Agric Nores-1-23-12-14

• to irrigate artificial pastures (e.g. alfalfa).
➢ Water used for crop farming
• Water used to water (irrigate) crops.

• Water management done by:
• choosing crops according to rainfall (e.g. planting drought-tolerant crops:
sorghum instead of maize)
• growing crops that have a short growing season (e.g. sunflower)
• conserving rainwater in the soil
• using suitable irrigation → has advantages –
• increases the chances of a good harvest
• enables crops in low rainfall areas that could not normally grow there
• enables farmers to grow plants during the dry season
• Improves yield per hectare
• Increases cropping frequency so that crops can be harvested two or
three times per year on the same land.
Conserving rainwater in the soil

Rainwater can:
• run off along the surface of the ground → does not reach plant roots
• evaporate
• enter the soil.
So, to conserve water:
• reduce evaporation by mulching

• increase the amount of rainwater that enters the soil:
• Method 1: stop soil erosion.
• Method 2: pocketing water → make shallow pockets in the soil.
• Method 3: end-of-season ploughing → at the end of the rainy season
the soil is still moist → when the next rainy season starts, the soil is
loose.
• Method 4: no-tillage farming → crop remains to form mulch → prevents
evaporation and soil doesn’t become compacted
• Method 5: preserving the plant cover → decreases water runoff →
prevents soil compaction.
Quality of irrigation water
Water tests
Testing for Dissolved salts in water or soil causes salinity.

salinity and
Water with a high amount of salt becomes saline. If you use saline
sodicity
water to irrigate your crops, the soil will become saline. Very few
types of crops grow well in saline soils. The only way to get the salts
out of the soil is to wash the salts
down. This is done by watering the soil with a large amount of water
that does not contain salts. The soil needs to be washed down every
1–2 years
Sodium-containing salts in the water causes sodicity.
Testing for Irrigation water may contain toxic chemicals, e.g. boron and
toxic chemicals manganese. This will make the soil toxic too.
Turbidity Turbidity is muddiness caused by soil particles and organic materials

in the water. These particles can block sprinkler and drip irrigation
systems. These problems can be reduced with the use of settling
tanks and filters.
Biological Micro-organisms from human sewerage, animal housing or runoff

matter water can endanger animal and plant health.
Water laboratories test water to ensure suitable quality.
➢ Factors affecting water supply in agriculture

Water supply is influenced by rainfall. The rainfall of an area has three
important aspects:
• average annual rainfall

• seasonal distribution
• intensity.
➢ Average annual rainfall
• Rainfall in SA is extremely variable: it ranges from droughts to flooding.

• Only one third of SA receives more than 600 mm of rain, the minimum for
successful crop production.
• The remaining two-thirds of the country is used for livestock grazing natural
vegetation.
➢ Seasonal distribution
The season in which it rains determines the crops:
• crops that grow well in cooler temperatures will grow better in winter rainfall
areas
• crops that grow well in warm or hot temperatures will grow better in summer
rainfall areas than winter rainfall areas
• winter cereals (wheat, barley, oats) are grown in winter in the winter rainfall
areas or under irrigation in the summer rainfall areas.
➢ Intensity
Most of South Africa faces a shortage of water. Even in the higher rainfall areas
on the eastern side of the country, periods or seasons of drought can occur.
• In most summer rainfall areas, thundershowers occur: short and intense rainfall
→ results in the flooding of rivers and low-lying areas → flooding can wash
away crops and the fertile layer of topsoil.
• If the intensity is too low, especially when temperatures are high, the rainfall
may evaporate.
• In the winter rainfall areas, the rain usually falls in long periods of soft rain.
To avoid crop failure, farmers need to manage water well.
➢ Basic agricultural practices that contribute to water pollution
• Agriculture uses 70% of the Earth’s surface water supplies.

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• to irrigate artificial pastures (e.g. alfalfa).

➢ Water used for crop farming

• Water used to water (irrigate) crops.

Conserving rainwater in the soil

So, to conserve water:

• reduce evaporation by mulching

Quality of irrigation water

Testing for Dissolved salts in water or soil causes salinity.

Sodium-containing salts in the water causes sodicity.

Turbidity Turbidity is muddiness caused by soil particles and organic materials

Biological Micro-organisms from human sewerage, animal housing or runoﬀ

Water laboratories test water to ensure suitable quality.

➢ Factors aﬀecting water supply in agriculture

• average annual rainfall

➢ Average annual rainfall

• Rainfall in SA is extremely variable: it ranges from droughts to flooding.

To avoid crop failure, farmers need to manage water well.

➢ Basic agricultural practices that contribute to water pollution

• Agriculture uses 70% of the Earth’s surface water supplies.

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