Attended by 20 trainees from different sectors and institutions, the main objective of the training was to introduce technological innovations for controlling various diseases/pests on vegetables, including bacterial wilt, fusarium wilt and root-knot nematode. AVRDC provided rootstock germ-plasm to ADFCA which are resistant to the above diseases/pests to flooded and waterlogged conditions.

The attendees included groups of engineers from different sectors and the Farmers' Services Center, and UAE University students from the Faculty of Food and Agriculture.  Mr. Wu Deng-Lin, grafting specialist, and Dr. Gregory C. Luther, Technology Dissemination Specialist of AVRDC provided instruction on the advantages of grafting, technical details for implementation of the technology, and hands-on training on how to graft tomato, eggplant, pepper, cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, bitter gourd, bottle gourd and other vegetables.

Several different grafting techniques were taught, including insertion, single tongue, double tongue and tube splice grafting. The trainees had guided sessions in which they grafted all the scion and rootstock combinations themselves to ensure that all participants will be able to carry out the grafting methods in future.

Saeed Jasim Mohamed, Acting Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, hoped that the technologies introduced at the workshop would positively help Abu Dhabi farmers in reducing diseases on their vegetables and increasing their yield. "These techniques will also allow them to reduce the use of pesticides. As a result of increased productivity, more locally grown vegetables will be available for Abu Dhabi consumers at reduced prices," he pointed out.

One outcome of this training course is the research that the Research and Development Division is planning to conduct on using as rootstock for higher vegetable production local plants that will have the ability to resist drought and high temperature on the one hand and diseases on the other.  

The Research and Development Division of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority give a fillip to scientific development in the spheres of food and agriculture and serve as a principal source of support to develop technical work in ADFCA's various sectors. The Division executes and oversees applied scientific research for improving productivity and guaranteeing food safety in food sector, agriculture and animal wealth.  It also contributes to technology transfer operations in line with the requirements of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to raise the bar on food safety and agriculture. The division comprises three departments, namely, departments of Agricultural Research, Food Research and Research Stations. The Research Stations consist of four stations, two in Al Ain (Al Salamat and Al Kuwaitat), one in Bani Yas and another in the Western Region. They conduct field research in line with the Division's strategies and goals.