A joint research team from the Department of Agriculture at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), conducted field experiments over two consecutive years at the Huda Al-Sham Agricultural Research Station. The project was supported by King Abdulaziz University.
The focus of the research was to enhance the growth and productivity of wheat and millet, two strategic crops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the use of natural growth promoters applied via both foliar spraying and irrigation.
Results showed that applying Mizax-3 and Mizax-5 at a concentration of 5 micromolar, four times during the vegetative stage, led to statistically significant improvements in vegetative growth indicators and yield components, both at the individual plant level and per hectare.
The King Abdulaziz University research team included:
• Prof. Magdy Ali Mousa – Department of Agriculture
• Prof. Hesham Al-Maghamsi – Department of Biology
• PhD student Afnan Al-Buqami
The team emphasized that these findings represent a promising step toward the safe application of biotechnology to strengthen national food security and reduce reliance on chemical inputs in agriculture. This work aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to promote the sustainability and efficiency of agricultural production.
