Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Sustainable urban agriculture seeks to provide safe food through the sustainable intensification of space and biodiversity, soil and water resources to obtain higher yields in the short, medium and long term.
Around 15 percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), urban farms already supply food to about 700 million residents of cities, representing about a quarter of the world’s urban population. And by 2050, almost 80 percent of the world’s population is projected to reside in urban areas (Nick, 2022).
It involves the use of appropriate management practices and technologies, applying production methods and systems that optimize yields, maintaining and developing the locally available resource base.
For this, it develops technologies appropriate to the agroclimatic, social, cultural and economic conditions of intra and peri-urban farmers, promoting good practices that include the fair and equitable distribution of the costs and benefits associated with production. In this way, it contributes to reducing inequalities in access to resources and inputs that tend to limit the development of many farmers, especially the poorest.
Agriculture in the cities is practiced by intra-urban farmers, generally people with limited resources who produce for self-consumption and the commercialization of small surpluses obtained by cultivating and raising animals in small plots or spaces (in their homes or in community or group gardens) that do not exceed a few square meters, and who are located within cities. It is also practiced by peri-urban farmers, often family members and with a certain agricultural tradition, who produce for the market in larger plots located on the urban periphery that are usually measured in hectares.
Nowadays there are agreements for sustainable urban agriculture practices, one of which is The Milan Pact.
The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact is an international agreement of Mayors. It is more than a declaration; it is a concrete working tool for cities. It is composed of a preamble and a Framework for Action listing 37 recommended actions, clustered in 6 categories. For each recommended action, there are specific indicators to monitor progress in implementing the Pact. The Milan Pact Awards offer concrete examples of the food policies that cities are implementing in each of the 6 Pact categories. Actually, there are more than 240 signatory cities worldwide (MUFPP, 2022).
One of the main limitations that both intra- and peri-urban farmers must overcome is the sustainable management of pests and diseases that cause losses in yields and product quality, before, during and after the harvest. Therefore, a timely management of pests and diseases will benefit them with a more efficient production, at a lower cost, safer for their health and that of their families and respectful of the environment, urban environments and their communities.
A great way to continue contributing to sustainable agriculture is with Kyminasi Plants Crop Booster technology, which has a small size device designed for gardens that can work perfectly for sustainable urban agriculture. With our technology, the production and quality of fruits and vegetables will increase, in addition to improving plant resistance to pests, producing healthy fruits and vegetables and healthy plants.
If you would like to know more about our technology, contact us on our website www.harvestharmonics.com
Sources:
Millan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). (2022). Local solutions for global issues. Website: https://www.milanurbanfoodpolicypact.org/
Nick, E. (2022). 26 Inspiring Urban Agriculture Projects. Foodtank: the think tank for food. Website: https://foodtank.com/news/2015/07/urban-farms-and-gardens-are-feeding-cities-around-the-world/
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Which countries are regulating the use of water for agriculture?
Mars looks scary. For some people, the red planet is the object of study, some others even want to go and live there. The main requirement to make that adventure possible is not to find gold, oil, or oxygen. The major concern is finding water. This molecule has many characteristics that make it not only unique but necessary to life.
The search for enough water is one of the challenges in Mars’ expeditions plans
Philosophy aside, water plays a major role in agriculture, as it is a primally resource, together with sunlight, of a good part of the crops grown worldwide (for example: hydroponics doesn’t need sunlight). Approximately, only 1 in every 5 farmers around the globe use irrigation systems. This might seem like a small number, but the World Bank (2022) disagrees:
Water is a critical input for agricultural production and plays an important role in food security. Irrigated agriculture represents 20 percent of the total cultivated land and contributes 40 percent of the total food produced worldwide.
Farms that use irrigation can be more productive
Furthermost, irrigation plays a significant part in mechanized farming operations’ efficiency:
Irrigated agriculture is, on average, at least twice as productive per unit of land as rainfed agriculture, thereby allowing for more production intensification and crop diversification. (Ibid)
This efficiency that allows all of us to eat comes with a cost:
Currently, agriculture accounts (on average) for 70 percent of all freshwater withdrawals globally (and an even higher share of “consumptive water use” due to the evapotranspiration of crops). (Ibid)
The direct consequence of this water usage volume is that farmers are struggling to find reliable water sources, increasing the cost of producing food. Also, authorities in many countries are imposing laws and regulations to reduce the amount of water used in agriculture.
Production of the national food supply represents one critical use for water in the U.S.
(California Department of Water Resources, 2020)
Countries regulating the use of water for agriculture:
- Italy: authorities ordered that fruit trees and poplars no longer be watered in the region around the Sesia river. The saved water will be used to irrigate rice crops.
- Portugal: several towns in southern Portugal have already activated an emergency plan to reduce the irrigation of crops in 1800 farms.
- Spain: the water demand keeps growing in the third-largest European agricultural producer. At least one-fifth of the land is still irrigated using unsustainable methods.
How can farmers stay productive?
Fresh water is a limited resource, it’s needed for plenty of industrial processes. Agtech plays an important role in aiding farmers to increase efficiency and lower costs. Markets show an increase in alternatives to save water and keep farms profitable.
- Knowledge is key: a careful reading of the regulations will provide farmers with tools to understand and play by the rules without jeopardizing their operations success.
- Search for help: sharing experiences with other farmers, especially when it comes to technology, can give solutions according to each case’s needs. Harvest Harmonics offers a free cost-benefit analysis service to the readers of this post.
- R&D: some governments offer grants to those farms that use new technologies or strategies to reduce water usage. If you are in California, you can read about funding agricultural water use efficiency projects in the section “Cool resources” 👇🏻.
We are living changing times. The most important thing is to take care of those that matter and keep them safe, so no one would have to think of Mars as their new home. What do you think about these regulations? Are they being fair to farmers? We would love to read your opinion!
Harvest Harmonics with their Kyminasi Plants Crop Booster can help you, our farmers and our world in different kind of manners: Faster Soil Water Infiltration, Reduction of Excessive Soil Electrical Conductivity, Reduction or Savings in water and at the same time, Increase in Yields, Savings in Fertilizer, Increase in Brix Levels and Pest Resistance, all together. Connect with Harvest Harmonics’ social networks.
Cool resources:
- World Bank Infographic about irrigation
- Harvest Harmonics Cost – benefit analysis
- Agriculture Water Use Efficiency (ca.gov)
Sources and more to reed:
OECD_Food_Ag_Fisheris_Paper.pdf (fao.org)
Agricultural Water Use, EnviroAtlas National Data Fact Sheet, January 2014 (epa.gov)
Water in Agriculture (worldbank.org)
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What if you had to cut your nitrogen by 50%?
Nitrogen is the main limiting nutrient after carbon, hydrogen and oxygen for photosynthetic process, phyto-hormonal, proteomic changes and growth-development of plants to complete its lifecycle. Excessive and inefficient use of N fertilizer results in enhanced crop production costs and atmospheric pollution. Atmospheric nitrogen (71%) in the molecular form is not available for plants. For the world’s sustainable food production and atmospheric benefits, there is an urgent need to upgrade nitrogen use efficiency in agricultural farming system. Nitrogen use efficiency is the product of nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency, it varies from 30.2 to 53.2%. Nitrogen losses are too high due to excess amount, low plant population, poor application methods etc., which can go up to 70% of total available nitrogen (Anas et al., 2020).
Frink et al. (1999) stated that nitrogen (N) plays an important role in crop plants. It is involved in various critical processes such as growth, leaf area-expansion and biomass-yield production. Various plant molecules such as amino acids, chlorophyll, nucleic acids, ATP and phyto-hormones, that contains nitrogen as a structural part, are necessary to complete the biological processes, involving carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, photosynthesis and protein production.
Anas et al. (2020) mentioned that insufficient amount of N available to plants can hinder the growth and development. Nitrogen can also improve root growth, increase the volume, area, diameter, total and main root length, dry mass and subsequently increase nutrient uptake and enhance nutrient balance and dry mass production.
Worldwide high nitrogen fertilizer application results in economic loss and ecological hazardous due to extra consumption of resources, water eutrophication, and high rate of greenhouse gas emissions along with potential leaching. The inefficient N utilization with poor transformation of provided N results in unintentional fertilizer loss in soil, atmosphere and promoting contamination of groundwater, distort connecting biological communities and cause dangerous atmospheric deviation, through the emission of the poisonous ozone depleting substance nitrous oxide (Galloway et al., 2008), eutrophication, air pollution, N leaching, water pollution, soil acidification and soil degradation which is not suitable for environment friendly crop production and human life (Anas et al. 2020)
The whole fertilizer issues back in February when started to becoming a really issues for farmers even before the main season and all the atmosphere, that was even before Rusia and Ukraine conflict started around that time. The conflict doesn’t go away, even if the conflict ended yesterday, the reply effects of that conflict and the related with it will continue against Russia and everything related with this reply effect of fertilizer usage (Kurtz, 2022).
It is interesting to see how people react to this type of problem. One problem you can look like a claimed issue, let’s ask us, what does farming or agriculture play in global warming, environmental problems, etc., and how we will deal with these kinds of things. (Kurtz, 2022)
We think that there is a lot of pressure by certain groups to really move this really forward fast now, making fast reaction governments around the world in turns of environmental policies. One of these policies measurements is the fact that farmers have to reduce their nitrogen usage with numbers as 50%, this dramatically cut the food production which is translated as people being hungry (Kurtz, 2022).
When you force somebody to do something and you don’t have an available solution, a replacement to help them, this means a lot of farmers just can’t be able to survive doing things in a different way. So, one excellent solution is the Kyminasi Plants Crop Booster technology: this technology was developed for environmental prospective; actually, it was developed for two reasons: 1) To make human food healthier, it means reduce the among of chemicals, that includes nitrogen to growing food so people could be healthier, have a more nutritious body and, 2) reduce environmental impact, reduce nitrogen emissions, chemical emissions, poisoned soils and poisoned environment (Kurtz, 2022).
Farmers need help with these new policies and measurements and Kyminasi Plants Crop Booster is one of the best to help them. If you are a farmer, answer this question for you or let us know: would you like to reduce input cost, reduce fertilizer use and produce better quality crops and comply with the government’s regulations?
We are Harvest Harmonics and we want you to be part of the future of agriculture today. We are revolutionizing the agriculture industry worldwide.
Sources:
Anas, M., Liao, F., Verma, K.K. et al. (2020). Fate of nitrogen in agriculture and environment: agronomic, eco-physiological and molecular approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency. Biol Res 53, 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40659-020-00312-4
Frink CR, Waggoner PE, Ausubel JH (1999). Nitrogen fertilizer: retrospect and prospect. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 1999;96:1175–80.
Galloway JN, Townsend AR, Erisman JW, Bekunda M, Cai Z, Freney JR, Martinelli LA, Seitzinger SP, Sutton MA (2008). Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: recent trends, questions, and potential solutions. Science. 2008;320:889–92
Kurtz, J (2022). What if you had to cut your nitrogen by 50%? [Webinar]. Harvest Harmonics Corp. https://youtu.be/tNwkeCsj4wA
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The Most Serious Disease For Citrus And How To Control It.
The HLB (Huanglongbing) or citrus greening is a disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri). It was first described in Asia in the early 1900s (USDA, 2021). Before it was identified as one disease, it became known by various names: yellow shoot (huanglungbin) in China; likubin (decline) Taiwan; dieback in India; leaf mottle in the Philippines; vein phloem degeneration in Indonesia; and yellow branch, blotchy-mottle, or greening in South Africa (Da Graqa, 1991). Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), or greening, is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide and is threatening the sustainability of the industry in major citrus-growing regions (Sheng et al., 2020).
Symptoms of HLB can occur throughout the tree, especially if the infection occurs at or soon after propagation (McClean, 1970), it includes blotchy mottle leaves, stunted growth, reduced fruit size, premature fruit drop, corky veins, and root decline. HLB eventually causes tree death (USDA, 2021). Da Graga (1991) mentions that, generally, leaf symptoms are of two types: Primary, which are characterized by yellowing of normal-sized leaves along the veins and sometimes by the development of a blotchy-mottle; and secondary, where the leaves are small, upright, and show a variety of chlorotic patterns resembling those induced by zinc and iron deficiencies. Analysis of symptomatic leaves shows a higher potassium content and lower calcium, magnesium, and zinc concentrations.
Infected fruits are small, lopsided, and have a bitter taste (McClean, 1970), Kapur et al. added that it was probably because of higher acidity and lower sugars. Many fall prematurely, while those that remain on the tree do not color properly, remaining green on the shaded side (155), hence the name of the disease. Any seeds in severely affected fruit are often abortive (McClean, 1970).
There is no cure for this disease once a tree is infected. While the disease poses no threat to humans or animals, it has devastated millions of acres of citrus production around the world, including in the United States. According to USDA (2021), the first detection of HLB in the United States occurred in Florida in 2005. Since 2005, HLB has spread through the citrus-producing areas in Florida, reducing citrus production by 75%, while more than doubling the cost of production. In 2008, HLB was detected in Louisiana, and in 2009, the disease was detected in Georgia and South Carolina. In 2012, HLB was detected in Texas and residential areas of California. HLB has been known in Asia since 1900, and Africa since 1920. The first detection of HLB in the Americas was in Brazil in 2004.
Once a tree is infected with the bacteria, it can remain without detectable symptoms for months or years. During this symptomless phase, the tree can serve as a source of bacteria to infect other trees. Over time, an infected tree will start producing fewer fruit that are smaller, shaped irregularly, and taste bitter (USDA, 2021).
To help to prevent citrus disease, to make the tree more resistant, some new ways are needed to try to help them, like technologies that could increase pest resistance. Kyminasi Plants Crops Booster is one of these technologies that could increase pest resistance and benefit the crops in other aspects such, better quality and yield.
SOURCES:
Da Graga, J. V. (1991). Citrus greening disease. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. South Africa. nnual Reviews Inc. 29:109-36
Kapur, S. P., Kapoor, S. K.0 Cheema, S. S., Dhillon, R. S. 1978. Effect of greening disease on tree and fruit characters of Kinnow mandarin. Punjab Horticult. J. 18:176-79 (Horticult. Abstr. 50:470)
McClean, A. P. D. 1970. Greening disease of sweet orange: its transmission in propagative parts and distribution in partially diseased trees. Phytophylactica 2:263 68
McClean, A. P. D., Schwarz, R. E. 1970. Greening of blotchy-mottle disease of citrus. Phytophylactica 2:177-94
Sheng l., Feng W., Yongping D., Singerman A., Guan Z. (2020). Citrus Greening: Management Strategies and Their Economic Impact. American Society for Horticultural Science. 55-5. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14696-19
USDA (May 20, 2021). Citrus Greening. USA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. URL: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/citrus/citrus-greening
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Climate Change Will Increase the Presence of Aflatoxins in Corn
A study carried out in the United States projects risky levels of this type of toxin for the period between 2031 and 2040 (Niklas, 2022).
Changes in the climate will abandon the global food production market: This is reflected in a recent investigation carried out by the Michigan State University (MSU). The document will warn about the increase in the levels of aflatoxins present in North American corn due to climate change. This is mainly explained by the alterations that food can suffer from climate variations, which, according to the document, will increase the loss of fungi that produce this type of toxin in corn (Niklas, 2022).
The study modeled the impact of rising temperatures and advancing dry weather conditions that have been projected in certain regions of the United States for decades to come. And it is that the characteristics of that type encourage the spore of aflatoxin-producing fungi to become airborne, which increases their chances of contaminating crops (Niklas, 2022).
The fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are producers of aflatoxin, a microtoxin that can infect peanuts, walnuts and corn, not only degrading the quality of crops, but also causing health problems for humans and animals (Niklas, 2022).
The study projected an increase in the risk of the presence of aflatoxins between the years 2031-2040 due to the increase in temperature that North American corn-producing regions may experience during those years. Thus, the investigation indicated that, for that period of time, 89.5% of the counties belonging to corn-producing states will be exposed to a greater amount of aflatoxins. Specifically, 5.3% of those counties are expected to experience a 1% increased risk of increased susceptibility to these types of toxins (Niklas, 2022).
Although cases associated with the presence of aflatoxins in corn fields are currently limited to the southern states of North America, changes in the climate of that country could push the problem to the Corn Belt. According to the study, Niklas (2022) mentioned that this could cause “alterations in the national and world corn markets, increasing the expected economic impact.”
Thus, it is expected that in the future the production of corn crops may be displaced to more extreme regions of the north or south of the country, where the climate is cooler and more humid, which could reduce the risks of aflatoxins in crops. However, this could affect the culture of exploitation that has been developed over generations in states with traditional corn production (Niklas, 2022).
Finally, Niklas (2022) stated that the document highlights the need for a plan to mitigate the risk that the increase in aflatoxins in North American corn can bring. In addition, the use of irrigation is emphasized as a strategy to reduce the risk of aflatoxins, since this technique reduces the stress related to the effects produced by water scarcity in corn, such as fungal infections. In addition, researchers are already using conventional and biotechnological farming techniques to develop crops that are more resistant to drought, insect damage, and the aforementioned fungal infections.
An excellent biotechnological option is the Kyminasi Plant Crop Booster system, which is a technology that applies biophysics to crops and allows calibrating or fine-tuning the signals of plant cells to obtain a better performance and improve photosynthesis as well as the soil system and its beneficial microorganisms.
The Kyminasi Plant Crop Booster technology would benefit all those vegetable, fruit and flower growers to realize an environmentally friendly, sustainable agriculture because it could reduce the use of fertilizers and optimize the use of irrigation water.
If you would like to know more about our technology, contact us on our website www.harvestharmonics.com
Source:
Niklas, R. (May 9, 2022) Cambio climático aumentará la presencia de aflatoxinas en maíz Red Agrícola. https://www.redagricola.com/cl/cambio-climatico-aumentara-la-presencia-de-aflatoxinas-en-maiz/#:~:text=El%20estudio%20proyect%C3%B3%20un%20aumento,ma%C3%ADz%20norteamericano%20durante%20esos%20a%C3%B1os.
Edit by: Mariangel Rodríguez
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