Browsing by Author "Sacolo, Sanele"

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    Assessment of the Potential of Rainwater Harvesting for Improving Rain-Fed Maize Production in Swaziland: the Case of Lubombo Plateau
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2016) Sacolo, Sanele
    Swaziland has persistently experienced below average and dwindling maize production chiefly due to low rainfall as well as erratic patterns. Extended dry periods occurring during critical maize crop development stages, result in widespread crop losses and reduced yields in the Lubombo Plateau. The objective of the study was to assess the potential of rainwater harvesting for rain-fed maize production in Swaziland. In order to achieve this, rainy season characterization, determination of maize crop net irrigation requirements, and assessment of runoff potential and identification of suitable rainwater harvesting sites in the Lubombo Plateau was carried out. Rainy season characterization was carried out in INSTAT Plus Statistical software by analyzing for the onset, cessation and length of the rainy season as well the total seasonal rainfall and probability of dry spells. The maize net crop irrigation requirement was calculated using CROPWAT 8.0 while ArcCN-Runoff tool was used to estimate the potential runoff volume generated in the study area. Multi-layer merging of rainfall, slope, runoff, soil texture and land use layers was performed in GIS environment to locate potential rainwater harvesting sites. The study showed that the rainfall is highly variable and insufficient to meet maize crop water requirements. It also revealed that the probabilities of prolonged dry spells are relatively higher at the beginning and towards the end of the season. Maize irrigation requirement was found to be 28.400 Mm . About 35% of the area is high to highly suitable for water harvesting. A total runoff volume of 37.181 Mm can be harvested per year for crop production. This study concluded that rainwater harvesting for rainfed maize production is feasible in the Lubombo Plateau.