Effect of Performance of Water Stashes Irrigation Approaches on Selected Species of Plant’s Water Productivity in Urban Rooftop Agriculture with Respect to Climate Change

Urbanization and population growth have led to urban areas with a substantial concrete surface compared to adjacent rural areas, creating challenges regarding fresh food, water security, and the need for agricultural land. Climate change affects the rainfall pattern and ground water in urban areas, so the gradual growth of urban rooftop agriculture (URTA) is an increasing trend for the owners of residential buildings. URTA is increasing in the form of private initiatives, but without consideration of efficient water management techniques and application of other related inputs. URTA differs substantially from traditional agriculture in terms of sunshine, thermal regime, the moisture dynamics of a concrete roof top, etc. Considering these aspects of URTA, an effective, efficient, science-based and economically viable irrigation method is necessary to popularize this approach and consequently increase the productivity of crops. With this in mind, the drip irrigation method is considered for the cultivation and determination of water productivity for selected species of plants such as the Bottle Gourd, Tomato, Chili, and Brinjal in the URTA, which was also compared to the traditional irrigation approach. This is why groundwater and green (grey and rain) water were considered as the source of irrigation during the dry season, based on the daily crop evapotranspiration and moisture content of the plant growing medium. For this reason, ET0 of the selected crops was measured using the CROPWAT 8.0 model. The results of this study revealed that the optimum irrigation water requirement of any crop in URTA is around 54% access (ETc), and 46–64% of access irrigation water is used by the traditional method compared to the drip irrigation method. The study reported that with drip irrigation with potable water, the yield was increased by 21.43–22.40% and rain and grey-water also increased yield by 31.87–33.33% compared to container and traditional pipe irrigation. It was also found that the water qualities of mixed water (grey and rainwater) are in an acceptable range limit for irrigation. As a result, urban planners, city dwellers, and researchers can formulate appropriate plans to cultivate different species of plants through this water saving irrigation method using green water, and should explore the concept of water-smart URTA technologies as organic inventions embedded in these results.

Environmental and Social Dynamics of Urban Rooftop Agriculture (URTA) and Their Impacts on Microclimate Change

Urban cities are facing the challenges of microclimatic changes with substantially warmer environments and much less access to fresh vegetables for a healthier food supply than in adjacent rural areas. In this respect, urban rooftop agriculture is considered as a green technology for city dwellers and the community to attain environmental and socioeconomic benefits in a city. For this purpose, a roof top of 216 square meters was selected as an experimental plot where 70% of the area was covered with the selected crops (Tomato, Brinjal, Chili, Bottle Gourd and Leafy vegetables such as Spinach, Red Spinach and Water Spinach; they were cultivated under fencing panels of Bottle Gourd). The microclimatic parameters such as air temperature, near roof surface temperature, indoor temperature and relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration from different locations of the agricultural roof and from nearby bare roofs were observed during the whole experimental period (November 2018–May 2019). Five existing rooftop gardens with green area coverages of 40, 50, 60, 80, and 85% were selected, and 5 bare nearby roofs were also selected through field visits and questionnaire surveys of 200 existing rooftop gardens. The air and ambient temperature, cooling degree day and energy saving trends were assessed for the selected roofs. The economic assessment was carried out through the net present value and internal rate of return approach of urban rooftop agriculutre. The results showed that the temperature was reduced from 1.2 to 5.5% in different area coverages of agricultural roofs with plants compared to the nearest bare roofs. For the time being, the cooling load was decreased from 3.62 to 23.73%, and energy saving was increased significantly from 5.87 to 55.63% for agricultural roofs compared to bare roofs. The study suggested that the value of urban rooftop agriculture was high environmentally and economically compared to the traditional bare roof, which would be an added amenity by the city dweller’s individual motivations and state interests, and it could be aligned to achieve a more sustainable city.

Assessing the communication network of a budding industry: rooftop urban agriculture in Toronto

This research provides an analysis of the Rooftop Urban Agriculture (RUA) community in Toronto by taking an inventory of participants and key players, and illustrating the communication network surrounding this emerging community. A social network assessment is used to reveal network connections, and explore the level of cohesion of the RUA community in Toronto. Consideration is given to the implications that this has on its growth, representation, and potential areas of engagement with other factors, including municipal decision makers. Semi structured interviews reveal the driving values expressed by RUA practitioners and others involved with the practice, and the characteristics of this group’s formation. Based on this information, RUA is identified in this work as an emerging Civic Food Network(CFN). Based on the findings of the network assessment, this research argues that the lack of an organized and cohesive RUA Network is hindering the progress of this emerging group, and the potential for valuable knowledge sharing that would enable its growth. Finally, recommendations are provided to address how those practicing rooftop agriculture can seek to maximize knowledge sharing within the RUA community and build connections to the City of Toronto to strengthen this emerging CFN.

Assessing the communication network of a budding industry: rooftop urban agriculture in Toronto

This research provides an analysis of the Rooftop Urban Agriculture (RUA) community in Toronto by taking an inventory of participants and key players, and illustrating the communication network surrounding this emerging community. A social network assessment is used to reveal network connections, and explore the level of cohesion of the RUA community in Toronto. Consideration is given to the implications that this has on its growth, representation, and potential areas of engagement with other factors, including municipal decision makers. Semi structured interviews reveal the driving values expressed by RUA practitioners and others involved with the practice, and the characteristics of this group’s formation. Based on this information, RUA is identified in this work as an emerging Civic Food Network(CFN). Based on the findings of the network assessment, this research argues that the lack of an organized and cohesive RUA Network is hindering the progress of this emerging group, and the potential for valuable knowledge sharing that would enable its growth. Finally, recommendations are provided to address how those practicing rooftop agriculture can seek to maximize knowledge sharing within the RUA community and build connections to the City of Toronto to strengthen this emerging CFN.