FOCUS
Natural resources andenergy
Special
November 2014
44
Productive use of water in agriculture
– a key strategic area for theWRC
T
he tactical focus in this key strategic area is on increasing the
efficiency and productivity of water use for the production of
food, forage, fibre, and fuel crops; improving food security;
reducing poverty and increasing the wealth of people
dependent on water-based agriculture; and ensuring sustainable
water resourceuse.
The needs and requirements of present and future generations of
subsistence, emergent and commercial producers are addressed
through creation and application of water-efficient production tech-
nologies,modelsand informationsystemswithin the following inter-
related sub-sectors of agriculture, namely:
Irrigated agriculture
Rain-fed agriculture
Woodlands and forestry
Grasslands and livestockwatering
Aquaculture and fisheries
The challenge for applied research is contributing to finding sustain-
able solutions for water use in agriculture, with priority given to in-
novative new products which support economic development and
informdecision-making for privatebusiness andpublic policies.
In the process of undertaking these research projects, the composi-
tionof research teams endeavours tobroaden the representationof
black and female researchers. Post-graduate students are trained to
improve the expertise of human capital, with research empowering
individuals andgroups in rural communities.
Objectives of research programmes
The primary objective is to increase national and household food
securityand to improve the livelihoodsof peopleona farming, com-
munity and regional level through efficient and sustainable utilisa-
tion anddevelopment of water resources in agriculture.
The secondaryobjectives are to:
Increase biological, technical and economic efficiency and pro-
ductivityof water use.
Reducepoverty throughwater-based agricultural activities.
Increaseprofitabilityof water-based farming systems.
Ensure sustainable water resource use through protection, res-
toration and reclamationpractices.
Portfolios of current projects have been grouped into strategic
thrusts and programmes which directly address the abovemen-
tionedobjectives and are summarised as follows:
Research thrusts and programmes
Thrust 1: Water utilisation for food, forage
and fibre production
Scope: The direction and driving force for research activities and
outputs aredeterminedby the strategic focus to improve the knowl-
edgeof theprocessesof productionof field, horticultural and indus-
trial crops.
Water productivity can be increased by producing more with the
same use of water or by producing the samewith less use of water.
This requires understanding of water dynamics in the soil-water-
plant-atmosphere continuum; the equipment which is used and the
method of production which is followed. Research on all these as-
pects can contribute tohigherwater use efficiency in agriculture.
Various processes and factors, which are site-specific, have an
influence on the quality of water for crop, livestock and fish pro-
duction. Significant shortcomings exist in the assessment of the
fitness-for-use of water sources and identifying water-related pro-
ductionproblems.
The emphasis in this programme is on the efficient useof water and
management of water quality for irrigationof crops, livestockwater-
ing, aquaculture and inland fisheries in rivers, ponds anddams.
This thrust includes twoprogrammes:
Water-efficient production methods in relation to soils, crops
and technology in rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.
Fitness-for-use of water for crop production, livestock watering
and aquaculture.
Thrust 2: Water utilisation for fuel wood and
timber production
Scope: The direction and driving force for research activities and
outputs are determined by the strategic focus to improve the
knowledge of the processes of production of trees in woodlands,
plantation forestry and trees planted in combination with food and
forage crops.
In catchment areaswhere trees are a prominent feature of land use,
runoff and deep percolation of water can be reduced. Management
of these so-called stream-flow reduction activities necessitates an
understandingof thewater useby treesand thecompetitiveor com-
plementary relationship of water use by trees andwater use by sta-
ple food and forage crops. Due to research specialisation, separate
attention is given in this programme to increase the efficiency of
water use by trees inwoodlands and plantations for fuel wood and
timber production.
This thrust includes oneprogramme:
Water-efficient productionmethods and systems in agro-forest-
ry, woodlands and forestryplantations.
Thrust 3: Water utilisation for poverty reduc-
tion andwealth creation in agriculture
Scope: The direction and driving force for research activities and
outputs aredeterminedby the strategic focus to improve the knowl-
edge of themanagement processes undertaken by peoplewho are
usingwater.
Poverty, hunger andmalnutrition among rural people arewidely re-
cognised asmajor problems. Thesemembers of rural communities,
GERHARDR. BACKEBERG,
executivemanager:Water Utilisation inAgriculture,Water ResearchCommission (WRC)
