Dr Magdi A. A. Mousa is working as Prof of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at the Department of Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University. My former position was as a prof at the vegetable Crops Department -at Assiut University, Egypt. My research interests focus on a better understanding plant response to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat using phenotyping and physiological and molecular modern techniques.
EDUCATION
B.Sc. 1993, Agriculture Science (Major Horticulture/Vegetables), Assiut
Univ., Egypt.
M.Sc. 1998, Vegetable Breeding, Assiut Univ., Egypt.
Ph.D. 2004, Molecular Genetics, a joint Ph.D. program between Assiut Univ. and the Federal Center for Breeding Research in Cultivated Plants,(now known as JKI Germany
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am a Prof of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Department of Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University. My research interests focus on better understanding of plant response to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and heat using phenotyping and physiological and molecular technologi
A Green Approach to Landfill Remediation: The Efficacy of Indigenous Zygophyllum coccineum L. and Leptadenia pyrotechnica L. in Phytoremediating a Heavy Oil Flay Ash-contaminated Landfill in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia Samir G.M. Al-Solaimani, Abdulrahman Alkurashi, Refaat A. Abohassan, Omer H.M. Ibrahim, Magdi A.A. Mousa Hortscience, 2025 This study investigated the impact of the heavy oil fly ash landfill at Rabigh governorate, Saudi Arabia, on the growth and heavy metal accumulation in the indigenous plants Zygophyllum coccineum L. and Leptadenia pyrotechnica L. Samples of these two plant species together with the soil were collected from inside the landfill and at distances of 250, 500, and 1000 m away from the landfill in the north, east, west, and south locations. Data of the fresh and dry weights of the plant samples (aerial parts and roots) were collected and elemental analyses of the plant samples were conducted. The results showed that vegetation within the landfill exhibited the lowest overall fresh and dry biomass values of aerial and root parts. However, growth progressively improved with the increasing distance, with maximum growth reached at 1000 m from the landfill. Metal concentrations were highest in the samples collected from inside the landfill, and they diminished with increasing distance away from it. Plants located in the south exhibited the greatest metal deposition. Roots consistently surpassed aerial parts in terms of metal accumulation, both proximally and distally. Sulfur, aluminum, and iron were the predominant elements accumulated in Z. coccineum and L. pyrotechnica plants across all sites and distances from the landfill. The sequence of heavy metal concentrations from highest to lowest in the roots and shoots was as follows: sulfur > aluminum > iron > zinc > manganese > nickel > chromium > vanadium > copper > cobalt. The plants exhibited elevated chromium levels that surpassed the European Union (2002) requirements; however, they remained below Indian regulations. Zinc concentrations, however, exceeded both the European Union and World Health Organization (WHO)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines. All other heavy metals were within the permissible levels established by the WHO/FAO, European Union, and Indian regulations. The translocation factor for heavy metals from roots to shoots was less than one for all 10 metals, signifying metal build-up in roots relative to the shoots. It could be concluded that there is a significant relationship between the plant growth rate and magnitude of metal accumulation. Plants with the lowest growth rate exhibited the highest heavy metals accumulation, as seen at the southern location, whereas plants with the highest growth rate (those at the northern location) had the least metal accumulation. This phenomenon highlights the potential of these plants for phytoremediation and phytostabilization to extract deleterious heavy metals from contaminated landfill soils.
Impact of Irrigation Regimes on Growth and Postharvest Quality of Pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) under Conditions of Newly Reclaimed Land Magdi A.A. Mousa, Adel D. Al-Qurashi, Omer H.M. Ibrahim, Kamal A.M. Abo-Elyousr, Ahmed M.K. Abdel Aal, et al. Hortscience, 2025 Farmers are encouraged to invest in crops that will grow and produce under the predicted climate change, such as global warming, limited water supplies, and drought-imposed water restrictions on agriculture. The drought-tolerant pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a promising horticulture crop that can be grown under arid conditions. To successfully implement irrigation management strategies in orchards, knowledge of plant responses to water deficits, tree shoot and fruit growth patterns, and irrigation management strategies that conserve water is required. The present study described the response of pomegranate trees of the Manfalouty variety to deficit irrigation under the local climate. The experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The experiment was carried out on a private farm in the Bani Uday district of Manfalouty, Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Eighteen trees with comparable strength and growth were chosen, free of elemental deficiency signs, planted at 3.5 × 3.5 m, with an age of 8 years. Three irrigation levels 50%, 75%, and 100% of the pomegranate tree’s water standard were applied. With the randomized complete block design (RCBD), each treatment was used three times, with two trees in each iteration. Results revealed that applying irrigation at a rate of 75% enhanced fruit quality and yield, mitigated sun sting and cracking, and improved vegetative growth. Moreover, water use efficiency (WUE) was increased, which was reflected in the increase of the percentage of commercial and marketing fruits and decreased production costs when applying 75% of the water ration, which maintains soil and natural resources for sustainable agriculture.
Genotypic variation in yield, physiological traits, and drought tolerance of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) under arid conditions Magdi A. A. Mousa, Khalid A. Asiry, Adel D. Al-qurashi, Najeeb M. Almasoudi, Mohammed I. Elsayed Frontiers in Plant Science, 2025 Water scarcity is a major constraint to agricultural productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, underscoring the need for crops with high water-use efficiency and resilience to drought. This study evaluated 21 quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) accessions under three drip-irrigation regimes—W1 (15 min), W2 (10 min), and W3 (5 min)—applied twice daily in a split-plot design with three replications in the arid conditions of western Saudi Arabia. Significant effects of irrigation, genotype, and their interaction were detected for most phenological, morphological, physiological, and yield traits. Among the evaluated accessions, CHEN-195, CHEN-316, and CHEN-140 consistently outperformed others, producing the highest seed yields per plant (up to 13.58 g) and per hectare (2400.2 kg ha -1 ), with greater 1000-seed weight and stable chlorophyll a and b contents across growth stages. Principal component analysis explained 70.7 % of the total variation, identifying yield, plant height, and drought tolerance indices as the principal contributors to genotype differentiation. Heatmap clustering confirmed distinct performance groups, reinforcing the robustness of multivariate classification in discriminating drought-adapted genotypes. The combined results highlight considerable genetic variability in quinoa response to irrigation levels and identify promising accessions with superior adaptation and resource-use efficiency. Overall, this study supports the integration of quinoa into dryland farming systems and provides a foundation for breeding programs targeting enhanced drought tolerance and sustainable production under water-limited conditions.
Comparative Effects of Superhydrophobic Sand and Plastic Mulches on Growth and Yield of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) under Arid Environments Kennedy Odokonyero, Magdi A.A. Mousa, Mohamed I. ElSayed, Adel D. Alqurashi, Adair Gallo, et al. Hortscience, 2025 Superhydrophobic sand (SHS) is a plastic-free mulching technology that reduces surface evaporation of water from irrigated soils. Here, we present the results of two experimental field trials conducted in the 2019–20 and 2021–22 cropping seasons, comparing the efficacy of SHS with those of traditional plastic mulches on the growth and yield performance of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) plants. The experiments were conducted at the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) agriculture research station at Hada Al-Sham (21˚48′3″N, 39˚43′25″E), Al-Jamoom, Saudi Arabia. The effects of bare soil (i.e., control treatment), 5 mm SHS thickness, and 10 mm SHS thickness, along with white and black plastic mulches (120-μm-thick polyethylene) were recorded on the plants via a randomized complete block design with three replicate plots. We found significant benefits of all of the mulches during the 2021–22 season, as evidenced by 51% (P < 0.001), 31% (P = 0.0102), and 32% (P = 0.0048) more fruits for the 10-mm SHS, white plastic, and black plastic mulches, respectively, compared with the unmulched controls. Consequently, the total fruit yield per plant increased by 112% (P = 0.000), 71% (P < 0.001), and 83% (P < 0.001), under 10 mm SHS, white plastic, and black plastic mulches, respectively. Curiously, the field trial conducted in 2019 in an adjacent field did not reveal significant benefits of SHS, which we attribute partially to erratic rain showers and field heterogeneity. Taken together, this study and our previous work show that 10-mm-thick SHS mulch is optimal for boosting irrigation efficiency in regions where water is a limiting factor. Unlike plastic mulches, SHS biodegrades in <1 year and becomes a part of the sandy soil matrix, thereby obviating landfilling. Thus, the benefits of SHS exceed those of plastic mulches in terms of closing the yield gap and carbon footprint. These findings underscore the potential of SHS as a sustainable solution for growing plants in hot and dry arid regions in Saudi Arabia and globally.
Effect of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Frass as Organic Fertilizer on Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Open-field-grown Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) Mohamed A. Awad, Khalid A. Asiry, Mohamed I. Elsayed, Kamal A. M. Abo-Elyousr, Noura S. Alqarni, et al. Hortscience, 2024 Open-field-grown tomatoes in Saudi Arabia are stressed by poor soil fertility because of the low organic matter content, low nutrient availability, and high pH. Thus, high chemical fertilizer inputs are crucial for commercial production; however, they cause economic loss as well as negatively affect environmental sustainability. The use of efficient organic fertilizers would be useful for developing more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable agriculture. The current study evaluated the impact of Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) frass (BSFF) fertilizer applications as organic fertilizer on postharvest fruit quality and shelf life of open-field-grown F1 hybrid ‘Sinag Tala’ tomatoes compared with those grown under control treatment (received recommended doses of chemical fertilizers for tomato production under open field conditions). The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The results showed that the application of BSFF fertilizer, especially at the higher rate (5 ton/ha; BSFF3), improved the overall quality of tomato fruit. The BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced weight loss, maintained higher firmness, antioxidants [vitamin C, total phenol content (TPC) and total flavinoid (TFC)], total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA) contents, and lowered the TSS/TA ratio of fruits during shelf life compared with those of the control. The decay incidence was only detected after 9 days of shelf life and was significantly lower in all the BSFF fertilizer treatments (range, 8.40%-12.05%) than in the control (15.9%). In addition, BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced both disease incidence and severity of gray mold following pathogen inoculation during shelf life compared with those of the control. These results might be attributable to the higher antioxidants content (vitamin C, TPC, and TFC) and higher polyphenol oxidase activity in BSFF-fertilized tomatoes. In conclusion, BSFF fertilizer could be used as a potential eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers to improve tomato fruit quality during shelf life.
Deciphering salt stress responses in Solanum pimpinellifolium through high-throughput phenotyping Mitchell Morton, Gabriele Fiene, Hanin Ibrahim Ahmed, Elodie Rey, Michael Abrouk, et al. Plant Journal, 2024 SUMMARYSoil salinity is a major environmental stressor affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. Understanding plant responses to salt stress is crucial for developing resilient crop varieties. Wild relatives of cultivated crops, such as wild tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium, can serve as a useful resource to further expand the resilience potential of the cultivated germplasm, S. lycopersicum. In this study, we employed high‐throughput phenotyping in the greenhouse and field conditions to explore salt stress responses of a S. pimpinellifolium diversity panel. Our study revealed extensive phenotypic variations in response to salt stress, with traits such as transpiration rate, shoot mass, and ion accumulation showing significant correlations with plant performance. We found that while transpiration was a key determinant of plant performance in the greenhouse, shoot mass strongly correlated with yield under field conditions. Conversely, ion accumulation was the least influential factor under greenhouse conditions. Through a Genome Wide Association Study, we identified candidate genes not previously associated with salt stress, highlighting the power of high‐throughput phenotyping in uncovering novel aspects of plant stress responses. This study contributes to our understanding of salt stress tolerance in S. pimpinellifolium and lays the groundwork for further investigations into the genetic basis of these traits, ultimately informing breeding efforts for salinity tolerance in tomato and other crops.
Synergistic effects of Trichoderma spp. And sodium silicate against fusarium wilt of tomato: in vitro And greenhouse evaluation KAM Abo-Elyousr, NM Almasoudi, MAA Mousa, OHM Ibrahim, ... Journal of Plant Pathology 108 (1), 719-730 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Genotype-specific grafting of tomato under saline water irrigation: conferring physiological adaptation, ion homeostasis, antioxidant activity and yield MD Sarkar, MAA Mousa, OH Ibrahim, MT Naznin Scientia Horticulturae 355, 114569 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Genotypic variation in yield, physiological traits, and drought tolerance of quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) under arid conditions MAA Mousa, KA Asiry, AD Al-Qurashi, NM Almasoudi, MI Elsayed Frontiers in Plant Science 16, 1679444 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
A Green Approach to Landfill Remediation: The Efficacy of Indigenous Zygophyllum coccineum L. and Leptadenia pyrotechnica L. in Phytoremediating a Heavy Oil Flay Ash … SGM Al-Solaimani, A Alkurashi, RA Abohassan, OHM Ibrahim, ... HortScience 60 (3), 287-296 , 2025 2025
Impact of irrigation regimes on growth and postharvest quality of pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) under conditions of newly reclaimed land MAA Mousa, AD Al-Qurashi, OHM Ibrahim, KAM Abo-Elyousr, AMKA Aal, ... HortScience 60 (2), 172-181 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Effect of Plant Stimulants with Mixed Fertilizer on Growth and Yield of Tomato under Desert Conditions MG Hossain, MAA Mousa, SG Al-Solimani Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land … , 2025 2025
Comparative effects of superhydrophobic sand and plastic mulches on growth and yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) under arid environments K Odokonyero, MAA Mousa, MI ElSayed, AD Alqurashi, A Gallo Jr, ... HortScience 60 (1), 87-92 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Corrigendum to “Multivariate optimization of hyperspectral imaging for adulteration detection of ground beef: Towards the development of generic algorithms to predict … EM Achata, MAA Mousa, AD Al-Qurashi, OHM Ibrahim, KAM Abo-Elyousr, ... Food Control 167, 110856 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Effect of black soldier fly larvae frass as organic fertilizer on postharvest quality and shelf life of open-field-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) MA Awad, KA Asiry, MI Elsayed, KAM Abo-Elyousr, NS Alqarni, ... HortScience 59 (11), 1603-1608 , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
Corrigendum to “Global calibration for non-targeted fraud detection in quinoa flour using portable hyperspectral imaging and chemometrics”[Curr. Res. Food Sci.(2023), 100483] Q Wu, MAA Mousa, AD Al-Qurashi, OHM Ibrahim, KAM Abo-Elyousr, ... Current Research in Food Science 9, 100844 , 2024 2024
Speciation, phytoavailability, and accumulation of toxic elements and sulfur by humic acid-fertilized lemongrass and common sage in a sandy soil treated with heavy oil fly ash … SG Al-Solaimani, A Al-Qureshi, SS Hindi, OH Ibrahim, MAA Mousa, ... Science of The Total Environment 945, 173998 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Deciphering salt stress responses in Solanum pimpinellifolium through high‐throughput phenotyping M Morton, G Fiene, HI Ahmed, E Rey, M Abrouk, Y Angel, K Johansen, ... The Plant Journal 119 (5), 2514-2537 , 2024 2024 Citations: 20
Impact of landfill fly ash on soil contamination with heavy metals in Rabigh Area, Saudi Arabia. SGM Al-Solaimani, SS Zaki Hindi, OH Ibrahim, MA Ahmed Mousa, ... Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land … , 2024 2024
Effectiveness of Epicoccum nigrum and Silver Nanoparticles in Controlling Chocolate Spot Disease and Enhancing Growth and Yield of Faba Bean ( Vicia faba L.) MM El-Fawy, SA Ahmed, RAA Korrat, KAM Abo-Elyousr, MAA Mousa, ... Journal of Crop Health 76 (2), 411-424 , 2024 2024 Citations: 5
Influence of effective irrigation water usage on Carrot root productivity and quality properties in soilless culture MD Sarkar, S Akter, AA Bakhashwain, MAA Mousa, OH Ibrahim Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 24 (1), 1042-1058 , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
approach to mitigate early blight M Imran¹, KAM Abo-Elyousr, MAA Mousa, MM Saad Crop Resistance Mechanisms to Alleviate Climate Change-Related Stress , 2024 2024
Genetics and Genomics for the Domestication and Adaptation of Chenopodium quinoa for Marginal Environments CS Stanschewski, E Rey, V Melino, M Mousa, MA Tester Plant and Animal Genome Conference/PAG 31 (January 12-17, 2024) , 2024 2024
An Overview of the Impact of Seed Priming on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) L.) Under Normal and Salt Conditions: From Seed Germination to Harvest. RJS Mohammad, MAA Mousa, HOH Ibrahim, F AlHarby Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land … , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Enhancing chili pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) resistance and yield against powdery mildew ( Leveillula taurica ) with beneficial bacteria MAM Hussein, AMK Abdel-Aal, MJ Rawa, MAA Mousa, YMM Moustafa, ... Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control 33 (1), 114 , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
Multivariate optimization of hyperspectral imaging for adulteration detection of ground beef: Towards the development of generic algorithms to predict adulterated ground beef … EM Achata, MAA Mousa, AD Al-Qurashi, OHM Ibrahim, KAM Abo-Elyousr, ... Food Control 153, 109907 , 2023 2023 Citations: 19
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Predicting biomass and yield in a tomato phenotyping experiment using UAV imagery and random forest K Johansen, MJL Morton, Y Malbeteau, B Aragon, S Al-Mashharawi, ... Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence 3, 28 , 2020 2020 Citations: 131
Phenotyping a diversity panel of quinoa using UAV-retrieved leaf area index, SPAD-based chlorophyll and a random forest approach J Jiang, K Johansen, CS Stanschewski, G Wellman, MAA Mousa, ... Precision Agriculture 23 (3), 961-983 , 2022 2022 Citations: 95
An overview of recent advances and applications of FT-IR spectroscopy for quality, authenticity, and adulteration detection in edible oils MAA Mousa, Y Wang, SA Antora, AD Al-Qurashi, OHM Ibrahim, HJ He, ... Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 62 (29), 8009-8027 , 2022 2022 Citations: 89
Early growth stage characterization and the biochemical responses for salinity stress in tomato MS Alam, M Tester, G Fiene, MAA Mousa Plants 10 (4), 712 , 2021 2021 Citations: 86
Unmanned aerial vehicle-based phenotyping using morphometric and spectral analysis can quantify responses of wild tomato plants to salinity stress K Johansen, MJL Morton, YM Malbeteau, B Aragon, SK Al-Mashharawi, ... Frontiers in Plant Science 10, 370 , 2019 2019 Citations: 79
Quinoa phenotyping methodologies: An international consensus CS Stanschewski, E Rey, G Fiene, EB Craine, G Wellman, VJ Melino, ... Plants 10 (9), 1759 , 2021 2021 Citations: 76
Molecular mapping in oil radish ( Raphanus sativus L.) and QTL analysis of resistance against beet cyst nematode ( Heterodera schachtii ) H Budahn, H Peterka, MAA Mousa, Y Ding, S Zhang, J Li Theoretical and applied genetics 118 (4), 775-782 , 2009 2009 Citations: 69
Enhanced yield and quality of onion (Allium cepa L. cv Giza 6) produced using organic fertilization MAA Mousa, MF Mohamed Ass. Univ. Bull. Environ. Res 12 (1), 9-19 , 2009 2009 Citations: 67
Growth and biochemical responses of potato cultivars under In Vitro lithium chloride and mannitol simulated salinity and drought stress FA Sattar, BT Hamooh, G Wellman, MA Ali, SH Shah, Y Anwar, ... Plants 10 (5), 924 , 2021 2021 Citations: 54
Calcium-Rich Biochar Stimulates Salt Resistance in Pearl Millet ( Pennisetum glaucum L.) Plants by Improving Soil Quality and Enhancing the Antioxidant Defense KAM Abo-Elyousr, MAA Mousa, OHM Ibrahim, NO Alshareef, MA Eissa Plants 11 (10), 1301 , 2022 2022 Citations: 53
Use of Trichoderma culture filtrates as a sustainable approach to mitigate early blight disease of tomato and their influence on plant biomarkers and antioxidants … M Imran, KAM Abo-Elyousr, MAA Mousa, MM Saad Frontiers in Plant Science 14, 1192818 , 2023 2023 Citations: 50
Phytochemical Characterization, Antimicrobial Activity and In Vitro Antiproliferative Potential of Alchemilla vulgaris Auct Root Extract against Prostate (PC-3), Breast … OHM Ibrahim, KAM Abo-Elyousr, KA Asiry, NA Alhakamy, MAA Mousa Plants 11 (16), 2140 , 2022 2022 Citations: 44
Metabolomic and Biochemical Analysis of Two Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) Cultivars Exposed to In Vitro Osmotic and Salt Stresses BT Hamooh, FA Sattar, G Wellman, MAA Mousa Plants 10 (1), 98 , 2021 2021 Citations: 43
Nature-inspired superhydrophobic sand mulches increase agricultural productivity and water-use efficiency in arid regions A Gallo Jr, K Odokonyero, MAA Mousa, J Reihmer, S Al-Mashharawi, ... ACS Agricultural Science & Technology 2 (2), 276-288 , 2022 2022 Citations: 39
Screening and biocontrol evaluation of indigenous native Trichoderma spp. against early blight disease and their field assessment to alleviate natural infection M Imran, KAM Abo-Elyousr, MA Mousa, MM Saad Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control 32 (1), 40 , 2022 2022 Citations: 37
A study on the synergetic effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and dipotassium phosphate on Alternaria solani causing early blight disease of tomato M Imran, KAM Abo-Elyousr, MAA Mousa, MM Saad European Journal of Plant Pathology 162 (1), 63-77 , 2022 2022 Citations: 36
Research article morphological, pathogenic, cultural and physiological variability of the isolates of Alternaria solani causing early blight of tomato N Rahmatzai, AA Zaitoun, MH Madkour, A Ahmady, Z Hazim, MA Mousa Int. J. Adv. Res 4, 808-817 , 2016 2016 Citations: 36
In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of botanical oils against Alternaria solani causing early blight of tomato N Rahmatzai, AA Zaitoun, MH Madkour, A Ahmady, Z Hazim, MA Mousa International Journal of Biosciences 10 (1), 91-99 , 2017 2017 Citations: 32
Management Fusarium Wilt Disease in Tomato by Combinations of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Peppermint Oil MAA Mousa, KAM Abo-Elyousr, AMK Abdel Alal, NO Alshareef Agronomy 11 (12), 2536 , 2021 2021 Citations: 30
Response of tomato genotypes at early growing stages to irrigation water salinity MA Mousa, AD Al-Qurashi, AA Bakhashwain J Food Agric Environ 11 (2), 501-507 , 2013 2013 Citations: 28
