Umbethe mamanzi amhlophe ayirhwaba atholakala lokha kumakhaza khulu amazinga womtjhiso nakangaphasi kwe-0ºC. Umbethe ubonakala entjalweni phasi nanyana eentjalweni eziseduze kwehlabathi. Ezinye iintjalo ziyonakala nanyana zife lokha nakunamakhaza amakhulu abangwa lirhwaba elingaphakathi kwentjalo, njeke umbethe ngobunye ubujamo bezulu obuqakatheke khulu lokha nakutjhejwa kobana mihlobo miphi yentjalo ezifaneleke kobana zingatjalwa endaweni ethize.
Ukobana umbethe ubakhona amalanga amangakhi ngeze kona iintjalo ngaphandle kwalokha uba khona amalanga alandelanako. Iintjalo zinamazinga athize womtjhiso aphasi angona iintjalo khulu nanyana azibulale. Amazinga womtjhiso aphasi ayahluka aya ngokobana kutjalwa iintjalo ezinjani. Ezinye iintjalo, ezifana nentjalo ezithanda lapha kufuthumeleko khona zivele zife lokha kumakhaza ngaphasi kwe-5ºC.
Ukuthatha isiqunto sokobana ngiziphi iintjalo ongazitjala enarhenakho, uzokutlhoga kobana utjheja kobana azizweli lokha nazihlangana nombethe.
Mbethe Onjani Umbethe Onzima?
‘Umbethe onzima’ kulokha amazinga womtjhiso ehle khulu kodwana umbethe omhlophe ungabonakali. Akukavamisi kobana kwenzeke, kodwana kwenzeke mhlokho ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, kodwana umbethe lo wona khulu iintjalo kunokuvamisileko lokha nakunombethe omhlophe begodu ungabulala iintjalo ngobunengi kanye nencenye ezinye zemithi.
Ilanga Lokungena Kombethe
Ilanga umbethe ongena ngalo, litjho kobana sphelile iskhathi sokutjala iintjalo ezizwelako lokha nazithola umbethe ngeskhathi sokobana zivuthwe.
Nange iintjalo zingakafuthwa nakuphela umbethe zingonakala khulu. Ukusukela lokha zatjalwako, umlimi angafunisela bona ilanga lokugcina atjala ngalo ngiliphi ukukhandela kobana iintjalo zakhe zingabanjwa mbethe lokha nazilinga ukuvuthwa.
Eendaweni ekutjalwa kizo isiphila ze-Sandvet, Vaalharts, Orange-Riet, Douglas kanye neziphasi ze-Orange River, umbethe uthoma ngezi-20 zakaMAY. Isphila esithatha isikhathi eside ukukhula amalanga ahlangana kwayi-150 kutlhogeka bona sitjalwe kungasilada kunenyanga kaNobayeni lokha nayihlangana nendawo.
Iintjalo ezimila ebusika ezizwelako lokha nazibanjwa mbethe nazimilako, amalanga wokuzitjala angahlelwa ukwenzela bona iintjalo zidlule isigaba sokubanjwa mbethe lokha nawuthomako.
Ukuphela Kombethe
Umbethe uphela lokha nakuthonywa ukutjalwa kwentjalo zehlobo ezizwelako lokha nazihlangana nombethe nazisese maplantjisi. Endaweni ezina izulu khulu, kufanele ukutjala kuthome ngemva kokuna kwezulu kokuthoma.
Endaweni ekutjalwa kizo ezithelelelwako kungatjalwa msinya ngemva kokobana ubungozi bombethe sele budlulile amazinga womtjhiso nakathoma ukwenyuka. Iintjalo ezifana nemirorho ethengiswa msinya, amakhabe kanye namakhabe asudu lokhu kungaba yintwehle ukwenzela bona kutholwe amanani amahle.
Iindawo Ezinombethe eSewula Africa
Amaplasi asendaweni ephakathi zeSewula Africa eziba nombethe iskhathi eside begodu ezikude nelwandle. Ubusuku bebusika obunganamafu kanye nomoya owomileko zimthelela wokobana kube nombethe.
Iindawo ezizombeleze zenkimu zeokuthelelela zesifunda se-Free State kanye neze-Northern Cape, umbethe ubakhona isikhathi eside amalanga ahlangana kwayi-91 ukuya kwayi-120. Amaplasi azombeleze iinarha ezithelelelwakwezi zenkhisi zeLimpopo, eemfundeni zepumalanga yeLimpopo, e-lowvele eemfundeni zeLimpopo kanye neMpumalanga kanye netlhagwini yaKwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape kanye ne-Western Cape azibi nombethe isikhathi eside uba khona amalanga ambalwa nekungaba malanga ayi-30 kwaphela.
Esifundeni se-Eastern Cape, umbethe ubakhona amalanga ahlangana kwe-1 - 30 abamafitjhanii ngebanga lokobana amazinga womtjhiso akasiphezulu khulu emilanjeni ezinkhisi. Iinkhisi zakhona zifuthumele kunezesifunda se-Eastern Cape plateu njeke umbethe awukandi. Iinkimu ezinengi zokuthelelela zesifunda se-Eastern Cape zisenkhisini.
Kunenarha emtletlana etlhagwini yesifunda saKwaZulu-Natal ezinganawo umbethe ngebanga lomoya otjhisako ovela elwandle lange-Mozambique. Hlangana nendawezi kubalwa i-Makhatini irrigation scheme.Iintjalo ezithanda indawo efuthumeleko ezifana namabhanana, ama-avocado, amagwava kanye nezinye iintjalo ezifana namantongomani womhlobo we-cashew zingatjalwa lapha.
Irhubhululo elenziwe ngentjalo ze-coconut lenziwe eplasini iMakhathini experiment farm. Hlangana kwendawo ezinganawo umbethe eSewula Africa kubalwa iindawo eziseTlhagwini yesifunda se-Eastern Cape kanye nesifunda saKwaZulu-Natal esiphakathi. Indawo encani enganawo umbethe le esemgceleni osepumalanga wesifundeni sePumalanga kanye nesifundeni seLimpopo phakathi kwesiqiwi ssenyamazani i-Kruger National Park.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana