As part of the Estidamah’s efforts to build the capacities of specialized labor in greenhouses with the latest greenhouse technologies, as well as water and fertilization management techniques, and production increase per unit area, Estidamah has discussed the latest water and fertilization management technologies in greenhouses in a professional workshop held from 15 to 16 October 2019 at Estidamah Center, Riyadh Techno Valley, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The workshop targeted a diversified number of faculty of agriculture graduates, entrepreneurs, farmers and investors in protected cultivation.
The workshop was moderated by an elite of experts and specialists, including Eng. Saif Al-Sahli - Agriculture Engineer - Specialized in Water and Soil, Mr. Ilias Tsafaras - Research Engineer, Specialist on Greenhouse Climate Control, Computer and Data Acquisition and Wim Voogt - Senior Researcher, Specialist on Water and Nutrients and Root environment, who elaborated on crops water needs, the impact of evaporation and transpiration, the value of water quality, as well as the physical and chemical properties of substrates, including soil and substrates water solutions.
As well, the lecturers trained participants in Estidamah labs on the physical and chemical properties of substrates, irrigation water management and how to provide water, while updating them on the key principles of fertilization, crop fertilizer needs, how to prepare nutrients and extract samples for salinity benchmarking. In addition, participants were trained on how to identify nutrition deficiency in plants, fertigation management and how to calculate crop fertilizer needs.
The workshop attracted considerable interaction by the audience who expressed their thanks and appreciation for Estidamah's efforts to enhance sustainable agriculture in the Kingdom and providing practical scientific and practical support in the field. At the end of the workshop, Estidamah Executive General Manager Dr. Khalid Al Assaf honored the lecturers and awarded the participants their attendance certificates.