Take part in a transformative journey: MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Programme - Cohort 2024/25

2024/25 Top 20 Solutions

Please see below the Top 20 Semi Finalists of Cohort 2024/25

#4070

FertiSolo – Biofertilisers & vermicompost for healthier, fertile soils and higher yields.

Combines vermicomposting, biofertilisers, and waste recycling to restore soil health in arid lands. Leveraging microbial consortia for tailored, sustainable MENAT farming solutions, enhancing yields, regenerating land, reducing chemicals, recycling waste, and combating desertification with cost-effective, scalable solutions.

Researcher(s)

Ahmed Elhady, Yousef Gomaa

#4129

Bactorhiza: A liquid biofertilizer with an extended shelf life designed to enhance crop productivity and resistance

MicroFert’s Bactorhiza specialized in agricultural biotechnology, developing eco-friendly bio-products to enhance crop productivity, soil fertility, and plant growth while reducing chemical fertilisers. Its sustainable biofertilisers improve drought resistance, support soil biodiversity, and promote carbon sequestration through a clean production process using natural materials

bio farming, environmental sustainability, regenerative agriculture, agriculture ecosystem

Researcher(s)

Hend Elsawey, Rahma Ahmed

#4264

OZ-TECH – Robotics transforming agriculture for data driven resource efficiency, sustainability and enhanced crop yield.

OZ-TECH drives agricultural transformation through automation, efficiency, and sustainability. OSIRIS 1 reduces planting time and increases yields by 10-15%. By integrating robotics and IoT into farming, encouraging a data driven methods approach for soil health, reducing resource inputs & driving long term environmental sustainability

Researcher(s)

Mohamed Hamad, Amr Gamal

#4282

SmartAgri- AIoT Farming Smart tech remote sensing for climate-resilient agriculture.

The solution leverages emerging technologies in remote sensing for data management and full automation in smart agriculture. It enables proactive adaptation to climate change threats, safeguarding soil, water, and plant health.

Researcher(s)

Mohamed Hamdy, Naeem Othman

#4283

Actinobacteria– Isolation and characterisation of water stress tolerant actinobacteria for arid soils

Actinobacteria- Innovative biofertiliser solutions advance regenerative agriculture and unlock new pathways for sustainable food production through actinobacteria biofertilisers and organic protocols, reducing chemical inputs while enhancing soil fertility, microbiological activity, and crop resilience. By improving soil structure, water balance, and shielding plants from abiotic stress, it ensures sustainable, scalable and cost effective climate-adaptive food production.

Researcher(s)

Marhane Omaina

#4401

TarLab Biyoteknoloji – Double Haploid accelerating technology enhancing yield, climate & ecological resilient crop varieties

TarLab’s Double Haploid technology is revolutionizing plant breeding by unlocking the full genetic potential of plants. This breakthrough reduces development time for non-GMO, high-yield, and climate-resilient crop varieties from decades to just 2 years, enabling seed companies and farmers to produce resilient crops, enhance biodiversity, and optimize resource efficiency, contributing to global food security and ecological resilience.

Researcher(s)

Ahu Altınkut Uncuoğlu, Yıldız Aydın, Ezgi Çabuk Şahin, Kardelen Dalgalı

#4410

Indigenous Silvopasture – Metagenomics analysis of livestock impact on animal and ecosystem health.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global health crisis affecting humans and animals. This study examines the impact of silvopasture and free grazing on livestock microbiomes, focusing on horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of resistance and virulence genes. Findings will provide insights into microbiome development, optimal integration of silvopasture & livestock health.

Researcher(s)

Dr. Bilal Aslam, Dr. Sulaiman Aljasir

#4411

DiseaseExpert- Real-time disease detection & response for crops.

This real-time monitoring solution connects farmers with experts for rapid disease and pest detection, minimizing damage and limiting spread. It also provides government agencies with a database on farmers, crops, and infestations to enhance agricultural management while reducing the need for synthetic inputs and increasing crop yield protection.

Researcher(s)

Professor Francis Enejo Idachaba

#4417

BlueBounty ProMix – Seaweed-enhanced probiotics for methane mitigation & sustainable dairy livestock

BlueBounty Pro-Mix is a scientifically crafted cattle feed enriched with processed seaweed enhanced by seaweed-grown probiotics. It enhances digestion, gut health, and nutrient absorption while reducing pathogens, stress, and methane emissions. Designed for easy integration, it boosts milk quality and supports sustainable livestock management.

Researcher(s)

Mohamed Irfan R

#4423

Microfluidics System- Advancing plant sciences for climate-adaptive agriculture in arid & saline regions

Microfuids system is an innovative in vitro system uses microfluidics to simulate extreme conditions and drive climate adaptation to heat, aridity, drought desertification and salinity, aiding the development of stress-tolerant crops. By studying cellular responses, this scalable platform enables researchers to model environmental stresses and drive agricultural innovation through accelerating development of resilient crops, restoring arid ecosystems and reducing reliance on water intensive farming.

Researcher(s)

Alyaa Farouk, Ahmed Hessin

#4461

Smart Relay-Intercropping – Enhancing Resilience, Productivity and Diversity in drylands

Relay technique intercropping of legumes with cereal crops boosts soil health, yield, farmer profitability and climate resilience while outperforming bare fallow. This process enhances biodiversity, nitrogen levels, and food security, increasing wheat yields by 10-12% making it a sustainable and scalable solution for dryland farming.

Researcher(s)

Mina Devkota

#4476

AquaShade Oasis – Agrivoltaics & water harvesting for arid farming.

AquaShade Oasis integrates solar energy with water harvesting to enhance arid farming. Photovoltaic panels reduce crop heat stress and evaporation, capture condensation within a closed loop irrigation system, and generate clean power. Optimized for high-value crops like moringa and safflower, enhances yield stability and provides farmers an additional revenue stream through surplus solar power, delivering scalable economic and environmental benefits.

Researcher(s)

Mohd Mustafa, Tala Ghaleb Eteiwi Alhabashneh

#4488

Ecover – Tackling agri waste into organic eco friendly mulch to enhance soil health

Ecover converts crop residue and agri-waste into organic mulch, enhancing soil fertility, water retention, and reducing chemical inputs. This affordable, eco-friendly solution promotes regenerative farming while restoring soil, boosts productivity, and minimizes waste through circularity, supporting sustainable agriculture across the MENA region.

Researcher(s)

Gued Faissal

#4492

No-Till Seeder – Adapting conventional seeders to support no till mechanisation for soil health.

Converting conventional seed drills into direct no-till seeding drills offers a cost-effective, sustainable solution. This approach maximizes existing equipment, making direct seeding more accessible to farmers, while supporting regenerative agriculture no-till techniques that work to support soil health.

Researcher(s)

Zizi Najoua, Lamkadem Ahmed, Zaid Essaid

#4496

Farm to 2Fs (Fuel and Fertiliser) – Anaerobic Digestion converting animal waste into bioenergy & fertilizer.

Farm to 2Fs used auto-generative high-pressure digestion (AHPD) to transform animal waste into biogas and biofertiliser. Run by a centralized AD unit of agricultural cooperatives, optimizes biogas yield and fertiliser quality while reducing reliance on inorganic inputs, streamlined by a mobile app collection system of waste sourcing. This solution enhances soil health, rural incomes, and energy production while reducing GHG emissions.

Researcher(s)

Dr. Budour A. Alghamdi, Eng. Wafa A. Alrasheed, Dr. Adil E. Abdelnour

#4586

Bamboo: Exploring benefits of bamboo within agroforestry systems to combat desertification

The research explores the potential of bamboo species Bambusa Vulgaris and Dendrocalamus Strictus in arid desert environments, focusing on their adaptability, carbon sequestration, fast growth and ecological resilience. Using these species, within circular and saline irrigation techniques, the aim is to capitalize their ability to combat desertification, improve soil stabilisation, microclimate improvements, and drive economic rural benefits.

Researcher(s)

Dr. Muhammad Ihtisham

#4592

Endophyte Biofertilizers – Microorganism solutions for drought & salinity crop tolerance

Endophyte Biofertilisers utilises extremophilic endophytes beneficial microorganisms that enhance crop resilience to salinity and drought stress, improving soil quality and supporting regenerative agriculture practices. This nature-based solution approach restores degraded soils, boosts productivity, reduces reliance chemical fertilisers, and conserves water. This approach mitigates environmental challenges and empowers farmers with offering a sustainable, cost-effective farming solution.

Researcher(s)

Dr Raheem Shehzad

#4681

AOS AI’griculture: Image Processing and AI System for agriculture production efficiency

AOS AI’griculture is an AI-driven prediction and decision support system enhances agricultural efficiency and sustainability by enabling fast, accurate diagnosis of plant diseases, pests, and weeds. Accessible via a user-friendly mobile app, it provides practical solutions for farmers and agricultural engineers, while mitigating risks through early detection and reduction of reliance on chemical inputs.

Researcher(s)

Alperen Tagman, Onur Yolay, Samet Cicek, Mehmet Isilar, Abdulsamet Eksi

#4737

VerdiSol – Transforming food & agri waste into nanocellulose beneficial plant-based nanofibers

VerdiSol, a proprietary patented technology, transforms organic waste into high-performance biomaterial nanocellulose for sustainable agriculture and desert greening. Using plant-based nanofibers, this circular approach enhances soil fertility, water retention, and plant growth in extreme environments. This technology provides scalable, sustainable solution for soil revitalisation in arid farming, hydroponics, and modern farming.

Researcher(s)

Blaise Tardy, Mohammed Salim, Ghanim Mabrook, Abdulla Bin Tamim, M-Hidar Ali Al Dali

#4739

RedDot – RNA-based selective control for red palm weevil.

RedDot utilises sugar-based nanoparticles to stabilise tailored RNA sequences to target vital genes in pests notably red palm weevil, enabling a selective, non-toxic, and effective biopesticide solution.

Researcher(s)

Teodoro Garcia-Millan, Fran Robson, Veronica Greco