Programme Overview

The aim of this program is to produce a cadre equipped with essential technical skills and knowledge for effective management of agricultural water, land and water resources management in the face of climate change impacts. The Department therefore also aims to contribute towards the raising of standards of living of Zimbabweans, directly or indirectly, through teaching, research, development and application of sustainable current technical skills in agricultural water resources management technologies.

Entry Requirements

Normal Entry

▪ At least five ‘O’ level subjects including English Language, Mathematics, and Science plus: Advanced Level passes in Mathematics or Physics and any one of the following or their recognized equivalents: Biology, Agriculture, Chemistry, Geography, Technical graphics.

▪ Articulation as provided by the ZNQF

▪ Recognition of foreign credentials of international students as provided by the SADC-QF.

Special Entry

Special entry would be granted to students who, in the opinion of the Departmental Board, have outstanding passes in a relevant Diploma, subject to such a qualification meeting part of the requirements of the program.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

On successful completion of the degree program, graduates can be formally employed in the private or public sector. They may also be self – employed. The following career prospects are available to graduates:

• Industry – as designers, research officers, technicians, field and sales officers.

• Government Departments, Parastatals, Local Authorities and Municipalities – as lecturers, technical, extension or research officers, water resource managers, land use planners, laboratory officers, irrigation officers, and Catchment management officers.

• Agricultural enterprises – as irrigation specialists or managers, technical and agricultural water management officers and consultants.

• Self-employment – irrigation analysts, contractors, entrepreneurs, and consultants.

Research and Academia – Graduates can also continue into higher degree programs, which provide a basis for research and academic careers.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

1. In the first year, learners are expected to acquaint themselves with the introductory modules of the degree program. The choice of modules should be done with the guidance of Departmental staff.
2. The degree program shall have at least 36 taught modules spread over the 6 teaching semesters.

 

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE (MBKS)

Module code Module name Prerequisite Credits

Level I

LWR134 Principles of Hydrology 12

LWR144 Principles and Applications of Surveying 12

AGRO136 Introduction to Statistics 12

LWR131 Environmental Chemistry 12

LWR135 Principles of Soil Science 12

AWM135 Plant Biology and Physiology 12

AWM131 Materials Science 12

AWM 132 Engineering Mechanics 1 12

Level II

AWM233 Engineering Mathematics 1 12

LWR245 Water Quality 12

AWM234 Fluid Mechanics and hydraulics 12

LWR 203 Principles of Irrigation 12

AWM236 Electrical Principles 12

AWM235 Heritage-Based Natural Resource Management 12

AGRO239 Statistical Methods and

Experimental Designs Introduction to Statistics 12

LWR236 Irrigation Systems Design Principles of Irrigation 12

Level III Semester 1

AGPR330 Work-Related Preliminary Report 30

 

Level III Semester 2

AGPR331 Work-Related Learning Report 45

AGPR332 Employer’s Assessment Report 30

AGPR333 Academic Supervisor’s Report 45

Level IV

AWM430 Dissertation 24

AWM430 Irrigation Water Management 12

AWM434 Geographical Information Systems & Remote Sensing 12

AWM435 Watershed Management 12

AWM436 Engineering Project Management 12

 

MODULE SYNOPSES

LWR134 Principles of Hydrology

The module covers the hydrological cycle; meteorological parameters, their definitions and measurements; rainfall-intensity/duration/frequency relationships; evaporation; infiltration; surface runoff-processes, rainfall/runoff correlations; hydrograph analysis; flood routing surface runoff – processes, rainfall/runoff correlations; hydrograph analysis flood routing. Interception of depression storage. Hydrological statistical analysis.

LWR144 Principles and Applications of Surveying

Introduction and history of Surveying. Survey measurements: Errors: Gross, Systematic, Random. Distance measurements: Taping, corrections/reductions, chain surveys. Levelling: dumpy, tilting and automatic levels, field procedures, booking and reduction, applications, grid levelling and contouring: Plane table surveys, Coordinate systems: plane, spherical. The Theodolite; angular measurements, traversing: field procedures, reductions, computations, Tacheometry: (i) Theodolite and staff, (ii) tacheometers, (iii) Theodolite and tape (iv) Theodolite and EDM, (v) Total Station, Plotting tachy details. Global Position System (GPS), GPS surveying techniques, Collecting and processing GPS data, GPS applications.

AGRO136 Introduction to Statistics

This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts involved in using sample data to make inferences about populations. Included are the study of measures of central tendency and dispersion, finite probability, probability distributions, statistical inferences from large and small samples, linear regression, and correlation.

LWR131 Environmental Chemistry

This module introduces the student to the components and natural resources of the environment. It explores atmospheric chemistry: air pollution, ozone depletion and global warming; aquatic chemistry and water pollution; and soil chemistry and pollution including bioremediation of soils.

LWR135 Principles of Soil Science 

The module introduces students to soil science and covers: Concepts of soil science; Soil formation, Soil minerals, Soil classification, Soil texture and structure in relation to tillage, Soil colour, and Other physical properties of soil – e.g. drainage, permeability, infiltration, Land capability classification, Soil profiling, Soil sampling.

AWM135 Plant Biology and Physiology

The module introduces the student to classification and nomenclature in plant biology and physiology. General anatomy and morphology of plants. Plant growth and development. Plant growth regulators: nature and function. Seed germination. Plant-water and nutrient relations. Photosynthesis (pathways) (C3/C4 plants). Photoperiodism and vernalisation.

AWM131 Material Science

The module introduces the subject of material science. The following areas are also covered: Structure of atoms; Crystal structures; Non-crystalline structures; Imperfections in Solids; Mechanical properties; Failure Analysis; and Corrosion.

AWM132 Engineering Mechanics I

The module covers General Principles; Force Vectors; Equilibrium of a Particle; Force System resultants; Equilibrium of a Rigid Body; Structural Analysis; Friction; Centre of Gravity and Centroid; Moments of Inertia; and Virtual Work.

AWM233 Engineering Mathematics I

Calculus in one variable; Limits and continuity of functions; Differentiation, derivatives of single variables, Leibniz’s rule, L’Hospital’s rule; Elementary functions including hyperbolic functions and their inverses. Integration techniques include reduction formulae; Applications-arc-length, area, volumes, moments of inertia, and centroids. Series tests of absolute, uniform and conditional convergence, Plane polar coordinates; Complex numbers Elementary Set Theory, Relations and Inequalities, Mathematical Induction.

LWR245 Water Quality

The module covers Aquatic Chemistry, microbiology, standards, engineering and environmental problems, testing techniques and equipment sampling methodology.

AWM234 Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics 

The module focuses on basics of fluid mechanics and hydraulics: Static pressure and head, fluid pressure on surfaces, pressure measurement, buoyancy and stability of floating bodies, liquids in relative equilibrium, liquids in motion, fluid friction and viscosity, open channel flow and Mannings formula, pipe flow and  Darcy-Weisbach, Hazen Williams, Scobey formulae, flow through orifices and mouthpieces, flow measurement; notches,  weirs, propeller flow meters, pitot tubes, constriction flow meters etc.

LWR203 Principles of Irrigation

Role and history of irrigation development in Zimbabwe; Soil Water Plant Relations- Physical properties of soil and water, water retention and availability to plants, soil water movement and measurement; Evapotranspiration and crop water requirements; Basic principles of irrigation hydraulics- open channel flow, pipe flow, flow measurement; Irrigation System Types-Sprinkler irrigation systems and components, Surface irrigation systems and components, Drip irrigation systems and components; Planning irrigation projects; Land levelling and land levelling methods for irrigation; Issues of salinity in Irrigation.

AWM236 Electrical Principles

The module covers fundamental concepts of electrical and magnetic energy; Electrostatics and electric fields; Capacitance and Dielectric; Magnetic circuits; Electromagnetism; and Electromagnetic induction. Electric Circuits; Resistive Network Analysis; AC Network Analysis; Transient Analysis; Frequency Response and System Concepts.

AWM235 Heritage-Based Natural Resource Management 

Ecological concepts and sustainable use of natural resources; concepts and principles of renewable and non-renewal resources, management of resources, degradation of resources, depletion of resources, types of natural resources and policies in natural resource management; appraisal of the relationship between resources, ecology and the environment; management of heritage resources such as land, water, animals and vegetation, traditional food and their gene banks and products derived from natural resources; cultural property, thus the tangible and intangible attributes of society, inherited from the past, maintained in the present and bestowed for social, economic and political advancement. Identification, preservation and safeguarding of Zimbabwean values (ubuntu/hunhu) and heritage in its diverse forms

AGRO239 Statistical Methods and Experimental Design

Data collection: populations and random sampling; Introduction to experimental designs, data analysis and interpretation; Statistical methods related to variances; Statistical methods related to comparison of means;  Experimental designs (Including biological and engineering experiments) and layout (randomized complete block designs, split plots, factorial, Latin squares);  Analysis of variance for one factor, two-factor experiments and multi-factor experiments; Multiple comparisons of means; Partitioning of the sum of squares, transformations;  Analysis of covariance; Repeated measures analysis; Regression, Correlation Multi-variate regression; Tests for the goodness of fit and independence;  and Data entry, analysis and interpretation using statistical packages (e.g. MINITAB, GENSTAT, SAS R, MATLAB, SPSS) for all designs: Regression and Correlation.

LWR236 Irrigation Systems Design

The module covers: Planning irrigation projects, Design of sprinkler systems, design of localised systems, and design of surface systems. 

AGPR330-3 Work-Related Learning

Work-Related Learning Report; Employer’s Assessment Report; Academic Supervisor’s Report

AWM430 Dissertation

Students are expected to undertake independent studies in any branch of agricultural water management and summarize results in a dissertation. The dissertation is examined in the final year, but preparation starts during the fourth year by developing suitable topics and a preliminary literature search. During the final year, the student devotes 90 hours to data collection and/or experimentation, data analyses and dissertation write-up, for submission before the start of formal final University examinations and may be required to appear for an oral examination.

AWM430 Irrigation Water Management

The module covers issues in the national and global context in irrigation water management principles, impacts of irrigation, irrigation scheme organisation and types of irrigation schemes, scheme operation and maintenance; Salinity management.

AWM434 Geographical information systems and remote sensing

The module covers the following major areas: Geographical Information Systems: Introduction to GIS; Cartography and Map Projections; Vector Data Structure; Databases; and Data Capture. Remote Sensing: Introduction to Remote Sensing; Electromagnetic Radiation and the Electromagnetic Spectrum; Energy Interactions with the Atmosphere. EMR interactions with the Earth’s surface; Sensor Technology; Major Remote Sensing Systems; Sensors and applications; Image Processing;

 AWM435 Watershed Management

Introduction; Watershed Management Principles; Characteristics of a Watershed; Land-use Impacts on Watersheds; Potential Problems in a Watershed and Watershed Degradation; Data Sources for Watershed Management; Strategies for Integrated Watershed Resources Conservation and Management; Tools for Watershed Management -Watershed Delineation, Participation Principles, Rapid Rural Appraisals and Participatory Rural Appraisals, Soil Loss Estimation – SLEMSA, USLE, Wind Equation, Environmental Impact Assessments; Watershed Management plan; Wetlands- Occurrence, geological characteristics, importance and functions of wetlands, Sustainable utilization, conservation and management of wetlands

AWM436 Engineering Project Management

The module covers the necessary skills for managing engineering projects: Decision analysis and network analysis; Project concept; logical framework (Logframe), concept of cost-benefit analysis; and financial analysis at the farm and project levels. Risk and uncertainty. Procurement procedures and managing contracts; Project control, Monitoring and evaluation; project report writing, quality management. Stakeholder roles and responsibilities.