Nutrient fluxes and resource use efficiency in urban and peri-urban agriculture of Faisalabad, Pakistan

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) mainly in developing countries is a key supplying channel of vegetables, food grain and fodder for livestock to local markets. Many socio-economic and human aspects are directly or indirectly related to UPA system. The study presented in this book describes the existing infrastructure of crop production and socio-economic aspects of farming community and nutrient fluxes of UPA system in Faisalabad, Pakistan. This book mainly features three comprehensive field studies. The first study is about socio-economic characterization of integrated cropping systems in UPA system of Faisalabad, Pakistan. The second study envisages water, nutrient use efficiency and its management in UPA vegetable production of the study area. Finally the third field study of this book quantifies matter fluxes and nutrient leaching losses in UPA system of Faisalabad, Pakistan. The presented study suggests that a first step towards more efficient nutrient cycling in UPA system could be an adjustment of the amount of input application that synchronizes with the crop need. Such kind of strategies will not only enhance farmer's income and improvise the produce quality but will also be helpful in scaling down the existing hazards of environmental pollution.