South Africa’s pressing water challenges have put the heat on the Western Cape department of agriculture to embrace new technologies. However, there remains more to be done, and experts believe cutting-edge approaches to improving water use efficiencies on farms are a good start.
During this year’s International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticulture Crops, industry experts flagged water scarcity as a high priority for Western Cape agriculture. The symposium was hosted in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria.
According to the Western Cape minister of agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, water scarcity due to increasing and competing demands and climate change is one of the most pressing challenges globally, but also for them in the Western Cape.
“It is for this reason that the Western Cape agricultural sector is embracing new technologies such as remote sensing, including satellite imagery, and unmanned aerial vehicles,” Meyer said.
“However, more needs to be done to increase efficiencies and product quality through more precise and data-driven water application to crops and to better manage horticultural crops for water deficit, drought, and heat stress conditions.”
Improvements can be made
The symposium, a first of its kind on the African continent, draws support from local researchers, industry technical experts and companies in the irrigation of fruit, vine, vegetable, and flower crops.
According to Professor Stephanie Midgley, senior scientist in climate change at the department and convenor of the event, 156 delegates from 18 countries attended the four-day event.
They shared their knowledge of various advancements in irrigation, and the sustainable use of scarce water resources in horticulture.
“This industry is highly export-oriented and a significant contributor to agricultural GDP, foreign revenue, and employment in South Africa and the Western Cape,” Midgley said. “Through continued knowledge sharing, learning, advanced research and improvement of on-farm practices, the future of these industries will be strengthened.”
Midgley explained that the common thread of the presentations was the need to improve water use efficiencies and to employ irrigation practices that reduce applied water quantities while increasing production and product quality, and thus farm income.
Cutting-edge approaches such as next-generation drip irrigation technologies are being developed, she pointed out.
“Horticulture worldwide has embraced the vision of a more sustainable future. In South Africa and the Western Cape, as well as other regions, this is coupled with growing rural economies, livelihoods, and food security”, said Midgely.
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