Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Extension Digest
Published by the Director General on behalf of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension
Management (MANAGE), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500030, Telangana State, India.
Authors:
Dr. Veenita Kumari
Deputy Director (Gender Studies)
National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) Email: veenita.k@manage.gov.in
Ms K Nagarani
Consultant, Horticulture, MANAGE
Co-Authors:
Dr. Srikanth Mekala, Consultant, Horticulture, MANAGE
Dr. Shirisha Junuthula., Senior Research Fellow, MANAGE
Edited by:
Dr Lakshmi Murthy
Deputy Director (Documentation), MANAGE
Production Support:
Mr. P. Sharath Kumar, Senior Research Fellow (Mass Media & Journalism), MANAGE
The contribution of Ms. Rashi and Ms. Vasanti, interns from ANGRAU during compilation of the content
is acknowledged.
About the Publication: Extension Digest is a publication from the National Institute of Agricultural
Extension Management (MANAGE). The purpose is to disseminate information on extension approaches,
new developments and current concerns in agriculture and allied sectors.
July 2020
Disclaimer: The content is a compilation of information from studies at MANAGE and has also been
sourced from various publications and websites
Foreword
Ensuring food and nutritional security for the growing urban population is a major challenge. Access to
safe food is the basic need of every individual, yet it remains difficult to attain for a number of families.
In this situation, Urban Farming is gaining momentum as an alternative means of food production.
Households can obtain sufficient nutritious food by developing their available space. The easiest way of
ensuring a healthy and nutritious diet is to produce different kinds of foods in home gardens. Household
and community level vegetable production has the potential to secure and supply fresh and readily
available vegetables and fruits throughout the year, thereby increasing dietary diversity among its
members. Kitchen gardens, balcony gardens, rooftop gardens are some of the simple techniques which
can be taken up in urban areas.
This issue focuses on the concept of Urban Farming, benefits, technologies and practices and documents
a few initiatives where urban farming has made a difference to the urbanites by way of providing access
to healthy and nutritious food at an affordable cost.
Some initiatives of MANAGE in Urban Agriculture (UA) to address food and nutritional security at
household level are also documented. It is hoped that this issue will promote and encourage these
practices among the urban and peri-urban population.
G. Jayalakshmi, IAS
Director General, MANAGE
According to an FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than rural holdings. The
study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60
days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Another report on FAO’s Role in
Urban Agriculture articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent (0.8
billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced one-
fifth (1/5th) of the world food production (MANAGE, 2018).
Growth of urban population and changing consumer perceptions about food safety and quality, together
with an increase in urban income and purchasing power, have led to a shift away towards a demand for
higher value, fresh and minimally preserved foods, especially fruits and vegetables, which are perceived
as nutritionally superior. This provides opportunities for improving supply chains for fresh produce,
ensuring higher quality and safety for consumers, as well as better returns for producers.
The quality of fresh foods depends upon improved infrastructure, refrigeration facilities, new packaging
for storage and distribution. UA can help meet these requirements by bringing production source closer
to consumption areas and by promoting technologies that can be managed by individual families.
1. Kit A includes
S.No Name of the component Specifications
1. Silpaulin Covers 4 covers, 40” Dia and 12” depth
2. Supply of potting mixture 52 cft, Red Earth, FYM in 2:1 ratio, in Polybags
of the required size.
3. Seeds 12 varieties of Vegetable seeds
4. Neem cake 25kgs
5. Neem oil 1/2 ltr
6. Implements - Kurpi, Secateurs, Small 1 unit
sprayer, shower, Poly feed and cloth bag
2. Kit B
Case of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, is aiming to turn public areas into vegetable gardens, tree farms and nature parks, to
improve the vegetation cover in urban land areas. The greening initiative would be funded under the
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
In Mumbai, residents are transforming terraces, balconies and common areas into vegetable gardens.
Organizations like City Farming, Fresh & Local, Urban Leaves etc., are helping people to grow their own
food. The Indian Railways has leased its land along railway tracks to farmers to prevent encroachment
and to keep the land clean and useful. A community garden has come up in a waste dump in Mumbai’s
Ambedkar Nagar slum.
The Kit contains: 20 sealed polythene grow bags (size 24×18 inches) with 2 Kg coco peat / bag;
polythene spreading sheet,4×4mt (400gsm); water soluble fertilizer; bio fertilizers; bio pesticides; bio
fungicides; hand sprayer (1lit); Rose can (5lit); digging fork (small); trowel; seedling trays; vegetable
seed kit (10 kinds); DIY kit manual booklet.
Case of Kerala
Vegetable development has been launched by the Kerala government to achieve self-sufficiency
in vegetable production, covering an integrated approach with physical targets at panchayat level.
An amount of Rs 87.0 crores has been set apart for vegetable development program. The activities
include promotion of homestead and terrace vegetable cultivation through urban clusters by supplying
grow bags, commercial field cultivation of vegetables on cluster basis, vegetable seed production and
distribution, supply of vegetable seedlings, promotion of institutional vegetable garden, etc. (Govt of
Kerala, Dept. of Agriculture) .
Do it yourself (DIY) kit by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Dept. Urbanite displaying vegetable garden produce in Kerala
A number of modern and advanced technologies are used in Urban Farming. Some of these include:
Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Aeroponics.
Hydroponics is a method of soilless cultivation in which plants are grown in an aquatic-based
environment. Aquaponics is an agriculture practice that combines aquaculture and hydroponics (soil
less plant culture). The waste from aquatic animals is fed to the plants. The plants clean the water that
goes back to the fish. Microbes also play an important role in nutrition of plants.
Aeroponics is a practice of growing plants by suspending their root structure in air and spraying them
with a nutrient and water solution. Thus plants are grown in an air/mist environment. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested the effectiveness of aeroponics on the MIR space
station and the results showed that bean seedlings could grow effectively in a nutrient solution in zero
gravity with more yield (NASA).
Nutrient solution
The nutrient solution contains macro and micronutrients. The composition of these nutrients vary with
the type of plant. The recommended basic nutrient range for a few crops is given below:
Benefits of Hydroponics
Over the years, the popularity of hydroponics has grown, especially in urban areas, where
there is limited space for traditional soil gardening. The following are some of the benefits of
hydroponic gardening:
▪ No soil needed
▪ Conserves water
▪ No weed growth
▪ Production has been found to increase by 3 to 10 times in the same amount of space.
The Center for Gender in Agriculture, Nutritional Security and Urban agriculture at MANAGE, has
taken up some initiatives in Urban Farming, keeping in view the recent trends. These include: a Model
Vegetable Garden; Model Herbal garden, Model Balcony Garden, Square Foot garden, Grill mounted
Hanging pots and Organic Vegetable Garden, MANAGE is also Promoting Micro Greens, Mushroom
Production and has setup a Hydroponics demonstration unit.
Promoting Microgreens
Microgreens, was initiated to promote nutritional security. These are tiny edible greens that are just older
than sprouts, but younger than a full grown plant. They are harvested after the first two “TRUE” leaves
have developed. They are the smallest of the salad greens and can be grown from almost any plant
variety that would produce a mature plant, such as beet, radish or mustard. They are young and tender
cotyledonary leafy greens that are found in various colors, textures and flavors. Studies have shown
that microgreens often contain up to “40 times” more nutrients than matured plants. Microgreens are
harvested within 7-14 days of their sowing. They are consumed with salads, smoothies, sandwiches,
chutneys etc. Most of the microgreen seeds that are chemical free are found in the kitchen ex: fenugreek,
mustard, sesame (black & white), wheat, barley, rye, moong etc. In MANAGE, few leafy vegetable plants
are preserved for organic / chemical free microgreen seed production such as red amaranth, portulaca
etc. MANAGE has been promoting microgreens among farmers, urban public and especially urban
women as an approach to secure nutritional security and heath. Nutritional composition of microgreens
grown on different media like potting soil, coco peat, vermicompost, water and tissue paper are being
tested at MANAGE for nutrient composition, germination, anchoring and vigor through a collaborative
research project with National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. As a component of the research
project “Promoting Micro-greens for Nutritional Security in Urban Areas”, MANAGE through evidence
based (Nutrition data) about nutrient composition of microgreens is popularizing this super food among
urban and rural communities to address malnutrition and other diseased conditions.
Electronic Insect Trap: Electronic Insect trap is eco-friendly and available at a low cost. The electronic
light trap model is effective for the control of different insects/ pests of vegetable crops without any use
of chemicals. The device seems promising since it has been capturing adults of many sucking pests,
borers and flies, nymphs, adults of leaf folder, stem borer, fruit borers, moths, hoppers, aphids, white
flies, fruit weevil and different crop beetles etc., thereby reducing the dependence on bio pesticide
usage to the tune of 50 per cent.
Pest and Disease management with Decoctions: Pest and disease management is the most common
concern of urban gardeners. MANAGE urban garden demonstrates different types of decoctions with
easily available ingredients like garlic, red and green chilies, onion, buttermilk, starch, vegetable oils
etc. The decoctions made from these ingredients are safe, fresh and easy to make.
Border/Trap crops: Trap crops such as marigold and mustard are grown in chili and cruciferous
vegetable plots respectively. Border crop like sweet corn is raised in between plots to arrest the
movement of sucking pests and crawling insects from plot to plot.
Irrigation Management
Drip Irrigation System in the garden: To save water and to maintain soil health, ’drip irrigation’ system
is being adopted in the herbal garden and model organic vegetable garden. It is a controlled, slow
application of water to the soil over a long period of time, usually lasting several hours. It reduces water
loss by up to 60 percent and also lowers labor requirement.
Garden waste recycling with NCOF waste decomposer: A waste decomposer culture developed by
the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) is used for quick composting from organic waste, soil
health improvement and as a plant protection agent. It is a consortium of microorganisms extracted
from desi cow dung. The powder form of the decomposer is diluted and cultured in 200 lit barrel and left
for 4 days. The cultured solution after 4 days is strained and used for treating garden waste. Spraying
this solution on garden waste initiates and speeds up the process of decomposition.
Vermiwash: Vermiwash is a liquid that is collected after the passage of water through a column of
worm action. It is a collection of excretory products and mucus secretion of earthworms along with
micronutrients from the soil organic molecules. Household vermiwash units of 200 lit capacity each
were demonstrated in MANAGE. The vermiwash is a macro and micro nutrient dense liquid which is
used in diluted form on vegetable plots. Dosage is when applied foliar: 1 lit Vermiwash +1 lit Cow Urine
+ 10 lit water: acts as a bio pesticide and growth promoter; when drenched in soil the dilution is 1:10.
Initial investment of Rs. 1500/- per unit and recurrent (every3-4 months) investment of Rs.100-150/-
yields 15 lit of vermiwash every week and 25-30 kg of vermicompost during refilling per unit.
Urban gardening is one of the most promising agriculture trends on the rise. Many of the urbanites
though having interest, lack knowledge on care maintenance hindering them to grow vegetables.
The urban gardeners use social media applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook etc., to exchange
information in all forms and to create a network of resources. As information shared on such platforms
is available temporarily, it was felt necessary to develop a platform where the data could be saved and
retrieved at any point of time.
MANAGE has initiated a platform “Ask an Expert” on a pilot basis. Here, Urban farming experts,
entrepreneurs in urban agriculture and organic farming trained under AC&ABC scheme are registered
as experts. The platform allows the gardener - ‘User’ to register and interact with the expert in Urban
Farming from any state. This platform not only helps the gardener to interact with fellow gardeners
but also enables them to contact an expert, raise a query through his/her garden pictures/videos and
get the solution. Thus, MANAGE is creating a network of Urban green cities and promoting UA with
an expert support system to address nutrition security in urban and peri-urban areas. Similarly “Urban
organic farming” WhatsApp group was created and made a platform to share knowledge and views with
fellow farmers of urban farming from Hyderabad city. It has 158 participants actively sharing pictures
from their farm regularly.
Value Addition
Household Solar drier: During summer months, dry powders like moringa powder, curry leaf powder,
amchur powder, rosella powder and amla powder were prepared an experimental basis using the
household solar drier.
In addition to the traditional vegetables mentioned above, exotic vegetables like pink radish, red turnips,
red bhindi, yellow capsicums and herbs like pak choi, lettuce and red amaranth are also being cultivated
according to the season.
3. To determine the extent of food security met out through ‘urban farming’
Project Findings: Majority (43%) of the respondents were growing 2 to 4 varieties of food groups
such as fruits, green leafy vegetables, vegetables and medicinal plants. Majority (45%) of them were
growing at least 1 to 5 types of fruits and vegetables at their homes. The results indicated that the
primary reasons to practice urban farming was their own interest, passion, background (being from
an agriculture family) and to grow organic food for their family. Major problems faced by the urban
practitioners was menace caused by insects, birds and monkeys (26%), followed by accessibility of
quality seeds (17%).
Given below are a few examples of initiatives in this area by urban practitioners. Some of these practices
have been documented by MANAGE through a household survey, as part of the research on “Household
Analysis of Urban Farming: Alternative Strategy for Food & Nutritional Security”.
• Mr. O.V. Subba Rao, a Graduate, migrated from his native village to the city, along with his family and
they are residing in Puppalguda, Hyderabad. In order to meet their daily requirement of vegetables,
fruits, greens etc. they used to depend on the vegetable market, retail vegetable outlets and
vegetable vendors in their area. Unhappy with the quality, quantity and fluctuations in rates of fresh
vegetables and fruits, they decided to use the balcony and free space in their house for cultivation
of leafy vegetables, fruits and other vegetables. They acquired the knowledge from agricultural
extension institutes and since two years they have been relishing their own organic vegetables.
Mr. Rao started to grow vegetables and fruits in mud pots, plastic drums, tyres, grow bags, curd
buckets and on the ground. He is growing tomatoes, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, ridge gourd, ivy
gourd, capsicum, chili, mint, radish, beet root, mulberry etc., on terrace and open land.
• Mr. Venkateshwara Mandava (Retd.), has been practicing urban gardening since 35 years. He
is growing fruits and vegetables in an area of 5000 sft. He grows vegetables like brinjal, tomato,
okra, bottle gourd, spinach, amaranth, curry leaves, lemon grass and drum stick and fruits viz.,
pomegranate, grapes, sapota, banana, sweet lemon and coconut. He saves water by utilizing waste
water from the bathroom, kitchen and washing machine in the garden. He is utilizing kitchen waste
as compost in the garden. He recycles dry leaves and sticks in the garden by utilizing it for boiling
of water. He uses shell dryer for drying of coconut as it does not lose its nutritional value and the dry
coconut is used for extracting oil. Mr. Venkateshwara does not buy toothpaste and shampoo from the
market; instead his family uses neem stick for brushing teeth and amla, sheekakai and reetha as
shampoo. They preserve fruits and vegetables like lemons, tomato, bitter gourd and coriander by
drying in the solar dryer and use for more than 3-4 months.
• Since 2017,Mr. Rajshekar Potluri is practicing terrace gardening in 128 square yards, without using
soil. Every month he harvests 30-40 kg of vegetables from his own garden. For every 6 feet depth,
he grows cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, radish and chili etc. He grows a variety of gourds like ridge
gourd, ivy gourd, bitter gourd and sponge gourd, for every bed. Initially he faced problems of pests
like hairy caterpillar and used 30 ml vinegar in 1 lit water to prevent a pest attack. He sprays
turmeric solution to prevent spotting of leaves. Every 15 days he sprays neem oil behind the leaves.
He uses mud pots and grow bags to grow vegetables. Along with vegetables, he is also growing
medicinal plants like insulin plant, aloevera, tulsi, snake plant and flowers like roses, marigold
and chrysanthemums. He says that cultivating aromatic and snake plant indoors will help in air
purification. He suggests people to grow their own vegetables by utilizing their terrace space for
gardening.
• Mr. Venkat Krishna Emani, an MBA consultant is producing 30-40 kg of vegetables in a 1200 sq.ft
area. By practicing terrace gardening he started cultivating vegetables like brinjal, tomato, spinach,
curry leaves, banana, guava, papaya & lime. He is practicing terrace gardening since 10 years and
has been a source of motivation and guidance to others. He is planning to cultivate other varieties
of fruits & vegetables.
• Mr. Sundeep Motamari, a resident of Hyderabad, after completing his Graduation went overseas to
take up a software job. After sometime he returned to India, and then began his journey of urban
gardening. He had keen interest towards growing his own vegetables and fruits at home. Since
2005 he is growing vegetables and fruits on his terrace. Initially he started in an area of 1200 sq.
ft and planted 4-5 varieties of vegetables viz., ladies finger, tomato, brinjal, green chilies and ridge
gourd. After reaping fruitful results, he expanded it. He is using kitchen waste for vermicompost for
the plants. He also added some ornamental plants to enhance an aesthetic look. He grows around
20-30 varieties of fruits and vegetables on his terrace. His family members also lend a helping hand
in the maintenance of the garden. They spend about two hours every day for watering, plantation
upkeep etc. He is always in search of new and organic methods of gardening through different
sources like friends, social media and YouTube and news channels. He is also influencing and
convincing others to learn and practice in their available space. In order to share knowledge on urban
farming, he and his friends created a Face book group - “Intipanta Organic Kitchen Gardeners”. He
is an active participant, who posts information on urban gardening and addresses various doubts
of neo-urban garden practitioners. Recently he has also started growing several medicinal plants,
especially insulin plant which helps in managing diabetes and other ailments. They also use some
of the medicinal leaves in preparation of tea decoction.
• Mr. Chandra Shekhar Sastry retired from the Electrical Department 10 years ago and since then
he has been practicing urban farming at home. An article in the newspaper on terrace gardening
practices of growing fruits and vegetables within a limited space caught his attention and he soon
adopted and implemented the idea of urban gardening. He started growing vegetables initially in
an area of 820 sq.ft. Now he is growing sweet potato, roselle, kale, okra, red okra, onion, tomato,
brinjal and bottle gourd. He also started growing fruits like raspberry, pomegranate, mango and
papaya. He is getting a good harvest; nearly 40-50 kgs of vegetables from his terrace garden every
month, which is sufficient to meet the needs of his family. He also expanded his urban garden to the
balcony and included some medicinal plants. He is using mud pots, plastic drums, grow bags, pipes
and plastic water bottles for planting fruits and vegetables. He uses kitchen waste, dry leaves and
vermicompost as manure. He shares information on urban farming with his friends and relatives and
some of them, guided by him, have also started urban gardens at their homes. According to him,
growing one’s own vegetables & fruits has advantages viz., saves money as there is no need to buy
fruits and vegetables from the market; is a stress reliever and very relaxing. One gets access to
safe food as they are pesticide free; available space is efficiently used, there is seasonal availability
and one can grow as per the preferences and requirements of the family.
• Dr. Amarendra Yellala, is a doctor by profession and resides in Hyderabad. He believes in the
concept of “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. According to him, consumption of
healthy and nutritious food is a great idea rather than having medicines. He sought advice regarding
urban gardening and also watched a number of You Tube videos on urban farming. With great
interest and enthusiasm he started front yard gardening, initially by planting fruit varieties. Since 7
years he is growing fruits such as sapota, pineapple, pomegranate, coconut and banana. A year
ago he started growing vegetables likebrinjal, tomato, green chilies and green leafy vegetables. He
is growing vegetables in an area of 500sq.ft and fruits in an area of 300sq ft. He uses plastic drums,
plastic buckets, water bottles and grow bags for plantation. For manure, he uses kitchen waste, dry
leaves and vermi compost. He is able to harvest sufficient vegetables and fruits for his family’s
consumption. Seeing the results of terrace farming his neighbors have also started practicing it.
As can be seen from the above information, there are several models of urban agriculture with a prime
focus on nutritious vegetables and fruits. Some of these models are being promoted, up-scaled and
replicated through public and private initiatives.
There is a need to formulate schemes/programs to support the concept of urban agriculture in cities
and urban centers. The Agriculture/Horticulture departments could plan and operationalize urban agri-
culture initiatives.
Some Suggestions
• Awareness on urban agriculture may be improved through various media among the urban
population. Adequate extension support to introduce urban agriculture may be promoted and
advisory services provided.
• Promoting a ‘One Stop Shop’ for urban agriculture which can provide the needed inputs like seeds,
equipment, etc. under a single umbrella along with technical guidance can help popularize the
concept.
• There is a need for documentation of experiences and learnings from the existing practices and
disseminating to the urban population. Creating knowledge sharing platforms on the web could
help to share the evidence, experiences, success stories, photographs, projects, programmes etc.
among all the stakeholders. Examples of such initiatives are ‘Inti-panta’ Group of Andhra Pradesh
and Telangana, ‘Oota from your Thota’ of Karnataka.
• There is need to initiate research on urban agriculture to evolve different models and location
specific technologies on urban agriculture.
• There is also a need to develop technical manpower on urban agriculture across the country and
involve them in capacity building activities for other interested stakeholders. Technical institutes like
SAUs/ICAR research organizations and experienced and successful practitioners may be involved
in capacity building activities.
• An initiative of MANAGE was a training program on “Promotion of Urban Farming through
Innovative Models” conducted August, 2019 at MANAGE, Hyderabad. Thirty two participants from
thirteen states participated in the program. The main objective of the program was to sensitize
the participants towards ‘Urban Farming’, as it will be a pressing need in the coming years. Some
of the important topics covered during the training were, Mushroom Cultivation, Landscaping,
Hydroponics, Microgreens, Resource Specific Planning, Nutrient and Pest Management etc. Visits
to urban farming practitioners, Centre of Excellence Jeedimetla and MANAGE Urban Garden were
organized to give practical exposure to concepts of urban farming. Participants were taken to an
urban garden practitioner’s home at Mehdipatnam where terrace gardening is being practiced.
Demonstration on setting up of household vermiwash unit and preparation of Ghana jeevamrutham
was conducted for the trainees. Participants were also asked to design a model urban vegetable
garden by selecting area specific vegetables and utilizing available space and resources to the
maximum extent. Participant groups made a presentation of their models. During the training,
some of the participants also shared their experience on Urban Farming. Experience sharing by
active urban farming practitioners from Hyderabad was also done to encourage and popularize the
concept of urban farming among the participants.
Possible Solutions:
1) Getting good quality seeds- The active urban practitioners can form a social network to exchange
information among themselves and get information about quality input suppliers for urban farming.
2) Water availability- Now-a-days, many urban farming practitioners are practicing rain water
harvesting. They are constructing structures that conserve rain water to be used at a later stage.
They can also divert kitchen waste water into the urban garden. Alternatively, they can also look at
aquaponics as an alternative, where the water will be recycled between plant and fish ecosystem,
hence less consumption of water.
3) Hydroponics- Now-a-days, technologies like hydroponics etc. at household level are also gaining
importance, where water availability is a concern.
4) Insects, birds and monkey menace- To protect vegetable and fruit plants from the attack of
insects, birds and monkeys, net fencing can be done in balconies or protected structures like
greenhouse structure/net can be made on the roof top/front/back yard.
5) Space- Urban farming is gaining significance in cities and towns because it makes judicious use of
the available space. Hence, where space is a concern innovative models like vertical garden, stock
model, stair-case models, hanging models can be effective in growing more plants per sqft.
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