Research & reports

Aikaterini Kouloumprouka Zacharaki, James Monaghan, Jennifer R. Bromley, Laura H. Vickers · Plants People Planet · Global

This review identifies challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban production systems, noting that new urban farmers often lack the specialist knowledge of commercial growers. Common bottlenecks include plant physiology, pathogen management, choice of propagation material, fertigation, pollination, and environmental requirements. This knowledge gap appears to result in the abandonment of strawberries as a crop of choice in urban systems.

Sun Yeong Lee, H. S. Lee, Yong-Han Yoon, Jin-Hee Ju · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

This study analyzed the growth and quality of cherry tomatoes (CTs) and nasturtiums planted at different ratios (CTs only, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, nasturtiums only) on rooftops and walls in building-integrated urban agriculture. Cherry tomatoes planted alone showed significant growth compared to companion planting. The 2:1 ratio of CTs to nasturtiums (C2N1) resulted in the highest plant weight and sugar concentrations for CTs on rooftops and walls, and nasturtiums also had larger leaves and flowers in this ratio. CTs generally grew better on walls than rooftops when companion planted with nasturtiums.

Mahpudin Mahpudin, Shanty Kartika Dewi, Khairul Yaman, Nilam Sari, Riky Efrizal · JMM (Jurnal Masyarakat Mandiri) · Indonesia

In Indonesia, training on fish and vegetable cultivation using bucket media was provided to 25 participants to overcome limited land. The training included education on alternative family food security, followed by practical demonstrations and assistance in cultivating catfish and kale in buckets. Post-test results showed a 72% increase in participants' knowledge and skills related to fish and vegetable cultivation, indicating successful program implementation.

Eniandari janabadra.ac.id Eni Andari, Muhammad Najmudin, Titi Laras · ADARMA Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Janabadra · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)

This study describes a community empowerment program for PKK mothers in RT 36 RW 15, Sorosutan Village, Umbulharjo District, Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. The program utilized urban farming through counseling and training to manage and utilize the home environment. The counseling and training are expected to motivate and educate the mothers to practice organic farming.

Sri Oetami Madyowati, Achmad Kusyairi, Sumaryam, Muhajir Muhajir, Indra Wirawan, Didik Trisbiantoro, Kejora Handarini, Retnani Rahmiati · indonesian journal of fisheries community empowerment · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This counseling and training activity in Bendul Merisi Village Hall, Wonocolo District, Surabaya, Indonesia, aimed to utilize backyards for Dumbo catfish cultivation in Kopral Bumilis (minimalist round tarpaulin ponds) using a biofloc system. Farmer groups were enthusiastic, particularly regarding high fingerling mortality. Solutions to reduce mortality included preparing biofloc pond water, using 7-9 cm fingerlings, and daily feed control, though open public backyards posed a constraint due to children fishing.

Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)

The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.

Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)

This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.

Ahmad Sofwani, Didik Suprayitno, Diena Widyastuti, Nunuk Hariyani · JURNAL GREEN HOUSE · Indonesia

This study aimed to explore the potential of utilizing home gardens as a Sustainable Food Home Area (KRPL) in Turen Village, Turen District, Malang Regency, East Java, as part of a Community Service Program. The research findings indicated that the utilization of home gardens as KRPL could be a potential solution to enhance food security and community welfare in the region. The article also discussed challenges and opportunities in implementing the KRPL model.

Moomtahina Rahman, Md. Alauddin, G. M. Mohsin, Md. Amirul Alam, M. K. Rahman · The Journal of Phytology · Global

An experiment investigated the combined impacts of composted poultry manure (CPM) and inorganic fertilizers on tomato growth and yield under rooftop growing conditions. The experiment used a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replications. NPK fertilizers alone and CPM combined with NPK fertilizers greatly improved tomato plant growth and fruit yield, with maximum yields (68 t ha-1) and economic benefits achieved with 4 t ha-1 CPM and 100% recommended doses of NPK fertilizers.

Gianluca Di Fiore, Kathrin Specht, Cesare Zanasi, Óscar José Rover · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Florianópolis)

A study in Florianópolis, Brazil, surveyed 206 individuals (102 urban agriculture practitioners, 104 non-practitioners) to analyze the influence of urban agriculture on household organic waste management behaviors. The findings indicate that urban agriculture practitioners are more likely to separate and self-treat organic waste and use compost for gardening, regardless of housing conditions. Housing conditions, however, influenced the use of public facilities for organic waste management.

Slamet Budirahardjo, Setyoningsih Wibowo · Community Empowerment · Indonesia (Kebonbatur Village)

A community service program in Kebonbatur Village, Indonesia, introduced the BUDIKDAMBER system (fish and vegetable cultivation in buckets) to residents of RT 01 RW III to optimize limited yard space for food security. The program provided training and intensive mentoring on urban farming techniques. This initiative successfully raised residents' awareness and skills in utilizing limited space for self-reliant food security, leading to active participation, satisfaction with harvest results, and new economic opportunities.

Avisema Sigit Saputro, Efi Nikmatu Solihah · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Darma Bakti Teuku Umar · Indonesia

A training session on making polybag planting media was held on June 3, 2023, in Sanggrahan, Central Java, for women from PKK RT 05 RW 18. The activity aimed to teach urban agriculture using polybags to address limited land, enabling residents to grow vegetables and reduce household expenses. Participants learned to create planting media from humus soil, compost, and husk charcoal (1:1:1 ratio) for optimal plant growth.

Marycruz Abato Zárate, Noel Reyes Pérez, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Doris Guadalupe Castillo Rocha, Reyna Ruth Hernández Pérez · Revista Científica Estelí · Mexico

This qualitative study described a family's experience with urban agriculture and solid waste management in Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico, through an open interview with a four-member family. The experience, spanning from 2001, included solid waste separation, composting, vermicomposting, rainwater harvesting (24 m3/year), and cultivating over 40 species of medicinal plants. The study found that urban gardens offer multidimensional benefits, including biodiversity protection, biocultural memory preservation, and spaces for learning and social participation.

Luis L. Vázquez · Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Research · Global

This article discusses community agroecology, focusing on the cultivation of medicinal plants in agroecological family and community gardens. It highlights that the use of these plants for treating symptoms and diseases is a common practice. The integration of family and community self-management of medicinal plants into primary care services contributes to sustainability in health management.

Tomi Setiawan, Moch Farizy A. Pratama · Jurnal Pengabdian Sosial · Indonesia (Bandung)

This study implemented training and assistance activities for sustainable food supply through the utilization of home gardens as a new adaptation of urban farming in Bandung City. The results showed that community members were very enthusiastic about implementing sustainable food supply activities through garden utilization. Urban farming activities are accepted by the community due to increasing food demand in urban areas.

Iqbal Rifa’i Berutu, Soraya Masthura Hassan, Dela Andriani · Jurnal Syntax Fusion · Indonesia (Lhokseumawe City)

This abstract discusses how buildings significantly contribute to global warming and environmental degradation throughout their life cycle. It highlights issues such as environmentally unfriendly material selection, energy-inefficient designs, carbon emissions during construction, and habitat damage. The abstract concludes that a more sustainable approach in architecture and construction is necessary to mitigate these negative impacts.

Carina Rose Layfield · Teaching and Learning Anthropology · Global

This student essay examines a senior thesis project from Barnard College's urban studies program, advocating for the use of container farms to expand urban agricultural education in career and technical education settings. The author reviews their research process, results, and argument regarding the essential role of Perkins Act funding for such programs.

Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández, Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz, Fernando Elí Ortiz Hernández, María Elena Tavera Cortés · · Mexico (Oaxaca)

A study in Oaxaca, Mexico, documented the selection process of pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) in family gardens. It was observed that women establish and care for pitahaya in family gardens, while both men and women are involved in commercial gardens. Women and/or producers select, exchange, propagate, and cultivate pitahaya stems to achieve better prices and profits. The findings suggest that pitahaya can be established alongside other agricultural crops to promote product diversification and provide economic benefits to families.

· Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences · Egypt (Giza)

An experiment in Giza, Egypt, during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, evaluated celery growth and production in different substrate systems (pot vs. shallow beds) and planting densities (15, 18, 21 plants/m2). Celery grown in pots showed higher values for plant height, leaf number, root weights, head weight, and total yield per m2. For planting density, 15 plants/m2 resulted in the highest plant height, leaf number, root weights, and head weight, while 18 plants/m2 yielded a higher total yield per m2.

Katarzyna Chojnacka, Barbara Widera, Marcel Macarulla, Anastasios Drougkas, Andreu Balastegui, Els Van de moortel, Cansu Iraz Seyrek Şık, Kajetan Sadowski, Joana Fernandes, Ricardo Gomes, Paulo Ferrão · Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy · Global

This study aimed to present interdisciplinary insights on vertical green systems (VGS) design in hot climate zones. Based on an in-depth study of green façade performance in hot climates, methods from various scientific fields were identified that, when combined, effectively protect plants from excessive solar radiation. The main finding was the identification of the most effective combination of methods supporting healthy VGS growth, including façade orientation correlated with appropriate plant selection, shading strategies like passive and kinetic shields, and organic fertilizers supporting plant resilience.

Holger Braun, Dorothee Apfel, Benedikt Rilling, Carsten Herbes · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Germany

A study with 44 hobby gardeners in Germany found that substrates are not a major part of gardeners' social interactions, and price is the dominant purchase criterion for substrates, with sustainability not playing an important role. Although basic knowledge about peat is widespread, purchasing substrates is a utility-driven process with mostly passive information behavior.

Dragana Šunjka, Sanja Lazić, Slavica Vuković, Siniša Berjan, Hamid El Bilali · · Serbia

This chapter examines the food safety of urban agriculture systems in the Republic of Serbia through selected case studies. It highlights that agricultural products from urban production may be contaminated by polluted soil, water, and air, as well as by pesticides, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, nitrate and nitrite, and mycotoxins. The study emphasizes the need for strict control and reduction of synthetic pesticides and other agrochemicals in urban agriculture.

Abila Hena Anayet, Meor Mohammad Hilmi Bin Hamzah, Mohamed Zuhaili Mohamed Najib · Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering · Global

This study investigated factors affecting compost maturity, specifically temperature, pH, and moisture content, by comparing breakdown rates of eight regulated combinations against an uncontrolled sample. The analysis showed that volume loss over time was critical for determining compost maturity. Combinations with high temperature and varying moisture/pH (High Temp, High Moisture, Low pH; High Temp, Low Moisture, High pH; High Temp, Low Moisture, Low pH) exhibited the most volume loss by day 46, indicating faster maturation than the uncontrolled group.

Riya Mittal, Juhi Sharma · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Global

This review states that urban horticulture is essential for addressing food security, urban growth, and environmental issues. It examined techniques such as vertical gardening, rooftop gardens, protected cultivation, and Dutch grow buckets, showing they optimize space, reduce resource use, and enhance crop yields. These methods conserve water, increase biodiversity, and enable year-round production.

Anggi Indah Yuliana, Achmad Agus Athok Miftachuddin, Rohmat Hidayat, Rindhi Dwi Fibrianti, Erfan Nur Huda, Ziyyana Fitra, Yoga Firmansya · Jumat Informatika Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

An urban farming support program in the Murukan village community in Indonesia used the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) method to design, manufacture, and implement an automatic watering tool. The program resulted in a 50% improvement in participants' basic knowledge, a 60% improvement in practical abilities, and a 70% improvement in technical skills. Additionally, participant confidence improved by 40%, productivity by 55%, and tool usage efficiency by 65%.