Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Khalil Al-Mahqani in Plant Protection
Mr. Khalil Mus’ad Mohammed Al-Mahqani was awarded a Master’s Degree in Plant Protection with for his thesis titled: Multi-residue Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Cucumber and Tomato in Sana’a, which was submitted to the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
# | Committee Members | Designation | Position |
1 | Prof. Abdulrahman Thabet | Internal Examiner | Chair |
2 | Prof. Jalal Abdulelah Awadh | Main Supervisor | Member |
3 | Prof. Badr Ismail Abdulrazzaq | External Examiner | Member |
The study aimed to:
Apply the QuEChERS method for extracting pesticide residues in cucumber and tomato samples.
Validate the analytical method used to determine pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits using GC/ECD technology.
Estimate the levels of 15 types of pesticides from various chemical groups in cucumber and tomato.
The main findings of the study revealed that:
Some cucumber samples contained residues of the pesticide Chlorfenapyr.
Some tomato samples were contaminated with Chlorfenapyr, Diniconazole, and Lambda-Cyhalothrin.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:
Encouraging the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in Yemen and raising farmers’ awareness through training programs.
Urging the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health to establish a unified monitoring program for pesticide residues in food products available in the markets.
Equipping pesticide residue analysis laboratories with advanced instruments such as HPLC-MS and GC/ECD, and other modern analytical technologies.
The defense session was attended by a number of faculty members, researchers, and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.
