| Sugarcane in South Africa is grown on wide-ranging soils, sometimes in non-ideal climates and on steep topographies where soils are vulnerable to erosion. Sugarcane fields are protected against erosion through, inter alia, the use of engineered waterways, contour banks and spill-over roads. A comparison of design norms in the National Soil Conservation Manual and norms used in the sugar industry clearly shows discrepancies that need to be investigated. Furthermore, the sugar industry design nomograph was developed based on an unsustainable soil loss limit, does not include any regional variations of climate and the impact on soil erosion and runoff and does not include vulnerability during break cropping. The aim of this research was to develop and assess... |
