Maloti DrakensbergHP

CWRR Staff - Member

Dr Ashiel Jumman

Position:                                Senior Lecturer

Discipline:                              Irrigation Engineering and Soil & Water Conservation Engineering

Centre:                                   Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR)

School:                                   School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Campus:                                 Agriculture Campus

Room no./Building:              Room 208 Rabie Saunders Building

Email:                                      JummanA@ukzn.ac.za

 

Biography 

Dr Jumman’s primary role at UKZN includes the training and education of undergraduate and post-graduate students in Irrigation and Soil & Water Conservation Engineering, and to build the knowledge base of the discipline through research and publications. Prior to joining UKZN in May 2023, Dr Jumman acquired 13 years of experience as a Research Engineer at the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI). To date, Dr Jumman has produced in excess of 20 conference presentations, 6 peer reviewed conference proceedings and 4 journal articles. Dr Jumman has also been honoured with several awards for quality presentations at various conferences in the sector.

Qualifications

PhD: Agricultural Engineering

Current Research Projects

  • Investigating alternative energy supplies to assist irrigators with load shedding,
  • Soil conservation learning resources for small-scale extension
  • Refining Knowledge Exchange at SASRI
  • Participatory Research with small-scale sugarcane grower to ID Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) needs and improve adoption of Better Management Practices (BMPs)

Recently Completed Projects (2020-23)

  • Improving the adoption of irrigation scheduling amongst sugarcane farmers
  • Using remote sensing to locate the distribution of salts and waterlogging in soils
  • Revision and updating of farmer facing irrigation publications at SASRI
  • Management guidelines for technology transfer to reduce salinization of irrigated land using a precision agriculture approach

Hobbies and Interests

Reading, working with an NPO to help alleviate hunger and poverty, religious and spiritual activities.

Five recent publications

  • van Antwerpen R, van Heerden PDR, Keeping MG, Titshall LW, Jumman A, Tweddle PB, van Antwerpen T, Ramouthar PV, Campbell PL. 2022. A review of field management practices impacting root health in sugarcane. Advances in Agronomy 173: 79 – 162
  • Jumman A, van Heerden PS, van Antwerpen R, van Rensburg LD, Adendorff A, Radzilani T, Searle A. 2021. The knowledge levels, perceptions, and practices of irrigation farmers in the context of soil salinity management in the South African sugarcane industry. Irrigation and Drainage. 71(2):381 – 393
  • Adendorff MW, Jumman A and Paraskevopoulos A. 2022. Adoption of irrigation scheduling in the South African sugarcane industry: the use of a demonstration trial to bring about change. Proceedings of the international Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 31: 160 – 168
  • Adendorff MW, van Heerden PDR and Jumman A. 2016. Establishing extension services through a research, technology development, extension and grower continuum – A case study. Proceedings of the international Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, 29: 868-876
  • Van der Laan M, Jumman A and Perret SR. 2015. Environmental benefits of improved water and nitrogen management in irrigated sugarcane: A combined crop modelling and life cycle assessment approach. and Drainage. (64): 241 – 252