Indigenous farming methods and crop management practices used by local farmers in Madibeng local municipality, South Africa

This study investigated indigenous farming methods, practices, and crop management strategies used by farmers in local communities within the North West Province, South Africa. A survey was conducted using semi-structured interview guide with 49 participants recruited through the snowball sampling technique. Data were analysed using ethnobotanical indices, including frequency of citation (FC), use value (UV), and relative frequency of citation (RFC). The participants identified four distinct soil types, along with different ways for soil preparation. Five soil fertilisation materials were mentioned with mixed cropping (intercropping) (95.9%) and crop rotation (93.8%) being the most used farming systems. Additionally, we identified 10 plant species belonging to seven families that were used to manage crop pests and diseases. The plant with the highest RFC was Allium dregeanum Kunth (RFC = 0.88) while Tulbaghia violacea Harv. had the second highest RFC (0.73) and the highest UV (0.10). The families with the highest number of plant species were Fabaceae (3 plants) and Alliaceae (2 plants). In terms of plant parts used, bark was the most cited (53%), followed by whole plant (32%) and fruit (10%). Overall, this study underscores the importance of indigenous crop farming methods and practices towards household food security and general well-being.