Ukufuma (Wheat)								IsiXhosa
Ulondolozo lokufuma malunga nezityalo zengqolowa
Imiyalelo:
Folio strap: 
Byline: NguJane McPherson, umphathi wenkqubo yaseGrain SA yeNkqubo yoPhuhliso lwamaFama
Zonke izityalo zifuna amanzi ukuze zikhule kanti umbandela obaluleke kakhulu ngokulima izityalo eziziinkozo emhlabeni owomileyo bubukho bokufuma obaneleyo ngethuba lokuphuhlisa isityalo sakho sengqolowa. 
Ukususela kule nyanga, uhlelo lwengqolowa lwePula Imvula luya kuthunyelwa kubo bonke abafundi kungekuko kuphela kubalimi abathetha iSesotho baseFree State. Ngoko ke kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba iNtshona-koloni inemozulu ye-Mediterranean nto leyo ethetha ukuba ifumana imvula yayo ebusika, xesha elo lonyaka elilungele ukulinywa kwengqolowa. Ukubaluleka kokulondolozwa kokufuma kubalimi bengqolowa eKoloni akubalulekanga kangako xa kuthelekiswa noMzantsi Afrika uphela apho kufuneka silondoloze imvula yasehlotyeni emhlabeni ukuze izityalo ziwasebenzise ngeenyanga ezibaleleyo zasebusika. 
Ukulinywa kwezityalo kufuna ukufuma. Izityalo ezahluka-hlukeneyo zineemfuneko ezahluka-hlukileyo ezifanele ukuqwalaselwa phambi kokuthathwa kwesigqibo malunga nokuba sesiphi isityalo esifanele ukutyalwa. Ukufuma nako kuyafuneka ukuze kukhuthazwe ukucoleka kweentsalela zesityalo sexesha elingaphambili nokwandisa isiqulatho sesivundiso emhlabeni, ngokwenza njalo izityalo ziyakwazi ukufumana izondlo. 
Mhlawumbi akukathathi sigqibo malunga nokuba uza kuyilima na ingqolowa okanye hayi; kakade isigqibo sakho sixhomekeke kwingeniso efumaneka ngokulima ingqolowa, nakwisicwangciso sakho sethuba elide sokusebenzisa umhlaba. Abalimi abaninzi benze isigqibo sokulima izityalo ezithile ngokomjikeleziso othile ongqalisiweyo, bengawananzanga amaxabiso anyuka esehla. Ukulima ingqolowa qho ngonyaka kuya kuqinisekisa ukuba unesityalo onaso xa umhle unyaka nokuba unengqolowa onokuyilima xa liphezulu ixabiso (nangona okuchasene noku kunokwenzeka – ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuba nayo ingqolowa nangeminyaka emibi, kwaye namaxabiso aphantsi uya kuwathatha xa ingawo akhoyo). 
Kuyimfuneko ukuzama ukuqinisekisa ukuba isityalo sakho siya kufikelela ekufumeni okwaneleyo emhlabeni ngalo lonke ithuba lokukhula. Yonke imihlaba iyakwazi ukugcina amanzi, nangona eminye inesakhono esiphucuke kakhulu kwaye ikwazi kakhulu ukugcina ukufuma emhlabeni. Imihlaba enesanti eninzi inesakhono esincinci sokugcina amanzi njengoko amanzi akwaziyo ukutyhuluba emanzini aze alahleke, ngaphandle kokuba kunokubakho umaleko ongagqobhozelekiyo (welitye okanye wodongwe, umzekelo) wona oya kuthintela amanzi ukuba angagqitheli phambili aze abe yilahleko. Imihlaba eneemaleko ezingagqobhozelekiyo (umzekelo udongwe) kubunzulu obungekho ngaphantsi kuma-600mm ukuya ku-1 m yiyo elufaneleyo ulondolozo lokufuma komhlaba kunye nemveliso yezityalo yonyaka ngamnye. Imihlaba emininzi kwiFree State eseMpuma iyifanele le nkcazelo nto leyo eyenza ukuba ikufanele ncam ukulinywa kwengqolowa yasebusika nangona ikummandla ofumana imvula ehlotyeni. 
Ngaphandle kokuba unethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo lokuba namanzi okunkcenkceshela, uya kunyanzeleka ukuba uxhomekeke emvuleni ukuze umhlaba ufumane ukufuma. Umhlaba ongaphezulu okhululekileyo wenza ukuba imvula ibe nako ukugqobhozela emhlabeni. Ufanele ukuba ube sowuyiqaphele indlela eqengqeleka ngayo imvula emhlabeni olukhuni. Isigcina-kufuma esikumphezulu womhlaba siyanceda ekugqobhozeleni kwamanzi; kanti sikwathoba amandla amachaphaza emvula ukuze sivumele ixesha elide lokugqobhozela kwamanzi. 
Amanzi agcineka kwizithuba eziphakathi kweengqakumbana zomhlaba. Imihlaba yahluka ukusuka kuleyo iyisanti ukuya kweluvundu-vundu ukugqithela kweludongwe kanti uhlobo ngalunye lomhlaba luyakwazi ukugcina izixa ezahluka-hlukeneyo zamanzi. Umhlaba oyisanti, udongwe noluvundu-vundu unokugcina umyinge wokufuma kwama-25mm nge-150 mm yomhlaba. (Umhlaba onobunzulu be-1 m obuncomekayo beengcambu, unako ukugcina i-180 mm yemvula). Isixa sokufuma esinokugcineka emhlabeni sixhomekeke kuhlobo lomhlaba, imeko yesakhiwo somhlaba kunye nakubunzulu bokulima ngokunjalo nakubunzulu bomhlaba. 
Ukufuma komhlaba kungalahleka emhlabeni ngenxa yobushushu belanga. 
Umphezulu womhlaba usuka ube shushu ukuze oku kwandise ukuqhuma kwamanzi; nokutyhuluba kwamanzi emhlabeni (le yintshukumo yokufuma komhlaba phakathi kweengqakumbana zomhlaba), ukuya kumphezulu womhlaba apho uguquka ube ngumphunga othi shwaka emoyeni. Ukufuma komhlaba kungalahleka nangokumfimfa kwamanzi okhula okanye azo naziphi izityalo ezinokubonwa njengokhula entsimini. Oku ngomnye woonobangela abakhulu bokulahleka kokufuma komhlaba.)
Ukufuma sinokukulondoloza njani ngendlela encomekayo?
Qiniseka ukuba imvula efika emhlabeni inako ukugqobhozela emhlabeni; ngokugcina umphezulu womhlaba ukwimeko enqwenelekayo. Uqweqwe olukumphezulu womhlaba lwenza isithintelo esiqinileyo ukuze enye imvula efikayo ihambe nomhlaba endaweni yokungenelela ezantsi emhlabeni. 
Gcina intsalela yesityalo sethuba langaphambili eninzi kangangoko unako ukuze uthintele amandla angqalileyo okubetha kwamachaphaza emvula kumphezulu womhlaba kuba ngokwenza njalo uya kuba ucutha ukwenzeka koqweqwe. Khumbula ukuba ngokokuxhomekeka ekucolekeni kwezikhondo, isityalo sisenokufuna ezinye izichumiso ze-nitrogen ezongezelelweyo njengesiphumo sokukhutshwa kwezondlo ngokucotha kwintsalela yezityalo. 
Emva kweemvula ezinkulu, qhekeza uqweqwe olunokuba lwenzeke kumphezulu womhlaba. Uqweqwe aluthinteli ukugqobhozela kwamanye amanzi emvula kuphela koko lukhuthaza intshukumo yokutyhuluba kwamanzi phakathi kweengqakumbana zomhlaba nto leyo eyomisa umhlaba. 
Gcina umhlaba ungenalukhula ngalo lonke ithuba lokuvuna isityalo sexesha elidlulileyo kude kube lixesha lokutyala isityalo esilandelayo. 
Ukudaleka kwesigcina-kufuma sothuli kumphezulu womhlaba kuba sisithintelo sentshukumo yokutyhuluba kwamanzi phakathi kweengqakumbana zomhlaba nto leyo esusa ukufuma emhlabeni ukuba kuye emoyeni. Nangona isigcina-kufuma sifunxa ubushushu belanga, ukuqhuma kwamanzi kwenzeka ngesantya esiphantsi ukuya kwisigcina-kufuma somhlaba owomileyo ongaphezulu oyi-5 cm (isigcina-kufuma sothuli). 
Isigcina-kufuma sisenokuba yintsalela yesityalo (xa kuthethwa gabalala) okanye sibe sisigcina-kufuma ekufuneka sigcinwe kulo lonke ithuba lefusi ngokulima umhlaba ngoomatshini. 
Kukho imiba ebaluleke kangako ngokulima izityalo ukuze kubekho impumelelo. Kufuneka ulondoloze ukufuma kangangoko unako kwaye ugcine intsimi yakho ingenalukhula ngawo onke amaxesha. Ukufuma ngomnye wemiba eyithoba kakhulu imveliso yezityalo. 
