Vertical Kitchen Gardening Offers Healthier Diet, Improves Air Quality

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Nov, 2021 ) :Vertical kitchen gardening is modern concept and highly beneficial as it not only contributes to a healthier diet but also improve quality of air by purifying and offering pleasant smell.

This was stated by teacher Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Nabeel Ahmed Ikram (Department of Agronomy ) while talking to APP, here on Sunday.

He remarked that vegetables were source of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E and C which play an important role in maintaining health. People who include fruits and vegetables in their daily diet have reduced risk of many chronic diseases, Nabeel said.

"Vegetables are cash crops and require regular irrigation, unlike most of crops including cereals and pulses. It is often observed that vegetables are grown in the peri-urban areas, mostly irrigated by sewerage water. Although sewerage water has a huge amount of nutrients needed for plant growth and farmers do not have to pay for fertilizer but it contain heavy metals and other toxic compounds which are very much injurious to human health, he maintained.

The MNSUA teacher stated that vertical kitchen gardening was a modern trend. He urged citizens to focus on vertical kitchen gardening. There are so many benefits of vertical kitchen gardening, he said.

He added that vertically grown vegetables required less space. Similarly, it promotes self-consumption. It could serve as best hobby. It also raises awareness about correct use of natural resources. It not only reduces carbon emission but also decrease temperature. Vertical kitchen gardening can also help offering balanced, fresh and pleasant atmosphere," Nabeel hinted About University's role in promotion of kitchen gardening, Nabeel hinted that plant centric meal competitions have been organized regularly in the University in which students from different schools, colleges and universities participated with different plant based food ideas. The students food ideas received immense admiration.

He said MNSUA started a project in 2017 funded by AIP (Agriculture Innovation Program) and USAID with objectives to promote kitchen gardening by establishing a system for provision of healthy nursery for economical and clean (pesticide free) vegetables production for a healthy community. Both male and female students were involved in various activities of the project to build their capacity regarding nursery media preparation, multipot tray filling, sowing and further nursery management.

During this period vegetable nursery produced in this project was displayed on nine international conferences, two International horticulture expo, informed Nabeel.