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November 2014
consistingmainlyofwomen, childrenand theelderly, arealsodisad-
vantaged or marginalised for various social, economic and political
reasons. Awide-ranging programme is required to support the sus-
tainable development of rangeland livestock, rain-fed and irrigated
cropproduction.
Efficient use of water through a combination of agricultural activi-
ties can contribute to improve living conditions. Empowerment of
rural people can be promoted further through participatory action
research which improves knowledge, farming skills and leadership
capabilities.
Commercial farming is a major user of water resources and faces
a particular challenge to ensure that this share of water is used
effectively and efficiently. There is invariably a close link between
efficient use and allocationof water andwhole-farmingprofitability.
Water management on farms is also time-dependent and based on
an incomplete knowledge of changes in the weather, prices and
technology.Under thesecircumstances,modelling isapowerful tool
toprovidedecision-support andmanagement advice.
The focus in thisprogramme is thereforeondevelopingprocedures,
methods andmodels to provide advice to producers on best man-
agement practices and the optimal combination of crop and live-
stock enterprises within the constraints of water, land and capital
resources.
This thrust includes twoprogrammes:
Sustainable water-based agricultural activities in rural com-
munities.
Integratedwatermanagement for profitable farming systems.
Thrust 4: Water resource protection, restora-
tion and reclamation in agriculture
Scope: The direction and driving force for research activities and
outputs aredeterminedby the strategic focus to improve the knowl-
edge of the natural processes and people-induced impacts of re-
sourceuse.
With cultivation and irrigation, larger quantities of salts present in
the soil and lower strata could bemobilised. Increasing salinity lev-
els and higher water tables threaten the sustainable use of soil and
water. Knowledge and tools to manage the quantity and quality of
water resources for agricultural production are therefore required.
The focusof research isondevelopingmethodsandmodels toman-
agewater distribution andprevent water resourcedegradation.
Agricultural decisions to use land and to conserve rainfall or to ab-
stract water from rivers, dams and boreholes, has wide-ranging
impacts on the natural environment. Intensification of crop and
livestock production processes can potentially contribute to higher
levelsof chemical residuesof fertilisers, pesticidesandherbicides in
surface and groundwater. Precautions must be taken as part of the
agricultural productionprocess toprotect the terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems. This requires anunderstandingof thenegative impacts
of agriculture and guidelines for an assessment and mitigation of
those impacts.
This thrust includes twoprogrammes:
Sustainablewater resourceuseon irrigationschemesandwithin
river catchments.
Impact assessment and environmental management of agricul-
tural production.
Research portfolio for 2014/2015 and
2015/2016
In this key strategic area, a holistic systems approach is followed
for knowledge creationanddissemination toenablepeople toutilise
water in a sustainableway for food production and improved liveli-
hoods. Research projects are managed within the innovation cycle
to ensure that scientific research is applicable and socially benefi-
cial. Key issuesbeingaddressedare theproductivityofwater use for
crops and livestock, poverty reduction and wealth creation in rural
areas andpreventionof resourcedegradation.
These efforts are aligned to the Vision for 2030 of the National
Development Plan; the outputs for Outcomes 7 and 10 in the
programme of action announced by the presidency; core water
strategies of theNWRS-2;measures in the framework for theNew
Growth Path; the Green Paper on National Strategic Planning; the
DWA framework on Water for Growth and Development; the De-
partment of Agriculture, ForestryandFisheries’ IntegratedGrowth
and Development Plan; the National Agricultural Research and
Development Strategy; and the Comprehensive Africa Agricul-
tural Development Programme of the New Partnership of Africa’s
Development (NEPAD).
Reports by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO [2013]) and
Save theChildren (2013), emphasise that foodproduction isessential
to achieve better nutrition and the importance of nutrition in early
childhood development. Work will continue to fill knowledge gaps
that exist in theutilisationofwater inagriculture, under the following
key activities of the researchportfolio:
Increasing the productivity of rainwater and irrigationwater for
crop and livestock production.
Uplifting rural economies through commercial food production
and reducing income inequalities.
Quantifying thewater footprint in food value chains.
Eradicatinghunger and reducingpoverty.
Improving food security, nutrition andhealth.
SAGrain/
Sasol Nitrophoto competition
