Digital Commons Network^™

Standardizing Sustainable Aquaponic Production Of Leafy Greens And Fish: A Comparison With Conventional Systems In The United Arab Emirates, Drishya Nishanth

Theses

The production of leafy green vegetables through aquaponics is established worldwide, but the production of herbs which are used in day-to-day life in the United Arab Emirates is not yet explored in this system in terms of production efficiency, water usage and the nutrient parameters. In the current study, basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), the two commonly used herbs, were grown in a traditional aquaponics system using tilapia fish and catfish effluent water (soil-less agriculture) and an irrigation-based greenhouse cultivation system (soil cultivation). The study's major goal is to evaluate several growth techniques for …

Biochemical Characterization Of Date Palm (Phoniex Dactylifera L) Seeds Maintained At Microgravity In Outer Space Iss, Shamma Khalid Aldhaheri

Theses

The UAE’s vision to reach space dates to 1976 when Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan met with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo group; this meeting marked the first attempt of UAE to enter the field of space science. The UAE is currently one of the top countries executing space missions and research. This research focuses on the biochemical characterization of date palm seeds that are sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in outer space. The research methodology involves biochemical analysis of seeds maintained under two different environmental conditions-microgravity and standard gravity. In total, 30–45 seeds …

Impact Of Saline Water Irrigation On Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera) Associated Bulk Soil Bacterial Communities In Oases Agroecosystem Of Uae, Fardous Abdi Ibrahim Jibar Alhashmi

Theses

Irrigation of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) with saline groundwater is routinely practiced in the arid agroecosystems of United Arab Emirates (UAE), due to freshwater scarcity. Saline groundwater irrigation is known to deposit salts in the top layers of soil and increase soil salinization. However, how increasing soil salinization affects the belowground bacterial communities, is not well investigated. Soil samples were collected from 14 different date farms where irrigation water source was either non–saline water or saline groundwater. Soil bacterial communities were identified using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The results showed that bacterial diversity (including Shannon diversity, richness, and …

Yield, Nutrient Contents And Antioxidant Levels In Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.) Grown In Aquaponic And Soil Systems, Maryam Ahmed Albedwawi

Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of Ocimum basilicum L. in both aquaponic and soil systems in the UAE climatic condition. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions. Plants were raised in aquaponic beds with ornamental fishes in different concentrations. At the same time, a set of plants were raised in pots under a greenhouse set-up. The studied parameters were morphological (total weight and leaf number, shoot and root length, number of branches), biochemical (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, anthocyanin, xanthophyll, protein, and phenol contents) and antioxidant levels (Ascorbic acid and tocopherol). For analyzing the stress effects …

Effect Of Natural Elicitors And Cold Storageperiod On Quality Improvement Of Uae Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix Dactylifera L. Cv. Khesab), Shamsa Salem Nasser Abdulla Alblooshi

Theses

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most important fruit trees grown in arid and semi-arid regions. Despite the immense capabilities of date palm, it is still a challenge to maintain fruit quality, marketability, and shelf life. The objective of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of a preharvest spray application of the natural elicitor chitosan (Ch) 1% alone and in combination with salicylic acid (SA) 2 mM and calcium chloride (Ca) 3%; (Ch, SA, Ca, Ch+Ca, Ch+ SA, Ch+ SA +Ca) on the quality parameters, shelf life and bioactive compound content of date fruit of …

Mineral Nutritional Status Of Plants Of A Public Park Under Long-Term Irrigation With Treated Sewage Effluent, Chandana Chakraborty

Theses

Treated sewage water is widely used for irrigation of urban greenery in UAE, and it contains significant number of elements that serve as nutrients for plants. The crucial unresolved question that remains, is regarding its long-term impact on the nutritional status of plants. Sulaimi Park of Al Ain was chosen as the study site. The main objective was to examine if the nutrient supply was adequate for plants. N, P, K levels were expected to exceed plant demands and micronutrient supply was assumed to be below plant requirements. To assess this, soil pH, annual nutrients input with water and elemental …

Optimising The Carcass Merit Of Irish Beef Cattle Using Genetic And Non-Genetic Information At The Animal And Herd Level, David Kenny

Theses

Failure of beef carcasses to achieve desirable carcass specifications represent inefficiencies within the supply chain, namely greater carcass processing costs and the inability of the resulting primal cuts to conform to high-value market specifications. Analysis of a representative sample of prime Irish beef cattle conducted in this thesis determined that 59% of cattle fail to achieve the desired carcass specifications of the supply chain at slaughter. The objective of this thesis was to use readily available information to define strategies that could help to reduce this statistic. Firstly, the likelihood of Irish beef carcasses achieving the desired carcass specifications was …

The Effect Of Natural Elicitors And Cold Storage Period On Quality Improvement Of Uae Date Palm Fruits (Phoenix Dactylifera, Cv. Barhi), Fatima Yaaqoub Yousef Al Shaibani

Theses

Date palm is an agricultural crop of economic importance in most Arab countries. Among the different varieties of date palms grown in the United Arab Emirates, the Barhi variety is extremely popular and is often consumed at the bisr stage (first edible stage). However, the major challenge for this fruit at bisr stage is to maintain its quality over a long period after harvest and during marketing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of preharvest spraying with a natural elicitor, namely chitosan (Ch) 1%, alone and in combination with salicylic acid (SA) 2 mM and …

Can Date Palms Planted For Urban Landscaping Purposes Serve In The Production Of Edible Fruits? An Evaluation Of Tissue Element Concentrations, Fruits Quality And Health Risks, Khattab Omar Adam Al Nidawi

Theses

More than 80.000 date palms are grown for ornamental purposes as part of public urban greenery in the city of Al Ain. The fruits that these palms produce, are often not valorized as food for humans, due to the fear that they might contain potentially hazardous pollutants, such as heavy metals. When palms are grown near roads or in urban environments, pollution might arise from the exhaust and dust produced by vehicles, industrial activities, as well as through urban waste material deposition, including irrigation with treated sewage effluent. On the other hand, many date palms grown for landscaping purposes might …

Can Home Garden Be A Safe Haven In Times Of Crisis? To Measure Householders Attitudes, Preferences And Willingness To Have Home Garden At Time Of Pandemics, Noura Mubarak Al Mansouri

Theses

The new coronavirus that has rapidly become a worldwide outbreak leads people to Self-quarantine, where work, school, and shopping have become through remote applications. Keeping fit and being healthy is important at any time, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Having a garden or outdoor space provides the opportunity to have a place that can be used to maintain a healthy life and well-being of an individual. The coronavirus lockdown has provided the time ad opportunity to create a garden that has been always wanted by householders. A Garden is a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, vegetables, and etc. …

Evaluation Of Nutrient Solutions Produced From Aqueous Extracts And Decomposition Products Of Organic Waste Materials On The Plant Growth Performance In Hydroponics, Noura Said Al Nuaimi Said Al Nuaimi

Theses

Hydroponic plant production involves the cultivation of plants in absence of soil. In this system, the supply of the plant root with water and nutritional elements occurs via a nutrient solution made of inorganic salts. Hydroponic plant cultivation often achieves higher yields, water use efficiencies and quality of crops compared with soil production. In addition, it renders the farming system independent from soil properties. However, the currently available systems rely on the steady input of non-renewable inorganic salts. Unlike soil-based systems, hydroponics, so far, do not offer feasible opportunities for recycling nutritional elements from within crop residues or organic waste …

Dynamics Biological Efficiency Of Basidiomycetes Fungi In Date Palm Leaf Waste Composting And Suitability As Growing Media, Fatema Saif Alkaabi

Theses

Soil quality and fertility status is grossly poor in arid regions. The problem is compounded due to lack of organic matter in the coarse sandy soil. Therefore, agricultural practices tend to use different organic materials like peat moss, perlite, etc., as organic materials. Despite the role of these growing media in improving the chemical and physical properties of soils, they are non-renewable resources and have high price in the market which make cultivation noneconomical. Hence, renewable resources like biowaste such as date palm leaf waste has been used as alternative source in the experiment to compare with other composting materials …

Characterization And Bioactive Properties Of Young And Mature Soybean And Their Protein Hydrolysates, Amna Khalifa Mohammed Alnuaimi

Theses

Soybeans are known for their high protein content that could be substituted for animal proteins. The potential bioactive properties of mature soybean (MS) proteins and their hydrolysates have been widely explored. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare various in-vitro bioactive properties (antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-inflammatory) of young soybean (YS) and MS flour and their protein hydrolysates when subjected to in-vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID) and enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively. In the first phase, SGID of YS and MS flour was carried out to mimic the human digestion, while in the second phase, enzymatic hydrolysis of the …

Production And Characterization Of Natural Date Fruit Powder (Pheonix Dactylifera L.), Fayeza Hasan

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to study the possibilities for production and the characterization of powder from ripened date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Various techniques including tray drying, freeze-drying, vacuum drying, microwave drying, convection drying were tested for their ability to dry the dates sufficiently to produce a dated powder. Six varieties of dates namely Barhi and Khalas (soft varieties), Sagi and Sukari (semi-dry varieties), and Barakawi and Gundeila (dry varieties) were evaluated for their drying characteristics. The drying parameters and the physicochemical characteristics were compared and a storage study for the date powder was conducted. It …

Optimisation Of Grass Measurement Technologies Through Field Experimentation And Numerical Simulation Methods, Darren Joseph Murphy

Theses

Maximising pasture utilisation through optimal grassland management is vital in terms of ensuring the economic sustainability and mitigating the environmental impact of both Irish and global pasture-based livestock production. Frequent and accurate measurement of grass quantity and quality is one of the main methods of maximising grass production and utilisation on pasture-based farms. The most prominent grass measurement tool used on Irish pasture is the rising plate meter (RPM), however, there are a range of issues with this method including operator bias, precision and difficulties in accounting for spatial variation. Currently, there is no definitive protocol for grass measurement which …

Hyperspectral Properties Of Date Palm Trees (Phoenix Dactylifera L.), Mohamed Ali Saeed Ahmed Al Abdouli

Theses

The goal of this study is to classify the Date Palm varieties based on hyperspectral signature technology since it is difficult to identify the Date Palm cultivars without fruits. It will also help to obtain the hyperspectral signature for different types of date palm trees. Moreover, it also assists to determine the wavelength fingerprint of each cultivar and to recommend the best classification protocol differentiating among different cultivars based on spectral signature. Utilizing the Hyperspectral imaging technology precisely on the leaves of different Date Palm cultivars, thus facilitating identification of date palm cultivars without the fruits and make the spatial …

Evaluation Of Phytochemical Composition And Anti-Cancer Potential In Root Extracts Of Moringa Peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori, Salama Khamis Sultan Saeed Al Kaabi

Theses

Natural products provide many bioactive lead molecules for the discovery of new medicines. Naturally, derived phytochemicals have exhibited tremendous biological activities including anticancer activity. More than 60% of antitumor medicines are closely associated with natural products. In the present study, hexane, chloroform, acetone and, methanol extracts from roots of Moringa peregrina were screened for phytochemical analysis and anticancer activity. Phytochemical analysis was performed by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anticancer potential of the extracts was done on the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and cell viability was measured using WST-1 Cell Proliferation Assay Kit. The cell line …

Hyperspectral Imaging Evaluation Of The Freshness Of Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus), Meera Hmoud Saeed Aldhaheri

Theses

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a non-destructive analytical tool that can be used for sensing multiple attributes of foods. This thesis evaluates the application of HSI for measuring the freshness of the mushroom Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus) in comparison with traditional seed methods. Three separate experiments were performed with 135 mushroom samples stored either in packed or unpacked conditions for 11 days. The overall results suggest that the HSI spectral region between 400 and 1000 nm is suitable for the inspection of mushroom freshness. Two distinguishing variables that aligned with physicochemical and microbiological analysis were recognized. Moisture loss was the main …

Functionality Assessment Of The Newly Discovered Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (Am) Fungus From Uae, Dominikia Emiratia, Laila Ahmed Al Dhaheri

Theses

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal species form symbiotic associations with the vast majority of terrestrial plants. These associations help plants to improve their water and nutrient uptake. In return, plants provide a suitable habitat for the fungi to flourish. From across the globe, approximately 300 AM fungal species have been described to date. Most recently, Dominikia emirate from UAE joined the list of known AM fungal species. It was found in Sweyhan, Abu Dhabi, associated with several plants within two different types of farming systems, namely organic and conventional. The discovery of the new species provides an opportunity for applied and …

Farm Financial Analysis For Small-Scale, Organic Mixed Vegetable Operation, Janet Ayobami Osawere

Theses

The small farmers in the United States face challenges from market uncertainties and climate variations. Many small farmers do not keep consistent financial records, thus making it difficult to analyze their profitability and make decisions in planning. This research is to use a real farm production stimulation from Goldsboro, North Carolina, to collect data from 2017 to 2018 for farm financial analysis that mimics a small-scale certified organic mixed vegetable production. The goal is to use the stimulating information from Goldsboro, North Carolina to help small-scale organic mixed vegetable farmers to identify the main strengths and weaknesses of farm operation; …

Impact Of Usmca On The U.S. Beef Industry, Theophilus Amoah

Theses

Policies implemented to govern trade between two or more countries have proved vital as it affects the economies of nations. Political inputs into trade certainly establish effects that impact the livelihood of people in the economy. Every sector in an economy faces its impacts when there are changes in trade agreements. The extent to which this impact is always significant to note as it helps to determine the sustainability of trade agreements, which in turn sets the path for sectorial and national developments. This study utilizes the Computable General Equilibrium modeling to predict the impact of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement …

Effects Of International Trade On Food Security Of Selected Low Income And Low-Middle Income Economies, Rose Anapoka Anaabah

Theses

Food security has been a challenge for most people all over the world, especially among people living in low income countries. Food security is considered a complex sustainable development issue and is linked to health through malnutrition due to poverty. Food security became a major challenge following the sharp increase in global food prices during the last decade. Several factors contribute to food security. One factor is international trade which plays a major role in shaping the economy in most countries of the world. Access to food which is supposed to be an entitlement, or a basic right can be …

Consumer Considerations Of Local Value-Added Dairy Products In North Carolina's Triangle, Gabriel Adjei Agyekum

Theses

The global and domestic dairy markets promise exciting opportunities for companies willing to adapt to a continuously evolving consumer market. However, local dairy farmers face a myriad of challenges as they navigate low milk prices, shrinking margins, increasing production cost, and a rising demand for plant-based varieties of milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy-based foods. The goal of this research was to investigate consumer behavior towards value-added local dairy products in North Carolina’s Triangle cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Data were used from an overarching project with collected data from food consumers in the triangle tri-city area using …

Development Of Multi-Class Analytical Methods For Agrochemical Contaminants, Sarah Tuck

Theses

In this project, cost-effective multi-class analytical methods were developed to detect a range of antiparasitic, feed additive and pesticide substances in foodstuffs of animal origin. These substances have the potential to enter the food chain through their occurrence as residues either through the animals themselves or other routes e.g. contamination. To ensure the continued safety of food destined for human consumption regulatory control limits have been established for permitted levels of these residues in foods of animal origin. Despite these controls the continued monitoring of foodstuffs is necessary to ensure these limits are not breached and that substances are not …

Predicting Energy And Water Consumption On Dairy Farms Through Statistical Analysis And Machine-Learning Methods, Philip Shine

Theses

With the abolishment of milking quotas across all European Union member states in April 2015, dairy farmers must adjust their farming practises to minimise milk production costs to adequately prepare for potential periods of reduced revenue. Milk production is an intense energy and water consuming process. Coupled with challenging European greenhouse gas reduction targets and legislation regarding the prevention of groundwater pollution and deterioration, increasing the production of milk in Ireland must be met with the sustainable consumption of on-farm energy and direct water resources, to ensure the future monetary and environmental sustainability of Ireland’s dairy industry. Thus, this body …

A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Study Of Male Farmers' Health Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices In Rural Kerry, Chrystal O'Brien

Theses

Aim/Background: Beliefs and attitudes about health directly and indirectly influence concomitant behaviours, practices and health outcomes. In Ireland, male farmers are experiencing a disproportionate burden of ill health in preventable lifestyle diseases, yet there is a lack of behavioural research in relation to male farmers and their health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the health beliefs, attitudes and practices of male farmers in rural Kerry, and to explore healthcare professionals' insights of male farmers' health beliefs, attitudes and practices.

Methodology: The study adopted a mixed methods design. Phase one of the study involved structured interviews with …

The Use Of Machine Learning To Detect Suckling In Pre-Weaned Calves, Sukumar Katamreddy

Theses

The weaning of cattle is a process which is known to be labour intensive and to have stressful effects on both cow and calf Common methods used in the weaning process include the temporary removal of a mother from the calf and manual observation and intervention. Early and speedy weaning is known to have a number of benefits, including health benefits for both cow and calf, additional weight gains for the calves as well as reduced labour and feed requirements. The process known as Two-Stage Weaning is recognised to be an effective low-stress approach to weaning in which the calf …

Determination Of Primordial And Anthropogenic Radionuclide Concentrations In Agricultural Soil Of The United Arab Emirates Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, Rahaf Moutaz Billah Ajaj

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated the first civilian nuclear power plant, and it will be operating four reactors between (2018-2020). The establishment of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which will employ the nuclear power to generate clean energy, is a significant step forward minimizing the UAE carbon footprint. Before the construction of any regulated nuclear facility, it is essential to investigate the environmental background radiation level in the country. Such an investigation is critical for providing the background data for the environmental impact assessment of the nuclear facility. The present study represents the first research effort in the (UAE) …

Comparative Phytochemical Screening And Antioxidant Activities Of Calligonum Comosum And Calligonum Crjnitum, Khalfan Mohamed Abdulla Ai Naqbi

Theses

Medicinal plants are vital source of present day prescription and the majority of the recommended modern medications contain their subsidiaries. Calligonum comosum and Calligonum crinitum are perennial shrub plants growing in the United Arab Emirates, and are being utilized as a part of traditional medicinal system of UAE. The aims of proposed study were to evaluate and compare the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of these two plants. The extraction and fractionation were conducted by using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity. Phytochemical studies with total phenolics and flavonoid contents were …

Economic Viability Of Direct Drilling In Ireland Compared To Conventional Drilling, Angus Griffith

Theses

With the price of fuel rising and the need for farmers to try and cut costs, and not just variable and the input cost of producing the crop need to be reduced too. It is for this reason that this project is going to focus on direct drilling (DD) vs. conventional tillage (CT) which is the most common system of production in Ireland while also looking into the difference in the costs of establishing each of the two methods. In addition, this project will determine whether or not there are any differences in soil quality and conditions as well as …