Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
170 results(7 / 7)
Growth Characteristics of Herbaceous Plants by Soil Condition to Revitalize the Urban Agriculture
2012Won Jei Park, Kyung Hwan Han, Soon Hyo Kwon, Mi Ok Park, Bon Hak Koo · Journal of the Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology · South Korea
This study investigated optimal soil-plant combinations for urban agriculture by analyzing herbaceous plant growth in different soil types. Four commercial soils (A, B, C, D) and granite soil (E, control) were tested with fruit, leafy, and medicinal vegetables. Fruit and leafy vegetables generally grew best in D-type soil mixture and A-type soil, and poorest in control E-type soil. 'Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum' grew best in D, B, C mixed soils and A-type soil, while 'Liriope platyphylla F. T. Wang & T. Tang' showed insignificant growth differences across soils.
Organic cycleDIY“三型城市”下都市农业生态安全分析与评价研究——以成都市为例
2012杜受祜, 金小琴 · 西南民族大学学报：人文社会科学版 · China (Chengdu)
This study analyzes and evaluates the ecological security of urban agriculture in Chengdu, China, from 2000 to 2011, using a constructed evaluation index system. Results show that urban agricultural ecological security in Chengdu fluctuated between 2000 and 2007, then improved after 2008 under urban agricultural development. Overall, the ecological security of urban agriculture in Chengdu is trending positively.
Climate changeOrganic cyclePolicyResearch on three small-scale agricultural ecological-economic systems in Shenzhen City based on emergy analysis
2012杨卓翔 YANG Zhuoxiang, 高阳 GAO Yang, Zhao Zhi, 李双成 LI Shuangcheng · Acta Ecologica Sinica · China (Shenzhen)
An emergy analysis compared the emergy input structure, production efficiency, environmental load, and sustainability of three farms (Biling Modern Agricultural Technology Park, Xili Orchard, and Shanhai Farm) in Shenzhen, China. Xili Orchard showed a high reliance on renewable resources, the lowest environmental load ratio, and the highest emergy indices for sustainable development. Shanhai Farm had a low reliance on renewable resources, the highest environmental load ratio, and was assessed as having the lowest sustainable development capacity.
EconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleDigital agricultureSpatial distribution characteristics of soil nitrogen in an orchard in the urban agricultural region of Shanghai
2011Zhou Pei · Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae · China (Shanghai)
This study analyzed surface soil samples (0-20 cm depth) from a peach orchard in Nanhui, Shanghai, to understand the spatial distribution of soil nitrogen (TN, NO3-N, NH4-N). It found that NH4-N content varied more than NO3-N and TN, with TN and NH4-N variations being higher than NO3-N. Spatial correlation for these elements was moderately interdependent up to approximately 740 meters, with NO3-N and NH4-N showing patchy distributions and higher concentrations near the village, while TN had distinct high concentration areas in the east.
Organic cyclePeri-urban agricultureUSE OF COMPOST WITH MICROBIAL INOCULATION IN CONTAINER MEDIA FOR MUNGBEAN (Vigna radiata L. Wilckzek ) AND PECHAY (Brassica napus L.)
2011Bayani M. Espiritu · Journal of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences · Asia
This study investigated the effects of microbially inoculated compost on mungbean and pechay growth in container media. Compost from coconut coir dust and chicken manure was inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Azotobacter sp.) and/or cellulolytic fungi (Trichoderma harzianum). Mungbean plants supplied with uninoculated compost showed the lowest fresh biomass and nodule count, while compost with combined Azotobacter sp. and T. harzianum inoculation significantly increased fresh biomass and nodule numbers in mungbean, and showed similar positive results for pechay.
CompostDIYWelfareOrganic cycleEcology of the Agricultural Labor:the Basis for Sustainable Development of Modern Society
2011HE Hui-li · Ecological Economy · China (Beijing)
This article proposes the "ecology of agricultural labor" as a new alternative characterized by intermediate technology, mass production, local consumption, and recycling agriculture. It illustrates this concept with two examples: natural farming by Jinlei in Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province, and the Little Donkey Citizen Farm in Beijing, China. The study suggests that this approach forms the basis for sustainable development by fostering symbiotic relationships between humans, society, and nature.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycle探索农业现代化道路 引领现代农业技术 服务区域农业发展——中国科学院栾城农业生态系统试验站30年区域示范实践
2011胡春胜, 曾江海, 王绍仁 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China (Luancheng)
This article reviews the 30-year demonstration practices and achievements of the Luancheng Agro-Ecosystem Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Luancheng County, Hebei Province. Since the early 1980s, the station has pioneered research and demonstration of new technologies like facility agriculture and urban agriculture models centered on information technology in the early 21st century. Over 30 years, the station has actively explored agricultural modernization pathways and key supporting technologies, promoting regional and national agricultural modernization.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeOrganic cycleProperties and Heavy Metal Contents of Urban Agricultural Soils in Seoul
2011Hyuck-Soo Kim, Young‐Nam Kim, Jin‐Won Kim, Kye-Hoon Kim · 한국토양비료학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)
This study investigated the properties and total and phytoavailable contents of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) in 21 urban agricultural soils in Seoul, South Korea. The total heavy metal concentrations in the examined urban agricultural soils were found to be lower than the warning levels for area 1 according to the Soil Environmental Conservation Act of Korea. Phytoavailable-Cu, -Pb, and -Zn concentrations were also reported as 0.02-0.28, N.D-0.09, and 0.01-0.43 mg/kg, respectively.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCharacteristics of Phosphorus Non-point Source Pollution on Groundwater in Urban Agricultural Region of Shanghai
2010Zhou Pei · · China (Shanghai)
A study conducted in Orchard Village, Nanhui District, Shanghai, from July to September 2009, investigated the effects of phosphorus non-point source pollution on groundwater in an urban agricultural region. Total phosphorus concentrations averaged 1.31 mg/L and phosphate concentrations averaged 0.42 mg/L, with phosphate significantly exceeding the V class surface water standard (0.4 mg/L), rendering the water unsuitable for drinking. Phosphorus non-point source transport was linked to land-use types, with phosphorus content near orchards changing with increased rainfall, and farmland phosphorus loss accelerating with runoff, fertilization, and water leach.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleNon-point Source Pollution of Nitrogen in Groundwater in Urban Agricultural Region of Shanghai and Risk Assessment
2010Zhou Pei · · China (Shanghai)
A study from July to September 2009 in an orchard village, Nanhui District, Shanghai, investigated the characteristics of non-point source nitrogen pollution in groundwater. Total nitrogen and its three forms (NO3-N, NH4-N, NO2-N) were monitored, revealing NO3-N as the main form (average 1.43-13.71 mg/L). Nitrogen pollution in groundwater depended on land use, with NH4-N pollution most serious under residential areas (average 0.074-0.457 mg/L). Total nitrogen pollution near the river and orchard (average 33.67-62.57 mg/L and 33.05-65.04 mg/L) was more severe than under residential areas.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageEnvironmental Effect and Management of Urban Modern Agriculture——A Case Study in Chengdu City
2010Liu Cheng-yu · Sichuan Environment · China
This paper examines the environmental effects and management of urban modern agriculture, characterized by high input, high consumption, high output, and high discharge, using Chengdu City, China, as a case study. It states that while urban modern agriculture has a direct impact on the environment, it can develop coordinately with the environment if appropriate patterns are adopted. The paper summarizes environmentally friendly modern agriculture development patterns observed in Chengdu and proposes suggestions to promote further coordinated development between modern agriculture and the environment, which could serve as a reference for urban agriculture development nationwide.
Climate changeOrganic cyclePolicyAgricultural land use and associated nutrient flows in peri-urban production systems
2009Dionys Forster · DORA Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag)) · Vietnam (Hanoi)
This work aims to develop a methodology for determining nutrient flows and budgets in peri-urban agricultural systems in Hanoi, Vietnam. The methodology will assess nutrient status at farm, village, and communal levels, considering the spatial and temporal variability of crop and nutrient management. This is intended to support the recycling and reuse of solid and liquid organic waste in peri-urban agriculture.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleCompostPengendalian Penyakit Sayuran Yang Ditanam Dengan Sistem Budidaya Mosaik Pada Pertanian Periurban
2008Euis Suryaningsih · Jurnal Hortikultura · Indonesia (Bandung)
From January to July 2001, a field experiment on vegetable disease control in a mosaic farming system in periurban agriculture was conducted at a farmer's field in Rancaekek, Bandung, Indonesia. Treatments included white plastic net cages, biorational pesticides, Bacillus subtilis, a mixture of Mancozeb and Bacillus subtilis, and an unsprayed control. All tested alternative control methods were very effective against major diseases of chili pepper, shallot, eggplant, beans, and cucumber, but the use of poisonous synthetic pesticides in periurban agriculture increases the likelihood of contaminating humans and the environment.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthOrganic cycleHelminth infections among people using wastewater and human excreta in peri‐urban agriculture and aquaculture in Hanoi, Vietnam
2007Do Thuy Trang, Kåre Mølbak, Phung Dac Cam, Anders Dalsgaard · Tropical Medicine & International Health · Vietnam (Hanoi)
A cross-sectional study in a peri-urban area of Hanoi, Vietnam, surveyed 400 agricultural households and examined 807 stool samples from 620 adults and 187 children for helminth infections. The study found that 39% of samples were infected with helminths, with Ascaris sp. at 21.6%, Trichuris sp. at 9.8%, and hookworm at 21.8%. Wastewater exposure was not a major risk, but lack of sanitation facilities and use of fresh or inadequately composted human excreta in agriculture were important risk factors for infection.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureAssessment of Wastewater Generation, Management Pattern and Its Re-use Potential In Urban India
2004R. B. Singh · IAHS-AISH publication · India
A study on wastewater management in 300 class-I cities and 23 metropolitan cities in India found that the total wastewater generated is approximately 158x10^8 l/day, with treatment capacity being only 375x10^7 l/day. In metropolitan cities, only 30% of wastewater is treated before disposal, and most cities only have primary treatment facilities. Untreated water is being used for urban agriculture, posing risks to public health and potential surface and groundwater pollution.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthWastewater Reuse in Urban Agricultural Ecological System
2004Xiaoling Wang · Urban Environment & Urban Ecology · China
This paper introduced comprehensive wastewater treatment technology and reclaimed water utilization in the Xiedao urban eco-agricultural system in China. Test results indicated that the removal of COD(Cr), BOD5, turbidity, and TN were all over 90%. The reclaimed water quality was very stable and met state requirements for irrigation and scenic water, and using reclaimed water reduced groundwater exploitation by 50% annually in the holiday village system.
Organic cycleUrban and peri-urban agricultural production in Beijing municipality and its impact on water quality
2003James M. Wolf, M S van Wijk, X Cheng, Yuanhao Hu, C.A. van Diepen, A.W. Jongbloed, H van Keulen, C H Lu, R.P. Roetter · Environment and Urbanization · China (Beijing)
This paper reviews agricultural production trends in Beijing Municipality and their impact on water quality. Rapid urbanization and agricultural intensification have led to concerns regarding water resource quantity and quality. The agricultural sector, while supplying food, is a major water user and has contributed to significant water supply-demand gaps and high levels of water pollution, particularly from intensive crop, vegetable, and livestock production.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleUrban agriculture between allotment and market gardening: contributions to the sustainability of African and Asian cities
2002L.M. van den Berg · WIT transactions on ecology and the environment · Africa, Asia
Urban agriculture, despite severe competition for space, plays roles such as fresh food supply, leisure, supplementary income for the urban poor, and green space management. Case studies in Africa and Southeast Asia demonstrate the difficulty of maintaining these roles due to public health and environmental degradation concerns. Urban agricultural producers may rely on polluted streams for irrigation, cause soil erosion through inappropriate farming techniques, or poison surrounding residents with pesticides. The paper suggests that urban agriculture could be more beneficial to the urban system if treated by town planners as a normal urban function requiring both regulation and protection.
Contamination & food safetyEconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyProblem and Corresponding Countermeasure of the Pest and Disease Control at Garden Plants in Kunming Communities
2002Chen You · Forestry Science and Technology · China (Kunming)
This paper investigated the harm caused by important pests and endangered hosts on garden plants in Kunming communities, China. It identified that the low level of pest and disease control is due to an unsound forecast system, an unreasonable management system, and a shortage of knowledge among working personnel. Corresponding countermeasures proposed include establishing a sound forecast system, changing the current management system, and improving the knowledge of working personnel.
Governance failureCommunityOrganic cycleWaste recycling through urban farming in Hubli-Dharwad.
2000Fiona Nunan · · India (Hubli-Dharwad)
Urban agriculture in Hubli-Dharwad, India, is characterized by tradition and links with rural areas. The majority of urban agricultural activities in India involve keeping livestock, particularly in urban dairies, rather than vegetable growing by low-income communities. Urban and peri-urban agricultural activities in India are strongly associated with urban-based sources of waste, both in terms of consuming waste and producing dung.
Organic cycleWelfareCommunity