Comparison of organic substrates in urban rooftop agriculture, towards improving crop production resilience to water stress in Mediterranean cities
Parada, Felipe (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Ercilla Montserrat, Mireia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Arcas Pilz, Verónica (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
López Capel, Elisa (Newcastle University. School of Natural and Environmental (UK))
Carazo, Núria (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Agroalimentària i Biotecnologia)
Montero Camacho, Juan Ignacio (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Gabarrell Durany, Xavier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Villalba, Gara (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Rieradevall, Joan (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Muñoz Odina, Pere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	BACKGROUND: Urban agriculture contributes to meet food production demand in cities. In a context of low water availability, it is important to consider alternatives that are able to maintain production. This study aimed to assess the use of substrates made from local materials and high water retention capacity as an alternative for urban agriculture in periods with water stress. Different substrates were used for 3 consecutive crop cycles of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. ) during the spring and summer periods of 2018 to observe these substrates performance during warmer periods of the year in an integrated rooftop greenhouse near Barcelona. The substrates used were coir commercial organic substrate, vegetable Compost from urban organic waste, Perlite (as control) commercial standard substrate, and a Mixture of the urban Compost and Perlite (1:1). Substrate crop performance was assessed under conventionally irrigation (0-5 cbar) and water restricted conditions (irrigation stop until the water tension inside the perlite bags reached -20 cbar). RESULTS: The results demonstrate that the Compost and Mix yields were similar to those obtained from Perlite (11. 5% y 3. 7% of more production in a restricted water condition average values). Compared to the Perlite, the organic substrates increased the crops resilience to water restriction, through biomass accumulation comparison, it took longer for Coir to lose water (1 and 2 test); however, when dryness began, it occurred very quickly. CONCLUSION: The vegetable Compost and the substrate Mixture presented tolerance to water restriction when water restriction reached -20 cbar.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CTM2016-75772-C3-1-R Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000940-M Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca FI-DGR 2014
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Circular economy ; Sustainable cities ; Soilless system ; Water stress resilience ; Water restriction ; Urban Agriculture
Published in:	Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, (April 2021) , ISSN 1097-0010

DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.11241
PMID: 33797092

Preprint 14 p, 336.3 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) > Sustainability and Environmental Protection (Sostenipra)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles