Research & reports

Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.

5 results

• Crop Diversification in Kaluvankulam: Replacing Paddy with Flower Crops under Pollution Stress

  2026

  Pari Diwahar, Chandran. S, Paramasivan SatheeshKumar · International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology · India (Madurai District, Tamil Nadu)

  This study in Kaluvankulam, Madurai District, India, assessed the adaptability of treated municipal wastewater for marigold irrigation, where paddy yields have declined. Analysis of treated wastewater showed oil and grease and chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels exceeded permissible irrigation standards. Soil analysis revealed elevated phosphorus, potassium, and iron concentrations, indicating nutrient accumulation.

  Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversity
  Read source →DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.62s.138

• Urban foraging behavior in public green spaces: a case study of Nanjing’s central urban area

  2025

  Xiang Zhou, Nan Wang, Jiaying Shi, Michael Hensel · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · China (Nanjing)

  A study of urban foraging behavior in Nanjing's central urban area, China, revealed significant enthusiasm among residents, linking personal childhood experiences to their foraging motivations. However, environmental pollution was identified as a critical barrier to these activities.

  Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthFood educationBiodiversity
  Read source →DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05448-w

• Quantification and Analysis of Microplastics in Farmland Soils: Characterization, Sources, and Pathways

  2021

  Hoda Fakour, Shang‐Lien Lo, Nathan Thadeo Yoashi, Angelbetter Marselian Massao, Nelson Naboth Lema, Fezile Bethusile Mkhontfo, Patrick Chris Jomalema, Nasra Shabani Jumanne, Bright Hubert Mbuya, James Travor Mtweve, Moslem Imani · Agriculture · Taiwan (Tainan)

  A study in Tainan city farms, Taiwan, quantified and analyzed microplastics (MPs) in farmland soils. MPs were found in all soil samples at depths ranging from 12–117 items/m2. Farms adjacent to suburban roads had approximately three times more MPs than enclosed farms. Fragment and fibers were the main forms, with low-density polyethylene being the dominant polymer, originating from historical land use, plastic mulch, and fruit protection foams.

  Contamination & food safetyHealthBiodiversity
  Read source →DOI: 10.3390/agriculture11040330

• 서울시 도시농업지역 토양의 이화학적 특성 및 중금속 함량훈

  2011

  김혁수, 김영남, 김진원, 김계훈 · 한국토양비료학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)

  This study investigated the physicochemical properties and heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) contents in 21 urban agricultural soils in Seoul. The total heavy metal concentrations in these soils were found to be lower than the warning levels specified by the Soil Environmental Conservation Act of Korea for area 1. Phytoavailable concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn were also reported.

  Contamination & food safetyHealthBiodiversity
  Read source →

• First Report of Cherry virus A in Sweet Cherry Trees in China

  2009

  W.-L. Rao, Z.-K. Zhang, Runzhong Li · Plant Disease · China (Kunming)

  In June 2007, sweet cherry trees with mottling and mosaic symptoms were observed in a private garden near Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Twenty-four samples from sweet cherry, sour cherry, flowering cherry, and peach trees in private and community gardens were tested for eight viruses by RT-PCR. Cherry virus A (CVA) was detected in two symptomatic sweet cherry trees, marking the first report of CVA in sweet cherry in China.

  Contamination & food safetyBiodiversityCommunity
  Read source →DOI: 10.1094/pdis-93-4-0425b