Sustainable Crop Production in Qatar: A Systemic Review of Tomato Production

Sustainable crop production has been an emphasized goal, especially in the hot and arid regions of the world where the climatic conditions, freshwater resources and arable land are limiting factors. Sustainable crop production aims to safeguard the fragile environment, its biodiversity, and the quality of agricultural crops produced. With the unpredictable changing climatic conditions brought about by global warming and the sharp rise in global population, formulating a sustainable crop production system is crucial to ensure food security for its population. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important fruit crops widely consumed in this region. Currently, Qatar produces about 30% of its domestic demand, with the shortfall being imported from other regions of the world. Bridging this demand and supply gap requires a multipronged approach in the tomato R&D chain, such as greenhouse technology, automation, crop breeding and indoor plant factories to enhance domestic crop production. This review aims to highlight the current status of tomato production in the country: the current practices, the challenges faced in the production and opportunities being used for enhancing tomato production in the country.