Upsetting the apple cart? Export fruit production, water pollution and social unrest in the Elgin Valley, South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 108-125
Author(s):  
Matthijs Wessels ◽  
Gert Jan Veldwisch ◽  
Katarzyna Kujawa ◽  
Brian Delcarme
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Production Water

scholarly journals Upsetting the apple cart? Export fruit production, water pollution and social unrest in the Elgin Valley, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthijs Wessels ◽  
Gert Jan Veldwisch ◽  
Katarzyna Kujawa ◽  
Brian Delcarme
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Production Water

Exploring environmental perceptions, behaviors and awareness: water and water pollution in South Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Anderson ◽  
John H. Romani ◽  
Heston Phillips ◽  
Marie Wentzel ◽  
Kholadi Tlabela
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Perceptions

scholarly journals Water and fertilizers use efficiency in two hydroponic systems for tomato production

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo De la Rosa-Rodríguez ◽  
Alfredo Lara-Herrera ◽  
Libia Iris Trejo-Téllez ◽  
Luz Evelia Padilla-Bernal ◽  
Luis Octavio Solis-Sánchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Open System ◽  
Closed System ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Hydroponic System ◽  
Production Water ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Hydroponic Systems

ABSTRACT The amount of water and fertilizers used in the production of vegetables, specifically tomatoes, is high. This study was carried out to determine water and fertilizers use efficiency in closed and open hydroponic systems for tomato production under greenhouse conditions. Two treatments with eight replications were assessed; each replication consisted of 67 pots with two plants each. One treatment was a closed hydroponic system (with nutrient solution recirculation), and the other was an open hydroponic system (with non-recirculating nutrient solution). We quantified the amounts of water and fertilizers applied, as well as the losses (drained nutrient solution), in the two treatments during the entire cycle of tomato. In the nutrient solution (NS) we also measured electric conductivity (EC), pH, volume applied, and volume drained, and total weight of fruits (25 pickings). There were no significant differences between the two treatments on fruit production. Water use efficiency was 59.53 kg/fruit/m3 for the closed system and 46.03 kg/fruit/m3 in the open system. In comparison to the open system, the closed system produced 13.50 kg more fruit per cubic meter of water, while 10.31 grams less fertilizers per kilogram of fruit produced were only applied. Water and fertilizers use efficiency were higher in the closed system, by 22.68% and 22.69%, respectively. More efficiency was obtained in the closed system, regarding the open system. We concluded that the closed system is a good alternative to produce tomato and preserve the resources involved in the process (like water and fertilizers), thus reducing pollution.

scholarly journals Railway side mapping of alien plant distributions in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ndifelani Mararakanye ◽  
Modau N. Magoro ◽  
Nomakhazi N. Matshaya ◽  
Matome C. Rabothata ◽  
Sthembele R. Ncobeni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Unsupervised Classification ◽  
Plant Distribution ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Production Water ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Salix Babylonica ◽  
Species Occurrences

Background: Alien plant invasions are among the major threats to natural and semi-natural ecosystems in South Africa on approximately 18 million hectares of land. Much of the available data are not suitable for planning of local scale management because it is presented at a quarter degree grid square scale, which makes accurate location and estimates of invaded areas difficult.Objectives: The aim was to identify the dominant alien plant species and quantify their areal extent along a 479 km railway corridor in the Mpumalanga province.Method: The extent of the invaded area was obtained by manual digitising of alien plant distribution and density from Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre 5 imagery and by further applying an Iterative Self-Organising Data Analysis technique of the unsupervised classification method. Species’ occurrences were located and identified in the field using a Global Positioning System.Results: The most dominant invaders in terms of the number of individual polygons and the infested area were Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp., Populus alba L., Pinus patula Schltdl Cham., Salix babylonica L. and Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston. These species have also been previously classified as major invaders, although the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act regulations permit their planting provided spreading to adjacent areas is avoided except for C. decapetala, which must be cleared under all circumstances.Conclusion: Knowledge of the species’ occurrence and their extent will assist landowners and relevant authorities to control the spread of alien plants, which impact rail safety, agricultural production, water availability and biodiversity.

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