Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO), Agrico and Yara International ASA (Norway) jointly conducted a “Greenhouse Fertigation” workshop for 20 experienced agronomists and farm managers from Qatar on April 10, 2019 at the Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center in Al Khor. This workshop was one of the initiatives of the Cooperation Agreement that the parties recently signed on the 15^th of October 2018.  

The Trial and Demonstration Center occupies an area of more than 4,000 square meters.  Its purpose is  to develop and demonstrate the most sustainable crop management systems suitable for Qatar to the local farming community.

The workshop covered theoretical and practical aspects of fertigation management for hydroponic systems which are becoming more popular in Qatar for growing vegetables. Fertigation is a method of application of required nutrients through irrigation systems. The participants of the workshop had a chance to deepen their knowledge of different types of fertilizers, differences in fertigation and foliar application of fertilizers. Several theoretical problems were solved to demonstrate the importance of usage of wide range of nutrients in order to maximize production. Different dosing equipment were studied to demonstrate advantages of precise application of fertilizers for maximum productivity of crops. A demonstration was also conducted on using simple online software such as www.myyara.com to calculate recipes of fertilizer solution for different crops and growing stages. The workshop concluded with a tour around The Trial and Demonstration center that currently produces tomatoes and cucumbers.

The workshop was conducted by Tore Frogner, Calcinit Product Manager from Yara Norway and Carol Khadra, Agronomist from Yara Middle East.

QAFCO organised a variety of competitions on the Coronavirus (COVID-19), consisting of an art competition, video contest and an essay writing competition. Children of staff members of QAFCO entered the competition expressing the challenges faced during the pandemic and ways to spend time at home. The competition highlights QAFCO’s contribution to public awareness in light of the COVID-19 crisis that served to create awareness amongst the wider community, especially children.

The competition was divided into three categories, varied by age group and recorded a total of 37 entries that were submitted online. Winners were announced on April 2. In the first category, aged 4 – 8, winners included Anshul Sunil Acharya and Muhammad Abdullah Sohaib. In the next category, aged 9 – 14 years, winners were Niveditha Senthil and Aisha Zenha. In the final category, aged 15 – 18 years, the winners were Anoushka Kamle and Roma Engelica N. Manaois. All winners were given gift vouchers as cash prizes to encourage participation.

Committed towards the well-being of the community, the management regularly hosts activities to benefit the QAFCO community. The coronavirus competition showcases the fun and engaging face of QAFCO’s brand that is geared towards building the capacity of children who are seen as the future of the nation.

QAFCO invited employees and their children to celebrate Qatar Environment Day, usually observed on 26th February every year, with an Art Competition, themed under the title, ‘QAFCO’s Contribution to Greener Qatar’. The event highlighted Qatar’s sustainability challenges, using art as a tool to educate children about their role in protecting the environment. The competition was divided into three categories, varied by age group, and recorded 57 entries that were collected at Al Banush Club.

In the first category, aged 4 – 8, winners included Monisha Lakshmi Narayanan, Abhirami Saravanan, and Inayat Garg. In the next category, aged 9 – 14 years, winners were Munahil Ilyas, Harsitaa S. and Arsheya Jeyakumar. In the final category, aged 15 – 18 years, the winners were Meerub Muhammad Ilyas, Nazneen Khan and Samiha Tajmila Sami.

In parallel, an Art Competition was also arranged at the Audio Complex School for Classes 3, 4, and 5.

QAFCO’s Contribution to Greener Qatar is one of many ways in which it strives to inculcate values of sustainability, education and environmentally-friendly living to its wider community.

A detailed report on the results of cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers is published today after one year in operation of the Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center opened by Agrico, QAFCO and Yara International in February 2019. The Trial and Demonstration Center was established to test local greenhouse technologies, nutrient management and best horticultural practices. During the trials the parties have succeeded in their  main objective of  developing a sustainable crop management system suited for the Qatari climate with  high yields and productivity while conserving precious local water resources and limiting any negative impact of vegetables production on the local environment. Click here to view the report.

The Trial and Demonstration Center’s growing Area is 3,750 square meters, situated on a plot at Agrico Farm in Al Khor. The Center was designed and built by Agrico using technology, knowledge and expertise accumulated during 10 years of experience operating in protected agriculture in Qatar. The Center is jointly operated by Agrico and Yara Agronomists while QAFCO gives full agricultural analytical support for substrate, water and leaves testing in the QAFCO Lab in Mesaieed.

All crops in the Trial and Demonstration Center are grown hydroponically, a method of growing fruits and vegetables without the use of natural soil. The crops are grown in substrate (for example coco coir, perlite, and rock wool) that is constantly fed with nutrient solutions. This way of growing reduces the risk of plants being exposed to soil diseases and allows saving of water, fertilizers and agro-chemicals.

All plants are constantly fed with nutrient solution via a drip irrigation system that precisely combines water and required nutrients. The nutrient solution is prepared from Yara’s fertilizers and is tailored for each crop and each stage of growth.

The quality of the facilities, high professionalism of the agronomists and the quality of the materials used in cultivation  achieved an astonishing highest yield of 33 kg of tomatoes per square meter per year in multispan plastic greenhouse with evaporative cooling. This result is 6 times higher than the average productivity in Qatar and 50% higher than the best Qatari farmers could achieve by using the similar technologies.

Multiple training sessions and workshops were conducted at the Center for the local farming community, farm developers and industry regulators. Furthermore the Center has conducted workshops for schools and institutions who are interested to learn more about agriculture and hydroponics.

QAFCO, Agrico and Yara share the data generated during the trials including nutrient regimes, climate conditions and crop monitoring, as well as other lessons learned from the Trial and Demonstration Center, to educate and support Qatari farmers. The full report from the trials can be downloaded from Agrico and QAFCO web site.

Mr. Abdulrahman M. Al-Suwaidi, QAFCO Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said,  “This trial and demonstration center will help develop as well as educate local farmers of the best available practices that can help them produce more while sustaining Qatar’s local resources. QAFCO is proud to contribute towards Qatar’s goal of agricultural self-sufficiency.”

AGRICO General Manager, Mr. Nasser Al-Khalaf expressed: “During the first year of the trials we have demonstrated great results, the best agronomical knowledge and cultivation practices to the local farming community. We are happy to share our experience and the lessons learned with all interested parties to contribute to the development of farming in Qatar with the goal to achieve self-sufficiency in fresh vegetable production”.

Carol Khadra, Yara’s agronomist added: “The achieved yields of more than 30 kg per square meter is a great proof to other farmers what is possible to produce in Qatar climate with application of right nutrients, fertigation methods and crop management practices. I am very proud to contribute to the success of the first year of the trial and I am aiming for better results next year”. 

The Qatar National Day celebrations for QAFCO employees was organized at Al-Banush Club on December 17, 2019. The celebrations included various Qatari traditional games and other activities.