6.3.5 : Water-conscious planting
Hügelkultur for Sustainable Organic Roselle Cultivation, 2024
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) demonstrates a clear and impactful commitment to Water-Conscious Planting by strategically integrating traditional, resource-efficient methodologies, such as Hugelkultur, into both its cultivation and community outreach efforts. This initiative directly addresses the imperative to plant and manage landscapes in a manner that drastically minimises potable water usage, thereby advancing climate resilience and safeguarding finite water resources (SDG 6).
The deployment of Hugelkultur—a German term meaning "hill culture" or "mound culture"—for the sustainable, organic cultivation of roselle at the local community level, is a prime example of operationalising water conservation principles. As translated and confirmed by the project findings, the foundational element of the Hugelkultur bed involves burying large pieces of decaying wood, branches, and organic biomass beneath the topsoil. This structure functions as a highly effective natural sponge, capable of soaking up and storing substantial volumes of rainwater and irrigation water. This mechanism is critical because the decaying wood, rich in cellulose and lignin, progressively releases this stored moisture back into the surrounding soil during dry periods, essentially self-irrigating the plants above.
This unique process yields a profound, measurable impact on water conservation. By relying on this enhanced soil water retention capacity, the Hugelkultur method drastically reduces the need for frequent supplementary watering compared to conventional cultivation practices. This directly fulfils the requirement for planting systems that minimise water usage, making the cultivated landscape inherently drought-tolerant and resilient against erratic rainfall patterns caused by climate change. For UTM, adopting and championing this method serves as an academic and institutional demonstration that:
- Prioritises Water Security: By substituting complex, high-energy irrigation systems with a simple, natural, and highly efficient soil water retention mechanism.
- Fosters Ecological Balance: The practice of using decaying wood improves soil structure, enhances microbial activity, and reduces nutrient leaching, leading to healthier plants that are naturally more resilient to stress and require fewer external inputs, including water.
- Scales Sustainable Practices: By implementing this project in collaboration with the local community, UTM effectively transforms its research into a "Living Laboratory", transferring a low-cost, high-impact water-saving technology that can be replicated in other institutional and domestic green spaces.
In summary, UTM's promotion of Hugelkultur for agricultural cultivation is not merely a planting activity but a strategic, evidence-based approach to institutional landscaping and land management. It stands as a significant, tangible action demonstrating the university’s commitment to adopting and disseminating techniques that ensure planting is fundamentally Water-Conscious, drastically lowering water consumption, and building resilient ecosystems that thrive on minimal external water resources.
Source :
https://news.utm.my/2024/10/hugelkultur-for-sustainable-organic-roselle-cultivation/
