International Center for Biosaline Agriculture

The eleven-strong board will serve a three-year term and comprises renowned leaders, scientists and experts from governmental and non-governmental agencies, donor institutions, as well as research and development organizations from Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Togo, the UAE, and the USA.

ICBA welcomes new board of directors

Twenty-two participants from different institutions, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, and Ras Al Khaimah Municipality attended a hands-on workshop on 7-8 December 2021 to learn how the mobile app can be used to collect data related to plant disorders.

ICBA presents beta version of AI-powered mobile app for plant disorder detection

During his first visit to ICBA after assuming office as President of the IsDB and Group Chairman, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser met Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director General of ICBA, as well as the center’s senior management, scientists, and specialists.

IsDB president visits ICBA to discuss strategic partnership

Published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, the study aimed to identify a suitable detection model for an automated date palm plantation management system that ultimately helps end users, including farmers, researchers, and agribusinesses, forecast date production and tree condition.

New study proposes AI model for date palm detection

About 920 extension workers and irrigation experts were trained in the target countries during the project implementation. In addition, 20 farmer field days were organized regularly to provide smallholder farmers with first-hand information about these technologies. During field demonstrations, some 11,475 smallholder farmers visited trial sites and the impact survey showed that the Californian irrigation system was adopted on more than 50,000 hectares of land in all four countries.

Solar-powered small-scale irrigation can boost food security in sub-Saharan Africa - study

Research Themes

Management of natural resources in marginal environments

increase agricultural productivity and thus improve food, nutrition and water security, and create jobs and livelihoods for communities living in these environments

Climate change modeling and adaptation

enhance livelihoods, adaptive capacities and incomes of agricultural communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change

Crop improvement and sustainable production

increase adaptive capacities, livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers and rural communities

Integrated agri-aquaculture systems

help reduce environmental footprint, increase incomes of farming communities and improve their adaptive capacities to climate change

Call for testing and demonstration of agricultural inputs and technologies suitable for use in marginal environments at ICBA research station

Research Publications

2022

Performance study of a sustainable solar heating system based on a copper coil water to air heat exchanger for greenhouse heating

2022

Deep neural network based date palm tree detection in drone imagery

2021

A review on waste management and compost production in the Middle East–North Africa region

Current Projects

November 2019 - October 2024

Creation of agricultural startups for Tunisian youth

November 2019 - October 2024

Introduction of value chains for stress-resilient crops to support the development of sustainable rural communities in Kasserine, Tunisia

March 2019 - February 2023

Improving agricultural resilience to salinity and climate change through development and promotion of pro-poor technologies and management strategies (RESADE)

Corporate Publications

ICBA at 20: A Look at History

ICBA at 20: Stories of Success

One-page infographic about ICBA

ICBA Strategy: Refresh 2019-2023

Multimedia

Rains in the UAE (Interview with Mr. Rashyd Zaaboul, ICBA)