Conservation (Maize)									IsiZulu
Ukulondoloza umhlabathi wethu – singenzani thina?
Instructions:
Folio strap: Ukulondoloza umhlabathi
Byline: UJenny Mathews, usihlalo mePhrogramu leGrain SA Lokuthuthukisa Abalimi
Singathi ukuthi ukuswela kolwazi kwenzeke ukuthi umhlabathi oneligugu elikhulu uhebhuke nokusetshenziswa ngendlela engafanelekile. Kubalulekile ukuthi abalimi bathwale umthwalo wabo emahlombeni ukufunda ukuthi ukuhebhuka komhlabathi kwenzeka kanjani futhi bamukela izindlela zokulondoloza umhlabathi okuzosindisa umhlaba jikelele.
UProfesa N.S. Shaler waseHarvard University, 1896 uthe: “Uma abantu bahluleka ukuthola izindlela zokusebenzisa umhlaba ngendlela efanelekile, ezolondoloza isisuka semvelo, kufanele sicabange ukubona isikhathi esizayo – kungathatha isikhathi eside , kodwa sekuyabonakala ukuthi thina silahle ifa elikhulu esinikeziwe, futhi kuzonyamalala ngoba sidala ingozi enkulu.(”If mankind cannot devise and enforce ways of dealing with the earth, which will preserve the source of life, we must look forward to a time – remote it may be, yet clearly discernible, when our kind, having wasted its great inheritance, will fade from the earth because of the ruin it has accomplished.") 
Lawo mazwi abhalwe ngo-1896; ngokwanje asizakwazi ukuthi leyo nkinga ayisekho. UDalai Lama ubonile ukuthi kukhona ukuhebhuka komhlabathi ngendlela emangalisayo, kodwa kusondela kithi ngendlela ethulile, asikuboni njalo.
UDalai Lama waphinda futhi wathi: "The threat of nuclear weapons and man's ability to destroy the environment are really alarming. And yet there are other almost imperceptible changes. I am thinking of the exhaustion of our natural resources and especially of soil erosion and these are perhaps more dangerous still, because once we begin to feel their repercussions it will be too late." (Page 144 of the Dalai Lama's Little Book of Inner Peace: 2002, Element Books, London).
Ukulondoloza umhlabathi
Ukuhebhuka komhlabathi kuyinto eyenzeka njalo emhlabeni, kodwa inkinga ivela lapho thina esingabantu kaningi senza ukuthi lokhu sekwenzeka masinya, sisheshisa lokhu ukuhebhuka okuvama ukwenzeka ngokwemvelo. Lapho umhlabathi uhebhuka emasimini epulazini, kulahleka umanyolo, ukudla kwezitshalo, umuthi obulala izifo nalokhu okusala emva kokuvuna. Abalimi abakwazi ukuthwala izindleko nokunye okulimaza umhlaba wezokumvelo lapho kugezeka umhlabathi ulahleke.
Izifundo zikhombisle ukuthi njalo ngonyaka lapha eNingizimu Afrika kulahleka umhlabathi ofika kumamiliyoni kwamathani angu-300 - 400, kuso ukuthi kulahleka mhlawumbe amathani amathathu ehektheleni elilodwa. Inani lomhlabathi ogezekayo olahlekelwa emifuleni elingena olwandle njalo nonyaka lifika kumathani angumamiliyoni. Lapho kukhiqizwa ithani elilodwa lokudla njengommbila, ukolo, amabele noshukela, iNingiziku Afrika ilahlekelwa umhlabathi ongumathani angu-20 ngonyaka. I”Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United States of America” licabanga ukuthi ukuhebhuka komhlabathi emhlabeni jikelele lapho kutshalwa khona sekufika kumamiliyoni angu-7 njalo ngonyaka. (Enviro Facts, University of Western Cape).
Ukulondolaza amanzi
INingizimu Afrika iyindawo evama ukuba nokoma – kwezinye izindawo izulu alivami ukuna njalo. Amanzi emvelo kuyinto evimba kakhulu ukulima. Ukuthola amanzi ngokwamanje nangaphambili kuthembekile kusimo sezulu, izindlela zisebenzisa amanzi akhona nokuphatha lawo manzi ngendlela efanelekile lapho sisebenzisa umhlabathi. Ngoba amanzi awasekho, kubalulekile ukuthi abalimi basebenzise amanzi akhona ngendlela ezolondoloza amanzi ezweni lethu. Uma imvula ina kakhulu kudaleka udonga emehlelweni (kuklewuka umhlabathi ensimini) bese kuhebhuka umhlabathi namanzi ageleza masinya alahleke. 
Ukusebenzisa amankontula
Amankontula avama ukusetshenziswa lapho amasimu asemehlelweni. Umlimi wakha imisele ensimini ukushintsha indlela amanzi azogeleza, akufanele amanzi aqonde phansi, imisele (amankontula) iyakuvimba lokhu. Amankontula asiza ukuhambisa amanzi kancane angasheshisi alahleke bese kulondolozeka umhlabathi futhi umhlabathi uthola ithuba lokumunca amanzi.
Lokhu kuyindlela enhle yokulondoloza:
Kusiza ukwehlisa ukuhebhuka;
Kwehlisa ukuhebhuka komhlabathi owangaphezulu lapho kugeleza amanzi;
Kukhuphukisa ukungena kwamanzi emhlabathini.
Izindleko
Ezinye izindlela zokulondoloza zibiza imali, kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umvuno uzophakama futhi amankontula azosiza ukuzolondoloza umhlabathi wangaphezulu nokubamba amanzi. Ukuhlolwa kukhombisile ukuthi amankontula angandisa umvuno nge-5 - 10%. Futhi izindleko zedizili nokudleka kwemishini kuyehla.
Amankontula nokungalimi
Izinhlakaniphi zithi ukulima ngokwakha amankontula kuvimba inkinga yokuhebhuka komhlabathi. Inani lomhlabathi olahlekayo lihambelana nendlela kulinywa ngayo. Ukungalimi (no till) kuyindlela ephumelela phambili ukuvimba ukulahleka komhlabathi nokulondoloza amanzi. Lapho kungalinywa khona umhlabathi awunyakaziswa bese izitshalo ezinsha zitshalwa ezinhlangeni ezisale ngonyaka odlule. 
Sibokhumbula ukuthi izindlela zokulima zifanele zizwane nesimo samasimu epulazini nezidingo zomlimi. Izindlela zokulondoloza njengokwakha amankontula kuhambisa amanzi ngendlela ephephile futhi kuvimba ingozi engadalwa umoya. Kodwa isu lokulondoloza lifanele lihambelane nokusebenzisa umanyolo ofanelekile, ukuphatha umuthi wokubulala izifo ngokuqaphela nokuphatha izindawo ezinamanzi (wetlands) ngendlela efanelekile. Ukulondoloza kuzovikela umhlaba futhi kuzokwandisa amandla omhlabathi ukukhiqiza ukudla. Futhi kuzokwandisa imali yomhlaba.
Ukwakha amankontula
Kudingeka ubungcweti nolwazi lobunjiniya ukuqala ukwakha amankontula. Kufanele kubhekwe okulandelayo:
Isimo somhlabathi (amasimu);
Ubude bomehlelo;
Inani lemvula;
Izinhlobo zomhlabathi;
Umhlabathi wangaphezulu nesimo samasimu;
Ububanzi bamankontula nobubanzi ngaphakathi kwamankontula;
Kuzokwakhwa ini emaceleni kwamankontula, njengemisele noma ukutshala utshani.
Kudingeka ukuthi sikhulume nezinhlangano ezisekelayo kuhulumeni njengoMnyango Wezokulima neziphathimandla eziqobelelana nolwazi ukuze basize abalimi ukubanikeza ulwazi namakhono ukuphatha umhlaba ngendlela efanelekile.
Labo abalondolozayo nabaphathi
Thina esingabakhizi sifanele samukele umsebenzi wethu wokuphatha umhlaba wethu nezingcebo zezwe lethu. Kufanele sicabange ngalokhu esikukhiphayo emhlabeni nangomthelelo kwalokhu ezingcejweni zemvelo. Omunye umkhiqizi wethu ophumelela phambili ngokukhiqiza ubhekilanga ulima endaweni yaseRustenburg, uKarabo Phele, utshala ngaphandle komanyolo ngoba isidaka sakhona sivundile. Waphendula kanje kumbuzo mayelana nekhono lakhe lokuthola umvuno omuhle ngaphandle ukusebenzisa umanyolo: “Uma ukhipha amandla njalo ngonyaka emhlabathini, kodwa awubuyiseli lutho, uzothola ukuthi amandla omhlabathi azokwehla, bese wena nalabo abalandela wena bazothola ukuthi umhlabathi awusakwazi ukunikeza amandla njengakudala”. 
Ukugcina
Amasimu avundile alahlekelwa umhlabathi wangaphezulu bese namandla ukukhiqiza ukudla ayalahleka, umlimi bese akasatholi umvuno ofanelekile, akasatholi inzuzo. Ukuhebhuka nokulahleka komhlabathi namandla omhlabathi kwenza ukuthi umhlabathi ufe! Akusiye imvelo kodwa ngumuntu odala umqothu. Ukulondoloza umhlabathi namanzi ethu kubalulekile uma thina esingabantu sifisa ukuqhubeka ukuphila! 
