Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture.

Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture



Improved plant water availability on soils under NT variants in Semi-arid Districts of South Africa

Keywords:1. plant available water capacity,2. final water infiltration,3. soil water level,4. crop water productivity (CWP)

Knot J1, Basson AL1, 1KEL Growing Nation Trust, P. O. Box 4, Mohale’s Hoek, LesothoCorresponding author: [email protected] and [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”!

“When the climate gets dry, the NT cover crop systems gets going”!

Sub-theme 2Weather proofing agriculture - the adaption of farming

practices to address climate variability and change.


NT Cover crops!


“We farm with water!” commercial farmer EFS

•Farmers in the semi-arid region of the Eastern Free State and southern Lowlands of Lesotho need to “harvest water”.•The water-use efficiency of conventional farming practices can be questioned.


Precipitation-use efficiency• Hellegers et al. (2009) used the concept of crop

water productivity (CWP) which has also been

• described as “the value of water” or “net return to water” (Young 2005).


Treatment and time-line of CC-trials conducted at Waterfall during the period 2010-2013

Year and

season→

Treatment ↓

May 10 – Dec

10

Jan 11 – Oct 11

Start of

treatments→

Nov 11 – July

12

Mar 12 – Sept

12

Nov 12 – July

13

Mar 12 – Oct

13

T1 (NT) Wheat Bare fallow Maize - Maize -

T2 (NT) Wheat Bare fallow Maize Grass mulch Maize Grass mulch

T3 (CA) Wheat CC mix8 Maize oats/ grazing

vetch/ fodder

radish

Maize oats/ grazing

vetch/ fodder

radish

T4 (CA) Wheat CC mix8 Maize Stooling rye/

grazing vetch/

fodder radish

Maize Stooling rye/

grazing vetch/

fodder radish

Key: Mix 8 refers to the direct seeding of eight cover crops replacing bare fallow. A 4-row NT-tine-planter was used and two kinds of seed were mixed per seed hopper. The seed mixes per seed hopper were:1.pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) / fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)),2.stooling rye (Secale cereal) /grazing vetch (Vicia dasycarpa),3.cowpeas (Vigna sinensis) / oats (Avena sativa) and4.fodder radish (Raphanus sativus)/ pink seradella (Ornithopus sativus) respectively.


Increased SOM measured through soil cover


Soil Wetness


final water infiltration rates


Crop Water Productivity.Description of beneficial biomass (Yi in kg ha-1) T1 T2 T3 T4

CC 2011 after wheat (mixture of fodder sorghum, millet, grazing vetch,

stooling rye, oats, cowpeas, pink seradella and fodder radish)

- - 3,500 3,500

Maize 2011/12 4,333 4,710 5,157 5,362

CC 2012 after maize - - 1,000 1,500

maize 2012/13 1,158 1,632 1,783 2,720

CC 2013 after maize 2,500 2,400

TOTAL 5,491 6,342 13,940 15,482

Beneficial biomass(Seasonal rainfall was) 2031mm

The CWPi was 2.70, 3.12, 6.87 and 7.62 (kilogram beneficial biomass per millimeter of rain)


Conclusion• Double cropping is possible under CA (= improved

cover)• Cover crops in rotation led to higher final soil water

infiltration and Crop Water Productivity• Soil cover results in wetter soils• Adapt climate-smart solutions in semi-arid• NT cover crops is a climate change mitigation

strategy

Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture.

Documents

Transcript of Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture.