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Rainfall risk and the potential of reduced tillage systems to conserve soil water in semi-arid cropping systems of southern Africa

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/9382/
http://dx.doi.org/10.3934/agrfood.2016.1.85
10.3934/agrfood.2016.1.85
 
Title Rainfall risk and the potential of reduced tillage systems to conserve soil water in semi-arid cropping systems of southern Africa
 
Creator Mupangwa, W
Walker, S
Masvaya, E
Magombeyi, M
Munguambe, P
 
Subject Soil Science
Climate change
 
Description Improvement of household food security in the Limpopo Basin has been elusive due to a
combination of factors related to information and market constraints, but also farmers’ risk aversion
induced by the high variability of rainfall during the growing season. The purpose of this study was to
(1) characterize the rainfall and growing season patterns experienced by smallholder farmers, and (2)
measure soil water dynamics in ripper and basin tillage systems being promoted in the semi-arid
Limpopo Basin of southern Africa. The results show that the second half of the growing season
receives more rainfall than the first half in the Limpopo Basin. However, rainfall is more variable
during the January-March than the October-December period. Growing seasons start earlier and end
later in the Mozambique part of the basin which is closer to the Indian Ocean. The Limpopo Basin is
prone to two and three week dry spells with chances of 14 day spells higher (34–42%) than the 21 day
spells (8–12%). The chances of 14 and 21 day dry spells increase substantially during the second half
of the growing season. The 1980–1990 was one of the driest decades in the Limpopo Basin. Planting
basin system conserved more soil water on sandy loam (18–24%) and clay loam (4–12%) soils than
the conventional practice during flowering and grain filling maize growth stages. Ripper had 17–29%
more soil water than conventional practice during flowering and grain filling maize growth stages.
There is a high risk of dry spells and soil water deficits in smallholder cropping systems of the Limpopo
basin. There is therefore scope in promoting rain and soil water management technologies, and good
land husbandry in order to reduce risk of crop failure in the smallholder cropping systems.
 
Publisher AIMS Press
 
Date 2016-02-25
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
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Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/9382/1/agrfood-01-00085.pdf
Mupangwa, W and Walker, S and Masvaya, E and Magombeyi, M and Munguambe, P (2016) Rainfall risk and the potential of reduced tillage systems to conserve soil water in semi-arid cropping systems of southern Africa. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 01 (01). pp. 85-101.