Abstract
Continuing growth in higher or tertiary education population and consumption means that the demand for food also increases. There is growing competition for land and water by the education sector in most countries a lot of people are furthering their education. The effects of climate change are a further threat to food security. A multifaceted strategy is needed to ensure sustainable and equitable food security with the higher education sector such as polytechnics, colleges, and universities. In this paper we explore the use of different types of mulch in preserving soil moisture, thus reducing crop water demand in tertiary education farms. Covering soil surface reduces the amount of water required for plant growth. Mulching also reduces the deterioration of soil by way of preventing the runoff and soil loss, minimizes the weed infestation, and reduces water evaporation. The paper concludes that mulching is critical in soil water conservation. Thus, it can be applied in farms producing food to feed students and academic and nonacademic staff in the higher education sector.
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Mujere, N., Ostad-Ali-Askari, K., Eslamian, S., Marani-Barzani, M., Nekooei, M., Hasantabar-Amiri, A. (2019). Water Demand Reduction and Sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11352-0_154
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11352-0_154
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11352-0
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