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Assessment of selected types of soil degradation in Syferkuil Farm using remote sensing techniques
Get PDFThesis M.Sc. (Soil Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Soil degradation is a serious environmental threat facing the humanity today. Soil
degradation in one or more of its forms has been labelled as a ‘global pandemic’.
This is because; soil degradation is a very serious world problem and affects all
countries or continents. Thus there is an acute need to devise a way of reducing its
vast advance. This is why, it is important to establish the magnitude and the extent
of soil degradations in order to mitigate its effect. The objectives of this study were
to:(i)Identify soils degraded by rill erosion with acceptable accuracy from remote
sensing images.(ii) Determine soil organic carbon status with acceptable accuracy
from remote sensing.(iii) Determine soil surface salt accumulation with acceptable
accuracy from remote sensing images. The soil degradation forms consider edin
this study are soil salinity, rill soil erosion and soil organic carbon. Nutrient depletion
is another significant chemical process of soil degradation. Soil organic carbon
depletion is a chemical degradation and in most instances is influenced by human
and natural activities. The assessment of these soil degradation forms has been
done in three separate chapters and detailed abstract is given at the start of each
chapter. However, the general findings revealed that the prediction of those soil
degradation forms from remotely sensed images did not yield good results.
Nonetheless, promising performance has been recorded. Recommendations for
feature studies are also provided.National Research Foundation (NRF
Response of tepary bean (phasseolus acutifolius) to vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza and phosphorus application rates
Get PDFThesis (M.Sc. (Agronomy)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) is a legume crop cultivated for its high nutritional status and is tolerant to biotic and abiotic stress. It can potentially fix atmospheric nitrogen (N), reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. The current study aimed to evaluate how vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza and phosphorus application rates influence tepary beans' growth, yield components, and biological nitrogen fixation. The experiments were carried out simultaneously at Syferkuil and Ga-Molepo during the 2020/2021 summer growing season. The field experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Treatment factors were phosphorus (P) and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM). Phosphorus was the main factor with five treatment levels (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg/ha P), whereas VAM was the sub-factor with two levels (inoculated with 50 kg/ha and uninoculated).
Growth and yield parameters were measured, and the amount of nitrogen fixed was determined. Soil samples were collected before planting and after harvest to determine the chemical composition of the soil. The collected data were subjected to ANOVA at a 5% significance level. Selected parameters such as the number of days to 50% emergence and plant height were significantly affected by P application. Pod length was influenced considerably by the VAM application. A significant impact on plant height, chlorophyll content, pod weight and grain yield was observed between the two locations.
The 60 kg/ha P application resulted in the highest plant height as compared to the application of 80 kg/ha P. The reason could be that the P requirement was already met. The interactive effects of 60 kg/ha and VAM inoculation increased the pod length. This could be due to the fact that organic fertilizers contain plant nutrients, growth-promoting
substances, and beneficial microflora when combined with inorganic fertilizers, which provide favorable soil conditions to improve nutrient use efficiency. Dry matter, Percent N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) and N fixed increased with an increase in P application, except for 0 kg/ha and 20 kg/ha P for %Ndfa and N fixed, respectively. The δ15N value decreased with an increase in P application. Application of 80 kg/ha P fixed the highest amount of N at both locations. The findings of this study demonstrated that the application of P and VAM was effective on the growth, yield components and N fixation of tepary bean.Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural
Developmen
A reflection on social science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and its implications for learner performance : a case of schools in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
No full textThesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Refer to the documen
Factors contributing to the transmission of selected infections : klebsiella species in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M. (Nursing)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Background: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) are regarded as a specialized area in any hospital and are extremely risky wards which are more likely to spread transmissions. Moreover, neonates get easily infected as a result of their developing immune systems. This occurs because they are various types of infections which are likely to suppress their undeveloped immune system. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported that eleven neonates were infected with Klebsiella infections at a university-affiliated hospital in Gauteng Province. Cross- transmission via the hands of healthcare workers was also the likely source of an outbreak of Klebsiella infections in the NICU.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors contributing to the transmission of selected infections: Klebsiella species in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Research method: A quantitative cross-sectional, descriptive design was used, and data were collected using self-developed close- ended questionnaires. Fifty-five nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit constituted the sample and completed and submitted the questionnaires. The researcher piloted the questionnaires at various hospitals in Gauteng province to ensure the validity and reliability of the data. Data were dissected by applying SPSS version 28.0 with the aid of a University biostatistician and presented in tables and graphs. Turfloop Research Ethics Committee gave ethical clearance and the Gauteng Department of Health was permitted to conduct the study at TMRH. Ethical standards were adhered to throughout the study. Results. The study revealed that health workers still need experience in the execution of Infection Prevention Control (IPC) measures which could be associated with the cause of increased Klebsiella infection in NICU. Thus, a knowledge deficit in the management of infections could be attributed to a lack of education and training. The study also found that there are inconsistencies in the availability of material resources such as linen and that pose a risk in the delivery of standard infection prevention and control protocol. Recommendations: The unit infection control team should ensure the proper management, evaluation, and regulation of the spread of Klebsiella infection. All healthcare workers in NICUs are ought to be workshopped or be in-service trained at regular intervals. Thus, this training should focus mainly on the prevention of Klebsiella infections. Therefore, to avoid human error the Department of Health is also advised to appoint and increase the number of newly qualified health workers. It is also recommended that the Department of Health appoint sufficient staff including retired nurses if the need arises
Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus is psychiatric patients admitted in Mankweng Hospital
Get PDFThesis (M. Med. (Psychiatry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023The prevalence of HIV in psychiatric patients has been studied in urban communities in South Africa but there currently appear to be no published studies concerning Limpopo and limited others focusing on rural communities in South Africa. This study set out to investigate the prevalence of HIV infection and associated factors in psychiatric patients admitted to Mankweng Hospital psychiatric ward. It looked at the prevalence of HIV infection in these psychiatric patients and the socio-demographic risk factors associated with HIV infection in these patients, and it explored the relationship between psychiatric diagnosis, compliance to treatment, and substance use with HIV infection among these patients. A retrospective chart review of 229 clinical files of adult patients admitted to Mankweng psychiatric hospital between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2019 indicated that most of the patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (44.7%) or bipolar disorder (25.9%). It was found that only 88 files had HIV status recorded. This represented a 38.6% testing rate, thus 61.4% of the psychiatric patients did not have a known HIV status. Of those 88 patients who were tested, 52.2% were recorded as HIV positive, and the patients with bipolar disorders had a significantly higher number testing HIV-positive. The overall prevalence rate of 52.2% was considered to be disproportionally high. It was attributed to the very low HIV testing rate. It is recommended that efforts be made to improve HIV testing rates in this at-risk and vulnerable community. The low rate of testing was a limitation in this researc
Assessment of reliability and validity of a nursing tool used to examine knowledge, attitude, and practices of professional nurses in writing nursing care plans at a teaching hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Get PDFJournal article published in The Open Nursing JournalBackground:
A nursing care plan is a guideline developed for a patient's needs. A well-documented care plan provides holistic patient-centred care and includes
assessing, evaluating, and administering a variety of interventions as well as teaching patients and families. There are existing tools to measure
nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practices in writing nursing care plans in many countries. However, cultural differences and most of the tools do
not cover region-specific aspects of diseases, making it challenging to be used between countries.
Objective:
Thisstudy aimed to develop and validate a tool for determining the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses in writing nursing care plans at a
teaching hospital in Gauteng province, South Africa.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 218 registered nurses in selected hospital wards. Reliability was examined using Cronbach alpha and
item-total correlation, while validity was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA EFA) and convergent validity. SPSS for Windows
(version 10.0; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to analyze data.
Results
Cronbach's alpha was 0.75 for knowledge, 0.74 for attitude, and 0.77 for practices. The item-total correlation values ranged from -0.203 to 0.742.
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.877, 0.793, and 0.797 for the three dimensions, respectively and the Bartlett test was significant (p< 0.0001). The EFA
showed that all the items had loadings ≥0.5 except for item A1. Knowledge and practice had a good convergent validity.
Implications for Nursing
Efforts to develop, validate and implement a new instrument to assess nursing knowledge, attitudes, and practice in writing nursing care plans
improve communication between nursing staff, and involve patients more in their care, resulting in fewer medical errors and improving the quality
of patient care.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that the tool has satisfactory reliability, and the use of EFA for the investigation of validity is adequate, but one item in the
attitude dimension has a lower threshold value. Further confirmatory factor analysis studies with a larger sample size are needed to support
construct validity
Enhancing nutritional content, phytochemical levels, growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) using the organic medium enclosed trough system
Get PDFThesis (M.A. Agricultural Management (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Okra is an indigenous vegetable consumed in Southern Africa. Its growth and yield are negatively affected by water and nutrient deficit. There is insufficient scientific information on the growth and yield attributes of underutilised indigenous vegetables such as okra. The information on enhancement and evaluation of growth, yield, nutrients, and phytochemical compositions of okra using the climate-smart OMET growing technique has not been documented. The Organic Medium Enclosed Trough (OMET) system was developed as a non-drainable growing technique which improves crop yield by reducing water and nutrient seepage. The aim of this study was to develop scientific information on the effects of the OMET growing technique and growing environment on growth and yield, nutritional composition and phytochemical composition in okra. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the effect of the OMET growing technique and growing environment on growth and yield attributes, (2) nutritional composition and (3) the phytochemical composition of okra grown under greenhouse and micro-plots conditions. To achieve the objectives, four-week-old okra seedlings were transplanted on the established OMET and non-OMET growing technique concurrently in both the growing environment (greenhouse and micro-plot) following a randomised complete block design (RCBD) for a period of 110 days, with three replications and twelve plants per replicate. The amount of irrigation water used in both experiments was recorded until harvest and computed as cumulative irrigation water. The mean separation was done using a parametric T-test at the significance level of 5% using the Genstat version 18.0 statistical package. The growth attributes which included plant height and stem diameter (n=9) were taken on a weekly basis. At harvest, yield components including the number of branches per plant, plant biomass, fresh pod weight, number of pods per plant, fresh pod length and fresh pod diameter width were recorded. The harvested leaves and pods were then used for nutritional and phytochemical composition analysis. The OMET growing technique significantly (p≤0.05) affected the growth and yield attributes of okra regardless of the growing condition. At termination (110 days after transplanting), the OMET growing technique had significantly increased the stem diameter by 40 and 37%, while the plant height was increased by 68 and 48% under greenhouse and micro-plot experiments respectively. When evaluating the yield attributes, a similar trend was observed where the OMET system significantly increased the yield attributes of okra as follows: biomass by 64 and 50%, number of branches by 67 and 50%, number of pods per plant by 60 and 49%, fresh pod weight by 75 and 53%, pod length by 64 and 51% in both the growing environment, while the pod diameter width was increased by 68% in the greenhouse environment and there was no significant difference on the micro-plot trial. The OMET growing technique significantly affected the nutritional composition of okra leaves and pods (p≤0.05). Both the essential and non-essential amino acids were determined and quantified in the leaves and pods of okra grown under OMET and Non-OMET growing techniques. The OMET growing technique significantly improved the essential amino acid composition of okra leaves with Thr (0.57 mg/kg), Val (0.70 mg/kg) Leu (0.90 mg/kg) and Phe (1.03 mg/kg) being higher than the non-OMET grown okra leaves. The pods showed that the OMET growing technique also significantly improved the accumulation of all the tested non-essential amino acids with Lys being the highest (p≤0.05). It was observed that the micro-plot experiment resulted in the OMET growing technique significantly enhancing the accumulation of all the tested essential amino acids in both the leaves and pods with Phe and Lys (1.53 and 0.70 mg/kg) being the highest in the leaves and pods respectively. The non-essential amino acid composition was also significantly improved using the OMET growing technique in both the leaves and pod with Glu.. The non-essential amino acid composition was also significantly improved using the OMET growing technique in both the leaves and pod of okra grown under micro-plot with Glu (2.73 mg/kg and 4.05 mg/kg) being the highest respectively. The OMET growing technique showed the ability to maintain a daily recommended amino acids ratio coefficient equal to 1 by consuming 100g of the tested okra. The nutritional composition which includes proteins, mineral elements and amino acids of the tested okra leaves and pods grown using the OMET system regardless of the growing condition has resulted in an increase in the % protein content compared to the non-OMET grown okra. Nutritional elements Ca, K, P, Mg and Na were predominant in okra leaves and pods irrespective of the growing environment and growing technique (OMET). The results generated showed that the OMET system significantly (p≤0.05) improved the nutritional composition in okra leaves and pods regardless of the growing condition, though the micro-plot experiment resulted in higher nutritional composition as compared to the greenhouse experiment. Untargeted metabolites, phenolic acids and antioxidant activity were also determined and compared for both the okra leaves and pods extract grown using the OMET and non-OMET growing techniques in both the growing conditions. For untargeted metabolites, methanol extracts were analysed using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS. The UPLC-MS untargeted metabolites profile detected 161 polar analytes classified within the glucuronic acid, tricarboxylic acids, O-glycosyl derivatives, flavonoid-O-glycosides, iridoid o-glycosides and terpene glycosides. Explorative principle component analysis demonstrated three main clusters according to metabolites heterogeneity in plant tissue (pods and leaves) and growing conditions (greenhouse or mirco-plot). There was major heterogeneity in the metabolome profile of leaves tissue along the vertical PC1 suggesting their metabolic moiety. Okra leaves grown under micro-plot were highly predominated by the 2-O-caffeoylglucaric acid (286.13 mg/kg) and 2-(E)-O-feruloyl-D-galactaric acid (111.69 mg/kg). Leaves samples grown in non-OMET were predominated by citroside A (412.04 mg/kg). Okra pods grown under OMET micro-plot enhanced the accumulation of quercetin 3-galactoside (87.83 mg/kg) and quercetin 3-galactoside-7-glucoside (150.00 mg/kg). The OMET under greenhouse conditions encouraged the accumulation of icariside F2 and benzyl beta-D-apiofuranosy (49.21 mg/kg). The results generated showed that flavonoids were the major contributors to the total antioxidant activity and OMET enhanced the accumulation of the majority of the metabolites. Phytochemical analysis showed that the OMET growing technique significantly increased the concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids in both the growing environment (p≤0.05). The OMET growing technique significantly affected the antioxidant activity in both growing conditions.Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and
National Research Foundation (NRF
Solid waste management and selection of a solid waste disposal site in the Mankweng Cluster, Polokwane Local Municipality, South Africa
Get PDFThesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Solid waste management (SWM) has become a major concern due to its rapid generation rate, especially in developing countries. It is projected that the quantity of waste generated will keep on rising with an increase in population. The solid waste (SW) generation rate is relatively influenced by various factors associated with population growth, urbanisation, and economic growth. This includes South Africa as most of its big cities are experiencing intense poor waste management (WM) and lack of landfill space. Therefore, accurate planning of a region's SWM system requires knowledge of the waste quantity, generation rate, and composition. Most studies on SWM have been focused on big cities whilst neglecting rural towns and villages, thus creating information and knowledge gap. Consequently, this current study aims to investigate the management of SW in the Mankweng cluster and find a potentially suitable area for a solid waste disposal site. The objectives of the study were to (i) to evaluate household solid waste management practices and perceptions, (ii) forecast the municipal solid waste generation and (iii) identify a potentially suitable landfill site using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Mankweng Cluster. The study adopted a mixed-method approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative methods were explored. A total of 240 households in ward 25 (urban) and ward 27 (rural) participated in this study. The data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, field observations, and waste-weighing measurements. Furthermore, complementary data was obtained from secondary data sources such as government documents, and internet sources for forecasting and identification of a location for a suitable landfill site. Qualitative data was analysed using the thematic approach and quantitative data was analysed using statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation, regression (i.e., forecasting) and GIS-based AHP. The results of the study show that majority of the SW produced was organic food waste (53% and 61%) based on their weight in ward 25 and ward 27, respectively. An estimated SW generation rate of 0.27kg/cap/day and 0.13kg/cap/day was observed for ward 25 and ward 27, respectively. Respondents from both wards indicated that
improper WM practices lead to, amongst to other things, illegal dumping. Furthermore, the respondents stated that illegal dumping occurs because of ignorance, lack of knowledge and unavailable waste collection services. They recommended that the municipality should build recycling facilities, install disposal bins on hotspots for illegal dumping, and promote good SWM practices. The results further showed that the multiple linear regression model used for forecasting waste generation rate in Polokwane Local Municipality yielded coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.88, with RMSE of 50690.2 ton/year and P<0.000. The model was significant (P≤0.05) and was then used to forecast future solid waste generation rate. The model showed that in future the amount of municipal SW is set to increase leading to the need for construction of a new landfill. In addition, the results for site selection for a new landfill estimated that roughly 67% of the area in Mankweng cluster is suitable for the construction of a disposal site. However, the outcome of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis and community perceptions in the selection of suitable landfill site. In conclusion the study emphasises the value of waste separation, collection, recycling, and awareness in achieving a sustainable SWM
The policing of burglary at a residential premises in the Ga-Molepo Village, Limpopo Province
Get PDFThesis (M.A. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023The primary aim of this study was to explore policing of burglary at a residential premises within the Ga-Molepo community. From a qualitative standpoint, data was gath ered through semi-structured In-depth Individual Interviews (IDIIs). The participants
were selected from Tshebela, Rampheri, Mogano and Tshebela. Moreover, a compre hensive review of the relevant literature and the Broken Window Theory (BWT) was
conducted and reviewed to obtain a better understanding of this study. A thematic
content analysis procedure was followed to analyse the gathered data.
This study was guided by the following objectives:
The prevalence of burglary at a residential premises in the Ga-Molepo community.
To identify the problems experienced by the Ga-Molepo community with policing
of burglary.
The effectiveness of policing of burglary in the Ga-Molepo community.
The researcher identified that more training is required and more forensic investigators
are needed in the South African Police Service (SAPS), because the police are not
capable of preventing residential burglary but only respond to crimes that have already
been committed (Reactive-policing) and only deal with the burglary backlogs of cases
that are already in the SAPS system. The study implemented the Broken Window
Theory as a guide for exploring the policing of burglary at a residential premises. The
employed theory (Broken Widows Theory - BWT), in reference to societal order, pro poses that societies must be cautious against the least criminalities. If such disorders
or small crimes are not taken seriously, more serious crime can be committed as a
result. The police must take all crime as seriously, irrespective of its nature. If the
police uphold their old-style role as night guards in opposition of threats to order, then
the society flourishes. To advance policing in South Africa through BWT or other ap proaches we need to raise a culture and capability of planning and evaluating police
practices
An evaluation of Social Work and counselling services offered to undergraduate students within the University of Limpopo
Get PDFThesis (M.A. (Social Work )) -- University of Limpopo, 2023The study focused on an evaluation of Social Work and counselling services rendered to undergraduate students within the University of Limpopo. The study aimed to evaluate both social work and counselling services offered to undergraduate students at the University of Limpopo by ascertaining the effectiveness, utilisation rate, describing the collaboration that exists between the centres from which the services are offered, and determining the mode in which students are made aware of the services under evaluation as well as the challenges faced by the practitioners when they render their respective services. The study employed a qualitative research approach and an evaluative design. The General Systems Theory and Evaluation Theory were employed. The General Systems Theory was used to explain the relatedness of all the sub-systems in making the whole system functional. In this case the sub-systems are the centres that exist and work together within the university in order for the university to reach its purpose for existence. The theory shows that if one or more sub-systems are dysfunctional, the functionality of the whole will be negatively impacted. The Evaluation Theory was employed to guide the researcher on what evaluation is, how and by whom it should be carried out. A convenience sampling method was used because all the people in the population of the study stood a chance to participate in the study and no preference was given to anyone. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of Limpopo’s Turfloop Research Ethics Committee and gatekeeping permissions were given by the Centre for Student Counselling and Development and Student Health and Wellness Centre. No one was coerced to participate in the study, that is, the participants participated voluntarily.
The findings of the study indicated that students were aware of counselling services from the Centre for Student Counselling and Development but not aware of the existence of Social Work services for students within the university. The study also revealed that the effectiveness of the services under evaluation high amongst those who had utilised the services and perceived to be highly effective by those who had not yet utilised the services. The study also established that there were proper referral channels for referring students to various service provider including the ones that the study seeks to evaluate. As such, the practitioners also indicated some of the challenges they face when rendering their services to be lack of awareness of Social
Work services by the student populace, lack of commitment from students and being under-staffed since their target population is huge compared to the number of professionals employed to service them. Through recommendations yielded by the study, students are encouraged to play their role in making the services effective by committing and attending to the prescribed sessions, the social worker needs to strengthen the awareness efforts in place to market the services and the management of the university is advised to re-assess the professional-student ratio and work on balancing it.HWSET