Over
the past years, it has been noted that the sector of production of vegetables
and fruit trees has expanded significantly, both in terms of area, production
and diversity in agriculture and in agricultural areas. Where cultivated areas
of vegetables increased from
(466.8) thousand
dunums in 1997 to (479) thousand dunums in 2005 and (495) thousand dunums in
2013, while areas under cultivation of fruit trees increased to (858) thousand
dunums in 2012 despite many challenges
The
most important of these are the scarcity of irrigation water and its high
salinity, increased costs of production inputs, as well as changing challenges
in the marketing of products in both domestic and external markets.
In order to contribute to finding appropriate
solutions to these variables, the directorate has worked over the past
years to implement several research and
transfer of new agricultural techniques, including the use of fertilizer
techniques in irrigation in order to increase the efficiency of the use of
water and fertilizer and to reduce the negative effects on the soil and the
environment, compared to traditional composting methods .The results indicated
that irrigation fertilizer techniques reduced the cost of fertilizer by 50% and
improved water efficiency by 30%. The development and study of soiless farming
systems and the study of water efficiency compared to agriculture in
traditional soil. A simple, low-cost soiless cultivation system has been
developed adapted to agricultural
conditions in areas with water scarcity. The system has saved 70% of the amount
of water consumed and saved the cost of fertilizer by 30 - 40% and soil
sterilizers by 100%. The transfer of vegetable seedlings grafting technology
and its impact on the productivity and quality of the fruits of many vegetables
such as tomatoes, water melons and
melons. The dissemination of these techniques has reduced the use of soil
pesticides by 100% and increased production by 20%.
Goals:
Horticultural
Research Directorate aims at improving revenues and opportunities for farmers'
domestic and external marketing through increase in agricultural production,
diversity, optimal utilization of resources and reduction of post-harvest loss