Conserving soil moisture
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Vegetative buffer strips: Buffers and filter strips are areas of permanent vegetation located within and between agricultural fields and the water courses to which they drain. These buffers are intended to intercept and slow runoff thereby reducing soil loss. In addition, in many settings they are intended to intercept shallow groundwater moving through the root zone below the buffer. |
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Contour ridges are a strategy to minimise soil erosion to encourage better root penetration and enhance moisture conservation. |
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Mulching
Mulching is cultural practice often recommended in the cultivation of vegetables and mulch is a protective covering usually of leaves or straws placed around the plants. Spreading dry leaves over crops controls the water losses due to transpiration |
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Sand dune stabilization Sand dunes can be stabilized through adding vegetation cover and sand fencing. Planting suitable vegetation on a denuded dune surface results in decreasing surface wind speed, prevention of scouring action and improvement in soil conditions, which ultimately lead to improved micro-climatic condition of the area. Vegetation used in sand dune stabilization should be able to survive the following:
Sand fences reduce wind speed across the sand surface. They are erected on sand dune slopes and encourage fore-dune deposition. Factors to be checked while installing sand fences are - wind speed, direction, permeability of fencing material, height of sand fence, ground slope, topography of land, amount of vegetation available to stabilize the accumulated sand |
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Improving soil health: Building a healthy soil is critical in enabling farms to cope with drought. Healthy soils help increase water infiltration, hold water better and make nutrients more accessible to the plant.
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