Agriculture and Agribusiness

Soil and Water Conservation Engineering

Soil erosion removes the most fertile centimetres of a field first and does its worst damage in the few storms a year that nobody is measuring, which is why the losses are usually underestimated until a gully appears. This course covers preventing that. Delegates work through erosion processes, splash, sheet, rill and gully, and the rainfall energy and slope factors that drive each. Erosion estimation is covered at a practical level. Agronomic measures follow, including cover, residue, contour cultivation and strip cropping, since vegetation is cheaper than structures. Mechanical measures are then addressed: contour bunds, terraces, cut off drains and grassed waterways, with layout, spacing and the survey work each requires. Waterway design and permissible velocity are covered. Gully control follows through check dams, reshaping and revegetation. Water harvesting is addressed for both crop production and livestock. Catchment scale planning and community participation are covered, since conservation fails on maintenance rather than design. The course closes on maintenance and on measuring whether erosion has actually reduced.