Rain: blessing or curse for crops?

As a result of global warming, the world’s climate is changing and its effect is being felt the world over. And one of the most important parameters of climate is rainfall. Just as there is a direct relationship between climate and agriculture, so is there one between rainfall and agriculture. So, when rainfall patterns change, its effect is directly felt on cropping patterns worldwide.

An important aspect to be understood regarding the relationship between rainfall and agriculture is that rainfall is the major factor in the growth and production of food crops both at the germination and fruit development stage.

But with a change in the world’s climate, temperatures have risen and rainfall has increased in some places. In other places, rainfall has decreased. Other than the effect of high and low rainfall on cropping patterns, experts predict that phenomena such as drought and flooding will reduce the amount of land available for agriculture.

Farmers are already finding it difficult to cope with these environmental changes, as almost all crops are season-dependent and rainfall-dependent. Temperature and rainfall changes induced by climate change are likely to further react with other parameters of plant growth like fertilizers, insects, and weeds, amongst others, pundits argue.

Overall, in those parts of Namibia where water availability is set to increase due to higher rainfall, there would not be much problem. This water can be stored efficiently through earth dams, ponds and reservoirs. It will help irrigation in the surrounding areas and increase crop production.

Unfortunately, a good proportion of this excess rainfall comes with more damage than good. This is what happened in northern Namibia in 2009 when mainly the ‘Efundja’ from Angola flooded the area.

Many farmers in that area lack post-harvest storage and drying facilities and spread their unhusked grains on mats and canvas streets to dry in the sun. Due to this, the grain was of poorer quality and fetched lower prices. To add to it, the damage and excess rain made it impossible for them to plant the next crop.

Climate change being a continuous and long-term process, its effects and solutions are also time and effort consuming. Agricultural adaptation options for this can be grouped as technological developments, government programmes, farm production practices and farm financial management.

Agricultural policies and investments need to be more strategic in Africa and Asia, where most of the world’s poor communities live, and where there is a large yield gap in rain fed agriculture.

Rainfall, as we know, is an uncontrollable phenomenon. Managing the problem of low rainfall, however, is nearly possible through irrigation, but only if dealt with efficiently and without degradation to the water table, by ensuring groundwater recharge practices.

Farmers have begun falling back on traditional ways, such as reusing water from washing utensils to irrigate kitchen gardens. Many communities are also reviving traditional water harvesting, a method of storing rainwater. In some cases, farmers changed their crops to suit the prevailing conditions.

dealing with low rainfall propel us to build innovative, scientific methods to deal with such changing rainfall patterns.

Okwa didilikwa ovanafikola ve li 23 nomulongifikola umwe mosekundofikola yaGabriel Taapopi moshitukulwa shaShana va kwatwa kombutoyoCovid-19mexuliloshivike. Omukulunhufikola Sakaria Eelu okwa koleka onghundana ei.

Eeulu okwa ti ounona va kwatwa, oukadona ove li 13, oumati ove li 10 nomulongifikola omukainhu umwe.

Okwa yelifa kutya ounona ava ove li kalekelwa paife momuhandjo wofikola opo vaha ye mekwatafano navakwao nokukeelela etandavelo lombuto, omanga omulongifikola oku li keumbo laye e likalekelwa.

Omukulunhufikola ota ti ovanafikola ava inava pitikwa okuya keetundi ile okuya kekulo vaka lye. Onghee ohava twaalelwa oikulya komuhandjo wavo i li moubaki hava ekelwashi ngeenge va mane okulya.

Okwa hokolola kutya ounona ove li monghalo iwa nonande pe na ngoo vamwe vashona ovo ve li ve na omukolo neshikisha.

“Oministeli wouhaku owa tuma omiti opo ounona ava va kwatwa va pewa omiti edi opo di shiive okukwafela ovakwaita volutu lavo,” Eelu ta ti.

Ota ti ovanafikola ava okwa li va ningilwa omakonaakono ombuto ei Etine loshivike sha dja ko noidjemo yavo oye ya mOshoondaxa shomafiku 14 Febuluali 2021 tai ulike kutya ova kwatwa.

Okwa twa ovanafikola omukumo opo va kale ve li melimweneno vaha kwatwe nande komadilaadilo mai. Kovadali okwa ti nava ngungumane ashike ofikola pamwe nouministili yuukolele otava ka fiila ounona oshisho sha wana nokukwashipaleka kutya ove li meyameno.