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1.2 Constructing Water Retention Structures

Agriculture · Grade 7 · 8 lessons in the design

What this covers

  • Meaning of surface run-off and why it matters in gardening
  • How surface run-off can be used in gardening
  • Water retention ditches: how they work and how they are constructed
  • Water retention pits: how they work and how they are constructed
  • Choosing a site and matching a structure to the slope
  • Crops that use conserved run-off: banana, sugarcane, napier grass, arrowroot

What you will be able to do

  • describe how surface run-off can be used in gardening
  • construct water retention structures to conserve surface runoff
  • adopt utilisation of surface run-off in gardening

Key questions

“How can surface run-off be conserved for gardening purposes?”

“How does the construction of water retention structures conserve water?”

Lessons

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  1. What surface run-off is
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Surface run-off is rainwater that flows over the land because it could not soak in; it can steal soil or become garden water.
  2. Using run-off in the garden
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Gardeners conserve run-off by slowing it, spreading it and sinking it into the soil where thirsty crops can use it later.
  3. Water retention ditches
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    A retention ditch is a level trench on the contour that holds run-off so it soaks in; it is not a drain that sends water away.
  4. Water retention pits
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    A retention pit is a basin that catches run-off for one or a few thirsty plants such as a banana stool.
  5. Choosing a site and a structure
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Match ditch or pit to the slope and the crop, and never site a structure against a house, latrine or path.
  6. Constructing a retention ditch
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Mark a contour, dig a level trench, heap a downhill bund, and plant grass so the ditch can hold water safely.
  7. Constructing a retention pit
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Dig a basin on the water path, mound spoil downhill, keep the pit safe, and prepare it for a thirsty crop.
  8. Planting crops that use conserved water
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Plant banana, sugarcane, napier or arrowroot on the structure so the held run-off is used in the garden.