DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE SELF-WATERING RAISED SOIL BED SUITABLE FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE

Urban Farm DB summary

Describes the design, development and evaluation of a portable raised soil bed with a self-regulated subsurface irrigation system, intended for urban settings where arable soil is scarce or costly. Tested with palm fruit fibre filled to a thickness of 0.15 m, the system released moisture when saturated throughout the full 0.20 m thickness of the overlying soil, at an application efficiency of 65%, a fibre efficiency of 18% and an overall efficiency of 12%. Soil moisture data recorded at different depths in the profile indicated the system provided subsurface irrigation sufficient for vegetable growth, and no moisture overflow or surface flooding was recorded during evaluation.