Research & reports

Budiman Widodo, Budiman Widodo, Winarti · Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences · Indonesia (Surakarta)

This study investigated the potential of the "Lihat Kebunku" (Look at My Garden) urban farming movement in Surakarta during the pandemic, using normative and concept research methods. Secondary data and existing concepts were utilized for information collection. The study results indicated that the movement of agricultural land use in Surakarta can be a mobilization process ensuring increased community participation and awareness in utilizing abandoned land through urban farming.

Mahbuba Ferdous · Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research · Australia (Armidale)

This case study investigated non-chemical weed management strategies in a small-scale vegetable garden in Armidale, Australia, through observation and an in-depth, unstructured interview with the garden's convener. Growers primarily used mechanical and cultural methods, including mulching, hand weeding, tillage, and grazing, to manage weed infestation. While mulching with wood chips and hand weeding were considered more effective in minimizing weed competition during critical crop development periods, they could not reach a satisfactory level. Further improvements by integrating several approaches simultaneously are needed for more effective and economical weed control.

O.M. Seretse, Abhishek Agarwal, Ulaula Mmiletsi, Mbizo Mpho · Advances in Modern Agriculture · Sub-Saharan Africa

This study designed a cost-effective, two-row donkey-drawn maize planter for small-scale farms in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Botswana, where donkeys are a primary power source. The assembled planter weighs 48.93 kg, can be drawn by three donkeys, and has an estimated cost of 200 USD. The study notes limitations and calls for further research to assess performance under varying soil conditions, durability, and planting efficiency.

Juliana Marcela Santos Calderón, Julián David Coral Sanabria, Olga Ximena Aguilar Galvis · Innovando En La U · Global

This study investigated the effect of different amounts of vermicompost (0%, 20%, and 40%) on Batavia lettuce cultivation. It found that 20% vermicompost accelerated germination on the first day (P0.05). By day 40, 20% vermicompost influenced plant height and leaf number, resulting in an average height of 5.44 cm and 7.2 leaves by day 46 (P<0.05). These findings suggest that 20% vermicompost is the most recommended amount for Batavia lettuce.

Elisabet, Prima Wahyu Titisari · Jurnal Agronomi Indonesia (Indonesian Journal of Agronomy) · Indonesia

This study investigated the potential of eco-enzyme and oyster mushroom bag-log waste as growing media for celery microgreens, a model suitable for urban farming. Using a factorial design, researchers tested eco-enzyme dosages (0.5, 15, 25 mL L-1) and bag-log waste dosages (0.50, 100, 150 g/tray). Findings showed a significant interaction between the two factors, with the combination of 25 mL L-1 eco-enzyme and 150 g/tray bag-log waste yielding the best results across all measured parameters, including wet weight and nutrient levels.

Arfiana Dita Arum Sari, Dita Atasa, Yana Yana, Asep Syaefuddin, Dewi Suryani, Rhomi Ardiansyah · Faedah Jurnal Hasil Kegiatan Pengabdian Masyarakat Indonesia · Global

The Sustainable Urban Agriculture Practitioner (PPB) division of SEAMEO BIOTROP's internship activities focused on Red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) cultivation using Yumina and Bumina techniques, suitable for urban areas. The activities encompassed seeding, maintenance, and treatment, aiming to provide knowledge, understanding, and skills for proper red tilapia cultivation to the community.

Sarah Dimick · Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction · United States (Minneapolis)

This study reflects on guerrilla gardening and its narratives by intersecting Eleanor Catton’s novel Birnam Wood with descriptions of gardens at police killing sites in the greater Minneapolis metro area. It argues that guerrilla garden infrastructures sprout in the soil of highly unequal power, often in the wake of the fatal exercise of state power, and in the shadow of a foreshortened environmental future. These are DIY infrastructures constructed by people weathering entwined environmental, political, and economic crises in the 21st century.

Júlio Barêa Pastore, Paulo Henrique Honorato · Ornamental Horticulture · Brazil (Brasília)

The "Jardim de Sequeiro" is a naturalistic, seasonal rainfed gardening technique developed at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. The first experimental garden, over 5,000 square meters of rooftop gardens, was planted at the Instituto Central de Ciências. It relies entirely on rainfall and withers during winter drought, functioning as a temporary installation redesigned annually. Its first cycle ran from December 2020 to May 2021, yielding promising results despite pandemic difficulties.

Tuyet Truong, Khoirunnisa Khuzaimah, H.T.M. Pham, Ho Ngoc Son, Tuan Van Bui, Long Ha · SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF TAN TRAO UNIVERSITY · Vietnam (Son La Province)

A study surveyed 39 local farmers in Buot village, Son La province, Vietnam, to examine their perception of agrobiodiversity and factors influencing the adoption of syntrophic farming in home gardens. The survey found that most farmers understood the importance of agrobiodiversity and were willing to adopt syntrophic farming. However, challenges in capital, market access, and a lack of irrigation systems were identified as barriers hindering their adoption of syntrophic farming.

· Current Science International · Egypt (Giza)

An experiment was conducted for two seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) at the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate's rooftop garden in Giza, Egypt, to determine suitable cultivation systems and planting densities for rooftop potato production. The deep beds system proved more suitable than the horizontal bags system, showing higher values for plant height, leaf number, and yield. While 6 plants/m² recorded the highest values for individual plant metrics, a density of 9 plants/m² resulted in the highest total yield per m².

Irnanda Pratiwi, Muhni Pamuji, Nasir Nasir · IKRA-ITH ABDIMAS · Indonesia

This program in Sialang sub-district, Indonesia, aims to empower the community by educating them on urban farming and providing training in processing bitter melon and banana stems into economically valuable chips. It addresses the lack of comprehensive training in urban farming and utilizing home garden produce. The program reports that one banana midrib stem yields approximately 1.5 kg of chips, and 1 kg of bitter melon produces 200g of chips.

Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Hugo Antonio Fernández, R. Salazar, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, E. Fitz-Rodríguez, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, I.L. López-Cruz, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Uwe Schmidt, Dennis Dannehl · Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua · Mexico (Mexico City)

Yields and water productivity of romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes were investigated in 13 urban gardens in Mexico City. Lettuce yields ranged from 0.10 to 1.20 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.21 to 2.93 kg m-3, while cherry tomato yields ranged from 0.25 to 3.40 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.32 to 5.52 kg m-3. Irrigation in these gardens is empirically done using potable water, showing an excess water supply of 0.27 to 0.4 m3 m-2 for a complete cycle of lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Idfi Setyaningrum, Nur Achadijah, Kartini Kartini, Ramdan Hidayat · LOSARI Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A community service project in RT 02 RW 04, Penjaringansari Village, Surabaya City, Indonesia, supported vertical gardening of family medicinal plants (TOGA) in limited spaces. The activity provided information and assistance from planting media selection to harvesting, using an "Edu_DoIt" approach combining education with direct application. This resulted in educational vertical gardens, with harvested produce sold to the local community, generating sustainable economic value.

Adhellya Novia Putri, Elfi Indriani Puspitasari, Eric Andika Rahman, Elok Vilantika · Prosiding Seminar Hasil Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dan Kuliah Kerja Nyata · Indonesia

A microgreens cultivation training program was conducted for PKK women in Blimbing Village, Indonesia, to address challenges in utilizing limited land for agriculture. The program provided socialization and practical training on planting, caring for, and harvesting microgreens. Initial evaluation results indicated that participants increased their understanding of microgreens' potential in small spaces, fostered community collaboration, and improved family nutrition.

Amelia Nirmalawaty, Tiurma Wiliana Susanti Panjaitan, Dwi Agustiyah Rosida · Abdi Massa. · Indonesia (Surabaya)

Training and assistance for hydroponic vegetable cultivation were provided to PKK women in RT 02/RW 01, Tenggilis Mejoyo Village, Surabaya City. Previous NFT hydroponic training had suboptimal implementation due to limited yard space and insufficient understanding of hydroponic cultivation, particularly in plant nursery and nutrient solution concentration measurement. The current training and assistance successfully improved the participants' knowledge and skills, enabling optimal utilization of aid from the Food Security and Agriculture Office and maximizing the use of limited land for community nutritional needs.

M.B. Gush, Tijana Blanuša, Lauriane Suyin Chalmin‐Pui, A. Griffiths, Elisabeth K. Larsen, Raghavendra Prasad, Marc Redmile‐Gordon, Chloe Sutcliffe · Plants People Planet · Global

This article presents an integrated and applied research approach to environmental horticulture from The Royal Horticultural Society. It emphasizes the importance of domestic and community gardens in the context of global environmental threats and discusses four primary research focus areas. These areas include responding to climate change, using plants for environmental regulation, sustainable resource management, and gardening for human health and wellbeing.

Yenny Díaz Domke · Revista de la Academia · Chile (Santiago)

This study integrated approaches from critical pedagogy, art education, and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) perspectives through a community experience in an urban garden in San Bernardo, Chile, from 2021 to 2023. The initiative contributed to the action and reflection of agroecological values by exploring methodologies for awareness, aesthetic sensibility, and creative action regarding technical and biological relationships. The introduction of a solar distillation artifact made from recycled material opened critical perspectives on technological intervention and fostered a collective understanding that technical solutions can also be developed at a local scale.

Agung Prabowo, Muhammad Ikhsan Alif · PengabdianMu Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

In Gunung Samarinda Baru Village, Indonesia, a community service activity addressed limited green open space through urban farming and waste management. The initiative involved training and practical sessions on hydroponic vegetable cultivation and compost processing from household waste, following initial socialization. Monitoring results showed that the community utilized their green open space for hydroponic vegetable growing, evidenced by a first harvest, and engaged in compost processing.

Mansi I. Bhati and R.K. Dubey · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

Urban horticulture, a new concept for growing family-sufficient food in urban and peri-urban areas, is gaining importance. However, environmental challenges for urban farming in urban environments include soil contamination, micro-climate alteration and air pollution, and contaminated water resources. Appropriate guidelines for urban and peri-urban agricultural practices are required.

Stuart Walters, V. P. Thomas, Karen Stoelzle Midden, John W. Groninger · Journal of Living Architecture · Global

This study evaluated the productivity of four Romaine lettuce cultivars grown to maturity in an 8 cm deep lightweight clay substrate on an extensive green roof during the autumn production seasons of 2012 and 2013. Lettuce productivity was improved by the addition of fertilizers, with fast-release fertilizer providing the greatest growth and productivity. However, abnormally cold growing conditions in autumn 2013 resulted in lower yields compared to 2012, highlighting the system's vulnerability to weather.

Hotmaidah Hasibuan, Silvia Ardina Siregar · Bioedunis Journal · Indonesia

A qualitative study was conducted in Indonesia at UIN SYAHADA Padangsidimpuan, involving a random sample of 20 out of 42 biology education students, to describe the fostering of bioentrepreneurship. Data collected via online questionnaires showed a high interest in entrepreneurship among students of the Tadris Biology Study Program after attending an urban farming entrepreneurship class, based on an average score of 5 indicators.

Nurgiantoro Nurgiantoro, La Ode Hadini, La Ode Agus Salim Mando, Armayanti Aris, Septian Jackrianto, Farid Restu Firmansyah, Hikma Wati · Sewagati · Indonesia (Kendari)

This community partnership program in Wundumbatu Village, Kendari City, focused on mitigating climate change impacts by reducing the urban heat island effect through edible landscape vegetation. The program educated the community via Focus Group Discussions and planted 450 edible plant seedlings, including mulberry and turmeric, in partner yards. Monitoring showed that the edible plants grew well, and community understanding of edible landscapes improved.

Francisco Tomatis, Monika Egerer, Adriana Corrêa-Guimarães, Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia · Agriculture · Global

This study systematically reviewed 72 academic documents published from 2000 to 2022 to investigate the relationship between climate change and urban gardening. The analysis showed that climate change can have negative impacts on cities, people, and urban food. Suggestions for building urban gardens' adaptation capacity include rainwater collection, changing plant selection, adjusting planting times, and applying vegetative soil cover. Community and allotment gardens contribute to urban adaptation, mitigation, and resilience by regulating microclimates, reducing urban heat island effects, buffering floods, capturing carbon, and fostering social networks.

Dewi Kurniasih, Indri Santiasih, Wiwik Dwi Pratiwi · Kumawula Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

In Kalijudan, Surabaya, a community service program provided training to local women on creating "vertipots" for urban farming in limited spaces. The training covered making planting containers from used plastic paint cans, preparing growing media, and plant care. These vertipots utilize PVC pipes inside to hold organic kitchen waste, with leachate providing nutrients like Nitrogen and Phosphorus to the plants.

Anang Suhardianto, Ariyanti Hartari · SAINTEKES Jurnal Sains Teknologi Dan Kesehatan · Global

This study investigated the effect of using biofloc catfish pond water, AB mix solution, and their 1:1 combination for aquaponic cultivation of caisim, pakchoy, and kailan plants. The combination of biofloc pond water and AB mix solution at a 1:1 ratio yielded the highest growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves, and fresh weight, for all three plant types. The research concluded that biofloc catfish pond water can serve as a substitute for AB mix solution in aquaponic cultivation of caisim, pakchoy, and kailan.