Sustainable Biosystems

To establish sustainable food production, it is essential to develop robust agricultural systems that incorporate a wide range of innovations. These include advances in plant science, materials science, engineering and IT. A key focus for our Center is protected agriculture, particularly controlled environment systems like greenhouseswhere food can be produced with much less water - thus aligning with Saudi Arabia’s strategic plans for sustainable development. Examples of major projects in this area, led by Professor Mark Tester, include work to reduce water and energy use in greenhouses, introducing new renewable energy sources, enhancing plant growth by boosting CO2 levels through sustainable engineering, and developing micro-drones to monitor plants and greenhouse conditions. These innovations will ultimately support the creation of autonomous greenhouse operations.