Radical veld improvement

In the second of this two-part series, Dr Louis du Pisani, an independent specialist agricultural consultant, discusses how to improve veld to restore the natural water cycle.

- Dr Louis du Pisani

FAST FACTS

Damaged veld requires special measures known as radical veld improvement.

The first step is to restore the soil’s hydrology by breaking the impenetrable topsoil layer to improve water infiltration.

Bush control requires the assistance of a knowledgeable consultant.

Many livestock farms in South Africa suffer from resource damage such as denuded areas with little or no vegetation cover, water erosion, bush encroachment and alien plant invasion, all of which result in water wastage. In these cases, the land cannot be rehabilitated through normal grazing practices; special measures, which fall under ‘radical veld improvement’, are necessary.

RESTORATION

In bare areas, the topsoil has been removed by wind and water erosion, exposing the rock-hard subsoil with low water infiltration and leaving the soil dry and with few places where seedlings can establish themselves. The first step in the rehabilitation process, therefore, is to restore the soil’s hydrology by breaking the impenetrable topsoil layer to improve water infiltration. There are two ways of doing this, and one’s choice will depend primarily on the condition of the exposed soil (hardness and thickness) and the size of the bare area.

• Hoof action or use of organic matter

Where bare patches are few and relatively small, and the topsoil can be broken by the trampling effect of animal hooves, the loosening process can be done by concentrating a high number of livestock on it for short periods. This is known as hoof action.