SIMPLIFIED SUBSTRATE SOILLESS CULTURE FOR VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN TRUJILLO, PERU

Simplified hydroponic systems are a sustainable way for fruit and vegetable production in/for the cities.
Small scale farming, both on a family and a community basis, may allow to achieve the goals of both improve nutrition and reduce poverty.
A project for the development of soilless cultivation in mother groups was carried out between 2002 and 2004 in Trujillo, northern Peru.
In this work we will present some results of a simplified soilless system on organic substrate (rice hulls), adopted for the cultivation of tomato, carrot and radish.
The growing system, composed by a 1 square meter wooden structure, made waterproof through the application of a plastic film provided of a drainage, was filled with the growing substrate on which plants were directly sown.
Tomato yield was about 15.8 kg m^-2 cycle^-1, whereas carrot yielded 10.1 kg m^-2 cycle^-1, and radish about 3.2 kg m^-2 cycle^-1. An analysis of the economic value of gardening is also included.

II International Conference on Landscape and Urban Horticulture

F. Orsini, M. Mezzetti, M. Fecondini, N. Michelon, G. Gianquinto

simplified hydroponics, mother groups, urban horticulture

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.881.19