Research

Overview

Al Foah Experimental Farm supports a wide range of ongoing experiments under the supervision of faculty members and their students.

Falaj Hazza Research Station

The Falaj Hazza Research Station focuses on the development of integrated aquaponics systems, combining fish farming with organic vegetable cultivation, known as Fish-Hydroponics. Its facilities include four large greenhouses, each equipped with two fish production tanks, fully automated closed systems, and a capacity to accommodate over 700 fish per tank, totaling 1,400 fish per greenhouse. Additionally, the station provides six outdoor tanks for stocking and preserving large fish, with a storage capacity exceeding 2,000 fish. The station's activities revolve around research, economic evaluation, training, and extension services, aiming to create scalable models for local farmers and investors. Key components of the station's development plan include rehabilitating and enhancing the aquaponics units for intensive vegetable-fish farming, with a focus on research and income generation, and expanding the fish hatchery to produce fingerlings for both research and commercial purposes, covering conventional and hybrid fish strains.

Nahshala Research Station

The Nahshala Research Farm comprises two farms spanning a total area of 20 hectares. These farms are characterized by high salinity levels in both soil and groundwater, with salinity exceeding 20,000 ppm. The development plan of the farm focuses on identifying sustainable and cost-effective models to utilize marginal lands and abundant water resources in the UAE. Key elements of the farm's development and rehabilitation plan include the establishment of integrated aquaculture-forage production systems to enhance value-added production using marginal resources, although these facilities require upgrades and rehabilitation. Furthermore, the farm emphasizes demonstration and research on utilizing highly saline water for forage production, involving upgrades to field facilities to support research in saline and marginal areas. Another vital aspect of the plan is the large-scale commercialization of salt-tolerant halophytes, improving infrastructure for the cultivation and production of around 20 species. These halophytes serve as valuable resources for landscaping and forage in saline and arid regions.

If you are interested in doing research on our farm, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to support researchers and students inside and outside the university to implement their innovative ideas and make their visions a reality.