A highly efficient low-cost net-house technology can help to make horticulture significantly more feasible and profitable agri-business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while saving water and energy, an extensive study by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) has concluded.
The study forms part of ICBA’s efforts to contribute to the future food security of the UAE and support the Government’s initiatives in this field. The UAE is keen to continuously improve technologies and incubate innovations that will contribute to preserving its natural resources for future generations. The main objective is to maximize the horticulture outputs using essential inputs within the water-energy-food nexus.
In an effort to find ways to improve water and energy use efficiency of horticultural production in local conditions, a team of researchers at ICBA has completed a long-term evaluation of growing cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper, and other vegetables in a widely-used high-tech greenhouse and a traditional net-house designed to cope with UAE conditions.