Research Articles (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/35

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Browsing by Subject "Agriculture"

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    The diurnal activity budgets of extralimital giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
    (Wiley, 2023) Paulse, Jamie; Couldridge, Vanessa; Cupido, Clement
    Despite being an extralimital species in the region, South African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa, Schreber 1784) are continuously being introduced into the Albany Thicket Biome of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This study aimed to determine the diurnal activity budgets of two extralimital giraffe populations in the Western Cape of South Africa. Diurnal activity budgets are important to provide baseline information on the adaptability of species in newly introduced areas and for more detailed ecological studies such as those relating to habitat suitability, animal–plant interactions and interactions with other resident animals.
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    Implications of the breakdown in the indigenous knowledge system for rangeland management and policy: A case study from the Eastern Cape in South Africa
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2023) Finca, Andiswa; Linnane, Suzanne; Samuels, M Igshaan
    Communal rangelands in South Africa are generally perceived as overgrazed owing to complexities in their histories and collective utilisation which often leads to improper management. A suitable solution has not been found in land management policies because local people’s contexts and their indigenous knowledge are ignored. Hence, this paper is aimed at (i) assessing the role indigenous knowledge can play in communal rangeland management, (ii) exploring working solutions to incorporate indigenous knowledge into effective communal rangeland management and land use policies, (iii) assessing mechanisms for generational transfer of indigenous knowledge. Findings from the Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) and Focus Group Discussion, conducted with Cata and Guquka villages in the Eastern Cape province were synthesised. This revealed that communal farmers have in-depth knowledge of their communal land, past and present rangeland management strategies and changes in rangeland condition. However, there is breakdown in the indigenous knowledge system whereby this knowledge is not being transferred and translated into good rangeland management practice, owing to the ageing population of communal farmers, limited youth involvement in livestock farming and limited access to extension services. This suggests a need for new policy approaches that would include participation of local people in policy planning and development.
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    Nitrogen fertilization increases the growth and nutritional quality of the forage legume, Calobota sericea – A preliminary investigation
    (Elsevier, 2023) Britz, Ethan; Cyster, Lilburne; Samuels, Igshaan
    Calobota sericea is being evaluated as a forage for drought stressed areas. The nutritional quality of C. sericea from native populations are poor, and this is believed to be due to poor soil fertility. Therefore, a greenhouse trial was established to determine the impact of N-fertilization level (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg/ha) on the growth and nutritional quality of C. sericea plants. Three-monthold plants were harvested and the root and shoot length, as well as branching intensity on each plant determined. Thereafter, the shoots were separated into leaves and stems and all plant parts were oven dried for dry mass determination. After weighing, the leaves and stems for each plant were combined and the dried shoots used for nutrient determination. Results indicated that increased N application levels is positively correlated with improved C. sericea growth. Similarly, mineral nutrient uptake increased significantly under all the N-fertilization treatments and crude protein content increased from 9.6% to 18.6%. Plant growth was only statistically significantly (p < 0.05) improved when N was applied at rates of 50 kg/ha and more, but crude protein content increased from the lowest N application rates (25 kg/ha). The improved growth and nutrient uptake could primarily be explained by improved resource allocation under N-fertilization. Therefore, appropriately fertilized C. sericea can result in improved forage production and improved quality forages and when N is applied at high enough rates.
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    Seed germination and early seedling growth responses to drought stress in annual Medicago L. And Trifolium L. Forages
    (MDPI, 2022) Müller, Francuois; Masemola, Letty; Britz, Ethan
    Climate change in the Mediterranean-like regions of South Africa has resulted in increased rainfall variability, a delayed start to the wet winter season, and increased occurrences of out-ofseason summer rainfall events. These changes in bioclimatic conditions are predicted to become more pronounced and, therefore, could result in poor seedling establishment and false breaks from the soil seed bank, followed by seedling desiccation in annual medic and clover pastures. This study therefore aimed to quantify and compare the responses of three annual Medicago species and five annual Trifolium species to drought stress imposed at the seed germination, seedling establishment, and early seedling growth stages. Three separate controlled trials were conducted. Firstly, the seeds were germinated in seed germination chambers at constant temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 ◦C, in 5 ◦C increments, with five osmotic treatments within each temperature, and germination was recorded daily. For the second experiment, seeds were planted at 100, 70, 50, and 30% of the soil’s moisture-holding capacity without subsequent watering, and emergence was recorded daily. For the third experiment, one-month-old seedlings were subjected to two water-limitation periods (15 or 30 days), and their subsequent morphological responses were measured.
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    Yeast supplementation alleviates the negative effects of greywater irrigation on lettuce and maize
    (South African Water Research Commission, 2022) Tshapa, Lindokuhle P.; Naidoo, Gonasageran; Naidoo, Kuben K.
    Water scarcity has led to increased use of wastewater, particularly greywater, for crop irrigation. This study investigated whether the addition of yeast can alleviate the potential negative effects of greywater use on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). Seeds and seedlings were treated with 4 concentrations (0.005; 0.01; 0.015 and 0.020 g‧mL−1) of yeast-treated tapwater (YTW) and greywater (YGW). Tapwater (TW) and greywater (GW) without yeast served as controls.