and a unique aesthetic that distinguishes it from standard tomato cultivars.
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Six-Row Barley
Six-row barley is a cool-season cereal grain valued for feed, malting, forage, and cover-cropping, distinguished by its dense heads bearing six aligned rows of kernels. It is generally more adaptable and hardy than many specialty barley types, but high yields and good grain quality depend on precise timing, moderate fertility, careful water management, and strong disease prevention.
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Skirret (Sium sisarum)
Skirret is a hardy perennial root vegetable prized for its sweet, nutty, white taproots that have been cultivated in Europe since Roman times. It offers reliable cool-season production, tolerates heavy soils, and delivers high-value specialty produce for home gardeners and small farms seeking heritage crops.
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Smooth Cayenne Pineapple
Smooth Cayenne Pineapple is one of the most historically important commercial pineapple types, valued for its large, cylindrical fruit, pale yellow flesh, high juice content, and balanced sweet-acid flavor. It performs best in warm, frost-free tropical to subtropical climates with sharply drained, slightly acidic soils and careful moisture management to prevent root and heart rot.
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Snake Fruit (Bali Sugar)
Snake Fruit, also known as Bali Sugar or Salak, is a unique tropical palm producing scaly, brown fruits with a sweet-tart flavor and crunchy texture. Native to Indonesia, particularly Bali, this crop thrives in humid, shaded environments and offers high market value for small farms. This guide provides expert cultivation techniques for optimal yields.
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Snake Gourd (Chichinda)
Snake Gourd, also known as Chichinda, is a vigorous climbing vine well-suited to warm, tropical climates. Known for its unique elongated fruit, it is a staple in Asian and Indian cuisines and thrives with moderate care and regular maintenance.
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Snow Peas
Snow peas are cool-season edible-podded peas grown for their flat, tender pods harvested before the seeds fully swell. They are fast, productive, nitrogen-fixing legumes that perform best in fertile, well-drained soil and mild temperatures, making them a high-value crop for home gardens and market production alike.
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Snow White Cherry Tomato
Snow White Cherry Tomato is a compact, indeterminate heirloom variety prized for its creamy-white to pale-yellow fruit, exceptional sweetness, and high productivity in home gardens and small farms. This guide delivers professional-grade cultivation practices covering soil preparation, planting, care, pest management, harvesting, and companion planting strategies to maximize yield and fruit quality.
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