Improving Maize Production of In‐field Rainwater Harvesting Technique at Glen in South Africa by the Addition of Mulching Practices

Botha, J.J.; Rensburg, L. van; Anderson, John J.; Staden, P. P. Van; Hensley, M.

doi:10.1002/ird.1681

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Water use efficiency ( WUE ) was used to measure the efficiency with which a particular crop can convert the water available during the growing season [ 17 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Thus, WUE ET was determined with a slightly modified version of Hillel [ 38 ], Passioura [ 41 ], and Tanner and Sinclair [ 39 ] as follows:

where WUE is the water use efficiency in terms of total evapotranspiration ( ET ) in mm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These losses hamper the efficient use of available water for crop production, and water losses need to be minimized to optimize rainwater productivity. Hence, the approach of IRWH with appropriate cultural management practices such as intercropping [ 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] is an important consideration for rainfed agriculture and can be used as an adaptation strategy against changes and variability of climate [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In-Field Rainwater Harvesting Tillage in Semi-Arid Ecosystems: II Maize–Bean Intercrop Water and Radiation Use Efficiency

Tesfuhuney,

Ravuluma,

Dzvene

et al. 2023

Plants

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative management practices such as in-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH) and intercropping techniques through conducting on-farm demonstrations. Seven homestead gardens in Thaba Nchu rural communities in the central part of South Africa were selected as demonstration trials. Two tillage systems, conventional (CON) and IRWH, as the main plot, and three cropping systems as sub-plot (sole maize and beans and intercropping) were used to measure water use and radiation use parameters. The water productivity (WP) of various treatments was positively related to the radiation use efficiency (RUE), and the degree of associations varied for different tillage systems. The water use in IRWH was higher by 15.1%, 8.3%, and 10.1% over the CON for sole maize and beans and intercropping, respectively. Similarly, the intercropping system showed water use advantages over the solely growing crops by 5% and 8% for maize and by 16% and 12% for beans under IRWH and CON tillage, respectively. Maximum RUE was found for sole maize and beans under IRWH, higher by 13% and 55% compared to the CON tillage, respectively. The RUE under IRWH tillage was estimated to be 0.65 and 0.39 g DM MJ−1 in sole maize and intercropping, respectively. However, in sole and intercropped beans, the RUE showed higher values of 1.02 g DM MJ−1 and 0.73 g DM MJ−1, respectively. WP and RUE were associated with water deficits and proportional to lower radiation use. This relationship indicates that the intercepted radiation by plants for photosynthesis is directly related to the transpiration rate until radiation saturation occurs. Therefore, the higher water deficit and lesser efficiency in using the radiation available during the season can be improved by practicing IRWH techniques. Furthermore, in semi-arid areas, to enhance the efficiency of water and radiation usage in intercropping management, it is crucial to adjust plant population and sowing dates based on water availability and the onset of rainfall.

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where WUE is the water use efficiency in terms of total evapotranspiration ( ET ) in mm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-Field Rainwater Harvesting Tillage in Semi-Arid Ecosystems: II Maize–Bean Intercrop Water and Radiation Use Efficiency

Tesfuhuney,

Ravuluma,

Dzvene

et al. 2023

Plants

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show abstract

“…Water use efficiency with respect to food production are explicitly linked to sustainability and with reference to SDG 2 (food security) (Wallace and Gregory, 2002;Cook et al, 2009;Nyam et al, 2020). Studies on food and water systems have focused on water use efficiency with respect to specific crops (Makurira et al, 2011;Nyakudya and Stroosnijder, 2011;Olivier and Singels, 2015), rainwater harvesting (Botha et al, 2012;Baiyegunhi, 2015;Mo et al, 2018), and rainfed agricultural systems (Mutiro et al, 2006;Biazin et al, 2012;Haarhoff et al, 2020). These studies show the key role of water availability and management in influencing food production systems.…”

Section: The Soil-food-water Nexusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Services: A New Approach Toward Addressing Sustainable Development Goals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Knight¹

2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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The physical environment provides resources and specific types of environmental services relevant to the maintenance of human livelihoods globally and with specific reference to sub-Saharan Africa, including soils, food, and water systems. Previous studies on the shared nexus of such resources commonly view these as self-contained systems operating independent of their physical contexts provided by landscape-scale geomorphology and its related processes. This study critically examines the viewpoints adopted by such nexus studies with specific reference to sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that these studies are reductive, considering only the shared disciplinary overlap (nexus) and not their wider contexts, and are based on only a limited understanding of the workings of physical systems. This study argues that considering the attributes of the physical landscape and its provision of environmental services provides a broader and scientifically-informed context for understanding of interlinked issues such as relationships between soil–food–water systems. Framing such “nexus” studies in this wider context can derive a better understanding of the connections between different elements such as soil, food, and water, amongst others, and with respect to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of environmental services is therefore a more powerful tool to examine both the connections between physical and human environmental processes and properties in sub-Saharan Africa, and to address overarching environmental issues such as land degradation, soil erosion loss, water scarcity, and impacts of climate change.

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“…The ridge peaks were 90 cm apart. The ridges were laid across the main slope at a grade of 0.4-1% with side slope steepness of 50-60% (Botha et al, 2012;FAO, 1993).…”

Section: Establishment Of Experimental Field Plotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil moisture, dryland sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) growth and grain yield responses to in-field rain water harvesting tillage methods

Masaka

Chohunoita²,

Mupfiga

2021

Cogent Food & Agriculture

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Dryland Sorghum, which is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world, is grown in Zimbabwe typically as a rain-fed crop in areas receiving low, erratic and highly variable rainfall. A two-season field trial was carried out at Save Experiment Station (20°24′S; 28°29′E) in Zimbabwe to establish soil water storage, selected biometric parameters of dryland grain sorghum responses to in-field rainwater harvesting tillage methods. Deep basin tillage method significantly increased the soil moisture content by 14.6% (62.5 mm); 6.2 % (26.5 mm) above that on the ridges and in furrows of open and closed end tied ridges, respectively. Soil moisture storage in deep basins, on ridges and in furrows of open and closed end tied ridges exceeded that in conventional tillage plots by 98.0 mm (29.8%); 35.5 mm (10.8%) and 69.5 mm (21.1%), respectively. Consequently, sorghum plant biometric growth parameters in deep basin tillage treatments were significantly higher than those in conventional, open-and close-ended tied ridges tillage plots. However, the use of conservation tillage methods where tied end ridges are opened introduces ABOUT THE AUTHORS Professor Johnson Masaka is a PhD holder who specialized in Plant Mineral Nutrition. He is currently employed as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Management of the Midlands State University. His research focuses on soil and water conservation; greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated wetlands and land cover changes. Mr. Collen Chohunoita is an agronomist/plant scientist who holds a BSc Honors degree in Agronomy. He is currently employed as a senior research officer in the Government Department of Research and Specialist Services. He has researched extensively on tillage systems for rain water harvesting in dry areas of Zimbabwe. Mr. Elvis Mupfiga is an irrigation engineer/soil and water conservation specialist with a BSc Honors degree in Irrigation Engineering; MSc in Integrated Water Resources Management and MSc in GIS and RS. His research focuses mostly on soil and water conservation in semi arid regions of Zimbabwe.

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Improving Maize Production of In‐field Rainwater Harvesting Technique at Glen in South Africa by the Addition of Mulching Practices

Cited by 9 publications

References 11 publications

In-Field Rainwater Harvesting Tillage in Semi-Arid Ecosystems: II Maize–Bean Intercrop Water and Radiation Use Efficiency

In-Field Rainwater Harvesting Tillage in Semi-Arid Ecosystems: II Maize–Bean Intercrop Water and Radiation Use Efficiency

Environmental Services: A New Approach Toward Addressing Sustainable Development Goals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Soil moisture, dryland sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) growth and grain yield responses to in-field rain water harvesting tillage methods

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