Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

With conventional food production systems incapable of meeting the increased global food demand, restoring soil health, and mitigating the climate crises—a paradigm shift towards sustainable agricultural practices is urgently needed. This study explores the efficacy of biointensive market gardening, a management approach emphasizing agroecological sustainability, as an alternative to conventional methods. Employing organic market gardening management on previously agricultural land, this research offers a comparative analysis of biological soil health with organic conventional production and a natural reference system. Results reveal significant enhancements in soil health parameters, including soil organic matter, protein content, bulk density, nutrient availability, and microbial parameters like respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) and active carbon in the market gardening system compared to agricultural system. Notably, the market gardening system surpassed natural benchmarks in multiple parameters and showcased resilience against climate variability. Consequently, the study underscores the potential of market gardening in strengthening agricultural resilience, improving soil health, and ensuring future food security, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.