URBAN gardening has started to gain the interest of residents in highly urbanized areas, particularly in Metro Manila and other areas.
The COVID-19 lockdown periods have driven most of the urban settlers to plant their own food at their own homes, and the interest to plant more has become a growing possibility.
Of the technologies available today, vegetable gardening is the most feasible and adaptable for “stay at homes.”
With the right production system, materials, and inputs, one can enjoy harvesting fresh clean, ready-to-cook veggies right at their own space.
These households are not just the ones who can benefit, because communities with idle lands can be converted into communal gardens and serve as a venue for hands-on trainings and seminars.
After all, various government programs have started pushing for urban gardening to address food security and nutritional well-being of the Filipinos.
Among the notable projects to adopt is the “Gulayan sa Pamayanan” project which is under the GALING-PCAARRD Kontra COVID-19 program.
It seeks to provide science and technology (S&T)-based livelihood intervention on vegetable gardening in urban areas as a means to address concerns on food availability and accessibility.
Under this project, two urban gardening technologies are being initially adopted in Metro Manila.
These are Enriched Potting Preparation (EPP), and Simple Nutrient Addition Program (SNAP) hydroponics technologies.
The Department of Science and Technology-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR) already deployed EPP kits to selected barangays in the cities of Las Piñas, Parañaque, and in Sampaloc, Manila, where SNAP kits will also be deployed soon in these areas.
DOST-NCR implements the “Gulayan sa Pamayanan” project with monitoring guidance from Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the DOST, through its Agricultural Resources Management Research Division (PCAARRD-ARMRD).
The EPP production technology was developed by Dr. Eduardo P. Paningbatan, Jr., a retired Professor at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB).
EPP technology uses compost, coco husk, Compost Soil Extract, and recyclable softdrink bottles as containers for the potting medium.
The EPP technology provides urban families with healthy and pesticide-free vegetables such as lettuce, kangkong, and tomato.
EPP plants can be hung or set to a stand in places where there is available sunlight for at least three hours.
The SNAP package of technology and the nutrient solution was developed by Dr. Primitivo Jose A. Santos and Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo of the Institute of Plant Breeding of the UPLB.
SNAP is a soilless vegetable production, which uses styrofoam boxes, styrofoam cups, growing media, and SNAP nutrient solution.
SNAP hydroponics is best for home-based vegetable production and ideal for small spaces typical in urban areas.
It is simple to set-up, maintain and operate since it only requires enough sunlight, air movement, and protection from rain.
SNAP does not need electricity compared to other hydroponics system since it incorporates passive aeration of the nutrient solution used.
Both EPP and SNAP Hydroponics technologies for urban gardening are inexpensive as most of the materials needed to set up the system are recycled materials./PN
