Water
Water Heritage
Heritage Day is celebrated annually on 24 September in South Africa, particularly to celebrate and mark our nation’s diverse culture and heritage. Water is regarded as part of our heritage. We need to celebrate and highlight the importance of water for the planet, and hence, for our lives. Celebrating water as heritage A book “Water…
Read MoreHow to grow herbs and vegetables more efficiently:
Every plant grower knows the need to achieve optimum productivity, whether in a greenhouse, field, garden, hydroponics, or aquaponics system. So how can you do better? How can you improve on tried and tested growing practices? The answers concern the better understanding, working with, improving on, and managing the growing conditions of your plants. It…
Read MoreNile Tilapia: The preferred freshwater Aquaculture species for Africa Part 1
(Oreochromis niloticus) The culturing of fish is a very old practice in Africa, although commercial production of fish is still developing throughout the continent. Some fish species and strains are particularly suitable for commercial production. The Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of these very important fish species, introduced from Africa and the Middle East…
Read MoreThe importance of crop health to sustainable crop production
The productivity of crops relates directly to their health. But what is a healthy crop? A healthy crop is a crop that receives sufficient water, nutrients, and light for photosynthesis. Healthy crops are also void of injuries from biotic or abiotic factors. Such crops, growing under optimal conditions, are less susceptible to pests and diseases…
Read MoreIs Climate Change a Reality?
The Mangaung Metro Municipality experience Whether or not climate change is a reality is a dilemma faced by many within the farming community and poses different questions. For example, why have the onset date and duration of seasonal rainfall changed? Why are we noticing the intensification of prolonged dry spells that can last up to…
Read MoreSolar-powered irrigation systems
Solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) are increasingly in demand as they can provide a cost-effective and “clean” solution to increase agricultural productivity. Access to water for irrigation is key to farmers, particularly to sustain their livelihoods and food security. However, operating irrigation systems efficiently often calls for the adoption of local irrigation techniques and this in…
Read MoreThe 10 elements of agroecology:
Guiding the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems. Today’s food and agricultural systems have succeeded in supplying large volumes of food to global markets. However, high-external input, resource-intensive agricultural systems have caused massive deforestation, water scarcities, biodiversity loss, soil depletion and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite significant progress in recent times, hunger…
Read MoreFood and clean water start with soil biodiversity
Although soils are vital for agriculture, biodiversity, and clean water, this below-ground world is often overlooked. The loss of life below the ground due to intensification of agriculture, climate change, erosion, and compaction, among other things, is one of the biggest global threats to soils. Many organisms live in the soil. In fact, about 25% of all biodiversity occur…
Read MoreWater in agriculture
Water is a critical input for agricultural production and plays an important role in food security. Irrigated agriculture represents 20 percent of the total cultivated land and contributes 40 percent of the total food produced worldwide. Irrigated agriculture is, on average, at least twice as productive per unit of land as rainfed agriculture, thereby allowing…
Read MoreFloating solar farms could cool down lakes
Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, according to a 2020 report by the International Energy Agency. But there is something holding this clean energy powerhouse back: space. Unlike fossil fuel power stations, solar farms need a lot of room to generate enough electricity to keep up with demand. Most solar farms are composed…
Read More