{"word_count": 296, "character_count": 1966}
      In the context of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) micro-gardens, a simplified version of hydroponics, represent an interesting opportunity for producers, because they are characterized by a high efficiency in the use of water (2-3 l/m2/per day) and by a great spatial versatility. Moreover the vegetables grown through this technique are of high quality, because quality water and no chemical pesticide are used. These characteristics improve the poorest families’ access to horticultural products, they contribute to diet diversification of poor (and also non poor) families and thanks to surplus selling they answer the need to create an extra source of income. As this activity is mainly based on recycled materials (pallets, old tyres, bins, plastic bottles and bags as containers, peanut shells and rice hulls for the substrate), its environmental impact is undeniably important. Our study, which took place in Dakar in the framework of a project of decentralized cooperation between the municipality of Milan and the Senegalese capital, proved micro-gardens’ excellent production performances. Cultivation on solid substrate can provide 7-9 kg /m2 of tomatoes, and up to 15 kg/m2 of cucumbers. In floating system peppermint can produce up to 1,5 kg/m2 and lettuce 35 heads/m2. Very good productions and low costs offer the rising micro-gardens production chain some interesting opportunities of economical development, and profitability studies underlined its economic sustainability. In fact our study demonstrated that a group of producers possessing 10 containers (1 m2 each) can afford to buy inputs needed for production by selling half of its production (10 m2 can bring up to 230 000 F CFA/a year, that is to say about 340 euros.) In the last few years attempts were made to introduce compost to enrich solid substrate, in order to diminish the amount of mineral fertilizers now employed.Tags:                agriculture_urbaine            