Understanding the Concept of Rooftop Farming in India

Table of Content

• Introduction
• What is Rooftop Farming?
• What are the Requirements for Rooftop Farming?
• Rooftop Farming Advantages
• Why is Rooftop Farming Considered Good For Health?
• How to Start Rooftop Farming?
• Rooftop Farming Disadvantages

Introduction

The increasing urbanisation and the resultant increase in demand for food has put pressure on agricultural land available for cultivation. Further, the increasing use agricultural land is contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. These together necessitates the need to adopt alternative agricultural practices that fulfills the need to grow food crops at local level with sustainable agricultural practices. One such practice is rooftop farming, which is gradually gaining importance in urban areas of India.

In this blog, we will discuss the concept of Rooftop farming in India, the conditions required for it, rooftop farming advantages, etc.

What is Rooftop Farming?

Rooftop farming is like an artificial green area developed on the terrace of commercial, industrial and residential buildings. Rooftop farming, when executed with proper planning and innovative structural designs, results in the formation of a flourishing plantation in limited space. It offers shade or shelter, or simply a green area on the terrace.

The popular rooftop farming ideas are vegetable gardens, ornamental gardens, and many others. Vegetables like tomatoes, green chilli, potato, capsicum, garlic, etc., can be grown in rooftop farming.

What are the requirements for Rooftop Farming?

Rooftop gardens as compared to gardens at ground are relatively more impacted by direct sunlight and high temperature. The more environmental heat levels in the urban areas can be dangerous for the growing plants. In this condition, it is recommended to invest in a thin shade cloth or netting to provide some protection to your crops. The terrace surface also becomes a critical aspect as the dark surface absorbs more sunlight and produces a hot or arid environment.

The hot conditions can quickly dry out the plants. Thus, this issue can be sorted in many ways. The primary purpose is to provide good water retention capacity in the soil.

The rooftop plantation should be established with good water retention. The soil should be amended with vermiculite in small amounts for good water retention capacity.

Self-water containers can also be used to keep the soil moist. These containers don’t require as much attention as traditional water containers.

A layer of mulch can also be used and evenly spread over the soil surface to care for moisture loss.

What are the Advantages of Rooftop Farming?

Various advantages of practicing rooftop farming are:

• It provides an income source and employment to the local people.
• The utilisation of kitchen waste, such as vegetable waste and more, acts as an organic fertiliser in rooftop gardens.
• It ensures food security by offering fresh, safe, and healthy food sources.
• A rooftop garden enhances socialising and local community participation. It acts as a social hub and an educational platform for the neighbourhood community.
• It is a less time-consuming activity which can be managed with other jobs.
• It supports health by decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide and increasing the oxygen level. Additionally, it also helps in heat reduction in urban areas.

Why is rooftop farming considered good for health?

Rooftop farming is an organic type of farming, which often contains no insecticides or pesticides, unlike traditionally produced farm products. Moreover, rooftop farming is done under the Central Business District (CBD), which allows the picking up and delivery of freshly made products in a minimum time. Thus, you will get the desired produce that is fresh and healthy.

How to start rooftop farming?

The rooftop farming in India requires the following steps to get started:

• Firstly, you need to learn the rental property rules, homeowner organisation regulations, or local ordinances regarding rooftop farming. It is important to know whether they are prohibited or require special treatment before investing your money.
• Secondly, get the advice of a contractor or architect about whether the building is safe for rooftop farming. Once you know its capacity, and make sure it is leakage free, you can plan the next step accordingly.
• Thirdly, you need to design the rooftop structure considering the capacity of the building. Try to use lightweight materials, such as fibreglass, plastic, or foam planting containers, and avoid using pavers. Use lightweight potting soil instead of garden dirt.
• Fourth, you need to consider that a rooftop garden will be windier than a normal garden because of its height. So, you need to use trellises or latticed windbreaks, which can disrupt the flow of wind rather than completely stopping it.
• Fifth, you need to install a water source to water your rooftop garden, as the garden requires more water in hot weather conditions. You can install an automatic watering system or construct a water storage system for your rooftop garden.

What are the Limitations of Rooftop Farming?

• Rooftop farming requires a large amount of water for crops but the water is already scarce in urban areas of India.
• The terraces of building in urban areas of India are not built as per the requirements of rooftop farming. They may require reinforcements and water-proofing, which may increase the cost of rooftop farming.
• Rooftops are more prone to high winds, heat and temperature, which may damage crops affecting productivity.
• Funding and shortage of skilled labour is another limitation of rooftop farming.