PRODUCING EGGPLANT BY USING SUSTAINABLE URBAN HORTICULTURE

Urban Farm DB summary

This experiment, conducted at the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt, evaluated eggplant yield and quality in urban substrate culture using three fertilizing sources (nutrient solution, mineral fertilizer, vermi-liquid) combined with two pot volumes (6 and 8 liters of a standard 50:50 peat moss:perlite substrate) across two summer seasons (2019 and 2020). Total fruit number and leaf count were recorded during harvest, along with fruit diameter, length, average fruit weight, and fruit nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. Chemical nutrient solution produced the highest vegetative growth and yield characteristics, while vermi-liquid produced the lowest; nutrient solution and mineral fertilizer increased fruit N, P, and K content compared with vermi-liquid. Increasing pot volume from 6 to 8 L increased vegetative growth, yield, and N-P-K content. The highest growth, yield, and nutrient content came from chemical nutrient solution combined with 8 L pots, while vermi-liquid with 6 L pots was framed as a more sustainable and economical urban horticulture option for supporting food security during the Covid-19 epidemic.