Abstract
The wonder multistorey garden (WMSG) is an innovative vertical farming system tailored for urban settings that can be constrained by the irrigation regime, and by types and levels of fertilizer application. This study evaluated the effects of applying NPK fertilizer and black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) under different irrigation regimes on the growth, yield, and pest infestation of kale (Brassica oleracea) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris). The fertilizers were applied at rates equivalent to 371 kg N ha−1. For each crop, the BSFFF or NPK was applied to supply 100% of the N required (100% BSFFF), and then a combination of BSFFF and NPK was applied so that each fertilizer supplied 50% of the N required (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK). Crops’ water requirements were provided using three irrigation regimes: daily, every two days, and every three days. The control treatment was not amended with any fertilizer, while water was provided ad libitum. The results revealed that the irrigation regime significantly affected the leaf production of both vegetables. Irrigation regimes significantly influenced kale plant height, where plants provided with water daily achieved the highest average heights of 20 cm, 46 cm, and 54 cm at 14, 28, and 42 days after transplanting (DAT), respectively. Furthermore, the application of 100% BSFFF produced kale with significantly higher plant heights (55 cm) and number of leaves (9.9 leaves) at 42 DAT compared to other treatments. The interaction between irrigation regimes and fertilizer significantly influenced kale height at 14 DAT and 42 DAT. Use of daily irrigation regime and 100% BSFFF produced the tallest kale plants of 59 cm at 42 DAT. Application of 50% BSFFF + 50% NPK or 100% BSFFF with daily irrigation achieved the highest values of kale and Swiss chard leaf chlorophyll concentration, recorded at 42 DAT. Fertilizer application significantly affected pest population, with the lowest pest infestation being recorded from kale and Swiss chard grown in soil amended with BSFFF. The application of 100% BSFFF or NPK, together with daily irrigation, significantly increased the fresh shoot weight and leaf dry matter of kale and Swiss chard, as compared with the control. The fresh shoot yields of kale and Swiss chard achieved through using a combination of 100% BSFFF and daily irrigation were 14–69% and 13–56% higher than those of NPK, respectively. The same treatment combination also produced kales and Swiss chard with 8–73% and 16–81% higher leaf dry matter compared to NPK, respectively. It was noted that soil amendment with BSFFF maintained higher values of kale (41–50%) and Swiss chard (33–49%) leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress. Our study has demonstrated the high potential of single (100% BSFFF) or combined applications of BSFFF (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK) with a daily irrigation regime to improve the growth, yield, and pest management in Swiss chard and kale under vertical farming. Our study advocates for the scaling of WMSG and BSFFF for sustainable food systems in urban settings.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation regime significantly affected leaf production of both vegetables.
- Taxon
- kale
Brassica oleracea var. viridist0 - Treatment
- irrigation regimee0
- Outcome
- leaf productione0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The results revealed that the irrigation regime significantly affected the leaf production of both vegetables.”
t0“Kale”
Claim · model-written summary
Daily irrigation gave kale heights of 20, 46, and 54 cm at 14, 28, and 42 DAT.
- Taxon
- KaleBrassica oleracea var. viridist0
- Treatment
- water dailye0
- Outcome
- heightse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 20 cm, 46 cm, and 54 cme0
- Qualifier
- 14, 28, and 42 days after transplanting (DAT)e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants provided with water daily achieved the highest average heights of 20 cm, 46 cm, and 54 cm at 14, 28, and 42 days after transplanting (DAT), respectively.”
t0“Kale”
Claim · model-written summary
Full BSFFF produced taller kale at 42 DAT than other treatments.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- 100% BSFFFe0
- Outcome
- plant heightse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 55 cme0
- Qualifier
- 42 DATe0
- Comparator
- other treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the application of 100% BSFFF produced kale with significantly higher plant heights (55 cm) and number of leaves (9.9 leaves) at 42 DAT compared to other treatments.”
Claim · model-written summary
Full BSFFF increased kale leaf number at 42 DAT versus other treatments.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- 100% BSFFFe0
- Outcome
- number of leavese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 9.9 leavese0
- Qualifier
- 42 DATe0
- Comparator
- other treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the application of 100% BSFFF produced kale with significantly higher plant heights (55 cm) and number of leaves (9.9 leaves) at 42 DAT compared to other treatments.”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation and fertilizer interacted significantly for kale height at 14 and 42 DAT.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- irrigation regimes and fertilizere0
- Outcome
- kale heighte0
- Qualifier
- 14 DAT and 42 DATe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The interaction between irrigation regimes and fertilizer significantly influenced kale height at 14 DAT and 42 DAT.”
Claim · model-written summary
Daily irrigation with full BSFFF produced kale height of 59 cm at 42 DAT.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- daily irrigation regime and 100% BSFFFe0
- Outcome
- kale plantse0
- Direction
- talleste0
- Value
- 59 cme0
- Qualifier
- 42 DATe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Use of daily irrigation regime and 100% BSFFF produced the tallest kale plants of 59 cm at 42 DAT.”
Claim · model-written summary
Daily irrigation with either half BSFFF plus half NPK or full BSFFF yielded the highest leaf chlorophyll in kale and Swiss chard.
- Taxon
- kale and Swiss chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgarisBrassica oleracea var. viridise0 - Treatment
- 50% BSFFF + 50% NPK or 100% BSFFF with daily irrigatione0
- Outcome
- leaf chlorophyll concentratione0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- 42 DATe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of 50% BSFFF + 50% NPK or 100% BSFFF with daily irrigation achieved the highest values of kale and Swiss chard leaf chlorophyll concentration, recorded at 42 DAT.”
Claim · model-written summary
BSFFF soil amendment gave the lowest pest infestation in kale and Swiss chard.
- Taxon
- kale and Swiss chardBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarisBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- soil amended with BSFFFe0
- Interactor
- peste0pest
- Outcome
- pest infestatione0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the lowest pest infestation being recorded from kale and Swiss chard grown in soil amended with BSFFF.”
Claim · model-written summary
Full BSFFF or NPK with daily irrigation increased fresh shoot weight and leaf dry matter in both crops versus control.
- Taxon
- kale and Swiss chardBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarisBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- 100% BSFFF or NPK, together with daily irrigatione0
- Outcome
- fresh shoot weight and leaf dry mattere0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- the controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The application of 100% BSFFF or NPK, together with daily irrigation, significantly increased the fresh shoot weight and leaf dry matter of kale and Swiss chard, as compared with the control.”
Claim · model-written summary
Kale fresh shoot yield was 14–69% higher under full BSFFF and daily irrigation than NPK.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- 100% BSFFF and daily irrigatione0
- Outcome
- fresh shoot yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 14–69%e0
- Comparator
- NPKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fresh shoot yields of kale and Swiss chard achieved through using a combination of 100% BSFFF and daily irrigation were 14–69% and 13–56% higher than those of NPK, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Swiss chard fresh shoot yield was 13–56% higher under full BSFFF and daily irrigation than NPK.
- Taxon
- Swiss chardBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- 100% BSFFF and daily irrigatione0
- Outcome
- fresh shoot yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 13–56%e0
- Comparator
- NPKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fresh shoot yields of kale and Swiss chard achieved through using a combination of 100% BSFFF and daily irrigation were 14–69% and 13–56% higher than those of NPK, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Kale leaf dry matter was 8–73% higher under the same combination than NPK.
- Taxon
- kalesBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- same treatment combinatione0
- Outcome
- leaf dry mattere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 8–73%e0
- Comparator
- NPKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The same treatment combination also produced kales and Swiss chard with 8–73% and 16–81% higher leaf dry matter compared to NPK, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Swiss chard leaf dry matter was 16–81% higher under the same combination than NPK.
- Taxon
- Swiss chardBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- same treatment combinatione0
- Outcome
- leaf dry mattere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 16–81%e0
- Comparator
- NPKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The same treatment combination also produced kales and Swiss chard with 8–73% and 16–81% higher leaf dry matter compared to NPK, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
During water stress, BSFFF maintained 41–50% higher kale leaf dry matter than NPK.
- Taxon
- kaleBrassica oleracea var. viridise0
- Treatment
- soil amendment with BSFFFe0
- Outcome
- leaf dry mattere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 41–50%e0
- Qualifier
- during periods of water stresse0
- Comparator
- NPK treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil amendment with BSFFF maintained higher values of kale (41–50%) and Swiss chard (33–49%) leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress.”
Claim · model-written summary
During water stress, BSFFF maintained 33–49% higher Swiss chard leaf dry matter than NPK.
- Taxon
- Swiss chardBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- soil amendment with BSFFFe0
- Outcome
- leaf dry mattere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 33–49%e0
- Qualifier
- during periods of water stresse0
- Comparator
- NPK treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil amendment with BSFFF maintained higher values of kale (41–50%) and Swiss chard (33–49%) leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advocate scaling WMSG and BSFFF for sustainable urban food systems.
- Taxon
- KaleBrassica oleracea var. viridist0
- Outcome
- scaling of WMSG and BSFFFe0
- Setting
- urban settingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our study advocates for the scaling of WMSG and BSFFF for sustainable food systems in urban settings.”
t0“Kale”
The same questions in other papers
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- negative
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See all 26 papers →8 of 17 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.