Masters Degrees (Agrometeorology)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Agrometeorology) by Subject "Climate change."
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Item Investigating possible impact of climate change on sugarcane production in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.(2016) Sithole, Bonga Benson.; Savage, Michael John.The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development in 2010 undertook to investigate the vulnerability of KwaZulu-Natal to climate change which identified various sectors of the economy in the region that are impacted by climate change. The aim of the current study was to investigate the possible impact of climate change on sugarcane production in KwaZulu-Natal. The main objective of the study was to identify and synthesize current knowledge, scientific literature and data relating to specific aspects of climate change in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire was developed to ascertain sugarcane farmers’ awareness about climate change. Based on questionnaire data, the study reveals that sugarcane farmers are aware of the effect of climate change on sugarcane production. Cane growers are also aware of their activities that contribute to climate change. Climatological data for the region were collected and analyzed through the Decision Support System Agro-tech Transfer (DSSAT) daily crop model to assess possible climate change impacts on sugarcane production. Daily rainfall, solar radiation, wind-speed, air temperature (minimum and maximum) and dew point temperature data for various sugarcane mill supply areas were collected from the South African Sugar Research Institute. RClimDex (1.0) software was used to determine if climate change did occur for the period 1966 to 2016. The climate data sets were positive to climate change with respect to daily maximum air temperature, daily minimum air temperature, daily rainfall, daily dew point temperature and daily solar radiation. The impact of climate change on sugarcane production in KwaZulu-Natal has been recognized as the main cause for yield reduction. No major decline in sugarcane production has been noted in KwaZulu-Natal for those farmers practicing irrigation and improved management. The study also demonstrates an increase in the amount of trash on sugarcane in the latter years of the study period. In general, the approach presented in this study encompassed and assessed the effect of climate change on sugarcane production with inclusion farmers perception can be considered as a strategic issue on existing climate change concern in KwaZulu-Natal province. Further research about what measures have been implemented by other countries in addressing climate change is recommended.Item Investigation of microclimate for human comfort in the natural environment and in a car parked in the open.(2016) Luthuli, Sithandiwe Ignatia.; Savage, Michael John.Abstract available in PDF file.Item Temperature dynamics within a low-cost aquaponic system and the possibe effects of climate change.(2019) Mkhize, Minenhle Godslove.; Clulow, Alistair David.; Taylor, Simon Michael.; Lagerwall, Gareth.The agricultural sector is facing impeding challenges due to climate change. There is enough evidence showing that climate change has a significant impact on agricultural production. Marginalized communities that lack financial resources and depend on agricultural crop production, are the most vulnerable to climate change effects, which further exacerbates 5 their food insecurity. Existing literature hypothesizes that aquaponics, using Tilapia, has potential in addressing climate change effects in agriculture. However, the low average winter temperature hinders successful adoption of low-cost aquaponic systems using Tilapia fish. The implication of cool conditions (South African temperatures) are more extreme for a low-cost, poorly resourced aquaponic users because they lack temperature regulation 10 systems to maintain optimal temperatures and are simply subject to the surrounding environmental conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the temperature dynamics of a low-cost aquaponic system and the possible effects of future climate change. A study was conducted at KwaDeda, a poor rural community in the Ndwedwe area of 15 KwaZulu-Natal. The two objectives were to (1) understand how the surrounding environmental air temperature affects the water temperature of a low-cost aquaponic system and, to (2) assess the implications of future climate change on a low-cost aquaponic system. Two weather stations (22 km apart) were installed, one to measure hourly environmental air temperature conditions and the other to measure the conditions within the plastic tunnel of 20 a low cost aquaponic system (from June – November 2019). The environmental air temperature had no immediate relationship with water temperature. However, there was an observed lag of 4 hours from the environmental air temperature peak to water temperature peak, which varied slightly with seasonality. The conditions within the tunnel were generally hotter than the outside environmental conditions during the day, 25 however, at night, the tunnel air temperature dropped to be the same and sometimes even lower the outside environmental temperature. The air temperatures in winter and resulting water temperatures of the low-cost aquaponic system was well below the optimum range for Tilapia (22-32 °C). Low-cost systems provide limited means to control water temperature. Therefore, further investigation into low-cost methods to reduce the cooling of the tunnels 30 at night, which later results in cooling of the water, is required. The projected future climate was shown to be both advantageous and disadvantageous for the low-cost aquaponic system. The projected increase in average air temperature due to climate change will be positive for South African conditions, which are generally quite cool for Tilapia. However, extreme weather conditions such as intense storms, high wind speed and hail, that are predicted with climate change, may be a threat to low-cost aquaponic infrastructure. Research into improving the design of low-cost tunnels that can withstand adverse weather conditions is recommended.Item Using agrometeorological data to equip local farmers for sustainable food production in Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal.(2019) Popoola, Adesegun Quam.; Savage, Michael John.Abstract available in pdf.