Comparative Assessment of Cleaner Production Pathways (Natural and Organic) for Tomato Cultivation: Evaluating Yield, Quality, and Resource Efficiency in Urban Rooftop Systems

Rapid global urbanization necessitates the development of resource-efficient and ecologically viable food production systems within city limits to enhance food and nutritional security. Here, we report the results of a two-season, replicated study comparing conventional nutrient management against low-input natural farming (NF) and organic farming (OF) systems, utilizing cow-based bio-inputs (jeevamrut and vermiwash), for high-value tomato cultivation in an urban rooftop environment. The NF and OF systems proved to be highly effective natural alternatives, significantly improving plant growth, fruit yield, and quality attributes. These low-input treatments achieved final fruit quality attributes, including lycopene and total soluble solids content, that were comparable to conventional but without the environmental burden of synthetic fertilizers. Fruits from organically nourished plants further exhibited enhanced concentrations of macronutrients (N, P, K) and micronutrients (Fe and Zn), reflecting improved metabolic efficiency and yielding nutrient-dense produce. The superior Winter season performance (56% higher yield) indicated that the synchronization of organic nutrient release with favourable climatic conditions is essential for optimizing productivity. Our findings validate that organic nutrient management using locally-sourced bio-inputs offers a scientifically grounded, low-input, and ecologically viable pathway for scaling sustainable urban rooftop agriculture, thus contributing meaningfully to global goals of food self-sufficiency and environmental resilience.