Research & reports

BMSTU (Mytishchi branch), I.Yu. Bochkova, Yu.A. Khokhlacheva · Лесной вестник / Forestry bulletin · Global

Research conducted in 2018 at the Main Botanical Garden (MBG RAS) identified promising groundcover plants for landscape architecture. From 225 selected plants, field surveys and phenological observations were performed, including biometric measurements and color refinement. The study resulted in a list of 40 highly promising species recommended for urban gardening.

Brenda B. Lin, Monika Egerer, Jonathan Kingsley, Pauline Marsh, Lucy Diekmann, Alessandro Ossola · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · Global

This letter explores whether there was a renewed global interest in gardening during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It notes that gardening, in various forms from private yards to community gardens, has the potential to counteract negative physical and mental health impacts of lockdowns and reduced human-nature interactions. Media reports indicated spikes in gardening interest, with sold-out seeds and plants in stores.

Mukesh Choudhary, Abha Rawat · Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika · Global

This review examines rooftop horticulture as an innovative solution for urban cultivation, addressing limited space in cities. It provides an interdisciplinary assessment of various development approaches and forms of rooftop horticulture, drawing on existing experiences and offering suggestions for planning sustainable cities. The review notes that some urban rooftop gardens utilize mineral fertilizers and pesticides.

Sunil Babu Shrestha, Bijan Shrestha, Marina Vaidya Shrestha · Nepal Journal of Science and Technology · Nepal

In Godawari Municipality, Nepal, this study explored the opportunity of rooftop hydroponics for urban agriculture. A questionnaire survey was conducted in ward-14 from November to December 2018, with a sample size of 64 households selected using stratified random sampling. Out of 64 respondents, 45 (71.31%) achieved high opportunity scores based on eight factors: Space, Willingness, Affordability, Manpower, Time, Knowledge, Technology, and Acceptance with incentives. This indicates a high opportunity for practicing rooftop hydroponics for urban agriculture in Godawari Municipality.

Ana Manríquez-Altamirano, Jorge Sierra-Pérez, Pere Muñoz, Xavier Gabarrell · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global

This study proposed an eco-design methodology to upcycle tomato stems, identified as the most promising agro-urban solid waste from rooftop greenhouse tomato crops, for local "do-it-yourself" use. Researchers characterized tomato stems physically, chemically, and mechanically, then conducted a creative session with specialists to identify applications. Resulting concepts included "Fences and trellises," "Packaging," and "Boards, panels and blocks," providing data on stem characterization for broader biomass utilization.

Kousaku Ohta, Masatoshi Funabashi · Measurement Sensors · Global

This study achieved high biodiversity (over 200 plant species) on an urban rooftop garden using the Synecoculture method and analyzed soil microbial diversity, activity, and chemical properties over two years. Soil microbes gradually increased in diversity and activity after installation, showing a positive correlation with cation exchange capacity. After two years of continuous practice, human subjective evaluations were qualitatively consistent with objective data, suggesting that trained human subjectivity could be incorporated as part of assessment proxies in future ecosystem management research.

Hongqiang Chen · OALib · Global

This paper summarizes the concept of productive agricultural landscape and analyzes the feasibility and advantages of its design in urban residential areas. Productive agricultural landscape integrates agricultural products and activities as design elements, addressing urban residents' needs to participate in planting, enjoy organic food, and build harmonious neighborhood relationships. This promotes the localization of urban food production and plays an important role in the sustainable development of cities.

Jin-Hee Ju, Sun-Young Cho, Hee-Yeon Song, Se-Young Ju, Yong-Han Yoon, Kyung‐Jin Yeum · Journal of Food Quality · Global

This study aimed to increase plant growth and bioactive contents using intercropping technology in urban agriculture. Tomatoes and sunflowers were intercropped in different ratios on an outdoor rooftop, and lettuce and chicory were grown together in indoor LED plant growth chambers. Tomatoes intercropped with sunflowers (3:1) showed significantly larger stem diameter, more leaves, and higher lycopene and β-carotene contents compared to monocultured tomatoes. Lettuce intercropped with chicory (1:3) had significantly higher chlorophyll, β-carotene, and lutein contents than lettuce grown alone, but intercropping had no beneficial effect on chicory's growth and carotenoid content.

Haryuni Haryuni, Sapto Priyadi, Suswadi Suswadi, Mrih Rahayu, Achmad Fatchul Aziez · PROSIDING SEMINAR NASIONAL DIES NATALIS 41 UTP SURAKARTA · Global

This article reviews types and management of urban farming, concluding that vertical farming is widely adopted due to its adaptability to limited urban land. Plant management typically involves planned and regular practices, utilizing household waste for fertilization and pest control. Common plant disturbances are caused by insects, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

Ilham Eka Putra, Wiwin Styorini · ABEC Indonesia · Global

This research developed a Smart Farming Robot (SF-BOT) for urban agriculture, designed for automated watering, seed planting, and plant monitoring using IoT applications. SF-BOT utilizes soil moisture sensors with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, offering real-time monitoring and video streaming via a web server interface. The DHT sensor achieved 98.69% accuracy, and the magnetic sensor achieved 100% accuracy.

Eloísa 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.

L.A. Zhuravleva, A. Aldiab · SCIENTIFIC LIFE · Global

This article discusses innovative directions in urban farming and presents the development of an installation for growing agricultural crops at home with an automatic control system based on the Arduino platform. The control system measures illumination, temperature, air humidity, soil moisture, and water level using sensors, automatically maintaining optimal microclimate parameters. The conducted studies demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of this experimental installation.

E. V. Koroleva, A. F. Petrov, Yu. V. Chudinova · Bulletin of NSAU (Novosibirsk State Agrarian University) · Russia (Novosibirsk)

This review focuses on the intraspecific variability of ornamental plants of the genus Clarkia (Onagraceae) and the clarification of the systematic status of Godetia species introduced into Novosibirsk. Experimental data from genetic and cytological analyses over the last 100 years are presented, showing morphological, karyological characteristics, and genetic variability in various species of the Godetia section. The article concludes that a comprehensive study of environmental conditions' influence on genetic features, ornamental qualities, and flowering biology is necessary for selecting suitable forms and introducing them into urban gardening for Western Siberia's climatic conditions.

Mariam Jibuti · Globalization and Business · Global

This research investigated the use of old and modern technologies for sustainable building, plant/tree medicines, non-timber forest products, water purity and rainwater harvesting, urban farming, and energy-efficient lifestyles. It argues that implementing these techniques can lead to economic awakening and improve current waste and unproductivity. The study states that stone building, the use of trees and herbs, rainwater collection, and urban farming contribute to people's daily lives, national self-reliance and health, and sustainable economic growth.

Agnieszka 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.

Yumin Park, Yong-Wook Shin · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

A study analyzed the trends and network structure of 'grow-your-own (GYO)' activities by collecting 6,388 Instagram posts containing '#gyo' and '#growyourown' hashtags from June 13, 2020, to April 13, 2021, using social network analysis. The results showed that users expressed preference and interest in GYO through various word combinations, positive emotions and pride through gardening-related hashtags, and participated in urban gardening, indicating trends towards self-sufficiency and sustainable living.

· Journal of Cleaner Production · Malaysia

Uses a university case study and life-cycle assessment to demonstrate community-scale food waste composting; with leaves as bulking agent it took 7 months, yielding 30% compost meeting organic fertiliser standards.

Chowdhury M.E.H., Khandakar A., Ahmed S., Al-Khuzaei F., Al-Emadi N. · Sensors · Qatar

Design, construction and testing of an automated indoor vertical hydroponic system able to grow common food crops inside homes in limited space independent of outdoor climate, with an open IoT platform for remote monitoring and display of system parameters.

· 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.

Muhammad Mumtaz Khan, Muhammad Tahir Akram, Rhonda Janke, Rashad Qadri, Abdullah M. Al‐Sadi, Aitazaz A. Farooque · Sustainability · Global

This study reviews contemporary urban horticulture, illustrating traditional and innovative developments, as a response to global concerns about food supply and environmental protection in urban settings, exacerbated by factors like population growth and the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how current urban cropping systems can be enhanced with modern techniques like vertical gardening and hydroponics. These methods are presented as eco-friendly, energy-saving, and capable of ensuring consistent fresh food supplies and more sustainable agriculture.

Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain, Nur Hayati Hashim, Asmat Ismail · Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment · Global

This paper conceptually reviews the ideas, issues, and imperatives of implementing urban farming on rooftops, investigating an alternative for urban dwellers to achieve resilience. It uses comparative analysis of established texts and secondary data from cases in Singapore, Japan, USA, and Thailand. The study aims to localize the concept of rooftop urban farming and establish a conceptual discourse for its implementation in Malaysia.

Maha 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.

Dan 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.

Monika Egerer · · Global

This chapter discusses how climate-related factors and climate change may affect the biodiversity of plants and animals in urban agroecosystems, and the ecosystem functions and services they provide. It notes that little research in urban agroecology explicitly investigates the impacts of local weather patterns or regional climate cycles on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, or service delivery. The chapter aims to bridge agricultural and urban literature to enhance understanding of social-ecological processes in urban agroecosystems during the climate change era.

Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, Md. Fahim Sharker Eashat, Chinmoy Sarkar, Nafisa Habib Purba, Mohammad Asadul Habib, Plabon Sarkar, Lincon Chandra Shill · International Multidisciplinary Research Journal · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

Rooftop gardening for vegetable production has gained momentum in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, offering alternative spaces for urban agriculture and contributing to agricultural sustainability. While rooftop agriculture can improve ecosystem services, biodiversity, and food security, its widespread implementation is currently limited by multiple challenges. Green roofs are considered a supplement to other urban food production sources, not a total solution for food security.