ICBA, South Korean firm partner to improve controlled environment agriculture systems

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the South Korean company AgroTech Co. Ltd have agreed to collaborate on enhancing controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and open-field systems for desert environments.

A project agreement to this effect was signed by Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, and Mr. Lee Kwang-Jin, Chief Executive Officer of AgroTech Co. Ltd, on 25 August 2021.

The two organizations will work together to increase the efficiency of different technologies for CEA systems and improve irrigation and nutrient management in open-field systems.

Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, said: “ICBA is at the forefront of research and development in agri-technologies that help produce more food, save more resources, and protect the environment. Over the past two decades, ICBA has developed, tested and introduced various agricultural solutions suited to local conditions in many countries in the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Under this agreement with AgroTech Co. Ltd, our researchers and specialists will cooperate on developing CEA and open-field systems that produce more food while reducing energy and water use.”

For his part, Mr. Lee Kwang-Jin, Chief Executive Officer of AgroTech Co. Ltd, said: “AgroTech is a company that has its own technology to increase the production of crops and the efficiency of overall agricultural environment operation by improving systems of the nutrient solution management, irrigation, and resource management. We are delighted to work with ICBA on this project to improve open-field systems and CEA in desert environments. Through this cooperation, we will create an advanced agricultural system model that is applicable and feasible in vulnerable areas of agriculture. And we will make an alternative for food security that can overcome the food problem.”

As part of the agreement, both organizations will also develop a hands-on training course focusing on greenhouse operations, as well as crop, irrigation and nutrient management to increase water and nutrient use efficiency in open-field crop production.

Moreover, the project aims to produce recommendations for both open-field and CEA systems in marginal environments and develop the capacity of farmers and laborers in managing these systems.

The agreement follows the recently signed memorandum of understanding between ICBA and AgroTech Co. Ltd.