AAAID has paid special attention to technology transfer to the private sector and small-scale farmers for the adaptation and application in Research and Development projects. The following section contains the main technologies that have been successfully transferred through AAAID’s various research stations.
Zero tillage program:
It is one of the alternative systems of traditional agricultural systems, with characteristics such as increasing productivity, preserving the environment, conserving natural resources and achieving economic efficiency. The system has achieved outstanding results during the years of application, most notably the success of the system of agriculture without plowing by 100% and the superiority of the system of agriculture with minimum tillage, while increasing productivity and soil conservation of various environmental factors.
Precision Farming system:
AAAID has adopted the system and applied it effectively in the pilot farm in Sudan (s) in the 2003 season, integrated with the zero-tillage system, and established a special system unit in the project land.
The application of the system has led to a qualitative increase in the productivity of cotton crops, sunflowers and sorghum with the increase in agricultural area. In addition to making a basic topographical map of the cultivated areas, the contour map was prepared and the farming system was applied in the fixed tracks, which contributed to the increase of cultivated areas by 5%.
Modern Irrigation Systems:
AAAID’s Applied Agricultural Research Unit has implemented a number of programs for testing modern irrigation systems across the Arab States to increase productivity, secure food, maintain water resources and fertile soil. Several of these systems were introduced through AAAID research stations and investment projects including lateral move irrigation, axial irrigation, magnetic water, sprinkler and dripping irrigation systems. These have been introduced in areas where water is scarce or the soil faces drainage or salinity problems, along with surface siphon irrigation systems in areas where irrigation water is not continuously available.
Applying such modern irrigation technologies has motivated the agricultural companies operating in the Arab States to monitor and keep pace with AAAID’s innovative systems and adopt the same in their own agricultural projects. AAAID was one of the first organizations to introduce surface siphon irrigation systems in their projects in the Republic of Sudan.
Tissue Culture:
AAAID has paid special attention to tissue culture agriculture through the organization of a number of specialized seminars in the field. It has established an integrated tissue culture laboratory in the Comoro to multiply the production of starchy bananas, which is considered the country’s main staple food and tissue culture is planned to use this technique in the future for the production of potatoes and aromatic plants.
Introduction of new crops to secure food, improved varieties and hybrid to increase productivity:
As part of its efforts to increase crop productivity and food security, AAAID has introduced many new vegetable crops and hybrid varieties during the main production season (tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cabbages, garlic). This has resulted in a significant increase in production and productivity of many of the cultivated crops, while the productivity of some crops (e.g. tomatoes) has increased by about 6 times.
On a commercial scale, AAAID has also introduced new crops that could be produced in off-season fields and produced other off-season crops that were difficult to produce in the past season, such as onion, cantaloupe, cowpea, hybrid zucchini and taro during the summer season. In productivity was about three times that of conventional production.
Protected Agriculture – Greenhouses and Tunnels:
The systems of protected crops for off-season production were introduced in several Arab countries for the first time by AAAID through its projects in Sudan (Al Mutamaiza Company and Crop Production Company Atbara), Mauritania (Russo station), Comoros (Bandasmilini station (in addition to Yemen (Qeeso and Maanoofa Stations).
The technology used in protected crops varies depending on climatic conditions in each target area. In Sudan, for example, due to the extreme heat of the summer and autumn season, the production of tomato, cucumber and sweet pepper crops has been introduced and applied using refrigerated greenhouses. The situation in Comoros and Socotra Winds are very intense in rainy seasons, so agriculture has been introduced into tunnels and green houses.
Agricultural Mechanization:
During the period of its operation in the Arab countries since the end of the seventies, the Commission expanded the use of agricultural machinery and benefited from modern technologies in the settlement of agricultural and investment activities in order to improve the implementation of agricultural operations and raise the efficiency of production. These include: (tractors, cultivators, tillers, hand sprayers, protective shield sprayers, combine harvesters, specialized agricultural equipment, loaders, graders, trucks, etc.).
Silage Manufacturing:
In the framework of enhancing the role of AAAID and its contribution to Arab food security through the transfer and resettlement of modern agricultural technologies, AAAID has adopted an investment research project for the cultivation of maize and its production as silage.
Maize crop is one of the most important crops in the provision of food security, a promising crop in Sudan and the Arab countries. The work of maize silage is one of the most important technologies for the provision of milk as an integrated and high-energy food for all ruminants.
Cultivation of new fodder crops:
In continuation of its efforts to settle the fodder crops in the Arab countries, AAAID has implemented a number of applied research experiments to localize the cultivation of fodder varieties of Laredo, Panicum and Alfa Alfa in Sudan’s high salinity areas, after reclamation.
Preliminary indications and results obtained on the bearing of fodder crops grown for saline conditions have shown a promising shift in feed cultivation in saline soils, thus increasing large agricultural areas for agricultural production after they were excluded due to salinity.
The use of solar energy in agricultural projects:
Based on its orientations and principles to promote Arab agriculture on a sound scientific basis, the Arab Authority has embarked on implementing a developmental research project to benefit from solar energy (renewable energy) in agriculture in rural areas, in order to achieve many objectives; these are:
- Conversion of traditional agricultural projects into environmentally friendly agricultural projects.
- The use of modern technology based on renewable energy that is not polluting the environment and cheap.
- Conservation of water resources through the use of an integrated drip irrigation system with solar water pumping system.
- Combating poverty and promoting development in various fields, as well as increasing employment opportunities.