http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1015 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:21:03 GMT 2026-04-13T12:21:03Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1397 Evaluating Rainwater Harvesting and Conversation Technique on the Towoomba/Arcadia Ecotope Ngwepe, Mantlo Richard The changes in climate, especially poor rainfall patterns and distributions are key issues posing major agricultural challenges for food security and threaten the rural livelihoods of many communities in Limpopo Province. Rainfall(P) is low and limited. These limited P is mostly lost through runoff and evaporation, which results in low soil moisture availability and possible crop failure. Therefore, techniques that reduce these water losses are important for improving dryland crop production and rainwater productivity (RWP). The objectives of the study are to determine the potential and effectiveness of rainwater harvesting and conservation techniques (RWH&CT's) to conserve and improve plant available water (PAW) for dryland maize production and also determine the efficiency of the RWH&CT's to improve dryland maize yield and RWP compared to conventional tillage (CON). Tue, 31 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1397 2015-03-31T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1396 Evaluating Rainwater Harvesting and Conservation Techniques on the Towoomba/Arcadia Ecotope Ngwepe, M.R The objectives of the study were to determine the potential and effectiveness of rainwater harvesting and conservation techniques (RWH&CT) to conserve and improve plant available water (PAW) for dryland maize production and also determine the efficiency of the RWH&CT's to improve dryland maize yield and Rainwater Productivity (RWP) compared to conventional tillage (CON). The study was conducted over a period of two growing seasons (2008/09 and 2009/20) using maize as indicator crop at the Towoomba Research Station of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture of South Africa, on an Arcadia ecotope. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design, with four replications and five treatments. The five treatments used in the study were: CON, No-till (NT), In-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH), mechanized basins (MB) and Daling plough (DAL). The IRWH and DL ere classified as rainwater harvesting techniques (RWHT's), whilst MB and NT were classified as water conservation techniques. Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1396 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1271 Response of Dual-Purpose Cowpea Landraces to Water Stress Mashilo, J The objectives of this study were: 1. to determine morphological responses of four dual-purpose cowpea landraces to water deficits during vegetative and reproductive stages; 2. to determine physiological response of four dual-purpose cowpea landraces to water deficits and recovery during the reproductive stage; 3. to determine yield performance of cowpea landraces after recovery from water stress and how it relates to the above objective. Four cowpea landraces namely: Lebudu, Lehlodi, Sejwaleng and Marathathane were collected from Kgohloane and Ga_Mphela villages in Limpopo, South Africa. Pot experiments were conducted under glasshouse conditions at the Controlled Environment Facility (CEF), University of Kwazulu Natal. The fist pot experiment evaluated the morphological responses of four cowpea landraces to water stress and recovery. The study was conducted as a single factor experiment laid out in randomized complete block (RCBD). The treatments (four cowpea landraces) were each planted in 40 pots giving a total of 160 experimental units (drained polyethylene pots with a 5 litre capacity). Each plant in each pot was treated as a replicate. Plants were all well-watered until the formation of six fully expanded trifolates, then irrigation was withheld for 28 days to stimulate drought stress during the vegetative growth. The imposition of drought stress was terminated by re-watering all plants after 28 days. The cowpea plants were re-watered sufficiently and allowed to grow until the four landraces reached 50% flowering stage. Watering was withheld again at 50% flowering for a two-week period for all the for landraces to stimulate drought stress during the reproductive growth. Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1271 2013-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1028 REVIEW OF THE LDA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MODEL AT TSWELOPELE AND STRYDKRAAL IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN THE SEKHUKHUNE DISTRICT Limpopo Department of Agriculture In Sekhukhune District of the Limpopo province, seven (7) irrigation schemes were revitalized through the installation of floppy irrigation system by the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA). Prior the revitalization of the schemes, farmers were allocated Units where they were farming individually. The improved infrastructure and the commercialization model which was facilitated by LDA required famers to merge their units to increase the economic scale. Farmers at these irrigation schemes are mostly adult black women who were not having tractors & implements, production costs and skills to farm at commercial level with high technological irrigation system to match with the improvement of the scheme. The strategic partnership model was then introduced to all irrigations schemes aiming at: knowledge & skills transfer to farmers, linking the farmers with potential markets, and provisioning of production costs & machinery. Out of the seven revitalized irrigation schemes where strategic partnership model was implemented in Sekhukhune district, one scheme is currently functional. In the six non-functional irrigation schemes the partnership between the stakeholders ended by either the strategic partner (SP) pulling out or the farmers not wanting to work with the SP anymore. LDA identified the non-functionality of the six irrigation schemes as a problem and commissioned a study to review the strategic partnership model through the Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) approach. A team of professionals from various disciplines was formed to review the SP model. The team members were orientated to tenets of the conventional/scientific research versus participatory research; they then went through knowledge acquisition phase of ARD at Tompi Seleka Farmers Development Centre to be skilled on action/participatory research; the training was facilitated by International Centre for Development Orientated Research in Agriculture, Agricultural Research Council, University of Limpopo and University of Venda. Unlike the conventional research, ARD integrates research within the broader, more complex development process, exploring livelihoods through systems thinking. Interview checklist was prepared and every team member knew what was expected from the checklist; this gave the researchers opportunity to probe for more information. Key informant interviews, focus group sessions were implemented using participatory tools such as Venn and Chapatti diagrams among others to ensure that participants freely air their views and learn during the teams’ data collection. The following stakeholders were interviewed; Strategic Partners (SP), Extension officers working with the schemes, the farmers, councillors and the Traditional Authority. During the diagnosis of the problem, it was discovered that lack of transparency on financial matters is the main cause of conflicts between the SP and the farmers. It was found that farmers agreed to register as a Co-operative without thorough understanding on how it is to function and what this actually entails. Merging of individual farmers units into one-large plot resulted into farmers losing sense of ownership and control resulting in less commitment to the operation of the scheme. It was also noted that the farmers’ role in the day-to-day operation of the scheme was not clear indicating that perhaps the transfer of skills was not appropriately done. Tue, 06 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1028 2014-05-06T00:00:00Z