Articles
Effective microorganisms collected from urban gardens favor native lawn growth
Article number
1345_30
Pages
221 – 228
Language
English
Abstract
When planning gardens in urban areas, the presence of vegetation is a priority, especially when seeking both thermic and environmental comfort.
The existence of long-lived plant specimens (trees and shrubs) on a natural surface (local soil with litter) allows for the maintenance and enrichment of the native microbiota.
However, these ecological functions are often unnoticed by landscape gardeners, due to a lack of intellectual and technical knowledge.
Commonly, these areas of the garden are abandoned and not managed, or even devalued due to aesthetic prejudice.
Nonetheless, by the concept of functional zoning from permaculture design, there is zone 5, the most remote and least visited area, this is the natural zone, the Eden, a piece of virgin nature, original inside the garden and without the necessity to be frequented, but essential to the whole garden equilibrium.
This work aims to evaluate the quality of effective microorganisms collected in urban gardens and their effects on plant growth of native lawns, integrating techniques drawn from natural agriculture (effective microorganisms), permaculture (design in 5 zones), and agroecology in urban gardens.
Effective microorganisms (EM) were collected in an urban garden (restricted access and residential lot) and an urban university campus garden (public access) in 2020. The microbiological analysis of extracts showed 31 bacteria and 35 fungi in the urban garden, and 21 bacteria and 3 fungi in the university garden.
The EM extract from the university garden was diluted and applied every 15 days on the native lawn (Axonopus compressus (Sw.) P. Beauv.) in summer 2021. After 57 days, the foliar area was 193% higher.
We conclude that to keep gardens healthy, from the design to the maintenance, it is fundamental to integrate and apply knowledge about agroecology and sustainable agriculture.
The existence of long-lived plant specimens (trees and shrubs) on a natural surface (local soil with litter) allows for the maintenance and enrichment of the native microbiota.
However, these ecological functions are often unnoticed by landscape gardeners, due to a lack of intellectual and technical knowledge.
Commonly, these areas of the garden are abandoned and not managed, or even devalued due to aesthetic prejudice.
Nonetheless, by the concept of functional zoning from permaculture design, there is zone 5, the most remote and least visited area, this is the natural zone, the Eden, a piece of virgin nature, original inside the garden and without the necessity to be frequented, but essential to the whole garden equilibrium.
This work aims to evaluate the quality of effective microorganisms collected in urban gardens and their effects on plant growth of native lawns, integrating techniques drawn from natural agriculture (effective microorganisms), permaculture (design in 5 zones), and agroecology in urban gardens.
Effective microorganisms (EM) were collected in an urban garden (restricted access and residential lot) and an urban university campus garden (public access) in 2020. The microbiological analysis of extracts showed 31 bacteria and 35 fungi in the urban garden, and 21 bacteria and 3 fungi in the university garden.
The EM extract from the university garden was diluted and applied every 15 days on the native lawn (Axonopus compressus (Sw.) P. Beauv.) in summer 2021. After 57 days, the foliar area was 193% higher.
We conclude that to keep gardens healthy, from the design to the maintenance, it is fundamental to integrate and apply knowledge about agroecology and sustainable agriculture.
Authors
C. Petry, V. Miranda, L.H. Weber, A.A. Hermann-Bandera, C. Teixeira, F. Tonial, E.C. Bortoluzzi
Keywords
natural agriculture, permaculture, regenerative design, urban agroecology, organic lawn production, EM
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