Greenhouse experiments prove successful

Experiments conducted on greenhouse agriculture with new types of crops have proved to be very successful in reducing manpower and consumption of water, according to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Abdullah Khalfan Al Shoraiki, head of the department, called for the adoption of greenhouse agriculture as a means of producing more crops, using less water and manpower.

He called on farmers and agriculture companies to use the results of the research conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in all its research centres in the country. He said greenhouse or protected agriculture has become the key to achieve agricultural policies and secure production in the country.

The experiments conducted at the Al Humraniyah Bio-Chemical Agricultural Research Centre have proved a success.

Advanced technologies have been used and the ministry has exerted all effort to ensure its success. Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Head of the Al Humraniyah Bio-Chemical Agricultural Research Centre, said the use of greenhouses in agriculture in the UAE will greatly reduce water needed for irrigation and Asian manpower.

The use of insecticides and chemical fertilisers, which have proved to be very harmful for the soil, will also be reduced. It even helps to maintain public health and the environment. Farmers will soon adopt this method of agriculture.

Experiments on hydroponic agriculture have also been carried out and the method will be adopted by farmers.

Al Mansouri added that the centre is currently studying the introduction of special kinds of fans in greenhouses as a cooling system. If successful, greenhouse agriculture will be introduced because the method failed 15 years ago due to the lack of a cooling system.

Initial results on these special kinds of fans have proved to be successful. The experimental project is being carried out over an area of 20 donums with 20 greenhouses. The yield of tomatoes has been astonishing.