Research Themes

Weather in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia is characterized by long hot summer and limited water recourses. Recently, the greenhouse production sector has highly developed in the Kingdom, since protected cultivation, where high-tech climate control technologies are used, is a necessity for a year-round production of essential vegetable crops.

Soil cultivation increases soil-borne diseases and accumulate salinity. Many cultural and crop management practices could be introduced for protected cultivation to improve productivity and quality, and to significantly boost the success and economic return

The extensive use of chemicals to control diseases and pests in open field and greenhouses cultivation results in complex problems of insect resistance to chemicals, in addition to health and environmental hazards. Crop protection can be achieved by using control measures other than relying mainly on chemical pesticides

As agriculture depends largely on nonrenewable water resources in the Kingdom, limited water resources pose the main challenge for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reducing water consumption and improving water efficiency are essential to enhance agriculture sustainability and support food security.