Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture
Raised beds are commonly used in urban agriculture, but crop production benefits have not been well studied. The objective of this 2-yr field experiment in Illinois was to determine the effects of urban production system (direct soil, raised bed with compost,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2018-10-01
|
| Series: | Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems |
| Online Access: | https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ua/articles/3/1/180002 |
| _version_ | 1818500975426535424 |
|---|---|
| author | Elizabeth A. Miernicki Sarah Taylor Lovell Sam E. Wortman |
| author_facet | Elizabeth A. Miernicki Sarah Taylor Lovell Sam E. Wortman |
| author_sort | Elizabeth A. Miernicki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Raised beds are commonly used in urban agriculture, but crop production benefits have not been well
studied. The objective of this 2-yr field experiment in Illinois was to determine the effects of
urban production system (direct soil, raised bed with compost, or raised bed with mixed compost and
soil) and fertilizer source on growing media properties, weed abundance, and vegetable crop yield.
Due to the presence of compost, raised bed media had higher pH, organic matter, and nutrient
concentrations. Water infiltration rate was 20× higher in raised beds with compost only compared to
soil. Mixing soil with compost in raised beds reduced nutrient concentrations and water infiltration
rate compared to compost-only beds. Compost-only raised beds required more irrigation than direct
soil due to lower bulk density and greater porosity, but mixing soil with compost in raised beds
reduced irrigation demand by 32% in year two. Compared to direct soil, compost-only raised beds
reduced grass and broadleaf weed abundance by as much as 97 and 93%, respectively. Radish ( L.), kale ( L.), and cilantro ( L.) yields were highest in raised beds, regardless of growing media composition, whereas
garlic ( L.) and pepper ( L.) yields
were less influenced by production system. We recommend raised beds with a mix of compost and soil
for vegetable production in urban agriculture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:49:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22357ee533524de7a2ef4067387df50d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-1220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:49:55Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-22357ee533524de7a2ef4067387df50d2022-12-22T01:34:08ZengWileyUrban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems2575-12202018-10-013110.2134/urbanag2018.06.0002Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban AgricultureElizabeth A. MiernickiSarah Taylor LovellSam E. WortmanRaised beds are commonly used in urban agriculture, but crop production benefits have not been well studied. The objective of this 2-yr field experiment in Illinois was to determine the effects of urban production system (direct soil, raised bed with compost, or raised bed with mixed compost and soil) and fertilizer source on growing media properties, weed abundance, and vegetable crop yield. Due to the presence of compost, raised bed media had higher pH, organic matter, and nutrient concentrations. Water infiltration rate was 20× higher in raised beds with compost only compared to soil. Mixing soil with compost in raised beds reduced nutrient concentrations and water infiltration rate compared to compost-only beds. Compost-only raised beds required more irrigation than direct soil due to lower bulk density and greater porosity, but mixing soil with compost in raised beds reduced irrigation demand by 32% in year two. Compared to direct soil, compost-only raised beds reduced grass and broadleaf weed abundance by as much as 97 and 93%, respectively. Radish ( L.), kale ( L.), and cilantro ( L.) yields were highest in raised beds, regardless of growing media composition, whereas garlic ( L.) and pepper ( L.) yields were less influenced by production system. We recommend raised beds with a mix of compost and soil for vegetable production in urban agriculture.https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ua/articles/3/1/180002 |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth A. Miernicki Sarah Taylor Lovell Sam E. Wortman Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems |
| title | Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture |
| title_full | Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture |
| title_fullStr | Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture |
| title_short | Raised Beds for Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture |
| title_sort | raised beds for vegetable production in urban agriculture |
| url | https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/ua/articles/3/1/180002 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabethamiernicki raisedbedsforvegetableproductioninurbanagriculture AT sarahtaylorlovell raisedbedsforvegetableproductioninurbanagriculture AT samewortman raisedbedsforvegetableproductioninurbanagriculture |