Thesis (M.Sc. (Horticulture)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetable crops all over the world. They play a vital role in human diet and good sources of vitamins and minerals. However, low soil fertility is a major challenge to vegetable crops production for growers in Africa. Soils in the arid and semi-arid regions like South Africa have little nutrient and mineral contents, which adversely affect plant growth and quality. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to determine the effects of sole and combined applications of Effective Microorganisms enriched compost, broiler manure and inorganic (NPK) fertiliser applications, on growth and yield of three tomato varieties and to assess the influence of the applied fertiliser on nutritional composition of three tomato varieties. Field experiments were conducted at Horticultural skill centre, University of Limpopo (Mankweng), and at Mphebatho farm, Apel, Limpopo province, South Africa. The experiment was laid out in a 7 x 3 split-plot design. Recommended amount of organic and inorganic fertilisers was used. The treatments were: control (without fertiliser application), NPK (2:3:4(30) at a rate of 200 N ha-1, 260 P ha-1 and 257 K ha-1, applied as N from Urea, P from superphosphate and K from potassium chloride (KCl), mineralised broiler manure (10 000 kg ha-1), ½ NPK + ½ broiler manure rates, EM enriched compost (14 m3 ha-1), ½ EM compost + ½ NPK rates, and ½ EM compost + ½ broiler manure rates. Three tomato varieties (Floradade, Roma and Moneymaker) seedlings were transplanted using standard spacing of 30 x 60 cm. Chlorophyll contents of leaves, biomass production, plant height, fruit number, stem diameter and branch number were determined after six weeks of transplanting and fortnightly thereafter. The interactions between tomato varieties and fertiliser materials with regard to plant height were not significant (P ≤ 0.05) at both sites (Apel and Mankweng). Average plant height (63.75 cm) obtained in Moneymaker grown in EM compost treatment was significantly highest at Apel, for Floradade (42.25 cm) in broiler manure treatment while that of Roma variety (39.63 cm) was found in ½ EM compost + ½ NPK treatment at 8 WAT. Similar trend was also recorded at 10 WAT. For Mankweng the significantly (P ≤ 0.05) highest average plant height at 8 WAT (66.63 cm) was obtained in Moneymaker grown in ½ broiler manure + ½ NPK treatment for Floradade (45.63 cm) obtained in broiler manure treatment, and 44.50 cm recorded for Roma in broiler manure treatment. Similar trend was also followed at 10 WAT. At vi Apel, significantly highest average number of tomato fruits at 8, 10 and 12 WAT were recorded in treatment with ½ EM + ½ NPK while the least values were found in control. Whereas at Mankweng the variation in number of tomato fruits under different fertiliser treatments were not significant. Similar, non-significant interactions (V x F) for tomato shoot nutritional composition were found in tomato grown at both sites (Apel and Mankweng) in relation to fertiliser treatments. At Apel however, comparing the fertiliser treatments, tomato grown in soil treated with ½ broiler manure + ½ NPK had the significantly highest average (3.01 %) K content while the least value (2.65 %) was obtained in the control. Similarly, significantly highest mean (44.33 mg kg-1) Zn was found in crops grown in the same treatment, but the lowest significant value (36.50 mg kg-1) was obtained in ½ EM + ½ NPK treatment. For Mn and Fe contents in tomato significantly highest mean values (150.17 mg kg-1 and 2381 mg kg-1) for Mn and Fe respectively were found in sole broiler manure treatment while the least values 114.83 mg kg-1 and 1357.6 mg kg-1 for Mn and Fe respectively were found in ½ EM + ½ NPK and sole NPK treatments respectively. It may be concluded that in tomato production, combined application of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients can be more beneficial and can be adopted by smallholder farmers with limited resources. / DAFF Zero hunger

Platinum mining activities contribute substantially to South Africa's economy since it exceeded gold as economical contributor in 2001. Mining activities contribute to large amounts of waste production in the form of tailings and rock waste, deposited in the surrounding environment of the mine premises. Mining companies are held responsible for damages caused to the surrounding environment. These companies are required to introduce the cost of ecological rehabilitation in their operation costs as well as compile an environmental management plan. Numerous attempts to rehabilitate mine waste have proven unsuccessful. New and improved rehabilitation techniques are required to facilitate in the rehabilitation of these mine spoils. Woodchip-vermicompost produced from platinum mining wastes (woodchips and sewage sludge) was used as an alternative amendment to inorganic fertilisers during the rehabilitation of platinum mine tailings. The effectiveness of the woodchip-vermicompost as an alternative amendment during the platinum mine tailings rehabilitation were monitored using different ecosystem components. A natural veldt in the vicinity of the mine area was randomly selected to serve as a reference site. These ecosystem components selected have previously been shown to be effective as indicators of ecosystem quality. The components selected for this study includes the use of microbial enzymatic activity, microbial community structure, nematode trophic structures, and other mesofaunal groups such as micro-arthropods. The physical and chemical properties of the platinum mine tailings and reference area as well as the vegetation cover of the platinum mine tailings were determined. Statistical and multivariate analyses were use to determine the correlation between the dependent microbial components and dominate independent chemical properties. Nematode trophic structure, Maturity Index, and Plant-Parasitic nematode Index were used to compare the two rehabilitation techniques in terms of nematodes as indicators. Microarthropods family structures were used to compare the two amendments in terms of diversity and abundance. Enzymatic activity was positively affected by the addition of woodchip-vermicompost, than in the sites treated with inorganic fertilisers. The microbial community structure showed no statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between the two amendments. A higher abundance of nematodes especially plant-parasitic nematodes and bacterivorous nematodes were observed in the woodchip-vermicompost sites than in the inorganic fertilised sites. According to the Maturity Index, both amendments became more enriched during the study period, while the Plant-Parasitic nematode Index showed that the carrying capacity for plantparasitic nematodes on the woodchip-vermicompost sites increased while it decreased in the inorganic fertilised sites, which can be related to the decrease in vegetation cover on the inorganic fertilised sites. Both coloniser (Prostigmata) and persister (Cryptostigmata and Mesostigmata) groups of the micro-arthropods, as well as a higher diversity of micro-arthropods, were present on the woodchip-vermicompost sites whereas the inorganic fertilised sites showed only the presence of colonisers, with a decrease in diversity and abundance of micro-arthropods over the study. The colonisation of micro-arthropods may have been affected by the addition of woodchip-vermicompost and vegetation cover, which contribute to the establishment of suitable microhabitats for these soil biota. By intercorrelating the results, it may be concluded that the addition of woodchip-vermicompost may be an essential part of the rehabilitation process, by contributing to soil organic material to the ecosystem system, which may improve the recolonisation of soil biota and ecosystem processes. However further studies need to be conducted in order to determine the long-term sustainability of the woodchip-vermicompost in providing organic material and sustaining the ecosystem processes. The study also showed the necessity to integrate various ecosystem components when evaluating ecosystem development due to the unique role each component plays and the impact it may have on other components. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Platinum mining activities contribute substantially to South Africa's economy since it exceeded gold as economical contributor in 2001. Mining activities contribute to large amounts of waste production in the form of tailings and rock waste, deposited in the surrounding environment of the mine premises. Mining companies are held responsible for damages caused to the surrounding environment. These companies are required to introduce the cost of ecological rehabilitation in their operation costs as well as compile an environmental management plan. Numerous attempts to rehabilitate mine waste have proven unsuccessful. New and improved rehabilitation techniques are required to facilitate in the rehabilitation of these mine spoils. Woodchip-vermicompost produced from platinum mining wastes (woodchips and sewage sludge) was used as an alternative amendment to inorganic fertilisers during the rehabilitation of platinum mine tailings. The effectiveness of the woodchip-vermicompost as an alternative amendment during the platinum mine tailings rehabilitation were monitored using different ecosystem components. A natural veldt in the vicinity of the mine area was randomly selected to serve as a reference site. These ecosystem components selected have previously been shown to be effective as indicators of ecosystem quality. The components selected for this study includes the use of microbial enzymatic activity, microbial community structure, nematode trophic structures, and other mesofaunal groups such as micro-arthropods. The physical and chemical properties of the platinum mine tailings and reference area as well as the vegetation cover of the platinum mine tailings were determined. Statistical and multivariate analyses were use to determine the correlation between the dependent microbial components and dominate independent chemical properties. Nematode trophic structure, Maturity Index, and Plant-Parasitic nematode Index were used to compare the two rehabilitation techniques in terms of nematodes as indicators. Microarthropods family structures were used to compare the two amendments in terms of diversity and abundance. Enzymatic activity was positively affected by the addition of woodchip-vermicompost, than in the sites treated with inorganic fertilisers. The microbial community structure showed no statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between the two amendments. A higher abundance of nematodes especially plant-parasitic nematodes and bacterivorous nematodes were observed in the woodchip-vermicompost sites than in the inorganic fertilised sites. According to the Maturity Index, both amendments became more enriched during the study period, while the Plant-Parasitic nematode Index showed that the carrying capacity for plantparasitic nematodes on the woodchip-vermicompost sites increased while it decreased in the inorganic fertilised sites, which can be related to the decrease in vegetation cover on the inorganic fertilised sites. Both coloniser (Prostigmata) and persister (Cryptostigmata and Mesostigmata) groups of the micro-arthropods, as well as a higher diversity of micro-arthropods, were present on the woodchip-vermicompost sites whereas the inorganic fertilised sites showed only the presence of colonisers, with a decrease in diversity and abundance of micro-arthropods over the study. The colonisation of micro-arthropods may have been affected by the addition of woodchip-vermicompost and vegetation cover, which contribute to the establishment of suitable microhabitats for these soil biota. By intercorrelating the results, it may be concluded that the addition of woodchip-vermicompost may be an essential part of the rehabilitation process, by contributing to soil organic material to the ecosystem system, which may improve the recolonisation of soil biota and ecosystem processes. However further studies need to be conducted in order to determine the long-term sustainability of the woodchip-vermicompost in providing organic material and sustaining the ecosystem processes. The study also showed the necessity to integrate various ecosystem components when evaluating ecosystem development due to the unique role each component plays and the impact it may have on other components. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.