Ukulima

© Francois Viljoen Wineland
Here weeds are removed and soil leveled with a simple mulch finisher dragged behind a tractor.
Ukulima ngenye yeendlela hlukumeza ihlabathi emasimini begodu kuhlotjaniswa nokuyiphethu kanye nokuyenza bonyana ingaqini khulu. Kuyindlela eqinisekisa ukuhlanzeka kwendawo eseduze nemirabhu begodu inciphisa nokuzimilela kweemilo ezingafunekiko. Ngemva kokulimokhu, kuhlanganiswa ihlabathi nomanyoro kanye nokhunye kokunothisa ihlabathi. Nokho, ngokukhamba kweminyaka kukhe kwaba nokutjhida ebuncanini bokulimokhu. Ukulawulwa kwehlabathi kufuze kuhlelelwe ngokukhulu ukuyelela ukwenzela ukuvimbela isakhiwo sehlabathi ukuthi singonakali.
Okulandelako kunghezinye zeenzathu zokulimokhu emasimini wamaderibe ngemva kokuhlonywa kwalo. Ukususwa kweemilo ezizimilelako kanye nokunciphisa ukuphalisana kwazo: iimilo ezinamandla ezizimilelako zisebenzisa amanzi akhona kanye neenothiso ezenzelwe isimu. Ukukhula kweminye hyemirabhu yeemilo zokuzimilela kuvamise ukuba masenthimitha angaba yi-15 ukuya kama-40 wokutjhingela; ukutjhingelokhu kufana nalokho kweenlwanyana ezidla imirabhu lapho zitholakal khona emasimini. Ukwenza bonyana ihlabathi ingaqini lokha ukutjalwa okhunye okwenze bonyana iqine ihlabathi:
Ukusebenzisa itregere evumelekileko kungenza bonyana ihlabathi iqine begodu lokho kunciphisa ukukhula kwemirabhu. Ukulimokhu kwenza bonyana ihlabathi ithambe ukwenzela umoya ungaphembetha ngepumelelo. Ukuthlogonyelwa kwamanzi waphasi: amanzi akaphuphumi nofana aphume lula ehlabathini elula nengakaqini begodu ukulimokho kukhu[phula amathuba wokungenelela ngokwaneleko kwamanzi ngesikhathi sokuthelelela kanye nalokha kuna izulu.
Ukulima kulingisela indawo yokunzinza kwembewu ngesikhathi sokutjala iintjalo zokubamba ihlabathi: Ukulima kuhlukanisa ihlabathi: iimilo ezizimilelako, iintjalo zokumbesa ihlabathi, iinothiso kanye nezinye ezihlanganiswa nehlabathi ukwenzela bonyana inothele iintjalo. Isuke ihlukaniswe ma-microbes wehlabathi ukwenzela ukubumba umsuqwa nofana isinothiso esivuthiweko. Ikhuphula ukuphembetha komoya: iimilo ezide nofana ezibanzi zivimbela ukuphembetha komoya hlangana nemithi yemaderibe. Lokhu kungabangela bonya amakari wamaderibe la ahlale amanzi isikhathi eside begodu lokho kukhuthaza amathuba wokubanjwa malwele abizwa nge-fungal diseases.

Translated by Johannes Nkosinathi