Research & reports

Dong Sung Kim, Yong Joo Sung, Bomi Kim, Ji-Yoon Kim, Rizal Solehuddin, Young Seok Park, Yong-Gyo Seo · Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry · South Korea

In South Korea, this study evaluated whether rice husk fiber — derived from the biorefinery process used for rice husk silica extraction — could substitute for cocopeat, the major component of vegetation media used in artificial greening such as rooftop gardens, testing samples made with OCC or ONP pulp. Higher rice husk fiber content produced bulkier, weaker vegetation media, though water-holding capacity and disintegration resistance were little affected, and no effect on conductivity change was detected. The study concludes that substituting rice husk fiber for cocopeat is possible with optimized application practice.

Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana, Sang Soo Lee, Nabeel Khan Niazi, Young Han Lee, Kye Hoon Kim, Jeong‐Hun Park, Deok Hyun Moon, Yong Sik Ok · Sustainability ·

This study evaluated urban agriculture soil quality through microbial assessment, comparing soils that had received either organic or inorganic fertilizer for 10 years. It measured soil enzyme activities, dehydrogenase, beta-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, urease, and alkaline and acid phosphatases, as indicators of microbial-mediated function, and used fatty acid methyl ester analysis to characterize microbial community composition. Organically fertilized soils showed relatively higher microbial community richness and enzyme activity than inorganically fertilized soils, with principal component analysis explaining organic fertilizer's positive influence on the microbial community, leading the study to conclude organic fertilizer can be a better alternative than inorganic fertilizer for long-term urban agriculture soil health and safety.

Marta Bożym · Ochrona Środowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych · Poland

A study measuring heavy-metal content (cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium) in compost and resident earthworms sampled from home composters and allotment gardens in the Opole region of Poland. The compost samples themselves were not contaminated with heavy metals and stayed within Polish legal limits for solid organic fertilizers. However, metal accumulation in earthworms varied by metal: the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was high for cadmium, lead and zinc, while no accumulation was found for nickel, chromium or copper. The authors conclude that earthworm species native to Poland, such as Eisenia fetida, can serve as potential bioindicators of metals in the environment.

Elizabeth A. Miernicki · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · United States

A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, that identifies soil contamination as a universal concern in urban agriculture and notes that the long-term benefits of alternative soil management systems such as raised beds have not been explored in the scientific literature. Its stated objective is to determine the effects of six soil management options - direct soil with synthetic fertilizer (DSF), direct soil with organic amendments (DSO), raised-bed mixture with synthetic fertilizer (RBMF), raised-bed mixture with organic amendments (RBMO), raised-bed compost-only with synthetic fertilizer (RBCF), and raised-bed compost-only with organic amendments (RBCO) - on yield of kale, garlic, pepper, cilantro and radish, on soil biological, chemical and physical properties, and on ecosystem services such as water and nutrient retention. Data collected include marketable versus cull yield, soil nutrients and organic matter, soil moisture, weed emergence, infiltration rate and bulk density, but this abstract does not report the comparative results themselves.

Yong Hyun Kim, Moo Ryong Huh, Jeong Ho Lee, Young Sik Lee, Hye Sung Choi · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

This study examined effluent water from biofloc technology (BFT) inland aquaculture as a resource-recycling substitute for conventional chemical fertilizer in urban agriculture, using cherry tomato cultivation. Tomato seedlings transplanted into nutrient-free horticultural soil were grown for 8 weeks under five treatments: control, hyponex solution (HS), slow-released fertilizer (SF), daily effluent water (DE), and weekly effluent water (WE). Growth characteristics differed significantly among treatments except for root length: plant length ranked HS=WE greater than DE=SF greater than control, and stem diameter ranked DE=SF greater than WE=HS greater than control, with no significant difference between HS and WE in shoot length/diameter or between DE and SF; leaf number was significantly higher in HS, DE and WE than in SF and control. Fruit sugar content showed no significant difference among treatments except the control, but fruit weight and yield were significantly higher in HS and WE than in DE and SF. The study concludes that the use of effluent water is comparable to conventional chemical fertilizer for urban agricultural cultivation.

Stacy M. Philpott, Peter Bichier · Ecological Applications · United States (California)

The influence of local, garden-scale factors (herbaceous and arboreal vegetation abundance and diversity, ground cover) and landscape-scale factors (landscape diversity and surrounding land use) on predation services was examined in 19 urban gardens on the California central coast. Sentinel pests — moth eggs and larvae and pea aphids — were placed on greenhouse-raised plants in open plots versus bagged, predator-exclosure plots. Predation rates were high, with 40% to 90% of prey items removed in open treatments. Predation services varied with local and landscape factors, but significant predictors differed by prey species: predation of eggs and aphids increased with vegetation complexity in gardens, while larval predation declined with vegetation complexity. Smaller gardens experienced higher predation, likely due to greater predator abundance, and several ground cover features influenced predation services. In contrast to patterns in rural agricultural landscapes, aphid predation declined as landscape diversity increased.

Jorge Luiz de Góes Pereira, Fabrício Darley Paixão Fernandes · Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo · Brazil

A qualitative case study using field observations and document analysis, conducted from April 8 to June 22, 2016, examined two pedagogical projects — "Community Garden" and "Hands That Make" — at the municipal elementary school Pedra Torta (a Community Agroecological School) in Águia Branca, Espírito Santo, Brazil. The findings show that these projects enable students to perceive multiple dimensions of rural reality and to value rural culture.

Silvia Rodríguez Navarro, Juan Esteban Barranco Florido, Victor Hugo Marín Cruz, Roberto Alejandro Terrón Sierra · Sociedades Rurales, Producción y Medio Ambiente · Global

To identify control alternatives for Macrodactylus pests in urban agriculture zones, this study evaluated the biopesticide action of enzymatic extracts from the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana, Isaria fumosorosea, and Metarhizium anisopliae against Macrodactylus infuscatus, an insect of economic importance. The fermentative extracts showed chitinolytic and proteolytic activity that degraded the insect cuticle and caused mortality. After 12 days, survival was lowest with I. fumosorosea extract (20%), followed by B. bassiana (25%) and M. anisopliae (38%), versus 48% in the control. With transformed data, I. fumosorosea again showed the lowest survival (10%), followed by B. bassiana (18%) and M. anisopliae with the highest survival (31%) (p 0.0026). Mean time to death was shortest for I. fumosorosea (5 days), followed by B. bassiana (7 days) and M. anisopliae (9.5 days), all significantly different from the control (p 0.05). This is described as the first study applying these biological control agents to M. infuscatus; treated insects showed decreased food consumption and mobility, apparently due to fungal metabolite effects.

Mariana Cardoso Chrispim, William A. Tarpeh, Delhi Teresa Paiva Salinas, Marcelo Antunes Nolasco · Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development · Brazil

Separately collected urine is presented as an attractive potential fertilizer because of its high nutrient content, low cost, and inherent link between urban wastewater management and peri-urban agriculture. Urine from waterless urinals was applied to corn and lettuce to examine the impact of application rate and frequency on plant growth and soil parameters; in both crops, urine application significantly (p < 0.05) increased growth and leaf production relative to control plants. More frequent applications led to lower soil cation exchange capacity for corn and higher soil nitrogen content for both crops. Preliminary implementation calculations suggest that installing waterless urinals at the University of São Paulo's School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities campus could save over 1,500 m³ of water and produce 360 m³ of urine annually; these experimental and modeling results are discussed in the context of scaling up urban urine collection, transport, and fertilization in São Paulo, Brazil.

Dwi Iriyani, Pangesti Nugrahani · Jurnal Matematika Sains Dan Teknologi · Indonesia

This descriptive quantitative study compared the nutritional values of organically and non-organically grown leaf vegetables—water spinach (kangkung), mustard greens, and spinach—cultivated in urban agriculture in Surabaya, Indonesia. Using spectrophotometric measurement (at 480, 645, and 663 nm) for total chlorophyll and carotenoid content and DCPIP titration for vitamin C, the study found water content above 80% in all samples, the highest vitamin C in non-organic mustard greens (2.45 µg/g) and the lowest in organic spinach (0.68 µg/g), the highest chlorophyll in non-organic spinach (23.81 mg/L) and the lowest in non-organic kangkung (3.29 mg/L), and the highest carotene in non-organic spinach (263.52 μmol/L) and the lowest in non-organic mustard greens (168.02 μmol/L)—concluding that no single leaf vegetable type, organic or non-organic, had the best values across all nutritional measures.

Dwi Haryanta, Mochammad Thohiron, Bambang Gunawan · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A survey conducted in river, ditch and reservoir waters in Surabaya, Indonesia, randomly sampled sedimentary soil and measured pH, color, structure, texture, organic matter, total nitrogen, K2O and P2O5. Clay content ranged 89.87-92.14%, organic matter 5.96-7.60%, total nitrogen 0.09-0.13%, K2O 0.88-1.12% and P2O5 2.08-2.44%, with soil color grayish-black to black. Housing sewer mud deposits were the most crumbly, and sludge reservoirs were the most heavily used. The sewage sludge soil was found potentially usable as a planting medium for urban agriculture.

Shimpo N. · 博士論文 (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Tokyo) · Japan

Doctoral dissertation systematically analysing the historical development of urban-type gardens and agricultural activities in Japan. Traces the emergence and evolution of diverse urban agricultural spaces—allotment gardens, community gardens and the like—forming the basis of Shimpo's later books and papers.

Brown S.L., Chaney R.L., Hettiarachchi G.M. · Journal of Environmental Quality, 45(1):26-36 · United States

A review examining the risk that urban soil lead poses to urban agriculture. It concludes that adding compost, organic matter and phosphorus improves soil properties and reduces both the bioavailability of soil lead and fugitive dust, so urban agriculture is unlikely to raise children's blood lead. The findings support the safety of compost-centred soil management in urban gardens.

· Journal of Sustainable Tourism · United States (Hawai'i)

Analyzes WWOOF organic-farm volunteer tourism in Hawai'i as a form of social movement participation, using a Polanyian political economy framework.

Piroska Nagy · Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) · Global

This study provides an overview of the development, geographical emergence, and key values of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) globally and in Hungary, using secondary research methods. The roots of CSA trace back to Rudolf Steiner's ideas in the 1920s, forming the basis for CSA movements in Germany, Switzerland, and the Americas. In contrast, the French AMAP and Hungarian CSA are based on the teikei communities that emerged in the 1970s. Both models were found to be motivated by consumers' desire for access to healthy food, with consumers initiating their establishment.

Ferdianto Budi Samudra, Adi Prayoga · Surya Agritama : Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian dan Peternakan · Indonesia

This descriptive study in Penanggungan Village, Trawas District, Mojokerto Regency, Indonesia, aimed to assess the sustainability of an organic urban farming system implemented in household yards using mini greenhouses. The research, conducted in a community-based organic farming area, found that the urban farming system in the study location was sustainable from the perspective of its cultivation system.

Josselin Rouhier · · Europe

Shared gardens are a powerful support for social connection, enabling collective activities and participatory consultations that foster exchanges and interactions among various stakeholders. They serve as a meeting point for administrations, developers, associations, and residents. Shared gardens are presented as an example of sustainable development, promoting intergenerational communication and socio-professional diversity within urban natural spaces.

GOMGNIMBOU Alain P. K., COULIBALY Kalifa, SANON Abdramane, BACYE Bernard, Hassan NM, Sedogo P. Michel · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Burkina Faso

This study aimed to chemically characterize organic fertilizers used in urban agriculture in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. For this purpose, seven animal-based fertilizers were analyzed.

William Kort · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States

This study developed a framework for life cycle environmental assessment of urban organic waste utilization in urban agriculture, specifically fruit and vegetable production. Results suggest that a full "urban nutrient cycle" offers significant environmental benefits, including meeting up to 70% of vegetable and 17% of fruit consumption needs in Northern and Eastern U.S. cities, with potential water savings of 10-17% of annual domestic use. Optimizing resource recovery through source separation leads to 1-2% lower wastewater generation and up to 44% greater phosphorus recovery, while overall energy and emissions benefits are 1-2% of a city's annual totals.

Caio Vieira Vasconcelos · · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)

This study presents a case study on water use in urban agriculture in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, focusing on community gardens in the Barreiro region (Vila Pinho and Jardim Produtivo gardens). It describes the physical structure and irrigation operations, and analyzes 2015 water consumption data in comparison with climatic variables. The research identified limitations, threats, positive aspects, opportunities, and potential solutions related to water use in these community gardens.

Runrid Fox-Kämper · · Global

This book provides insights and examples of how urban space is negotiated, describing urban gardens as "lived places" where social relations, meanings, and a sense of place are developed. To trigger social benefits, it is essential that these sites fulfill more functions than just food growing and leisure. Horticultural practices, such as using pesticides or fertilizers, have a strong influence on the ecological impact of urban gardening; although awareness among gardeners has increased due to training programs in recent decades, this impact persists.

Rosanne Wielemaker, Jan Weijma, G. Zeeman · Resources Conservation and Recycling · Netherlands (Rotterdam)

This paper assesses the match between supply from New Sanitation (NS) systems and demand from Urban Agriculture (UA) for nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter in Rotterdam. Using the Urban Harvest Approach, the research found that UA's demand for nutrients and organic matter can be minimized by 65–85%, achieving 100% self-sufficiency for phosphorus and partial self-sufficiency for nitrogen and organic matter. The integration of NS and UA maximizes urban self-sufficiency.

S. A. Materechera · Journal of Soils and Sediments · South Africa (Mahikeng)

Properties of subsoil in soils used for urban and peri-urban agriculture in Mahikeng city, South Africa, were investigated. Measurements of physical, chemical, and biological properties in four soil profiles (topsoil 0-20cm, subsoil 20-40cm) revealed high bulk density (mean 2.06 Mg m−3) and high penetrometer resistance (1.89 MPa) in the subsoil, indicating potential impedance to root growth. Low hydraulic conductivities at saturation and low plant-available boron levels were also found, leading to the conclusion that subsoil constraints to root growth are widespread in these soils.

Gundula Proksch · · Global

This chapter discusses urban agriculture as a holistic approach to nutrient resource management in cities, aiming to reestablish closed-loop systems for nutrient recycling. It provides knowledge on aligning plant nutrient needs with efficient growing systems and recycling strategies like composting and anaerobic digestion. The chapter also illustrates the potential integration of these systems into building designs and their impact on building performance.

Lorena Meneses Medina · Universitas Científica · Colombia

An urban children's garden was created between July and December 2015 at the Fundación Hogar el Divino Niño (FHDN) in Colombia, which feeds approximately 100 vulnerable children daily. Led by Nelson Enrique Casas Leal, the project aimed to build an organic farm with the support of children and youth interested in urban agriculture production practices. The garden cultivated tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, cilantro, squash, oregano, thyme, and medicinal plants, and became a life and survival option for the participating children and their families.