Optimized Potting Media and Vertical Farming Enhance High‐Value Crop Productivity in Riverine Lands of Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

Limited cultivable land and seasonal flooding constrain vegetable production in the riverine char lands of Bangladesh, highlighting the need for efficient and climate‐resilient production systems. This study evaluated optimized potting media for seedling production and the vertical cultivation of high‐value vegetables, particularly capsicum and spinach, as well as the integration of outdoor vertical farming with conventional farming to improve vegetable productivity and farm income. The results indicated that vermicompost:soil:sand (1:1:1) produced the most vigorous tomato and cauliflower seedlings, recording stem lengths of 10.30 and 4.32 cm, root lengths of 4.03 and 5.12 cm, leaf areas of 9.70 and 5.92 cm ² , stem diameters of 2.10 and 1.30 mm, and fresh weights of 0.80 and 0.75 g seedling ⁻¹ , respectively. For crop production, vermicompost:rice husk at 70:30 produced the highest spinach yield (349.9 g pot ⁻¹ ) and capsicum yield (509.0 g pot ⁻¹ ). Compared with conventional farming, which produced 111.7 kg garden ⁻¹ , BDT 4515 gross return, BDT 3465 net return, and a benefit–cost ratio of 4.30, the integrated vertical‐conventional system produced 307.56 kg garden ⁻¹ , BDT 10,083.30 gross return, BDT 7998.30 net return, and a benefit–cost ratio of 4.84. These findings indicate that locally available organic substrates, particularly vermicompost‐based mixtures, can improve vegetable productivity, farm income, and land‐use efficiency in flood‐prone riverine areas. Vertical farming may therefore offer a practical climate‐resilient option for enhancing food security and livelihoods among resource‐poor char land farmers.