Browsing by Author "Ubisi, Nomcebo Rhulani."

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Integration of indigenous knowledge systems and modern climate science: development of a mobile application to improve smallholder agricultural production.
(2019) Ubisi, Nomcebo Rhulani.; Kolanisi, Unathi.; Jiri, Obert.
In sub Saharan Africa, subsistence agriculture underpins rural livelihoods. However, climate change has negatively affected rural smallholder farming due to over-dependence on climate-sensitive rain-fed agriculture. The effects of climate change have become the most critical issue for rural smallholder farmers. Rural smallholder farmers are greatly impacted by climate change and variability, leading to reduced crop yields, crop failure, loss of assets and livelihood opportunities. However, despite such challenges, farming continued to sustain livelihoods in rural areas over the years. Traditionally, African rural smallholder farmers have relied on their indigenous knowledge (IK) to sustain themselves, maintain their cultural identity as well as understanding climate and weather patterns for their decision-making at a farm level. However, the increase in rainfall variability in the past few years associated with climate change has reduced the reliability of IK. To address such challenges, the study suggests the integration of indigenous knowledge with modern climate science at a local level, to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change. The aim of the study was to establish commonly used indigenous knowledge indicators for climate and weather forecasts predictions and smallholder farmers’ perceptions on the integration of the two knowledge systems as well as the use of mobile app technology to improve agricultural production in Nkomazi Local Municipality, South Africa. The study information was collected through both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Data were collected from twelve villages, sampling 100 participants, 8 key informant interviews, transact walk conducted with a small group of farmers (maximum 5) and eight focus group discussions in Nkomazi Local Municipality. ArcMap 10.7.1 was used to map the distribution of indigenous indicators used by Nkomazi smallholder farmers and the Poynton model was used to predict the impact of the increasing temperature on smallholder farmers’ production using the plant and animal indigenous climate indicators in these villages, and SPSS 25 was used to analyse the quantitative data as well as Excel 2016. Qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis. From the transect walks and focus group discussions, the study findings revealed that many of the Nkomazi smallholder farmers relied more on their indigenous knowledge (IK) than on scientific weather forecasts (SWFs) for farm level decision-making. The findings also revealed that elderly people passed down indigenous knowledge to them during field practices and through casual conversation as they were regarded as custodians of the indigenous knowledge systems. However, lack of IKS documentation is been the biggest challenge facing those farmers. Smallholder farmers' indigenous knowledge on weather foresting was compared with empirical evidence from Komati weather station from 1993-2018, and there were similarities on both knowledge systems. Further, it was revealed that there were different indigenous climate indicators utilised by Nkomazi smallholder farmers to predict weather forecasts. These indicators included certain patterns and behaviour of plants and animals, atmospheric, astronomic and human ailments. Animal indicators (31%) were the most commonly used followed by plant indicators (26%). The documentation of major climatic events recalled by the smallholder farmers over the study area agreed with what was collected from the rainfall and temperature data. Data from the South African Weather Services highlighted that Nkomazi rainfall has reduced greatly in the years 2000 and 2010 with 40 mm/year, with the highest temperature increase in 2003 (340). Poynton model predicted the indigenous indicators distribution with increasing temperature by 50C. The model predicted negative results with increasing temperature. Meaning that farmers would lose their indigenous indicators for weather predictions to make farm level decisions. Therefore, to address these challenges and help smallholder farmers adapt to the changing environment, the study suggests the need for reliable weather forecasts to guide the farmer's decision-making at a local level. To improve sustainability, efficient documentation of indigenous knowledge and the creation of a framework for integrating the two knowledge systems in weather forecasting is needed. Importantly, there is a great need to create an information dissemination network for weather forecasting within local municipalities. To achieve household food security, both knowledge systems should be integrated for farmers to make informed decisions. Therefore, mobile App development for rural smallholder farmers will bridge the gap and act as a key driver to reduce smallholder farmers' vulnerability to climate change and enhance resilience to improve productivity as it will focus on improving agricultural production. The mobile application for agricultural and rural development is a software that was designed for the collection and transmission of Indigenous knowledge information and modern climatic data through mobile (Web Application) technology for rural smallholder farmers. This mobile app is meant to provide practical indigenous knowledge system (IKS) used by smallholder farmers. The development of the mobile app will focus on improving agriculture production with functions such as providing climate and market information, increasing access to extension services, facilitating market links ability of sending chats/enquiries to App manager through sending chats and pics by farmers as well as IKS documentation. It will be accessible to smallholder farmers, extension officers and produce buyers. This mobile App will provide significant economic and social benefits among smallholder farmers by reducing product losses, improving agricultural production and providing the opportunity to make our developing country more globally competitive. It will include a non-redundant database (fast) that will include easy capturing of data. This system is user friendly and will be available as a light to load secure Web Application (Both Computer and Mobile). This App will contribute to the field through integrating IKS and modern science. It will assist in transforming, documenting and disseminating IKS information as well as improved accessibility of information through technology and contributing to diffusion of technology as we heading towards the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Smallholder farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to climate change interventions and support systems in Limpopo province, South Africa.
(2016) Ubisi, Nomcebo Rhulani.; Mafongoya, Paramu L.
Climate change is one of the most critical long-term global challenges, especially for Africa and even more so Southern Africa. Agriculture is more than an economic cornerstone of most rural households in sub-Saharan Africa and climate change variations pose a threat to the agricultural sector and food security of these households. Climate variations such as increased hot seasons have been reported to lead to loss in food production through crop failure, human disease outbreak and livestock deaths. Several initiatives to develop climate change interventions and support systems are reported, however, it is not known if they are reaching and benefitting the smallholder farmers who are vulnerable to climate change. The study investigated smallholder farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to climate change interventions and support systems in Mopani and Vhembe districts, in Limpopo province, South Africa. Hundred and fifty questionnaires were administered to smallholder farmers who were subsistence farmers who produced for household consumption and only seldom sold; those who were farming for both household consumption and selling the surplus; and those who were mainly selling referred to as ‘food producers’ because their primary goal was to produce for the market. Eight focus group discussions were conducted to collect in-depth information on smallholder farmers’ perceptions towards climate change support systems, interventions and experiences towards climate change. Transect walks were done with a small group of farmers from four local municipalities to observe if the farming production systems and practices of the farmers were adapting to climate change and to probe on what influenced their decisions. The study findings revealed that crop production was regarded as a way of life for smallholder farmers in Limpopo province, especially amongst women farmers (72%), as it contributed to household food security and 73,3% farmers also sold surplus to generate livelihoods. The farmers perceived prolonged droughts (56.4%) as the main shock stressing their production whilst other farmers were of the opinion that very hot seasons were the significant shock (56%). The focus group discussions revealed that the smallholder farmers had different perceptions of climate change and the majority of smallholder farmers perceived climate change to be caused by supernatural forces. Only a minority adapted to climate change, by changing planting dates and intercropping. However 42% did not adapt due to water shortages and 67.3% were not aware of climate change interventions and were not receiving any climate change support. Consequently, almost all the farmers (78%) relied more on their indigenous knowledge for resilience to climate change. However, female smallholder farmers seemed to be more vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their age, health status and high level of illiteracy as compared to their counterparts male farmers, hence they were hit hard by the climatic variability and experienced measurable crop losses (68.7%). In response to the prevailing climatic condition different gender adapted different strategies, 41% of female farmers adapted to changing planting dates, while male farmers employed crop variety and diversification (35%) and mixed cropping (15%) better than female farmers. Therefore, this means there is a need to bring awareness of the implications of climate change to the farmers. There is a need to consider indigenous knowledge system-based climate change support and interventions to empower farmers with capacity to withstand climate change challenges. To encourage farmers to adopt climate-smart agriculture technologies, which can be achieved through creating and enabling policy environment for adaptation, the government also need to invest in smallholder farmers skill audits programme, in the long run, so that these farmers graduate from just being subsistence farmers and food producers to commercial farmers.