São Paulo – Researcher Nawal Khamis Al Mezeini is defining ways to achieve and improve sustainable greenhouse production in Oman. Her research project at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) is among the 13 winning projects of the 8th edition of the National Research Award, organized by the Arab country’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
Oman News Agency reported that Al Mezeini won the Environmental and Biological Resources field of the PhD category. The study ‘Investigating the efficiency of greenhouse production in Oman’ used the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) of greenhouse production to achieving more rational resource consumption, a key factor for a sustainable GH production.
The results revealed a high level of inefficiency among the farms, with an average technical efficiency of 73. Furthermore, the efficiency analysis showed that water and electricity were the major over-used resources, with excesses of more than 54% and 46%, respectively.
The researcher further stated that the results indicated that greenhouse farmers who were employed in the government agricultural sector are likely to be the most efficient. Moreover, water salinity appeared as the most detrimental agent for greenhouse efficiency. She maintained that the increased salinity of irrigation water is caused primarily by groundwater over-pumping.
To enhance the efficiency of greenhouse farms, dr. Al Mezeini recommended more training programs which focus on stimulating the farmers’ awareness regarding more rational consumption of the resources.
The research project included other researchers in her team. “Winning the award make us proud of our achievement. It tells us that ‘we are in the right direction’ which make us more confident. Such award encourages and motivates us as researchers to work hard and to raise the quality of research,” she told Oman News Agency.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
