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Mokhele Moeletsi
Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga, Polokwane 0727, South Africa

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Journal article
Published: 11 August 2021 in Sustainability
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The purpose of this study was to assess women’s decision-making power in small-scale agriculture in six African countries in view of the feminization of agriculture and to discuss the meaning of decision-making in relation to women’s empowerment and sustainability. The data are drawn from a multisite and mixed-method agricultural research and development project in six sub-Saharan countries including two sites in each country. The five domains of empowerment outlined in the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index are used to structure the analysis. The results indicate that in the selected sites in Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa, women farmers tend to dominate agricultural decision-making, while the result is more mixed in the Kenyan sites, and decision-making tends to be dominated by men in the sites in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Despite women participating in agricultural decision-making, the qualitative results show that women small-scale farmers were not perceived to be empowered in any of the country sites. It appears that the feminization of agriculture leads to women playing a more important role in decision-making but also to more responsibilities and heavier workloads without necessarily resulting in improvements in well-being outcomes that would enhance sustainability.

ACS Style

Ruth Haug; Dismas L. Mwaseba; Donald Njarui; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mufunanji Magalasi; Mupenzi Mutimura; Feyisa Hundessa; Julie T. Aamodt. Feminization of African Agriculture and the Meaning of Decision-Making for Empowerment and Sustainability. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8993 .

AMA Style

Ruth Haug, Dismas L. Mwaseba, Donald Njarui, Mokhele Moeletsi, Mufunanji Magalasi, Mupenzi Mutimura, Feyisa Hundessa, Julie T. Aamodt. Feminization of African Agriculture and the Meaning of Decision-Making for Empowerment and Sustainability. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8993.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ruth Haug; Dismas L. Mwaseba; Donald Njarui; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mufunanji Magalasi; Mupenzi Mutimura; Feyisa Hundessa; Julie T. Aamodt. 2021. "Feminization of African Agriculture and the Meaning of Decision-Making for Empowerment and Sustainability." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8993.

Journal article
Published: 14 May 2021 in Land
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Climate change has proved to be a threat to food security the world over. Using temperature and precipitation data, this paper examines the differential effects climate change has on different land uses in the Luvuvhu river catchment in South Africa. The paper uses the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), which were calculated from Landsat images, and the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) for a sample of years between 1980 and 2016 to assess how drought and flood frequency have affected the agricultural environment. The results indicate that the lowest SPI values were recorded in 1996/1997, 2001/2002 and 2014/2015, suggesting the occurrence of drought during these years, while the highest SPI values were recorded in 1997/1998, 2002/2003 and 2004/2005. The relationship between three-month SPI (SPI_3) and VCI was strongest in grassland, and subsistence farming areas with the correlation coefficients of 0.8166 (p = 0.0022) and −0.6172 (p = 0.0431), respectively, indicating that rainfall variability had a high negative impact on vegetation health in those land uses with shallow-rooted plants. The findings of this study are relevant to disaster management planning in South Africa, as well as development of farming response strategies for coping with climate hazards in the country.

ACS Style

Geoffrey Mukwada; Sabelo Mazibuko; Mokhele Moeletsi; Guy Robinson. Can Famine Be Averted? A Spatiotemporal Assessment of The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security in The Luvuvhu River Catchment of South Africa. Land 2021, 10, 527 .

AMA Style

Geoffrey Mukwada, Sabelo Mazibuko, Mokhele Moeletsi, Guy Robinson. Can Famine Be Averted? A Spatiotemporal Assessment of The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security in The Luvuvhu River Catchment of South Africa. Land. 2021; 10 (5):527.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Geoffrey Mukwada; Sabelo Mazibuko; Mokhele Moeletsi; Guy Robinson. 2021. "Can Famine Be Averted? A Spatiotemporal Assessment of The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security in The Luvuvhu River Catchment of South Africa." Land 10, no. 5: 527.

Journal article
Published: 05 May 2021 in World
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The problem addressed in this paper is the challenge of moving from formulating policy goals to achieving the promised results. The purpose is to assess the possible role of innovation in agriculture as a way of contributing towards achieving the Malabo Declaration commitments and the zero hunger Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) in six African countries. Since the SDGs are high on both international and many national agendas, there is a need to increase our knowledge of how to move beyond formulating goals. The approach includes both quantitative and qualitative data from a multisite research and development project. Moving from promises in relation to policy goals such as SDG2 and the Malabo Declaration to actions that make a difference at local level is a challenging task, and COVID-19 has added negatively to that challenge. Technological and institutional innovations exist that have the potential to improve the agricultural productivity, food security, and income levels of smallholder men and women farmers. However, innovation processes are hindered by barriers related to governmental, economic, knowledge-based, socio-cultural, and resource-based factors. To overcome these barriers, governance needs to go further than defining goals, and proceed to the next step of establishing effective implementation mechanisms that ensure the promised result.

ACS Style

Ruth Haug; Susan Nchimbi-Msolla; Alice Murage; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mufunanji Magalasi; Mupenzi Mutimura; Feyisa Hundessa; Luca Cacchiarelli; Ola Westengen. From Policy Promises to Result through Innovation in African Agriculture? World 2021, 2, 253 -266.

AMA Style

Ruth Haug, Susan Nchimbi-Msolla, Alice Murage, Mokhele Moeletsi, Mufunanji Magalasi, Mupenzi Mutimura, Feyisa Hundessa, Luca Cacchiarelli, Ola Westengen. From Policy Promises to Result through Innovation in African Agriculture? World. 2021; 2 (2):253-266.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ruth Haug; Susan Nchimbi-Msolla; Alice Murage; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mufunanji Magalasi; Mupenzi Mutimura; Feyisa Hundessa; Luca Cacchiarelli; Ola Westengen. 2021. "From Policy Promises to Result through Innovation in African Agriculture?" World 2, no. 2: 253-266.

Journal article
Published: 03 February 2021 in Environmental Research
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Livestock is a major producer of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa. Cattle methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation is the main source of the emissions. However, due to shortage of information to guide agricultural mitigation plans in the country, the main objective of this study is to investigate causal factors of the emissions from cattle in all nine national provinces. This study calculates provincial CH4 emission factors and factors (i.e. nitrogen excretion rate and average annual nitrogen excretion per animal) required for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from cattle manure management. The study further uses these factors and other values obtained from the literature to calculate cattle CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management. It also provides similar N2O emissions from manure management as well as urine and dung deposited on the pasture, range and paddock. The emissions are calculated for each cattle type: commercial dairy, commercial beef, subsistence and feedlot cattle. Cattle in South Africa produced a total of 35.37 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions in 2019, inclusive of emissions from pasture, range and paddock. Methane from enteric fermentation accounts for 64.54% of the total emissions followed by emissions from pasture, range and paddock (27.66%). Manure management contributes 4.34% of N2O to the total emissions while this source also produces 3.45% of CH4 emissions. Commercial beef is responsible for 50.21% of the total emissions, followed by subsistence beef (36.72%), commercial dairy (10.52%) and feedlot cattle (2.52%). The Eastern Cape province is the highest producer of cattle emissions with 8.66 Mt CO2e, a quarter of the emissions. It is followed by KwaZulu-Natal (7.14 Mt CO2e, 20%) and the Free State (5.65 Mt CO2e, 16%). Gauteng province is responsible for the lowest producer of the emissions with 0.71 Mt CO2e (2%) of the total. South Africa's emission factors are higher than values for Africa, indicating importance of developing national factors to avoid uncertainties in emissions. As a result of national landscape and environmental conditions, the eastern provinces of the country are major sources of cattle emissions in the country.

ACS Style

Mphethe I. Tongwane; Mokhele E. Moeletsi. Provincial cattle carbon emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in South Africa. Environmental Research 2021, 195, 110833 .

AMA Style

Mphethe I. Tongwane, Mokhele E. Moeletsi. Provincial cattle carbon emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in South Africa. Environmental Research. 2021; 195 ():110833.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mphethe I. Tongwane; Mokhele E. Moeletsi. 2021. "Provincial cattle carbon emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in South Africa." Environmental Research 195, no. : 110833.

Journal article
Published: 16 September 2020 in Agriculture
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This study was undertaken to understand the smallholder farmer’s perception of the effects of climate variability, their adaptation strategies to cope with climate variability and factors determining the adoption of their adaptation strategies in the eastern Free State Province of South Africa. Adaptation strategies were grouped into two categories, i.e., traditional adaptation strategies and scientific adaptation strategies. Traditional adaptation strategies consisted of practices that require minimal technical expertise and less external inputs such as changing from crops to livestock, crop diversification, increasing land under production, changing crop type and water harvesting. Scientific adaptation strategies consisted of practices that require additional external inputs, labour, and some level of technical expertise such as changing crop variety, improving soil fertility and soil conservation. Data were collected from 391 smallholder farmers using a structured household questionnaire and were verified through focus group discussion meetings with key informants. Data were analysed using the descriptive statistics, frequency analysis and a binary logistic model. Results indicated that the majority of smallholder farmers perceived that climate change had triggered food-related impacts in the study area and had adopted at least one adaptation strategy. This study showed that awareness and knowledge were the key factors that determined the adoption of traditional adaptation strategies in the study area. The adoption of scientific adaptation strategies was additionally determined by the availability of external financial investments. It is recommended that the promotion of traditional practices should focus on raising awareness of climate change and adaptation strategies while the promotion of scientific practices additionally requires the provision and accessibility of financial institutional support and incentives.

ACS Style

Lindumusa Myeni; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Factors Determining the Adoption of Strategies Used by Smallholder Farmers to Cope with Climate Variability in the Eastern Free State, South Africa. Agriculture 2020, 10, 410 .

AMA Style

Lindumusa Myeni, Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Factors Determining the Adoption of Strategies Used by Smallholder Farmers to Cope with Climate Variability in the Eastern Free State, South Africa. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (9):410.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lindumusa Myeni; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. 2020. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Strategies Used by Smallholder Farmers to Cope with Climate Variability in the Eastern Free State, South Africa." Agriculture 10, no. 9: 410.

Online first articles
Published: 22 June 2020 in South African Journal of Plant and Soil
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Soil micro-organisms influence soil ecosystem processes and properties. Their influence can be modified by cultivation practices, which affect their interaction with cultivated plants as well as soil physical and chemical properties. The study investigated differences in soil microbial activities between cultivated maize fields with a bioslurry application and non-cultivated land. Bioslurry crust and soil samples were collected from two farms located in the Free State province of South Africa. For soil microbial analysis, which included functional diversity and soil microbial enzymatic activity, soil samples were collected from the maize fields where bioslurry was applied and outside where no bioslurry was applied, as a reference. Liquid bioslurry and bioslurry sediment were scooped separately from digesters on the same farms for nutrient analysis. Community substrate utilisation profiles were assessed using Biolog EcoPlatesTM to determine functional diversity. Soil microbial enzymatic activities were assayed by measuring β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and urease activities in the soil. The bioslurry crust had the highest nutrient content in comparison to bioslurry and bioslurry sediment. Principal component analysis showed differences in carbon source utilisation profiles between the different samples. Soil microbial populations present in the bioslurry crust and soil supplied with bioslurry were more similar, compared to those present in the untreated soil. The bioslurry crust sample demonstrated the highest overall enzyme activities. The study showed that the bioslurry and bioslurry crust could be used as organic soil amendments, with positive effects on soil health and fertility, contributing towards sustainability of the environment and ultimately to food security.

ACS Style

Motiki M Mofokeng; Johan Habig; Stephen O. Amoo; Christian P Du Plooy; Phatu W Mashela; Mokhele E Moeletsi; Sonja Venter; Hintsa T Araya. Differences in soil microbial communities and enzyme activity due to the application of bioslurry under cultivation. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 2020, 37, 283 -291.

AMA Style

Motiki M Mofokeng, Johan Habig, Stephen O. Amoo, Christian P Du Plooy, Phatu W Mashela, Mokhele E Moeletsi, Sonja Venter, Hintsa T Araya. Differences in soil microbial communities and enzyme activity due to the application of bioslurry under cultivation. South African Journal of Plant and Soil. 2020; 37 (4):283-291.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Motiki M Mofokeng; Johan Habig; Stephen O. Amoo; Christian P Du Plooy; Phatu W Mashela; Mokhele E Moeletsi; Sonja Venter; Hintsa T Araya. 2020. "Differences in soil microbial communities and enzyme activity due to the application of bioslurry under cultivation." South African Journal of Plant and Soil 37, no. 4: 283-291.

Journal article
Published: 04 June 2020 in Atmosphere
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There are genuine worldwide concerns regarding the contribution of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Passenger electric vehicles (EVs) are considered as a viable solution to the rapidly increasing global GHG emissions from ICE vehicles. This study investigated the future impact of perceived adoption of electric vehicles in Gauteng Province of South Africa on carbon emissions. Estimations of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were made with data from 2000 to 2018 to provide a reference period for the analysis. Projections of CO2 emissions from 2020 to 2030 were undertaken using three future cases, namely: mitigation, business as usual, and high economic growth based on the projected 20% population of electric vehicles, and four scenarios representing varying proportions of different types of EVs. The results showed an increasingly significant trend in CO2 emissions during the reference period. CO2 emissions estimated using the mitigation case showed an overall reduction in emissions of between 30% and 35%, depending on the scenario. The business as usual case showed an increase in emissions of 1–5% by 2030. The high economic growth case showed a high increase in CO2 emissions of 35–41% by 2030. The study indicates a need to accelerate the adoption of EVs with a 20% projection of the vehicle population still not enough to make a meaningful contribution towards decreasing CO2 emissions from passenger vehicles.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. Projected Direct Carbon Dioxide Emission Reductions as a Result of the Adoption of Electric Vehicles in Gauteng Province of South Africa. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 1 .

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. Projected Direct Carbon Dioxide Emission Reductions as a Result of the Adoption of Electric Vehicles in Gauteng Province of South Africa. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (6):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. 2020. "Projected Direct Carbon Dioxide Emission Reductions as a Result of the Adoption of Electric Vehicles in Gauteng Province of South Africa." Atmosphere 11, no. 6: 1.

Journal article
Published: 03 July 2019 in Climate
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Incomplete climate records pose a major challenge to decision makers that utilize climate data as one of their main inputs. In this study, different climate data infilling methods (arithmetic averaging, inverse distance weighting, UK traditional, normal ratio and multiple regression) were evaluated against measured daily minimum and maximum temperatures. Eight target stations that are evenly distributed in Limpopo province, South Africa, were used. The objective was to recommend the best approach that results in lowest errors. The optimum number of buddy/neighboring weather stations required for best estimate for each of the approaches was determined. The evaluation indices employed in this study were the correlation coefficient (r), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), accuracy rate (AR) and mean bias error (MBE). The results showed high correlation (r > 0.92) for all the stations, different methods and varying number of neighboring stations utilised. The MAE [RMSE] for the best performing methods (multiple regression and UK traditional) of estimating daily minimum temperature and maximum temperature was less than 1.8 °C [2.3 °C] and 1.0 °C [1.6 °C], respectively. The AR technique showed the MR method as the best approach of estimating daily minimum and maximum temperatures. The other recommended methods are the UK traditional and normal ratio. The MBEs for the arithmetic averaging and inverse-distance weighing techniques are large, indicating either over- or underestimating of the air temperature in the province. Based on the low values for the error estimating statistics, these data infilling methods for daily minimum and maximum air temperatures using neighboring stations data can be utilised to complete the datasets that are used in various applications.

ACS Style

Zakhele Phumlani Shabalala; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Sabelo Marvin Mazibuko. Evaluation of Infilling Methods for Time Series of Daily Temperature Data: Case Study of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Climate 2019, 7, 86 .

AMA Style

Zakhele Phumlani Shabalala, Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Isaac Tongwane, Sabelo Marvin Mazibuko. Evaluation of Infilling Methods for Time Series of Daily Temperature Data: Case Study of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Climate. 2019; 7 (7):86.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zakhele Phumlani Shabalala; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Sabelo Marvin Mazibuko. 2019. "Evaluation of Infilling Methods for Time Series of Daily Temperature Data: Case Study of Limpopo Province, South Africa." Climate 7, no. 7: 86.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2019 in Sustainability
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Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) are the most promising pathways to enhance the productivity and resilience of agricultural production of smallholder farming systems while conserving the natural resources. This study was undertaken to identify the barriers affecting sustainable agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in the eastern Free State, South Africa. Data were collected from 359 smallholder farmers using questionnaires and the validity of the collected data was confirmed through focus group discussions with key informants. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyze data. Results indicated that traditional SAPs such as intercropping, mulching and crop rotation were more likely to be adopted by farmers with access to land yet without access to credit (and had low levels of education, although this finding was not significant). In contrast, new SAPs such as cover cropping, minimum-tillage, tied ridging and planting pits were more knowledge (education), capital and labor intensive. Therefore, extension strategies should take these differences into consideration when promoting both the adoption of traditional SAPs and new SAPs. Targeting resource-constrained farmers (in terms of access to credit and education) through raising awareness and building capacity is essential to ensure the adoption of traditional SAPs. In turn, promoting the adoption of new SAPs not only needs awareness raising and capacity building but also must fundamentally address resource constraints of South African smallholder farmers such as knowledge, capital and labor. It is recommended that government should provide resources and infrastructure to improve the quality and outreach of extension services through field demonstration trials and training.

ACS Style

Lindumusa Myeni; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mulalo Thavhana; Mulalo Randela; Lebohang Mokoena. Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3003 .

AMA Style

Lindumusa Myeni, Mokhele Moeletsi, Mulalo Thavhana, Mulalo Randela, Lebohang Mokoena. Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (11):3003.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lindumusa Myeni; Mokhele Moeletsi; Mulalo Thavhana; Mulalo Randela; Lebohang Mokoena. 2019. "Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa." Sustainability 11, no. 11: 3003.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2019 in Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
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ACS Style

K.M. Nape; P. Magama; M.E. Moeletsi; M.I. Tongwane; P.M. Nakana; V.K. Mliswa; M. Motsepe; S. Madikiza. Introduction of household biogas digesters in rural farming households of the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality, South Africa. Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 2019, 30, 1 .

AMA Style

K.M. Nape, P. Magama, M.E. Moeletsi, M.I. Tongwane, P.M. Nakana, V.K. Mliswa, M. Motsepe, S. Madikiza. Introduction of household biogas digesters in rural farming households of the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality, South Africa. Journal of Energy in Southern Africa. 2019; 30 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

K.M. Nape; P. Magama; M.E. Moeletsi; M.I. Tongwane; P.M. Nakana; V.K. Mliswa; M. Motsepe; S. Madikiza. 2019. "Introduction of household biogas digesters in rural farming households of the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality, South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 30, no. 2: 1.

Protocols and methods
Published: 23 October 2017 in 3 Biotech
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The anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic waste for biogas production has received much attention in recent years due to the increasing need for renewable energy and environmentally friendly waste management systems. Identification of the microbial community involved in AD aids in better understanding and optimising of the process. The choice of DNA extraction method is an integral step in any molecular biodiversity study. In the present study, potential biases introduced by DNA extraction methods were examined by comparing quality, quantity and representability of DNA extracted from AD samples using various extraction methods. In spite of the non-kit based method (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) yielding the largest quantity of DNA (approximately 44 µg DNA per gram dry weight), the extracted DNA contained PCR inhibitors. Furthermore, the quantity of extracted DNA was not proportional to species diversity. Diversity, determined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), was strongly linked to the type of extraction method used. The spin-column filter-based kit that incorporated mechanical and chemical lysis (Macherey-Nagel kit) gave the best results in terms of bacterial and archaeal diversity (Shannon–Wiener indices: average 2.5 and 2.6, respectively). Furthermore, this kit was the most effective at lysing hard-to-lyse bacterial and archaeal cells. The choice of DNA extraction method significantly influences the reliability and comparability of results obtained during AD microbial ecology investigations. Moreover, the careful selection of the DNA extraction method is of particular importance when analysing AD samples since these samples are rich in PCR inhibitors and hard-to-lyse cells such as archaea and gram-positive bacteria.

ACS Style

Ashira Roopnarain; Mashudu Mukhuba; Rasheed Adeleke; Mokhele Moeletsi. Biases during DNA extraction affect bacterial and archaeal community profile of anaerobic digestion samples. 3 Biotech 2017, 7, 375 -375.

AMA Style

Ashira Roopnarain, Mashudu Mukhuba, Rasheed Adeleke, Mokhele Moeletsi. Biases during DNA extraction affect bacterial and archaeal community profile of anaerobic digestion samples. 3 Biotech. 2017; 7 (6):375-375.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ashira Roopnarain; Mashudu Mukhuba; Rasheed Adeleke; Mokhele Moeletsi. 2017. "Biases during DNA extraction affect bacterial and archaeal community profile of anaerobic digestion samples." 3 Biotech 7, no. 6: 375-375.

Research article
Published: 26 July 2017 in Advances in Meteorology
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Frost is one of the devastating agroclimatological hazards affecting crop production in the Free State Province of South Africa. In this study, frost (0°C threshold) probabilities within different growing periods starting from the first dekad of October to the third dekad of February for a 100-day, 120-day, and 140-day crop were determined. The data used in the investigation was daily minimum temperature obtained from 55 weather stations located in and around the Free State Province with data from 1950 to 2010. The results show high spatial and temporal variability of frost within the different growing periods. The western, central, northern, and northwestern parts of the province have the longest planting window for all the growing lengths from mid-October to mid-January. The eastern, northeastern, southern, and southeastern parts of Free State have the highest frost risk with shortened planting window mostly from the first dekad of November to the second dekad of December. Thus, careful consideration of frost incidences is important for successful crop production in this area.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. Spatiotemporal Variation of Frost within Growing Periods. Advances in Meteorology 2017, 2017, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. Spatiotemporal Variation of Frost within Growing Periods. Advances in Meteorology. 2017; 2017 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. 2017. "Spatiotemporal Variation of Frost within Growing Periods." Advances in Meteorology 2017, no. : 1-11.

Case report
Published: 16 May 2017 in Atmosphere
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Methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation is one of the main anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in South Africa. Livestock population data from 1990 to 2014 and emission factors were utilized in estimating CH4 emissions as per the 2006 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) guidelines. CH4 emissions originating from country-specific emission factors were compared with those calculated using IPCC default emission factors. Trends in emissions were then determined using the Man-Kendall trend test at the 5% significance level. The results showed annual total enteric CH4 emissions exceeding 1171.56 Gg (in 1995) with an average (1990 to 2014) of 1227.96 Gg. Non-dairy cattle are the highest emitters with an average of 873.07 Gg (71.10%) while sheep are the second highest with 227.61 Gg (18.54%). Other contributors are dairy cattle, goats, horses, pigs and donkeys with an average (percentage contribution) of 85.94 Gg (7.00%), 32.06 Gg (2.61%), 4.86 Gg (0.40%), 2.77 Gg (0.23%) and 1.65 Gg (0.13%), respectively. The trend analysis revealed positive trends for all the livestock categories, except sheep and goats which showed negative trends, consequently balancing out. The results obtained for the year 2014 were 37% higher than the enteric CH4 emissions in 1990, 1994 and 2000 inventories and the emissions estimated entirely from IPCC default emission factors. This demonstrates the need for the development of Tier 2 emission factors for key category sectors such as cattle and sheep in South Africa. To fully adhere to the principles of GHG inventory accounting, there has to be total livestock inclusivity and major improvements in activity data collection.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Mitsuru Tsubo. Enteric Methane Emissions Estimate for Livestock in South Africa for 1990–2014. Atmosphere 2017, 8, 69 .

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Isaac Tongwane, Mitsuru Tsubo. Enteric Methane Emissions Estimate for Livestock in South Africa for 1990–2014. Atmosphere. 2017; 8 (12):69.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Mitsuru Tsubo. 2017. "Enteric Methane Emissions Estimate for Livestock in South Africa for 1990–2014." Atmosphere 8, no. 12: 69.

Research article
Published: 19 March 2017 in Advances in Meteorology
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Temperature is one of the important environmental parameters that determines the development of a crop from one stage to another. It is integral in the calculation of heat units. In this study, the thermal index concept is used to determine the length of the growing period of short season, medium season, and medium-late season maize crop varieties for different sowing dates (1st dekad of October to 1st dekad of January). The results show high spatiotemporal variation in the median growing period for all three maize varieties. The length of the growing period for the short, medium, and medium-late season varieties is relatively short during October to early December with values in some areas of less than 100, 120, and 120 days, respectively. The duration of the planting period increases exponentially in most places starting from the 2nd dekad of November to 2nd dekad of December, depending on the region and crop variety. Long growing periods are likely to align maize growing period with dates of high frost risk and water shortages. Thus, appropriate choice of sowing date taking into consideration the thermal time requirements of the cultivar is crucial for proper growth and development of the maize crop.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Mapping of Maize Growing Period over the Free State Province of South Africa: Heat Units Approach. Advances in Meteorology 2017, 2017, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Mapping of Maize Growing Period over the Free State Province of South Africa: Heat Units Approach. Advances in Meteorology. 2017; 2017 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. 2017. "Mapping of Maize Growing Period over the Free State Province of South Africa: Heat Units Approach." Advances in Meteorology 2017, no. : 1-11.

Research article
Published: 05 September 2016 in Advances in Meteorology
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The study investigated the cessation, onset, and duration of light, medium, and heavy frost in Free State province of South Africa using minimum temperatures from 1960 to 2015. Trends in the frost indices were assessed using the Man-Kendall test. Onset of frost varied spatially with earlier onset over the northern, eastern, and southeastern parts. Areas of early onset also experience late cessation of frost resulting in shorter growing period of less than 240 days. The western parts have longer growing period exceeding 240 days due to earlier cessation of frost and relatively late onset of frost. Trends for the frost-free period (growing period) show contrasting negative and positive trends with isolated significant trends.1. IntroductionMaize (Zea mays) is a major crop in Sub-Saharan Africa as it forms a staple food of most people in the region [1]. South Africa is amongst the ten highest maize producing countries in the world with an average of 12 million tonnes per year, contributing approximately 2% of the world’s maize production [2]. Free State province produces over 35% of the maize in South Africa [3]. However, the average maize yield for the province varies greatly from one year to another, mainly, due to climate variability [4]. Overall the environmental conditions and natural resources of Free State are conducive for maize production but there are also agroclimatological hazards that have a detrimental effect on production [4, 5]. These restrictive occurrences include drought, late cessation of frost that damages early planted crops, early onset of frost affecting crops at later stages of their growth, sporadic hail occurrence, and low temperatures during the growing period resulting in reduced maize crop production [6, 7].Apart from drought, farmers consider frost as the major hazard that influences their year to year production [8]. On an annual basis across most frost-prone countries, onset of frost in autumn and cessation of frost in spring cause damage to late planted or long-season crops and early planted crops during the early vegetative stage, respectively [9]. There are four main characteristics of frosts: the onset of frost or first frost date, cessation of frost or last frost date, duration of the frost-free or frost period, and the frequency of frosts. The cessation of frost in southern Africa marks the beginning of the growing period which occurs mostly during the months of September and October, while the onset of frost indicates that the growing period of most summer crops is coming to an end, which normally occurs in April, May, and June [5]. Studies by Tait and Zheng [10], Rahimi et al. [11], and Varshavian et al. [9] emphasized the importance of frost analyses, especially how knowledge about the frequency and timing of frosts will help reduce the risk of damage in frost vulnerable areas as well as minimizing future frost damage. Due to the interannual variability of frost, continuous updating of frost dates is necessary to reflect recent climatic events [12].Different temperature thresholds are used for determining frost. For example, Zenoni et al. [13] studied the risk related to late frost using five different thresholds (−1°C, −2°C, −3°C, −4°C, and −5°C). Hejazizadeh and Naserzadeh [14] categorized frost as weak (0°C to 2°C), moderate (−2°C to −4°C), or severe (below −4°C) in Iran. Trasmonte et al. [15] studied the frost risk in the Mantaro River basin of Peru using the following limits: 5°C, 2.5°C, 0°C, −2°C, and −4°C. The threshold to use has to be specific according to a crop of interest but different thresholds can also be used to show severity of frost risk or to accommodate a variety of crops. Grain crops including maize freeze at temperatures below 0°C, so a screen temperature of 0°C is a suitable indicator of damaging frost [16]. The critical temperature for maize is between −1°C and −2°C [17]. Trasmonte et al. [15] used the 5°C threshold to determine the frost risk analysis for the maize crop due to its sensitivity to low temperatures.The risk of frost varies greatly in Free State province due to the contrasting topography and geographical aspect. Thus, there is a need to investigate the variability of the frost indices in the region and their impact on agricultural production. In this study, frost risk for dryland maize production in Free State was assessed using three thresholds: −2°C, 0°C, and 2°C. These thresholds have been determined based on previous studies in other regions [11, 13–17]. Three main indices were determined for each threshold: onset of frost, cessation of frost, and duration of frost-free period. Trends in these indices were assessed at selected stations in Free State with data from 1960 to 2015.2. Data and Methods2.1. DataAll the data used was obtained from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the South African Weather Service (SAWS). The daily minimum temperature dataset was used in the analysis for determination of frost risk assessment in Free State province. The data used in the study was recorded inside a Stevenson screen elevated at 1.3 m above ground level. The data was arranged by agricultural season (July to June). Nine stations scattered in different parts of the province were selected with data efficiency exceeding 70% from 1960 to 2015 (Figure 1; Table 1).Table 1: Information for climate stations in Free State province used in the frost assessment study.Figure 1: Distribution of the weather stations used in the analysis of frost in Free State province of South Africa.Where necessary, the data was patched with the UK traditional method which uses the nearest neighbour stations (up to five) to determine average temperature values in a particular month and then uses the differences (target station long-term mean temperature – neighbour station long-term mean temperature) in values to patch within that month [18]. A patched value is taken from the average of all the predicted values from each nearby station.2.2. Methods2.2.1. Determination of Frost OccurrenceThe data was arranged according to agricultural season from July to June of the following year. For each season the last day of frost in spring (cessation of frost) and the first day of frost in autumn (onset of frost) were determined at each of the stations and for each year. Screen temperatures of greater than 0°C upper bounded by 2°C are considered as light frost. Minimum temperatures recorded on the screen greater than −2°C upper bounded by 0°C are considered as medium frost, while minimum temperatures of −2°C or lower represent heavy frost. The frost dates were converted to Julian days to facilitate statistical computations. The frost-free period for each agricultural season was then calculated for light, medium, and heavy frost occurrences as the number of days between last and first frost. The frost-free period is the most important index which marks the length of the growing period for most crops in the high lying regions.2.2.2. Statistical AnalysisMinitab software was used to determine the appropriate probability distribution for all the variables (onset, cessation, and frost period) at each station. All the data for different frost indices at thresholds were tested for the following distributions at 95% confidence level: Normal, LogNormal, Gamma, Exponential, Weibull, Logistic, and LogLogistic. The best distribution was selected based on the highest significant (>0.05) values. The onset of frost, cessation of frost, and frost-free period were determined for different probability levels based on the selected distribution to assess frost occurrence in Free State province. To clearly show the risk associated with the onset of frost, cessation of frost, frost period, and frost-free period, the exceedance probability was used for the cessation of frost while the nonexceedance probability was used for the other frost indices.2.2.3. Trends in Frost IncidencesTo determine whether there are trends in the onset of frost, cessation of frost, and duration of frost, the Man-Kendall test was carried out at 95% and 90% confidence levels.3. ResultsFrost indices varied widely throughout Free State province. The analysis of frost probabilities is at 20%, 50%, and 80% nonexceeding/exceeding showing a return period of 4 in 5 years for nonexceeding(1 in 5 years for exceeding), 1 in 2 years, and 1 in 5 years for nonexceeding (4 in 5 years for exceeding), respectively.3.1. Distribution FittingThe best-fit distribution for the cessation of frost at 2°C, 0°C, and −2°C is LogNormal, LogNormal, and Normal, respectively (Table 2). Onset of frost for all the thresholds mainly followed the Normal distribution in Free State province. Normal distribution was the dominant distribution for the duration of frost followed by the Weibull distribution which is mostly evident at the frost threshold of 0°C. These distributions were significant at 95% confidence level and showed highest values amongst all the distributions. Figure 2 shows an example of probability fitting for the Bethlehem station. The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test yielded a value of 0.76 for the Normal distribution which is significant at 95%.Table 2: Distribution fitting of frost indices at different thresholds (2°C, 0°C, and −2°C).Figure 2: Probability fit with Normal distribution for cessation of light frost in Bethlehem.3.2. Cessation of FrostCessation of frost in Free State as shown in Figure 3 and Table 3 occurs earliest in the areas surrounding Virginia and Bothaville over northern parts of the province with exceedance probability of 20%, 50%, and 80% for light (medium) [heavy] frost on or after 1 October, 16 September, and 17 August (12 September, 1 September, and 17 August) [26 August, 14 August, and 28 July]. Occurrence of light (medium) [heavy] frost is mostly on or after 16 October, 30 September, and 13 September (25 September, 7 September, and 26 August) [8 September, 24 August, and 10 August] at 20%, 50%, and 80% excee

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Tongwane; Mitsuru Tsubo. The Study of Frost Occurrence in Free State Province of South Africa. Advances in Meteorology 2016, 2016, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Tongwane, Mitsuru Tsubo. The Study of Frost Occurrence in Free State Province of South Africa. Advances in Meteorology. 2016; 2016 ():1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Tongwane; Mitsuru Tsubo. 2016. "The Study of Frost Occurrence in Free State Province of South Africa." Advances in Meteorology 2016, no. : 1-9.

Case report
Published: 31 March 2015 in Animals
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Livestock manure management is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in South Africa producing mainly methane and nitrous oxide. The emissions from this sub-category are dependent on how manure is stored. Liquid-stored manure predominantly produces methane while dry-based manure enhances mainly production of nitrous oxide. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines were utilized at different tier levels in estimating GHG emissions from manure management. The results show that methane emissions are relatively higher than nitrous oxide emissions with 3104 Gg and 2272 Gg respectively in carbon dioxide global warming equivalent. Manure management in livestock makes a significant contribution towards greenhouse gas emissions in the Agriculture; Forestry and Other Land Use category in South Africa. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions are prevalent in contrasting manure management systems; promoting anaerobic and aerobic conditions respectively. In this paper; both Tier 1 and modified Tier 2 approaches of the IPCC guidelines are utilized to estimate the emissions from South African livestock manure management. Activity data (animal population, animal weights, manure management systems, etc.) were sourced from various resources for estimation of both emissions factors and emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. The results show relatively high methane emissions factors from manure management for mature female dairy cattle (40.98 kg/year/animal), sows (25.23 kg/year/animal) and boars (25.23 kg/year/animal). Hence, contributions for pig farming and dairy cattle are the highest at 54.50 Gg and 32.01 Gg respectively, with total emissions of 134.97 Gg (3104 Gg CO2 Equivalent). Total nitrous oxide emissions are estimated at 7.10 Gg (2272 Gg CO2 Equivalent) and the three main contributors are commercial beef cattle; poultry and small-scale beef farming at 1.80 Gg; 1.72 Gg and 1.69 Gg respectively. Mitigation options from manure management must be taken with care due to divergent conducive requirements of methane and nitrous oxide emissions requirements.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. 2004 Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Manure Management in South Africa. Animals 2015, 5, 193 -205.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. 2004 Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Manure Management in South Africa. Animals. 2015; 5 (2):193-205.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Mphethe Isaac Tongwane. 2015. "2004 Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Manure Management in South Africa." Animals 5, no. 2: 193-205.

Journal article
Published: 18 June 2014 in Theoretical and Applied Climatology
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Intra-seasonal rainfall distribution was identified as a priority gap that needs to be addressed for southern Africa to cope with agro-meteorological risks. The region in the northwest of Lesotho is appropriate for crop cultivation due to its relatively favourable climatic conditions and soils. High rainfall variability is often blamed for poor agricultural production in this region. This study aims to determine the onset of rains, cessation of rains and rainy season duration using historical climate data. Temporal variability of these rainy season characteristics was also investigated. The earliest and latest onset dates of the rainy season are during the last week of October at Butha-Buthe and the third week of November at Mapoteng, respectively. Cessation of the season is predominantly in the first week of April making the season approximately 137–163 days long depending on the location. Average seasonal rainfall ranged from 474 mm at Mapoteng to 668 mm at Butha-Buthe. Onset and cessation of the rainfall season vary by 4–7 weeks and 1 week, respectively. Mean coefficient of variation of seasonal rainfall is 39 %, but monthly variations are higher. These variations make annual crop management and planning difficult each year. Trends show a decrease in the rainfall amounts but improvements in both the temporal distribution of annual rainfall, onset and cessation dates.

ACS Style

Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Intra-seasonal rainfall variability during the maize growing season in the northern lowlands of Lesotho. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 2014, 120, 575 -585.

AMA Style

Mphethe Isaac Tongwane, Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. Intra-seasonal rainfall variability during the maize growing season in the northern lowlands of Lesotho. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2014; 120 (3-4):575-585.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mphethe Isaac Tongwane; Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi. 2014. "Intra-seasonal rainfall variability during the maize growing season in the northern lowlands of Lesotho." Theoretical and Applied Climatology 120, no. 3-4: 575-585.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2013 in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
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Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Seboko Gerard Moopisa; Sue Walker; Mitsuru Tsubo. Development of an agroclimatological risk tool for dryland maize production in the Free State Province of South Africa. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2013, 95, 108 -121.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Seboko Gerard Moopisa, Sue Walker, Mitsuru Tsubo. Development of an agroclimatological risk tool for dryland maize production in the Free State Province of South Africa. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 2013; 95 ():108-121.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Seboko Gerard Moopisa; Sue Walker; Mitsuru Tsubo. 2013. "Development of an agroclimatological risk tool for dryland maize production in the Free State Province of South Africa." Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 95, no. : 108-121.

Articles
Published: 01 April 2013 in The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
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Purpose: New innovative ways of communicating agrometeorological information are needed to help farmers, especially subsistence/small-scale farmers, to cope with the high climate variability experienced in most parts of southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The article introduces an early warning system for farmers. It utilizes short messaging system (SMS) to convey weather information and basic agronomic advice to 12 small-scale farmers in Makhado Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. This case study demonstrates the usefulness of incorporating weather information on day-to-day farm management activities. Coded rainfall forecasts for light (0–5mm), medium (5–20mm) and heavy rainfall (>20mm) were distributed three times a week to individual farmers and extension officers. Accompanying the forecasts were possible agricultural activities for the week. Findings: Extensive training of the farmers and extension officers is a pre-requisite for full comprehension of the coded SMS early warning system. The recommendations on farming conditions are not always adhered to due to farmers' indigenous knowledge and other factors like access to labour. Practical implications: Weather and climate information distributed to farmers has the potential to add value to the farming methods employed, hence positively impacting on rural food security. Originality/value: The article demonstrates that agrometeorological information must be packaged in such a way as to assist farmers and should be disseminated timeously and appropriately to maximize its utility or adoption.

ACS Style

M.E. Moeletsi; E.A.R. Mellaart; N.S. Mpandeli; Hamisai Hamandawana. The Use of Rainfall Forecasts as a Decision Guide for Small-scale Farming in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 2013, 19, 133 -145.

AMA Style

M.E. Moeletsi, E.A.R. Mellaart, N.S. Mpandeli, Hamisai Hamandawana. The Use of Rainfall Forecasts as a Decision Guide for Small-scale Farming in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. 2013; 19 (2):133-145.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M.E. Moeletsi; E.A.R. Mellaart; N.S. Mpandeli; Hamisai Hamandawana. 2013. "The Use of Rainfall Forecasts as a Decision Guide for Small-scale Farming in Limpopo Province, South Africa." The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 19, no. 2: 133-145.

Journal article
Published: 22 January 2013 in Theoretical and Applied Climatology
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The climatic potential of maize under dryland farming in Lesotho, southern Africa, was investigated using five suitability indices comprising probability of accumulating heat units of greater than 1,500 growing degree days, probability of a frost-free growing season, probability of seasonal rainfall of more than 500 mm, probability of drought during the flowering to grain-filling stages and the slope of an area. A geographic information system layer was prepared for each of these parameters and the layers overlaid using different weights for each of the climatic suitability indices to obtain an agroclimatic maize suitability map for Lesotho. This analysis yielded different suitability classes. This variability points to prevalence of climatic constraints that need to be acknowledged when attempting to identify management strategies that can optimize the rain-fed maize production in climatically variable environments.

ACS Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Sue Walker. Agroclimatological suitability mapping for dryland maize production in Lesotho. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 2013, 114, 227 -236.

AMA Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, Sue Walker. Agroclimatological suitability mapping for dryland maize production in Lesotho. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2013; 114 (1-2):227-236.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi; Sue Walker. 2013. "Agroclimatological suitability mapping for dryland maize production in Lesotho." Theoretical and Applied Climatology 114, no. 1-2: 227-236.