1. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture

2. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Improved plant water availability on soils under NT variants in Semi- arid Districts of South Africa Keywords: 1.plant available water capacity, 2.final water infiltration, 3.soil water level, 4.crop water productivity (CWP) Knot J 1, Basson AL 1, 1 KEL Growing Nation Trust, P. O. Box 4, Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho Corresponding author: jaapenilona@gmail.com and augustbasson@gmail.comjaapenilona@gmail.comaugustbasson@gmail.com

3. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”! “When the climate gets dry, the NT cover crop systems gets going”! Sub-theme 2 Weather proofing agriculture - the adaption of farming practices to address climate variability and change.

4. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture NT Cover crops!

5. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture “We farm with water!” commercial farmer EFS Farmers in the semi-arid region of the Eastern Free State and southern Lowlands of Lesotho need to “harvest water”. The water-use efficiency of conventional farming practices can be questioned.

6. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Precipitation-use efficiency Hellegers et al. (2009) used the concept of crop water productivity (CWP) which has also been described as “the value of water” or “net return to water” (Young 2005).

7. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Treatment and time-line of CC-trials conducted at Waterfall during the period 2010-2013 Year and season→ Treatment ↓ May 10 – Dec 10 Jan 11 – Oct 11 Start of treatments→ Nov 11 – July 12 Mar 12 – Sept 12 Nov 12 – July 13 Mar 12 – Oct 13 T1 (NT)WheatBare fallowMaize - - T2 (NT)WheatBare fallowMaizeGrass mulchMaizeGrass mulch T3 (CA)WheatCC mix8Maize oats/ grazing vetch/ fodder radish Maize oats/ grazing vetch/ fodder radish T4 (CA)WheatCC mix8MaizeStooling rye/ grazing vetch/ fodder radish MaizeStooling rye/ grazing vetch/ fodder radish Key: Mix 8 refers to the direct seeding of eight cover crops replacing bare fallow. A 4-row NT-tine-planter was used and two kinds of seed were mixed per seed hopper. The seed mixes per seed hopper were: 1.pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) / fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)), 2.stooling rye (Secale cereal) /grazing vetch (Vicia dasycarpa), 3.cowpeas (Vigna sinensis) / oats (Avena sativa) and 4.fodder radish ( Raphanus sativus)/ pink seradella (Ornithopus sativus) respectively.

8. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Increased SOM measured through soil cover

9. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Soil Wetness

10. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture final water infiltration rates

11. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Crop Water Productivity. Description of beneficial biomass (Y i in kg ha -1 )T1T2T3T4 CC 2011 after wheat (mixture of fodder sorghum, millet, grazing vetch, stooling rye, oats, cowpeas, pink seradella and fodder radish) --3,500 Maize 2011/124,3334,7105,1575,362 CC 2012 after maize--1,0001,500 maize 2012/131,1581,6321,7832,720 CC 2013 after maize2,5002,400 TOTAL5,4916,34213,94015,482 Beneficial biomass (Seasonal rainfall was) 2031mm The CWP i was 2.70, 3.12, 6.87 and 7.62 (kilogram beneficial biomass per millimeter of rain)

12. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture Conclusion Double cropping is possible under CA (= improved cover) Cover crops in rotation led to higher final soil water infiltration and Crop Water Productivity Soil cover results in wetter soils Adapt climate-smart solutions in semi-arid NT cover crops is a climate change mitigation strategy

13. Transformation through Sustainable Agriculture www.growingnations.co.za E:mail: augustbasson@gmail.com © Growing Nations 2014 All images © Barry Mann Photography 2012-2014, All Rights Reserved