Published Paper Details:

Introduction: As agricultural impediments remained continuous in Qatar due to its environmental conditions, the main objective of this study was to create an alternative to soil made out of date palm leaves. Methodology: This paper used an experimental quantitative research design to create a soil alternative out of date palm leaves, an abundant resource commonly cultivated in Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar. The leaves, containing the same elements as other lignocellulosic fibers, can support plant growth. Result: Thus, date palm leaves were an effective substitute for soil. The results of the study proved the effectiveness of the date palm leaf as an alternative to soil for the growth of the tomato plants in terms of the plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, number of fruits, and length of the leaves. The date palm soil was able to grow a plant of 45.66 cm height with 90 plant leaves, 3.37 cm leaf length, and 3.9 mm stem diameter and produced 2 fruits. Furthermore, an ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) test corroborated the results which derived a uniform conclusion that there was no significant difference between the use of traditional soil and the soil substitute on the effectiveness of tomato plant growth. Discussion: The date palm leaf as a soil substitute played a vital role in enabling agricultural productivity, supporting plant growth, and fostering sustainability in various environments. Recommendation: It is recommended to use a higher-powered blender, use a controlled environment, and utilize other plants.