Manager of An-Najah Center for Agricultural Training and Research
Dr.Tawfiq Qubbaj
Supervisor of An-Najah Center for Agricultural Training and Research
Eng.Shadi Abuhannoud
An-Najah Agricultural Research and Training Centre was established in 2014 over a square of 72 acres of which 11 are arable lands.
The centre offers the faculty students training programmes over a period of a full growing season. These programmes train students on speeding up crop growth, implement the integrated pest management controls approach and becoming experts in controlling the environmental conditions in the field.
Basics
1. Students engage in practical training for a period of a full growing season.
2. Participants attend periodic meetings during the harvest season.
3. Participants carry out a comparative study of the integrated pest management controls approach and the traditional approach.
General Objectives:
1. Offering agricultural services to the Palestinian community.
2. Expanding farmers’ experiences and developing their skills in various fields.
3. Improving production through using modern agricultural methods.
4. Conducting agricultural research to serve the local community.
5. Adopting methods based on experimental learning and classroom participation.
6. Adopting the economic analysis approach on farm.
7. Holding practical courses to all academic levels.
8. Establishing a database for agricultural research on various fields.
Departments
1- The Control Unit of Irrigation
The unit offers integrated control for both irrigation and fertilization through a computer device with a WIFI service. This service reduces water consumption and offers integrated control over irrigation and fertilization within a training programme.
2. The Agricultural Hothouse
The Agricultural Hothouse consists of an internal irrigation system which aims at conserving water consumption and offering a balanced farming system.
3. The Seed Germination and Vegetable Grafting Unit (the incubator)
The Incubator is an isolated area with a cooling system to maintain the plants grafting process.
Other Departments
1- Planting in Insulated Soil
This department offers a number of isolated greenhouses that helps in protecting the roots form contagion and facilitating the process of soil sterilization and increasing the production of:
• Wild strawberries
• Hanging strawberry
• Medicinal herbs
• Damask roses
2. Traditional Agriculture
This department teaches students how to use the traditional agricultural methods and practice planting:
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Beans
• Colored bell peppers
3. Fish Farming
This department includes breeding combfish using modern methods as the water of the fish pool is used in irrigating open field crops and fruitful trees.
4. Open-Filed System
Students learn how to plant vegetables and medical herbs during the proper season.
5. Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil; it is a considered a revolution in the world of agriculture.
Future Plans
- Reclaiming the rest of the area for cultivating potatoes, cucumbers and guava
- Planting and exporting medicinal herbs
- Breeding aquarium fish