Designing a horticultural intervention to improve food security: evaluation of mulching practices using sustainability indicators

Elisa Domínguez-Hernández, Claudia Hernández-Aguilar, Martha Elena Domínguez-Hernández, Flavio Arturo Domínguez-Pacheco

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present project was aimed toward obtaining a model of sustainable gardening practices for a horticultural intervention (HI) in Ahuazotepec, México. Different mulching materials (sand, compost, plastic, and sawdust) were evaluated in terms of sustainability and food and nutrition security using a set of locally relevant multidimensional indicators. A vegetable production field-test was established and monitored during two seasons. The global sustainability of the treatments was in the order of Compost>Plastic>Sand>Sawdust. Compost mulch was an economic, environmental, and socially sustainable option to improve vegetable and nutrient yields, and thus can be recommended for an HI in low-input systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1212-1242
Number of pages31
JournalAgroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
Volume44
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Oct 2020

Keywords

  • Food and nutrition security
  • mulching
  • sustainability indicators
  • transdisciplinary
  • vegetable production

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