Improving Food and Nutrition Security through Urban Farming

Extension Digest

AVol.3 No.2 | July 2020

Extension DigestVol.3 No.2 July 2020

Improving Food and Nutrition Security through Urban Farming

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE)(An Organisation of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India.)

Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500 030, T.S, India.www.manage.gov.in

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Published by the Director General on behalf of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500030, Telangana State, India.

Authors:Dr. Veenita KumariDeputy Director (Gender Studies)National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) Email: [email protected]

Ms K NagaraniConsultant, Horticulture, MANAGE

Co-Authors:Dr. Srikanth Mekala, Consultant, Horticulture, MANAGEDr. Shirisha Junuthula., Senior Research Fellow, MANAGE

Edited by:Dr Lakshmi MurthyDeputy Director (Documentation), MANAGE

Production Support:Mr. P. Sharath Kumar, Senior Research Fellow (Mass Media & Journalism), MANAGE

The contribution of Ms. Rashi and Ms. Vasanti, interns from ANGRAU during compilation of the content is acknowledged.

About the Publication: Extension Digest is a publication from the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE). The purpose is to disseminate information on extension approaches, new developments and current concerns in agriculture and allied sectors.

July 2020

Disclaimer: The content is a compilation of information from studies at MANAGE and has also been sourced from various publications and websites

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CVol.3 No.2 | July 2020

ForewordEnsuring food and nutritional security for the growing urban population is a major challenge. Access to safe food is the basic need of every individual, yet it remains difficult to attain for a number of families. In this situation, Urban Farming is gaining momentum as an alternative means of food production.

Households can obtain sufficient nutritious food by developing their available space. The easiest way of ensuring a healthy and nutritious diet is to produce different kinds of foods in home gardens. Household and community level vegetable production has the potential to secure and supply fresh and readily available vegetables and fruits throughout the year, thereby increasing dietary diversity among its members. Kitchen gardens, balcony gardens, rooftop gardens are some of the simple techniques which can be taken up in urban areas.

This issue focuses on the concept of Urban Farming, benefits, technologies and practices and documents a few initiatives where urban farming has made a difference to the urbanites by way of providing access to healthy and nutritious food at an affordable cost.

Some initiatives of MANAGE in Urban Agriculture (UA) to address food and nutritional security at household level are also documented. It is hoped that this issue will promote and encourage these practices among the urban and peri-urban population.

G. Jayalakshmi, IAS

Director General, MANAGE

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Improving Food and Nutrition Security through Urban Farming

Improving Food and Nutrition Security through Urban Farming

Small and fragmented holdings, yield gaps, deterioration of natural resources, uncertainty due to climate change, poor market linkages etc., have led to an increase in migration of the agricultural community to urban areas in search of alternative livelihoods. The effects of this migration are decrease in the number of cultivators (food producers) in rural areas as well as considerable increase in urban population. It is expected that by 2050, about 66 percent of the world population will be living in cities (FAO, 2016). This has implications on demand for employment, income generation, food and nutritional security, besides environmental impact in urban areas.

Ensuring food and nutritional security for the growing urban population is a major challenge. In this situation, Urban Farming is gaining momentum as an alternative means of food production.

Concept of Urban Agriculture

Urban farming is the practice of cultivating food in or around urban areas. It can involve small vegetable gardens in the backyard to farming on community lands.

UA can be defined as growing of plants and raising of animals for food and other uses within and around cities and towns, and related activities such as production and delivery of inputs, processing and marketing of products. Urban farming comprises a variety of livelihood systems ranging from subsistence production and processing at the household level to a more commercialized agriculture. It takes place in different locations and under varying socio-economic conditions. The diversity of urban farming is one of its main attributes, as it can be adapted to a wide range of urban situations and to the needs of diverse stakeholders (FAO, 2007).

With the rising food prices and increasing incidence of extreme climatic events, the Food and Agriculture Organization has identified urban and peri urban agriculture as a farming system that can contribute to domestic food and nutritional security, provide jobs and improve urban ecology and sanitation, thereby achieving poverty alleviation, food security and sustainable urban development.

Urban Agriculture can be sub-divided into intra-urban and peri-urban agriculture. Intra-urban agriculture takes place within the city wherein vacant and under-utilized land areas are used for UA, including public or private lands which are not being used, areas not suited for building, community lands and household areas. Various types of urban gardens include; community gardens, home gardens, institutional gardens (managed by schools, hospitals, factories), nurseries, roof top gardens, etc. Peri-urban agriculture takes place in the urban periphery (FAO, 2007). Urban agriculture may include horticulture-based activities; urban livestock; agroforestry, aquaculture; etc.

Urban agriculture can provide fresh produce to city dwellers without the need for transportation, refrigeration and storage facilities, by reducing the time and distance from farm to fork. It will also provide jobs and can become a source of income. The Food and Agricultural Organization has long since recognized Urban Agriculture as a key element in food security strategies. However formal recognition of UA and its integration into the urban planning process is necessary for it to be successful. (Sahasranaman, 2016).

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According to an FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than rural holdings. The study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60 days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Another report on FAO’s Role in Urban Agriculture articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent (0.8 billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced one-fifth (1/5th) of the world food production (MANAGE, 2018).

Growth of urban population and changing consumer perceptions about food safety and quality, together with an increase in urban income and purchasing power, have led to a shift away towards a demand for higher value, fresh and minimally preserved foods, especially fruits and vegetables, which are perceived as nutritionally superior. This provides opportunities for improving supply chains for fresh produce, ensuring higher quality and safety for consumers, as well as better returns for producers.

The quality of fresh foods depends upon improved infrastructure, refrigeration facilities, new packaging for storage and distribution. UA can help meet these requirements by bringing production source closer to consumption areas and by promoting technologies that can be managed by individual families.

Urban Agriculture may take different forms

Urban Agriculture can be taken up on roof tops, backyards, land areas within urban areas, or on the city outskirts. It can be taken up on-

● Unused land around homes, balcony, terraces/rooftops of houses/apartments, backyards, as vertical gardens, kitchen gardens and backyard gardens.

● Schools, universities, hospitals, industries and other institutions.

● Along roads, streams, river beds, road/railway strips, vacant plots, temples.

Vertical gardening is usually done in a small space particularly for decorating the walls - green walls and roofs in various styles. Green walls look beautiful, they can absorb heated gas in the air and lower temperature.

Rooftop/Terrace gardens are also called living roofs or green roofs. Vegetables, flowers, fruits are grown on the topmost levels of industrial, commercial or residential structures.

A courtyard garden is a garden that is enclosed by walls or buildings on three or four sides.

Square foot gardening is a practice of dividing a growing area into 1 foot x 1foot sections. A grid is placed on the growing area to divide the space.

Output of Urban Farming

The output of urban/ peri-urban farming could be vegetables, flowers, fruits, mushroom, milk, egg, meat, fish, medicinal plants, aromatic plants, grass, forestry products etc.

Vegetables such as brinjal, okra, chilies, bitter gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, french beans, cluster beans and greens (amaranth, spinach, fenugreek, coriander, mint and lettuce) and to some extent radish, carrot, onion and beetroot are also cultivated (MANAGE, 2018).

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Benefits of Urban Farming

● Ensures availability of fresh, tastier vegetables, fruits, etc. rich in nutrients, free from chemicals at cheaper rates.

● Provides affordable nutrition for an economically backward family and reduction in food bills and trips to the market.

● Increases food diversity, as it is grown at individual family level with mixed cropping.

● Improves awareness and knowledge among children.

● Creates opportunity for physical exercise, refreshment, recreation and for promoting social responsibility among communities.

● Provides an opportunity for recycling organic waste and household waste water.

● Mitigates climate change.

● Helps in utilization of unused land, creation of urban lung space and a healthy environment.

● Generates employment.

Impact of urban agriculture on food security

Urban agriculture is thought to increase food security through two ways: improved access to food and increased income. Home grown food increases the total amount of food available to a household and thus can prevent hunger and malnutrition. At the same time , availability of fresh, home grown food products, in particular fruits and vegetables is good for health; direct access to food often allows poor households to consume a diverse diet than would have otherwise been able to afford. Animal husbandry, could provide an important source of animal protein, which may be limited in poor household diets due to income constraints.

Impact on monetary savings

A study by MANAGE (2018) showed the impact of urban farming on reduced purchase of vegetables, greens and fruits, and the savings thereof. Urban farming enables urbanites to reduce their spending on purchase of vegetable crops, as they are an essential part of urban farming. At the same time, proper management of growing vegetables gives yield throughout the year.

The study revealed that, 45.84 per cent (11 of 25) urbanites were able to save approximately Rs.200 every month on purchase of vegetables. On an average, these urbanites were able to save about Rs. 26,400 every year. Similarly, 25 percent (6 of 25) urbanites saved approximately Rs.400 every month on vegetable purchase i.e. approx. Rs.28,800 every year. Another two urbanites saved Rs.600 on an average every month on vegetable purchase and two of them saved approximately Rs.1000 every month on vegetable purchase. Another urbanite saved approx. Rs.2000 every month. All these 25 urbanites together saved approximately Rs.1,15,800 every year. This only takes the saving pattern on vegetables into account. Therefore, the government should make efforts to promote urban farming across cities, citing the importance of savings, in addition to the impact of urban farming on human health, environment and cityscape.

Urban agriculture is being practiced in a number of cities In India including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai with the involvement of government departments, private sector and individuals.

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Initiatives from different States of India

“Urban Farming Vegetable kit” under RKVY by Govt. of TelanganaThe Department of Horticulture Government of Telangana introduced the scheme “Vegetable Growing in Urban Areas” under RKVY for the year 2012-13. The department is creating awareness among the people of twin cities through newspaper, distribution of pamphlets, workshops and training programs. Beneficiaries Identified in workshops or selected through applications are provided one day training/orientation at Telangana Horticulture Training Institute with emphasis on hands on experience. If the terrace / back yard is found suitable for establishing a nutritional garden then non-subsidy portion is collected from the beneficiary as per the area selected i.e. minimum of 50 Sq.ft and maximum of 200 Sq.ft.

The Department of Horticulture Government of Telangana is providing two types of kits to the beneficiaries that come with their own subsidy patterns.

1. Kit A includesS.No Name of the component Specifications

1. Silpaulin Covers 4 covers, 40” Dia and 12” depth2. Supply of potting mixture 52 cft, Red Earth, FYM in 2:1 ratio, in Polybags

of the required size.3. Seeds 12 varieties of Vegetable seeds4. Neem cake 25kgs5. Neem oil 1/2 ltr6. Implements - Kurpi, Secateurs, Small

sprayer, shower, Poly feed and cloth bag1 unit

Subsidy pattern available for the kitSubsidy Pattern Government Share Beneficiary Share Total

With soil 3,000 /- 3,000 /- 6,000 /-Without soil 2,000 /- 2,000 /- 4,000 /-

2. Kit B

S.No Name of the component Specifications1. Grow bags Grow bags 1ft*1ft*1ft [12” Dia and 12” depth) – 90GSM 22 bags2. Supply of potting mixture 26 cft, Red Earth, FYM in 2:1 ratio, in Polybags of the

required size.3. Seeds 12 varieties of Vegetable seeds7. Neem cake 25kgs8. Neem oil 1/2 ltr9. Implements – Kurpi,

Secateurs, Small sprayer, shower, Poly feed and cloth bag

1 unit

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Subsidy pattern available for the kit

Subsidy Pattern Government Share Beneficiary Share Total

With soil 1,900 /- 1,900 /- 3,800 /-

Without soil 1,400 /- 1,400 /- 2,800 /-

Case of Maharashtra

Maharashtra, is aiming to turn public areas into vegetable gardens, tree farms and nature parks, to improve the vegetation cover in urban land areas. The greening initiative would be funded under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.

In Mumbai, residents are transforming terraces, balconies and common areas into vegetable gardens. Organizations like City Farming, Fresh & Local, Urban Leaves etc., are helping people to grow their own food. The Indian Railways has leased its land along railway tracks to farmers to prevent encroachment and to keep the land clean and useful. A community garden has come up in a waste dump in Mumbai’s Ambedkar Nagar slum.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Kit by Department of Horticulture Govt. of Tamil Nadu

The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced the DIY kit program for the promotion of rooftop vegetable garden in Chennai and Coimbatore. The main objective of the scheme is to motivate city dwellers to grow fresh vegetables in the proximity of major urban centers of Chennai and Coimbatore and also to provide nutritional security. One can get the kit either by applying online or visiting the Horticulture Department, Tamil Nadu. The kit costs Rs.1325/- per unit and one can buy up to 5 kits using one registration. (TNAU Agritech Portal).

The Kit contains: 20 sealed polythene grow bags (size 24×18 inches) with 2 Kg coco peat / bag; polythene spreading sheet,4×4mt (400gsm); water soluble fertilizer; bio fertilizers; bio pesticides; bio fungicides; hand sprayer (1lit); Rose can (5lit); digging fork (small); trowel; seedling trays; vegetable seed kit (10 kinds); DIY kit manual booklet.

Case of Kerala

Vegetable development has been launched by the Kerala government to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production, covering an integrated approach with physical targets at panchayat level. An amount of Rs 87.0 crores has been set apart for vegetable development program. The activities include promotion of homestead and terrace vegetable cultivation through urban clusters by supplying grow bags, commercial field cultivation of vegetables on cluster basis, vegetable seed production and distribution, supply of vegetable seedlings, promotion of institutional vegetable garden, etc. (Govt of Kerala, Dept. of Agriculture) .

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Do it yourself (DIY) kit by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Dept.

Oota from your Thota by Green City Farmers, Karnataka

Garden City Farmers’ (GCF) was founded in Bengaluru, It was started by Dr. B.N. Viswanath, who pioneered terrace gardening. GCF started organizing the event ‘OFYT-Oota from your Thota’ (Food from your garden) since 2011 with the prime aim of showcasing organic urban farming and terrace gardening and to create a better world for the future generation. The activities are taken up to make terrace gardening a citizen’s movement across the city, state, country and the globe. Seminars on Urban Farming and Terrace Gardening were organized at the State and National level to share experiences and to develop a concrete agenda to move forward.

Exhibition and demonstration on organic urban farming by OFYT

Urbanite displaying vegetable garden produce in Kerala

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Precision Farming a new hope for Urban Agriculture

A number of modern and advanced technologies are used in Urban Farming. Some of these include: Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Aeroponics.

Hydroponics is a method of soilless cultivation in which plants are grown in an aquatic-based environment. Aquaponics is an agriculture practice that combines aquaculture and hydroponics (soil less plant culture). The waste from aquatic animals is fed to the plants. The plants clean the water that goes back to the fish. Microbes also play an important role in nutrition of plants.

Aeroponics is a practice of growing plants by suspending their root structure in air and spraying them with a nutrient and water solution. Thus plants are grown in an air/mist environment. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested the effectiveness of aeroponics on the MIR space station and the results showed that bean seedlings could grow effectively in a nutrient solution in zero gravity with more yield (NASA).

Hydroponics - Growing crops without soil

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Hydroponics is defined as a soil less system which does not use soil as a substrate for crop production.

With the decrease in availability of land, unpredictable climate and indiscriminate use of chemicals, resulting in depletion of soil fertility, the concept of soil-less cultivation is picking up momentum. In soil- less culture - called hydroponics, plants are raised without soil. This technology is showing promising results across the world.

Hydroponic farming uses less than 80% of water than traditional farming. The macro and micro nutrients are diffused within the water solution to aid plant growth.

Process: In hydroponic farming, water is enriched with well-balanced nutrients which are essential for plant growth and better yield. This nutrient rich water is circulated to the plants. Water level pH is sustained within the specific range which results in better growth and produce. Plants take nutrients from the water and sunlight to grow (Reddy, 2015).

There are different techniques used to circulate nutrients to the plants. These include:

1) Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): NFT is used to grow smaller and quick growing plants. The system uses a pump to circulate water to the grow trays and pumps out water to recycle the unused water nutrient solution.

2) Wick system: Here the nutrients are taken up from the reservoir through a wick into the growing medium.

3) Ebb and flow: Here the grow tray is temporarily flooded with the solution, then drained back to the reservoir. The flooding and draining happens multiple times in a day.

4) Deep water culture: This is also called reservoir method. Here the roots are suspended in a nutrient solution and an aquarium air pump oxygenates the nutrient solution preventing the roots of the plants from drowning.

5) Drip: The timer schedules the water system in such a way that the nutrient solution from the reservoir drips into the plants as per the scheduled time.

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Nutrient solution

The nutrient solution contains macro and micronutrients. The composition of these nutrients vary with the type of plant. The recommended basic nutrient range for a few crops is given below:

Suggested Nutrient Solutions for Various Crops

Crop N P K Ca Mg

Concentration in mg/l (ppm)

Tomato 190 40 310 150 45

Cucumber 200 40 280 140 40

Pepper 190 45 285 130 40

Strawberry 50 25 150 65 20

Melon 200 45 285 115 30

Roses 170 45 285 120 40

Benefits of Hydroponics

Hydroponics is an unconventional way of gardening using water mainly instead of soil as the primary agent for helping plants to grow. Different vegetables, generally leafy vegetables and fruits may be grown indoors or in a controlled environment.

Over the years, the popularity of hydroponics has grown, especially in urban areas, where there is limited space for traditional soil gardening. The following are some of the benefits of hydroponic gardening:

▪ No soil needed

▪ Conserves water

▪ Makes better use of the available space and location

▪ Better growth rate

▪ No weed growth

▪ Effective use of nutrients

▪ Less use of insecticides.

▪ Year round production

▪ Production has been found to increase by 3 to 10 times in the same amount of space.

▪ Labour demand is very less.

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Some initiatives using Hydroponics

Doubling Yield Using Hydroponics

Lettuce grown conventionally in soil requires 60 days where as lettuce grown using hydroponics doubles the produce in 28-30 days says Mr Rahul Dhoka, founder of Green Rush Organics and Hydroponic Farming Consultancy ‘Aqua Farms’, Egmore, Chennai. He grows over 4500 plants in a limited 90sq. feet space. Using the technique of hydroponic farming, he started cultivating Italian basil, mint, spinach, kale, lettuce and stevia to replace processed sugar. (Aranha, 2019).

Herbivore Farm in Mumbai Using Hydroponics

Mr Joshua & Ms Rajkotwala, a couple in Mumbai run their Herbivore Farms spread over 1000 sq feet in Andheri East, Mumbai. They are growing over 2,500 plants including several different types of greens using hydroponics. The couple turned a warehouse into a temperature controlled indoor farm where seven varieties of lettuce, three varieties of Swiss chard, four varieties of kale are grown with zero pesticide. (Bhattacharya, 2019).

Start up using Hydroponics: Future Farms in Chennai

In Chennai, Mr. Sriram Gopal’s start up – Future Farms – using hydroponics is showing positive signs of growth. The greenhouse is located on the rooftop of a two-storied building. Pudina, ajwain, brahmi and bok choy plants can be seen there. The leaves are thick, lush green and free of dust particles, with a clean and healthy look. Future farms achieved a turnover of Rs. two crore in 2016-2017. He also uses Hydroponics technology for ornamental purpose, on the walls outside Future Farms office in Chennai. The company also sells hydroponic kits (Vinoj kumar, 2017).

Hydroponics for commercial as well as home based farming

Mr Ajay Naik, a 32 year old software engineer, started a vertical hydroponic farm in Goa. The farm is spread in an area of 150 sq mt. He grows vegetables like lettuce and salad greens; he grows three tones of lettuce every month. (Singh, 2016).

Thus by using less space one can grow a number of plants within a short period of time, without using soil, through this technique. It is hoped that farmers start adopting hydroponics in the coming years.

Start-ups promoting Hydroponics in India

Here’s a list of start-ups in India that are innovating agriculture methods and leading the way in indoor farming. Nidhi (2017)

1. Letcetra Agritech

2. BitMantis Innovations

3. Junga FreshnGreen

4. Future Farms

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Urban Farming: Initiatives at MANAGE

The Center for Gender in Agriculture, Nutritional Security and Urban agriculture at MANAGE, has taken up some initiatives in Urban Farming, keeping in view the recent trends. These include: a Model Vegetable Garden; Model Herbal garden, Model Balcony Garden, Square Foot garden, Grill mounted Hanging pots and Organic Vegetable Garden, MANAGE is also Promoting Micro Greens, Mushroom Production and has setup a Hydroponics demonstration unit.

Model Vegetable Garden (7m X 7m)

A demonstration unit of a model vegetable garden to ensure year round supply of fresh vegetables was initiated at MANAGE in December, 2016 with the objective to promote nutritional security, safe food through sustainable production methods and mitigate micronutrient malnutrition in urban areas. The garden, which is based on a standardized model (6m x 6m) of Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) is targeted to produce 250 kg of fresh vegetables per year organically. In order to include perennial (fruits) component in the standard layout for enhancing balanced nutrition, the area was extended to 7m X 7m. The layout is as follows.

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Layout of model vegetable garden Season wise Crop Selection at MANAGE

Kharif(June-Sept)

Rabi(Oct-Jan)

Summer(Feb-May)

Throughout year Perennials

Tomato Tomato Tomato Tomato PapayaBrinjal Brinjal Brinjal Brinjal PlantainChili Chili Chili Chili DrumstickBhendi Bhindi Bhindi Bhindi Acid limeGourds Gourds Gourds Gourds CoccineaDolichos beans Dolichos

beansDolichos beans Dolichos beans

Cluster beans Cluster beans Cluster beans Cluster beansFrench beans French beans Leafy vegetables Ginger under

shadeLeafy vegetables (Spinach,Roselle, coriander, sorrel, fenugreek, portulaca, Amaranth)

Leafyvegetables

Coriander under shade net

Leafy vegetablesExcept coriander

Cabbage CabbageCauliflower CauliflowerColocasia Colocasia Colocasia ColocasiaRadish RadishTurnip TurnipBeetroot BeetrootCarrot Carrot

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Model Herbal Garden

There is a range of plants with therapeutic qualities, which can be easily grown in household gardens and directly consumed by people who may require them. The use of plant-based medicines is expanding rapidly throughout the world and any economic activity relating to growing herbal plants for supply of medicinal plant material could be a viable enterprise. A demonstration unit of a model herbal garden with 29 species was established at MANAGE Campus in March, 2019 with the objective to promote cultivation and use of herbal plants in urban areas.

Model Balcony Garden

A balcony unit of 4*6 ft.is designed to accommodate the maximum number of vegetable plants. Depending on the preference of the grower, plants can be selected to meet the daily requirements. Vegetables like onion/potato/root crops are generally not preferred as production will not meet the needs of a family. A few leafy vegetables in growing pots can be hung on the grill, utilizing vertical space to the fullest.

Stackable Unit/Square Foot Garden

Six containers are stacked vertically in one square foot area. The design is ideal for leafy vegetables. Six types of leafy vegetables can be grown with 3 staggered sowings. Around 250 g of leafy vegetables can be harvested from one sowing.

Grill mounted Hanging pots

An iron grill of moderate size can be installed in the kitchen balconies. Leafy vegetables like amaranth, spinach, coriander, mint, fenugreek etc. can be grown in the hanging pots. Grow bags of different sizes, earthen, plastic/fiber pots on raised platforms can be used to grow vegetables.

Organic Vegetable Garden

More than 20 varieties of vegetables like okra, lettuce, coriander, brinjal, carrot, beetroot, banana, spinach, bitter gourd etc. are grown organically in 250 sq.m utilizing the area efficiently.

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Promoting Microgreens

Microgreens, was initiated to promote nutritional security. These are tiny edible greens that are just older than sprouts, but younger than a full grown plant. They are harvested after the first two “TRUE” leaves have developed. They are the smallest of the salad greens and can be grown from almost any plant variety that would produce a mature plant, such as beet, radish or mustard. They are young and tender cotyledonary leafy greens that are found in various colors, textures and flavors. Studies have shown that microgreens often contain up to “40 times” more nutrients than matured plants. Microgreens are harvested within 7-14 days of their sowing. They are consumed with salads, smoothies, sandwiches, chutneys etc. Most of the microgreen seeds that are chemical free are found in the kitchen ex: fenugreek, mustard, sesame (black & white), wheat, barley, rye, moong etc. In MANAGE, few leafy vegetable plants are preserved for organic / chemical free microgreen seed production such as red amaranth, portulaca etc. MANAGE has been promoting microgreens among farmers, urban public and especially urban women as an approach to secure nutritional security and heath. Nutritional composition of microgreens grown on different media like potting soil, coco peat, vermicompost, water and tissue paper are being tested at MANAGE for nutrient composition, germination, anchoring and vigor through a collaborative research project with National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. As a component of the research project “Promoting Micro-greens for Nutritional Security in Urban Areas”, MANAGE through evidence based (Nutrition data) about nutrient composition of microgreens is popularizing this super food among urban and rural communities to address malnutrition and other diseased conditions.

Hydroponics Demonstration Unit

In MANAGE, household /pyramid model hydroponic demonstration unit was introduced as a vertical farming solution in space and water scarce areas which is ideal for leafy vegetables and herbs. The unit has a capacity of 48 plants accommodated in 20 sq ft. and running on a bucket (25 liters) of enriched water per week. As it is soil-less culture, the harvest is free from dirt. So far spinach, red amaranth, basella/malabar spinach were transplanted and grown successfully. The Tower model of Hydroponics has a capacity of 416 plants which was built from scrap material available at MANAGE in 6X6m area. This can be replicated on rooftops of 387sqft.

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Protected Structure (Shade net):

A protected structure of 35% shade is being used to raise nursery in portrays and pro-bags to grow vegetables in peak summer and to evaluate new improved/ high yielding /indeterminate varieties. Tomato and Cucumber were grown successfully. Capsicum, red cabbage and broccoli were sown in kharif, 2018, in 2 beds of size 16X1m. each accommodating 64 capsicum plants, 54 broccoli and 30 red cabbage.

Mushroom production unit

A Mushroom production unit was established at MANAGE as a part of Urban Agriculture initiatives. The unit serves as a demonstration-cum-sale unit for visitors to MANAGE and the produce is sold to employees of MANAGE.

The area of the unit is 1500 sq. ft. with partially controlled environmental conditions to suit to the growth of mushroom species. The unit has one dark room and one cropping room with three compartments. The unit is suitable for producing Oyster and Milky mushrooms. The Unit has another separate structure (room) for preparatory works like drying the hay, bedding and spawning after sterilization of the medium. The prepared beds are transferred to the dark room of the main unit for incubation and subsequently cropping. Oyster mushroom (Plerotus spp.) and Milky mushrooms (Calocybe indica) are being cultivated in MANAGE.

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Management Practices adopted by MANAGE Pest ManagementPheromone traps and Yellow sticky traps: Pest management is one of the aspects to be considered, right from sowing till the harvesting and sale of the crops. Pheromone traps against spodoptera and Helicoverpa and fruit fly traps for gourds were erected in each garden for monitoring and management of borers. Likewise yellow and blue sticky cards were hung one foot above the crop stand for attracting sucking pests in the garden.

Electronic Insect Trap: Electronic Insect trap is eco-friendly and available at a low cost. The electronic light trap model is effective for the control of different insects/ pests of vegetable crops without any use of chemicals. The device seems promising since it has been capturing adults of many sucking pests, borers and flies, nymphs, adults of leaf folder, stem borer, fruit borers, moths, hoppers, aphids, white flies, fruit weevil and different crop beetles etc., thereby reducing the dependence on bio pesticide usage to the tune of 50 per cent.

Pest and Disease management with Decoctions: Pest and disease management is the most common concern of urban gardeners. MANAGE urban garden demonstrates different types of decoctions with easily available ingredients like garlic, red and green chilies, onion, buttermilk, starch, vegetable oils etc. The decoctions made from these ingredients are safe, fresh and easy to make.

Border/Trap crops: Trap crops such as marigold and mustard are grown in chili and cruciferous vegetable plots respectively. Border crop like sweet corn is raised in between plots to arrest the movement of sucking pests and crawling insects from plot to plot.

Irrigation ManagementDrip Irrigation System in the garden: To save water and to maintain soil health, ’drip irrigation’ system is being adopted in the herbal garden and model organic vegetable garden. It is a controlled, slow application of water to the soil over a long period of time, usually lasting several hours. It reduces water loss by up to 60 percent and also lowers labor requirement.

Nutrient Management through Waste RecyclingKitchen waste recycling: Kitchen waste from MANAGE canteen is procured and recycled to compost using earthworms and bio-inoculums. Household kitchen waste composting bins are maintained for demonstration purpose.

Garden waste recycling with NCOF waste decomposer: A waste decomposer culture developed by the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) is used for quick composting from organic waste, soil health improvement and as a plant protection agent. It is a consortium of microorganisms extracted from desi cow dung. The powder form of the decomposer is diluted and cultured in 200 lit barrel and left for 4 days. The cultured solution after 4 days is strained and used for treating garden waste. Spraying this solution on garden waste initiates and speeds up the process of decomposition.

Vermiwash: Vermiwash is a liquid that is collected after the passage of water through a column of worm action. It is a collection of excretory products and mucus secretion of earthworms along with micronutrients from the soil organic molecules. Household vermiwash units of 200 lit capacity each

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were demonstrated in MANAGE. The vermiwash is a macro and micro nutrient dense liquid which is used in diluted form on vegetable plots. Dosage is when applied foliar: 1 lit Vermiwash +1 lit Cow Urine + 10 lit water: acts as a bio pesticide and growth promoter; when drenched in soil the dilution is 1:10. Initial investment of Rs. 1500/- per unit and recurrent (every3-4 months) investment of Rs.100-150/- yields 15 lit of vermiwash every week and 25-30 kg of vermicompost during refilling per unit.

MANAGE Urban Farming e-Extension ‘Ask an Expert’

Urban gardening is one of the most promising agriculture trends on the rise. Many of the urbanites though having interest, lack knowledge on care maintenance hindering them to grow vegetables. The urban gardeners use social media applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook etc., to exchange information in all forms and to create a network of resources. As information shared on such platforms is available temporarily, it was felt necessary to develop a platform where the data could be saved and retrieved at any point of time.

MANAGE has initiated a platform “Ask an Expert” on a pilot basis. Here, Urban farming experts, entrepreneurs in urban agriculture and organic farming trained under AC&ABC scheme are registered as experts. The platform allows the gardener - ‘User’ to register and interact with the expert in Urban Farming from any state. This platform not only helps the gardener to interact with fellow gardeners but also enables them to contact an expert, raise a query through his/her garden pictures/videos and get the solution. Thus, MANAGE is creating a network of Urban green cities and promoting UA with an expert support system to address nutrition security in urban and peri-urban areas. Similarly “Urban organic farming” WhatsApp group was created and made a platform to share knowledge and views with fellow farmers of urban farming from Hyderabad city. It has 158 participants actively sharing pictures from their farm regularly.

Value Addition

Household Solar drier: During summer months, dry powders like moringa powder, curry leaf powder, amchur powder, rosella powder and amla powder were prepared an experimental basis using the household solar drier.

In addition to the traditional vegetables mentioned above, exotic vegetables like pink radish, red turnips, red bhindi, yellow capsicums and herbs like pak choi, lettuce and red amaranth are also being cultivated according to the season.

Completed Research on Urban Farming

Household analysis of urban Farming: Alternative Strategy for food and nutritional security. (Dr. Veenita Kumari, Principal Investigator and Dr. Junuthula Shirisha, Senior Research Fellow, MANAGE).

The objectives of the research are:

1. To study the profile of the respondents

2. To analyze the practice of urban farming among the respondents

3. To determine the extent of food security met out through ‘urban farming’

4. To find out the constraints in adopting this practice

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Project Findings: Majority (43%) of the respondents were growing 2 to 4 varieties of food groups such as fruits, green leafy vegetables, vegetables and medicinal plants. Majority (45%) of them were growing at least 1 to 5 types of fruits and vegetables at their homes. The results indicated that the primary reasons to practice urban farming was their own interest, passion, background (being from an agriculture family) and to grow organic food for their family. Major problems faced by the urban practitioners was menace caused by insects, birds and monkeys (26%), followed by accessibility of quality seeds (17%).

Ongoing Research on Urban Farming

Promoting Micro-greens for nutritional Security in Urban Areas(Dr. Veenita Kumari, Principal Investigator, MANAGE and Dr. J. Sreenivas, Co-Principal Investigator, NIN, Hyderabad).

The objectives of the research are

1 To undertake extensive ‘micro-greens’ cultivation in different media at the center.

2. To analyze and compare nutritional composition of the selected ‘micro-greens’ grown in different media.

3. To standardize recipes or product development using ‘micro-greens’.

4. To study therapeutic impact of micro-greens on the selected subjects.

5. Awareness generation and promotion of ‘micro-greens’ cultivation among urban public.

Project status: Micro greens were grown in four different media. A total 10 varieties of microgreen seeds were selected. Nutritional composition of the samples (40 samples in duplicate) are being analyzed at NIN. Results have been received for most of the samples sent to NIN lab for analysis. Few recipes were developed, sensory evaluation was completed for the same and given for analysis at NIN.

Capacity Building on Urban Farming

Centre for Gender in Agriculture, Nutritional Security and Urban Agriculture, MANAGE conducts training programs for senior and middle level officers from agriculture and allied fields on urban farming/agriculture to promote the concept of urban farming. The training focuses on concepts like significance of Urban gardening, Designing and Landscaping at Household level, Resource specific urban crop planning and garden inputs, Nutrient and Pest Management Techniques at household level, Hydroponics, Microgreens, exposure Visits to urban farming practitioners etc.

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Good practices and success stories documented by MANAGE

Given below are a few examples of initiatives in this area by urban practitioners. Some of these practices have been documented by MANAGE through a household survey, as part of the research on “Household Analysis of Urban Farming: Alternative Strategy for Food & Nutritional Security”.

• Mr. O.V. Subba Rao, a Graduate, migrated from his native village to the city, along with his family and they are residing in Puppalguda, Hyderabad. In order to meet their daily requirement of vegetables, fruits, greens etc. they used to depend on the vegetable market, retail vegetable outlets and vegetable vendors in their area. Unhappy with the quality, quantity and fluctuations in rates of fresh vegetables and fruits, they decided to use the balcony and free space in their house for cultivation of leafy vegetables, fruits and other vegetables. They acquired the knowledge from agricultural extension institutes and since two years they have been relishing their own organic vegetables. Mr. Rao started to grow vegetables and fruits in mud pots, plastic drums, tyres, grow bags, curd buckets and on the ground. He is growing tomatoes, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, ridge gourd, ivy gourd, capsicum, chili, mint, radish, beet root, mulberry etc., on terrace and open land.

• Mr. Venkateshwara Mandava (Retd.), has been practicing urban gardening since 35 years. He is growing fruits and vegetables in an area of 5000 sft. He grows vegetables like brinjal, tomato, okra, bottle gourd, spinach, amaranth, curry leaves, lemon grass and drum stick and fruits viz., pomegranate, grapes, sapota, banana, sweet lemon and coconut. He saves water by utilizing waste water from the bathroom, kitchen and washing machine in the garden. He is utilizing kitchen waste as compost in the garden. He recycles dry leaves and sticks in the garden by utilizing it for boiling of water. He uses shell dryer for drying of coconut as it does not lose its nutritional value and the dry coconut is used for extracting oil. Mr. Venkateshwara does not buy toothpaste and shampoo from the market; instead his family uses neem stick for brushing teeth and amla, sheekakai and reetha as shampoo. They preserve fruits and vegetables like lemons, tomato, bitter gourd and coriander by drying in the solar dryer and use for more than 3-4 months.

• Since 2017,Mr. Rajshekar Potluri is practicing terrace gardening in 128 square yards, without using soil. Every month he harvests 30-40 kg of vegetables from his own garden. For every 6 feet depth, he grows cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, radish and chili etc. He grows a variety of gourds like ridge gourd, ivy gourd, bitter gourd and sponge gourd, for every bed. Initially he faced problems of pests like hairy caterpillar and used 30 ml vinegar in 1 lit water to prevent a pest attack. He sprays turmeric solution to prevent spotting of leaves. Every 15 days he sprays neem oil behind the leaves. He uses mud pots and grow bags to grow vegetables. Along with vegetables, he is also growing medicinal plants like insulin plant, aloevera, tulsi, snake plant and flowers like roses, marigold and chrysanthemums. He says that cultivating aromatic and snake plant indoors will help in air purification. He suggests people to grow their own vegetables by utilizing their terrace space for gardening.

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• Mr. Venkat Krishna Emani, an MBA consultant is producing 30-40 kg of vegetables in a 1200 sq.ft area. By practicing terrace gardening he started cultivating vegetables like brinjal, tomato, spinach, curry leaves, banana, guava, papaya & lime. He is practicing terrace gardening since 10 years and has been a source of motivation and guidance to others. He is planning to cultivate other varieties of fruits & vegetables.

• Mr. Sundeep Motamari, a resident of Hyderabad, after completing his Graduation went overseas to take up a software job. After sometime he returned to India, and then began his journey of urban gardening. He had keen interest towards growing his own vegetables and fruits at home. Since 2005 he is growing vegetables and fruits on his terrace. Initially he started in an area of 1200 sq. ft and planted 4-5 varieties of vegetables viz., ladies finger, tomato, brinjal, green chilies and ridge gourd. After reaping fruitful results, he expanded it. He is using kitchen waste for vermicompost for the plants. He also added some ornamental plants to enhance an aesthetic look. He grows around 20-30 varieties of fruits and vegetables on his terrace. His family members also lend a helping hand in the maintenance of the garden. They spend about two hours every day for watering, plantation upkeep etc. He is always in search of new and organic methods of gardening through different sources like friends, social media and YouTube and news channels. He is also influencing and convincing others to learn and practice in their available space. In order to share knowledge on urban farming, he and his friends created a Face book group - “Intipanta Organic Kitchen Gardeners”. He is an active participant, who posts information on urban gardening and addresses various doubts of neo-urban garden practitioners. Recently he has also started growing several medicinal plants, especially insulin plant which helps in managing diabetes and other ailments. They also use some of the medicinal leaves in preparation of tea decoction.

• Mr. Chandra Shekhar Sastry retired from the Electrical Department 10 years ago and since then he has been practicing urban farming at home. An article in the newspaper on terrace gardening practices of growing fruits and vegetables within a limited space caught his attention and he soon adopted and implemented the idea of urban gardening. He started growing vegetables initially in an area of 820 sq.ft. Now he is growing sweet potato, roselle, kale, okra, red okra, onion, tomato, brinjal and bottle gourd. He also started growing fruits like raspberry, pomegranate, mango and papaya. He is getting a good harvest; nearly 40-50 kgs of vegetables from his terrace garden every month, which is sufficient to meet the needs of his family. He also expanded his urban garden to the balcony and included some medicinal plants. He is using mud pots, plastic drums, grow bags, pipes and plastic water bottles for planting fruits and vegetables. He uses kitchen waste, dry leaves and vermicompost as manure. He shares information on urban farming with his friends and relatives and some of them, guided by him, have also started urban gardens at their homes. According to him, growing one’s own vegetables & fruits has advantages viz., saves money as there is no need to buy fruits and vegetables from the market; is a stress reliever and very relaxing. One gets access to safe food as they are pesticide free; available space is efficiently used, there is seasonal availability and one can grow as per the preferences and requirements of the family.

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Fruits and vegetables production by urban farming practitioners in Hyderabad

Urban farming implementation by urban farming practitioners in Hyderabad

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• Dr. Amarendra Yellala, is a doctor by profession and resides in Hyderabad. He believes in the concept of “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. According to him, consumption of healthy and nutritious food is a great idea rather than having medicines. He sought advice regarding urban gardening and also watched a number of You Tube videos on urban farming. With great interest and enthusiasm he started front yard gardening, initially by planting fruit varieties. Since 7 years he is growing fruits such as sapota, pineapple, pomegranate, coconut and banana. A year ago he started growing vegetables likebrinjal, tomato, green chilies and green leafy vegetables. He is growing vegetables in an area of 500sq.ft and fruits in an area of 300sq ft. He uses plastic drums, plastic buckets, water bottles and grow bags for plantation. For manure, he uses kitchen waste, dry leaves and vermi compost. He is able to harvest sufficient vegetables and fruits for his family’s consumption. Seeing the results of terrace farming his neighbors have also started practicing it.

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Promoting Urban Agriculture: the Way Forward

As can be seen from the above information, there are several models of urban agriculture with a prime focus on nutritious vegetables and fruits. Some of these models are being promoted, up-scaled and replicated through public and private initiatives.

There is a need to formulate schemes/programs to support the concept of urban agriculture in cities and urban centers. The Agriculture/Horticulture departments could plan and operationalize urban agri- culture initiatives.

Some Suggestions

• Awareness on urban agriculture may be improved through various media among the urban population. Adequate extension support to introduce urban agriculture may be promoted and advisory services provided.

• Promoting a ‘One Stop Shop’ for urban agriculture which can provide the needed inputs like seeds, equipment, etc. under a single umbrella along with technical guidance can help popularize the concept.

• There is a need for documentation of experiences and learnings from the existing practices and disseminating to the urban population. Creating knowledge sharing platforms on the web could help to share the evidence, experiences, success stories, photographs, projects, programmes etc. among all the stakeholders. Examples of such initiatives are ‘Inti-panta’ Group of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ‘Oota from your Thota’ of Karnataka.

• There is need to initiate research on urban agriculture to evolve different models and location specific technologies on urban agriculture.

• There is also a need to develop technical manpower on urban agriculture across the country and involve them in capacity building activities for other interested stakeholders. Technical institutes like SAUs/ICAR research organizations and experienced and successful practitioners may be involved in capacity building activities.

• An initiative of MANAGE was a training program on “Promotion of Urban Farming through Innovative Models” conducted August, 2019 at MANAGE, Hyderabad. Thirty two participants from thirteen states participated in the program. The main objective of the program was to sensitize the participants towards ‘Urban Farming’, as it will be a pressing need in the coming years. Some of the important topics covered during the training were, Mushroom Cultivation, Landscaping, Hydroponics, Microgreens, Resource Specific Planning, Nutrient and Pest Management etc. Visits to urban farming practitioners, Centre of Excellence Jeedimetla and MANAGE Urban Garden were organized to give practical exposure to concepts of urban farming. Participants were taken to an urban garden practitioner’s home at Mehdipatnam where terrace gardening is being practiced. Demonstration on setting up of household vermiwash unit and preparation of Ghana jeevamrutham was conducted for the trainees. Participants were also asked to design a model urban vegetable garden by selecting area specific vegetables and utilizing available space and resources to the maximum extent. Participant groups made a presentation of their models. During the training, some of the participants also shared their experience on Urban Farming. Experience sharing by active urban farming practitioners from Hyderabad was also done to encourage and popularize the concept of urban farming among the participants.

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Participants visit to Center of Horticulture Excellence

Participants engaged in group activity on designing Model Vegetable garden

Participants visit to urban Garden practitioner Mr. E Venkata krishna, Mehdipatnam

Participants visit to Urban Garden , MANAGE

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Possible Solutions:

1) Getting good quality seeds- The active urban practitioners can form a social network to exchange information among themselves and get information about quality input suppliers for urban farming.

2) Water availability- Now-a-days, many urban farming practitioners are practicing rain water harvesting. They are constructing structures that conserve rain water to be used at a later stage. They can also divert kitchen waste water into the urban garden. Alternatively, they can also look at aquaponics as an alternative, where the water will be recycled between plant and fish ecosystem, hence less consumption of water.

3) Hydroponics- Now-a-days, technologies like hydroponics etc. at household level are also gaining importance, where water availability is a concern.

4) Insects, birds and monkey menace- To protect vegetable and fruit plants from the attack of insects, birds and monkeys, net fencing can be done in balconies or protected structures like greenhouse structure/net can be made on the roof top/front/back yard.

5) Space- Urban farming is gaining significance in cities and towns because it makes judicious use of the available space. Hence, where space is a concern innovative models like vertical garden, stock model, stair-case models, hanging models can be effective in growing more plants per sqft.

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References

Aranha, Jovitha (2019). Heights of hydroponics: meet the Chennai man who grows 6000 plants in 80 sq ft. space. Better India, January14, 2019. https://www.thebetterindia.com/169520/chennai-hydroponics-grow-plants-at- home-india/

Ashar, Sandeep (2016). Maharashtra to build green corridors make cities more livable. The Indian Express, October30, 2016 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/maharashtra-to-build-green- corridors-make-cities-more-livable/

Bhattacharyya, Sromona (2019). Kale, lettuce and more; This Mumbai couple runs a Hyperlocal farm to promote clean eating. Logical Indian February28, 2019 https://thelogicalindian.com/exclusive/herbivore-farms/

FAO (2019). Hydroponics and soil -less system accessed at -http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/thematic- sitemap/theme/climatechange0/methyl-bromide/alt/hydro/en/

FAO (2016). Building greener cities: nine benefits of urban trees. FAO, November 2016. http://www.fao.org/zhc/ detail-events/en/c/454543/

FAO (2007). Profitability and Sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture. Agricultural Management, Marketing and Finance Occasional paper 19. FAO.

Govt of Kerala, Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers welfare. Accessed at https://keralaagriculture. gov.in/2018/12/21/vegetable-development/

MANAGE (2018) Urban Farming: Good practices and knowledge management accessed at https://www.manage. gov.in/publications/discussion%20papers/MANAGE-Discussion%20Paper-4.pdf.

NASA. Progressive Plant Growing is a Blooming Business. https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/aeroponic_plants.html

Reddy, Jagdish (2015). Hydroponics farming information guide. Agri farming August11, 2015 https://www. Agrifarming.in/hydroponics-farming

Sahasranaman, Meera (2016). Future of urban agriculture in India. Institute for resource Analysis and Policy (IRAP), Hyderabad. Occasional paper no 10, December, 2016. http://irapindia.org/images/irap-Occasional- Paper/IRAP-Occasionalpaper-10.pdf

Singh, Nidhi (2017). These 4 Start-ups are promoting Hydroponics in India. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/295531

Singh, Tanaya (2016). This Software Engineer Sold His Company to Start a Vertical Hydroponic Farm in Goa. Better India, December 20, 2016.

TNAU Agritech. Do it yourself kit program accessed at http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_schemes_doit_ yourself.html/

Vinoj kumar, (2017). When engineering a farming revolution becomes your dream, passion, and business. The weekend Leader 8(22) August 2017.

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National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE)(An Organisation of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India)

Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500 030, T.S, Indiawww.manage.gov.in