Many of rural agriculture gardens are managed by the elderly. If the elderly struggle to fetch water or the distance to water is too far, how does this impact the type of crop, size of garden or production practices ?
i really appreciated to you question because As we know that water is the main source for agriculture commodities Worldwide, the application of water and its managed use has been an essential factor in raising productivity of agriculture and ensuring predictability in outputs. Water is essential to bring forth the potential of the land and to enable improved varieties of both plants and animals to make full use of other yield-enhancing production factors. By raising productivity, sustainable water management (especially when combined with adequate soil husbandry) helps to ensure better production both for direct consumption and for commercial disposal, so enhancing the generation of necessary economic surpluses for uplifting rural economies.
Hello Timothy,
You need to specify the region and type of rural agriculture you refer to since these differ with the region under study. Also, what is the ground water level, amount of rainfall and what time of the year are you considering?What crops do they grow?pests and diseases?Inputs?You need to be more specific in your question.
Goodluck
thank you Beckline. The area is near Cala, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The soils are Clay loam. Rainfall less than 400mm with high variability. Community is highly dependant on bore hole taps. Only 4 taps scattered around the village.
Although I recognize the vital importance of water for a successful cultivation of crops in a context like the one described by Timothy fetching water from an off-farm/garden location may be ineffective. Therefore, I think permaculture design can assist for example with the establishment of a Key line in the fields which aims at collecting and storing storm water precipitation. In addition to this, techniques like: mulching, companion cropping, agroforestry, managing the soil to increase over time its content of organic matter are just a few ideas to enhance water retention on site. Obviously, selecting crops that are not so demanding to irrigation can help too.
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