Community food gardens are regarded as a means through which rural households can improve their livelihoods. This study explores the contribution of community food gardens (CFG) to livelihoods in the Lepelle-Nkumpi local municipality in the Limpopo province. The objectives of this study are, firstly to explore the reason behind CFG participation and the reasons behind the participating possibility. Secondly, the study seeks to identify the socio-economic factors influencing the participation of households in CFG and lastly to determine the influence of CFG and other socio-economic variables on household food security status (HFSS). Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the socio-economic characteristics and the reasons behind CFG participation and the reasons behind the participating possibility. The binary logistic regression model was used to analyse the determinants of household participation in community food gardens as well as the contribution of CFG to HFSS on Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 21. Through a structured questionnaire, data was collected from a sample of 180 households which was obtained using multistage sampling. Descriptive results on the characteristics of sampled households revealed that there are high levels of food security in the area with 70% being food secure of which around 42.2% are CFG participants and 30% are food insecure. Furthermore the descriptive statistical analysis indicated that participation of households in CFG is mainly to obtain a source of food among the CFG participants and to generate income amongst the non-participants. On the basis of descriptive analysis, this study concludes that source of food and income generation respectively are the main reasons behind CFG participation and the possibilities of becoming a participant. Therefore the study accepts the research hypothesis stating that “There are social and economic reasons behind household participation and the possibilities of participating in CFG”. Binary results for the determinants of CFG participation revealed that socio-economic variables such as household size, farm income, household monthly income, land size, household perception, marital status, agricultural training and homestead gardening significantly influence household decisions to participate in CFG. This is an implication that socio-economic variables tested in this study are significantly influential to the household decision to participate in CFG, leading to the acceptance of the first hypothesis which states that “Socioeconomic factors determine the community food garden ownership or participation”. The results of the contribution made by CFG to HFSS showed that socioeconomic variables such as gender, age, household size, farm income, educational level, household monthly income, marital status, information access, formal employment status and CFG involvement significantly affect household food security status in the study area. The result indicates a positive contribution to HFSS and implies that socio-economic variables tested in this study have a significant influence on HFSS, leading to the acceptance of the second hypothesis which states that “Community food gardens have a positive effect on food security status of household in Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality Limpopo province.” Therefore it is relevant to concluded that in the area of Lepelle-Nkumpi local municipality, social economic factors plays a vital role in the participation of households in CFG as well as improving the state household food security status.

MSc (Plant Production) / Department of Plant Production / See the attached abstract below

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / The study investigated the impact of cover crops (Medicago sativa, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium pratense, Melilotus alba and Phacelia tanacetifolia), bare soil and natural ground cover on pest and beneficial arthropods, soil health, crop yield, pest damage and weed suppression in avocado orchards. The trial plots were sited within established commercial avocado orchards with trees of similar cultivar (‘Hass’), soil-type and age, located in Levubu, Limpopo, South Africa. Mixtures of cover crops were planted in the alleys of avocado orchards and the effects were compared to that of a control (other half of the orchard). Mechanical clearing of vegetation in half of the alleys of different avocado orchards were compared to the other half that was left undisturbed. Data were collected during the flowering and fruit set stages of the avocado trees in the months of September - November 2019. Results revealed that there was higher abundance and diversity of flowering plants in the orchard alleys of the cover crop treatment compared to the control comprising of natural vegetation. Cover crops had a significantly positive effect on the soil health of the orchard but little or no effect on beneficial arthropods within the orchard nor any positive effect on the pests of avocados. However, the number of thrips scouted on the fruit were significantly less where cover crops were established. Avocado scale infection rates were also significantly lower where cover crops were established. There were significantly less arthropods, and specifically pests, pollinators and herbivores where the topsoil was removed mechanically. The yield resulting from the orchard half where cover crops were established were significantly higher. More research still needs to be done about the use, management and impact of cover cropping on not only commercial avocado orchards but on other fruit crops. This study shows good evidence for the benefits for using cover crops and the negative effects in having no vegetation cover in the orchards. / NRF

Department of Soil Science / PhD (Agric)

MA (African Studies) / Centre for African Studies / This study explored indigenous medicinal knowledge of Phonda in the Vhembe District. It has been noticed that phonda is becoming a scarce crop. The objectives entail seeking to solicit information on the uses of phonda, to understand the attitudes of local households towards phonda and to establish what can be done to restore the cultivation of phonda. The study used qualitative method involving unstructured interviews to collect and thematically analyse data. Purposive sampling and snowballing methods were used to make up the study sample. From literature, it is known that traditional health practitioners used phonda for treatment of certain diseases and illnesses. Phonda is no longer common, but the study sought to encourage the cultivation of phonda. The study employed an Afrocentric paradigm of social change as the conceptual framework. The study found that many households no longer plough phonda as they used to in the past. The study recommends that people should be educated on the importance of phonda to encourage them to plough it. Additionally, the researcher recommends further studies into different purposes of phonda and areas to boost its farming.

Department of Ecology and Resource Management / PhDENV / The main aim of the research was to contribute means for converting conventional, high-input production systems to more sustainable ecological systems, thereby improving the sustainability of macadamia production and ultimately contributing to food security. This was achieved by a) investigating the potential use of cover crops and compost to enhance soil quality in macadamia orchards and b) investigating the potential use of use of cover crops and orchard heterogeneity to control stinkbug pests that target macadamia crops. Field experiments were conducted in three phases: phase one tested the potential of six cover crops for crop protection (as trap crops) and simultaneously for soil restoration or fertility enhancement purposes in macadamia orchards. Phase two repeated the trials of phase one (both soil restoration and trap crops) but with modifications to both categories. Soil restoration treatments were conducted with trees which were growing in what appeared to be healthy soils, and then repeated with trees in the same orchard where the topsoil had been degraded (totally removed) by agricultural operations. The third phase repeated the trap crop trials only, but this time on three different study areas (all commercial farms) with the single cover crop which performed the best as a trap crop during phase two. Trials were modified from the first to the last phase to overcome practical implementation problems encountered along the way and to adapt to local conditions experienced in the commercial macadamia farming systems which served as research sites. Diversity of natural orchard vegetation was enhanced in phase three to improve conditions for natural predators as part of the trap crop treatments in the last phase and cover crops were finally first composted and then returned to the root zones of the macadamia trees as part of the soil quality enhancement treatments in the second phase. The results from the trap crop trials shows a significant effect of trap crops combined with increased orchard diversity in reducing unsound kernel percentages caused by stinkbug pests and demonstrate that trap crops combined with an increase in orchard diversity could be utilized in macadamia orchards as a more sustainable alternative to inorganic pesticides against the stinkbug complex. The most notable changes in the soil that took place with soil quality enhancement treatments were the significant increases in soil phosphorous content and pH which resulted not in an improvement in soil quality in terms of these two indicators but revealed an important issue about the use of compost containing animal manure originating from dairies or feedlots. In summary however, it was clear that although not all the soil quality indicators that were employed to assess changes in the soil with compost treatments improved significantly, a holistic consideration of all indicators portrays an overall improvement which was particularly significant in the degraded soil plots where the topsoil had been removed by prior agricultural activities. / NRF