Urban Agriculture as an Alternative for the Sustainable Production of Maize and Peanut

Abstract

Currently agriculture has difficulty keeping up with the demand for food around the world, which has generated a boom in the development of sustainable alternatives for producing food and caring for the environment. Therefore, the present study aims to show a backyard system comprising 50 cm × 50 cm pinewood boxes where maize and peanut were tested under control and compost conditions. The experiments were carried out for nine months starting from compost production and the sowing of the crops, which were irrigated with temporary rain. The compost was produced by converting ~213 kg of organic residues into ~300 kg of mature compost. The fertilizer treatment consisted of two doses of compost (1 kg doses). The developing plants were compared between conditions in both crops. In addition, the nutritional values of the compost and compost and soil were evaluated. Interestingly, the correlation analyses of the morphological properties of the soils showed that the effects of the nutrients were positively associated with the morphology of the crops studied. Finally, the yield produced for maize was 9 kg/m2 and 6.6 kg/m2 and that for peanuts was 184 g/m2 and 73 g/m2 under compost and control conditions, respectively. We consider that the development of new alternatives for producing food in times of crisis or situations of limited resources is necessary for the development of humanity and the care of the environment.