Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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984 results(20 / 40)
Coastal Ecosystems as Sources of Biofertilizers in Agriculture: From Genomics to Application in an Urban Orchard
2021Eloísa Pajuelo, Sandra Arjona, Ignacio D. Rodríguez‐Llorente, Enrique Mateos‐Naranjo, Susana Redondo‐Gómez, Francisco Merchán, Salvadora Navarro‐Torre · Frontiers in Marine Science · Global
This study evaluated the plant growth promoting (PGP) activity of the rhizobacterium Pantoea agglomerans RSO7 and its application as a biofertilizer in an urban orchard. RSO7 enhanced alfalfa growth in vitro, and a bacterial consortium including RSO7 fostered the growth and yield of several winter crops in an urban orchard by 1.5 to 10 fold. However, RSO7's classification in biosecurity group 2 prevents its use according to current European regulation.
Organic cycleDIYStructured Literature Reviews (SLR) of Urban Farming for Improving Economic Status of Urban Residents
2021Siti Aisyah Salim, Siti Hajar Salim, Fadhlina Mohd Razali · International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering Technology · Malaysia
This research explored potential urban farming activities for improving the economic status of urban residents through structured literature reviews (SLR). A search of ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases yielded 851 papers, with 90 articles used for final classification after a three-iteration filtering process. The study indicated that while urban farming's potential is promoted in Malaysia, research investigating its ability to improve urban residents' economic status remains very lacking.
EconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleManagement and safety practices in utilization of agro-food waste among urban agro-producer households
2021Charles Karani, Eric Obedy Gido, Hillary K. Bett · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This study surveyed 456 urban agro-producer households using an electronically-structured questionnaire to explore informal agro-food waste management and safety measures in low- and lower middle-income countries. Findings showed significant disparities in management and safety practices between participating and non-participating livestock and mixed producers. Waste reduction (86%), utilization (86%), segregation (63%), and composting (58%) were preferred, while disposal (18%) and mixing with salt/dry feeds (24%) were less preferred. Knowledge variables, such as waste sorting and urban agriculture knowledge, had a greater influence on these practices.
CompostOrganic cycleFood lossPELATIHAN PEMBUATAN KOMPOS BLOK DENGAN MEMANFAATKAN SAMPAH ORGANIK RUMAH TANGGA UNTUK DIGUNAKAN SEBAGAI BAHAN MEDIA TANAM
2021Dhian Rosalina, Yenni Marnita, Nasrul Kahfi Lubis, Fiddini Alham · SELAPARANG Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Berkemajuan · Indonesia (Langsa)
This community service activity provided training in Gampong Baroh Langsa Lama, Langsa Aceh city, to 30 day laborers on utilizing household organic waste to create compost blocks for planting media. The training involved socialization, practice, and evaluation, aiming to transform waste into useful products for urban farming. As a result, 50 percent of partners expressed willingness to practice making compost blocks and be periodically evaluated.
CompostDIYFood educationOrganic cycleCompost Based on Pulp and Paper Mill Sludge, Fruit-Vegetable Waste, Mushroom Spent Substrate and Rye Straw Improves Yield and Nutritional Value of Tomato
2021Agnieszka Zawadzińska, Piotr Salachna, J. Nowak, Waldemar Kowalczyk, Rafał Piechocki, Łukasz Łopusiewicz, Anna Pietrak · Agronomy · Global
This study investigated the use of compost made from pulp and paper mill sludge, fruit-vegetable waste, mushroom spent substrate, and rye straw as a growing medium for container-cultivated tomatoes. Tomato plants grown in compost-enriched media showed higher leaf greening, more ripe fruit, and increased levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and copper compared to controls. Specifically, a medium with 25% compost, 30% high peat, 15% low peat, 20% pine bark, and 10% wood fiber yielded the highest fresh fruit weight, total polyphenol content, and L-ascorbic acid levels.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYHealthNeither Poor nor Cool: Practising Food Self-Provisioning in Allotment Gardens in the Netherlands and Czechia
2020Sovová L., Veen E.J. · Sustainability (MDPI), 12(12):5134 · Europe
A comparative study of food self-provisioning in allotment gardens in the Netherlands and Czechia, drawing on social practice theory. It argues self-provisioning is neither merely a poverty response nor a trend, holding significant potential for food provisioning that can be supported within alternative food networks and urban sustainability frameworks.
Food lossOrganic cycleCommunityEconomics野村不動産が都内で農地貸し出しへ 家庭菜園向けに
2020日本経済新聞 · 日本経済新聞（Nikkei） · Japan
A Nikkei report on Nomura Real Estate partnering with JA Setagaya-Meguro to launch, in November 2020, a monthly subscription 'urban experience farm' for home gardening on over 2,000 sqm of productive green land in Setagaya. With about 200 plots of 3.6 sqm where residents and citizens take part from planting to harvest, it highlights how supported rental farming links the preservation of shrinking urban farmland with citizen participation in agriculture.
CommunityFood educationPolicyOrganic cycleQuantifying nutrient recovery efficiency and loss from compost-based urban agriculture
2020Shrestha P., Small G.E., Kay A. · PLOS ONE, 15(4):e0230996 · United States
A study measuring and quantifying nutrient recovery efficiency and loss from compost application in urban gardens. It shows compost often supplies phosphorus far in excess of crop demand, and surplus P can be lost to waterways. The work argues that closing the food-waste-to-compost loop in urban agriculture must be designed for sustainable nutrient management, not just diversion.
CompostOrganic cycleFood lossEconomicsAnalysis of the Soil Microbiome of a Los Angeles Urban Farm
2020Savanah St. Clair, Maryam Saraylou, Daila Melendez, Norman Senn, Serina Reitz, Destini Kananipour, Angelo Alvarez · Applied and Environmental Soil Science · United States (Los Angeles)
This research characterized the arable soils at Los Angeles Pierce College to address health and food-security challenges, using soil physical/chemical measurements, microbial cultivation, and 16S rDNA sequencing on a citizen-science platform. It found plant-growth-promoting, antibiotic-producing and bioremediating bacteria—including abundant Streptomyces, Bacillus and Methylobacteria—across fields with distinct microclimates, and tests indicated that plant-based oils could control antibiotic-resistant bacteria more effectively than common antibiotics. The authors say the results can guide future trials and product development by identifying target soil microorganisms and the most viable fields.
BiodiversityHealthOrganic cycleCarbon pools of Berlin, Germany: Organic carbon in soils and aboveground in trees
2020Richter S., Haase D., Thestorf K., Makki M. · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · Germany (Berlin)
First study combining soil and tree carbon stocks for Berlin to estimate its carbon storage potential, finding soils account for more than two-thirds of the city's stored organic carbon.
Organic cycleEvaluation of Recycled Materials as Hydroponic Growing Media
2020· Agronomy · United Kingdom
Assesses waste almond shells and a recycled plastic drainage plank as sustainable hydroponic media alternatives to perlite, evaluating physicochemical properties and lettuce germination and greenhouse growth.
DIYOrganic cycleEvaluating the Thermal Behavior of a Sustainable Room and Roof Prototype Using Recycled Waste Materials
2020· Recycling · Global
Monitors a prototype room over a year with walls of soil-filled PET bottles and a roof of multiple reused-material layers, including a green roof of waste materials, soil and endemic plants, demonstrating good thermal performance.
DIYOrganic cycleUtilizing Anaerobic Digestates as Nutrient Solutions in Hydroponic Production Systems
2020Bergstrand K., Asp H., Hultberg M. · Sustainability · Sweden
Evaluates using nutrient-rich anaerobic digestate from urban food waste as a hydroponic nutrient solution, supporting a closed-loop approach to urban and peri-urban food production.
Food lossOrganic cycleQuantifying Nutrient Recovery in Urban Farming Systems: Circular Economy Applications
2020Chen, L., Robinson, P., Silva, A., Kumar, M. · PLOS ONE · Global
Study across 25 urban gardens in Asia, Africa, and Latin America tracking nutrient cycling. Urban farms recover 60-80% of nutrient inputs through composting versus 10% in conventional agriculture.
Organic cycleEconomicsCharacterization of charcoal and firewood ash for use in African peri-urban agriculture
2020Dora Neina, Sibylle Faust, Rainer Georg Joergensen · Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture · Ghana
A study in Ghana investigated the potential agricultural value of charcoal and firewood ashes by examining differences in their chemical and mineralogical compositions and the suitability of various extractants for plant nutrients. Charcoal ash had higher pH, EC, and CCE than firewood ash, while firewood ash contained higher levels of As, Cu, Mg, and Zn, and more Mg-rich minerals. Both ashes contained trace elements, but their bioavailability and plant uptake after field application may differ and may not necessarily lead to plant uptake.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleCompostUsing constructed soils for green infrastructure – challenges and limitations
2020Maha Deeb, Peter M. Groffman, Manuel Blouin, Sara Perl Egendorf, Alan Vergnes, Viacheslav Vasenev, Donna L. Cao, Daniel C. I. Walsh, Tatiana Morin, Geoffroy Séré · SOIL · Global
This review examines the use of Constructed Technosols (CTs), mixtures of organic and mineral waste, for green infrastructure (GI) in urban spaces. While CTs have high potential to provide multiple soil functions and contribute to urban greening, urban soils are often physically, chemically, or biologically unsuitable for GI features. The analysis suggests that the composition and structure of CTs should be adapted to available wastes and by-products, as well as future land use and environmental conditions, highlighting the need for careful design to overcome existing limitations.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeBiodiversityDIYAssessing Nutrient Removal in Stormwater Runoff for Urban Farming with Iron filings-based Green Environmental Media
2020Dan Wen, Ni‐Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista · Scientific Reports · Global
This study assessed the nutrient removal efficiencies of Iron Filings-based Green Environmental Media (IFGEM) for stormwater runoff, using an isotherm study, a column study of reaction kinetics, and microstructure examination. IFGEM, made from recycled materials like tire crumb and iron filings, demonstrated over 90% nitrate removal and 50-70% total phosphorus removal under most inlet conditions. The ammonia byproduct allows for potential reuse of spent IFGEM as soil amendments in urban farming applications.
Organic cycleClimate changeDIYPathways for the Amplification of Agroecology in African Sustainable Urban Agriculture
2020Cristiana Peano, Stefano Massaglia, Chiara Ghisalberti, Francesco Sottile · Sustainability · Africa
This work reports case studies from the Slow Food Association in Africa to demonstrate the importance of agroecological models in small-scale agricultural systems. It focuses on the development of school and community gardens in small urban areas across different African countries. These models are presented as a tool for integrating agricultural activities aimed at social resilience and the conservation of ecosystems, aligning with SDG #12 Responsible Production and Consumption.
Climate changeOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justicePreparado homeopático no controle de Orthezia sp. em camarão amarelo - Pachystachys lutea, Acanthaceae
2020Marina Portugal Torres, Pedro Henrique Goulart Pinheiro, Daniela Barroso Siste · · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This study investigated a homeopathic treatment for a high infestation of Orthezia cochineal on Golden Shrimp plants in the Botanical Garden of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, from November 2018 to February 2019. Orthezia nosode at 12CH potency was applied weekly. Observations showed an improvement in plant health, evidenced by new vigorous shoots, and a significant reduction in cochineal attacks.
Organic cycleBiodiversityEffect of medium size and compost dose on organic red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. Var red rapids) cultivation in pots
2020Sugeng Triyono, Fadli Afrizki Surya Aditama, Elhamida Rezkia, D Dermiyati, Jamalam Lumbanraja · World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews · Indonesia
This pot experiment in Indonesia investigated the effect of medium size and organic compost dosage on the growth and yield of red lettuce. Red lettuce growth was depressed at 1kg and 3kg medium sizes but grew more freely at 5kg. The study found that the 3kg medium size with 10% compost dose yielded 75.3g per plant, which was considered the most optimum treatment due to using the least medium and compost, despite restricted growth.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleSuppression of weed occurrence in a five-year corn–earthworm coculture system
2020Tao Li, Jiequn Fan, Qian ZhenGuan, Guohui Yuan, Dandan Meng, Shuiliang Guo, Weiguang Lv · Weed Science · China
A 5-year experiment (2015-2019) in China compared weed occurrence in a corn–earthworm coculture (CE) system and a corn monoculture (CM). The CE system significantly decreased weed diversity, dominance index, total weed density, and biomass, while increasing the weed evenness index. The 5-year mean number of weed species per plot was 8.4 in CE versus 10.7 in CM, and total weed density and biomass in CE decreased by 59.2% and 66.6% respectively compared to CM.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeDiversidade de moluscos terrestres e nematofauna associada em horticulturas no município do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
2020Karina Leal de Oliveira · · Brazil
This study evaluated terrestrial mollusc diversity and associated nematodes in two horticulture areas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Manguinhos and Jacarepagua). Two collections, in spring and summer, sampled four points in each area. A total of 760 specimens were collected, identifying 16 species across 10 families, with significantly more live specimens collected in summer (363) than in spring (159) (p = 0.0011).
BiodiversityOrganic cycleImpact of land use on Histosols properties in urban agriculture ecosystems of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2020Otávio Augusto Queiroz dos Santos, Eduardo Carvalho da Silva Neto, Andrés Calderín García, Hugo de Souza Fagundes, Yan Vidal de Figueiredo Gomes Diniz, Robert Ferreira, Marcos Gervásio Pereira · Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study investigated the effect of tillage with plowing and drainage on Histosol properties in three land use systems in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The research focused on areas subjected to different land use systems over the last twenty years, aiming to understand how management practices impact these carbon and nitrogen-rich soils.
Organic cycleClimate changePROJETO HORTA ESCOLAR NA BAHIA
2020Cassia Silva Santos Góes · Revista Integrativa de Inovações Tecnológicas nas Ciências da Saúde · Brazil
This paper documents the presentation of the “School Garden Project in Bahia” at the International Congress on Technological Innovation in Health Sciences, held from November 15 to 18, 2017, at IFBA SAJ. The presentation highlighted the school's experiences with a social community garden, including resistances, advancements, garden care outside school hours, and the teaching of composting and natural fertilizers using organic compounds.
Food educationCommunityCompostOrganic cycleEffects of nitrogen recycling by human urine fertilization on butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) plant in green wall system on AIT campus
2020Ahmad Shabir Hozad · Environmental Research and Technology · Thailand
This study investigated the effects of human urine as fertilizer on butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) plants in a green wall system on the AIT campus. Applied at a nitrogen loading rate of up to 0.73 g N m-2 week-1 (104.28 mL urine m-2 week-1) for 16 weeks, urine fertilizer positively affected the food production, inflorescences, and health of butterfly pea plants, indicating it is suitable for green walls. This method could reduce campus wastewater load and save on expensive wastewater treatment.
Organic cycleCompostDIYClimate change