SHARJAH // Scientists at a seed and soil laboratory in Sharjah are attacking plant diseases at their roots.
Inaugurated in February, the Plant Health Laboratory at the Ministry of Environment and Water is helping farmers to improve their crops with systems to kill parasites that could infect the roots of plants.
A team of four specialists at the lab is seeking to increase biosecurity and food safety in the UAE.
"It is vital to protect our agriculture from diseases, locally and from abroad, because they can be truly destructive to our plants," said Dr Khader Sobhy Ibrahim Abufool, the unit's plant pathology specialist.
The first of its kind in the UAE, the lab started its work last October by importing different seeds, plants and soil from abroad for testing.
Soil samples from local farms and government departments are also sent to the lab to be diagnosed for disease-causing agents.
The nematology section of the lab is used for detecting worms in grass, sand and soil. Parasitic nematodes, or worms, found in soil can infect the plant's roots by penetrating them with stiff, needle-like organs called stylets.
"They can be very dangerous because they push the stylet into plant cells and inject a liquid containing enzymes, which prevents nutrients [getting] from the soil to the plant," Dr Abufool said. "Root-knot nematodes are guaranteed pests, as well as most insects that come through plants and flowers, such as whiteflies and leaf miners."
Any soil sample from abroad containing a disease that cannot be cured by the lab, or contains any dangerous worms, is sent back.
Sand testing takes 10 minutes while potted soil require 40 minutes. Non-potted soil tests take at least an hour. A spot-check instrument with which an infection can be noticed in only 30 seconds is also used in the lab.
The division at the lab that tests imported seeds contains hundreds of seeds duplicated in a germinator to avoid contamination.
From cucumbers, melons, onions and okra to tomatoes, flowers and Rhodes grass, the seeds are carefully covered to keep their moisture.
"We inspect the seeds' germination, purity and pests," said Dr Abufool. "If there is a problem with any seed, we can see it directly through the covers as it starts moulding."
After being tested, the seeds are sent to private agricultural companies and farms across the country.
If a disease is detected in a soil sample from local farms it is taken into the plant pathology lab where Dr Nida Fadel Rasheed, the unit's agricultural engineer, isolates fungi - organisms that can kill plant cells before absorbing their nutrients.
The seeds are then placed in an incubator for a period of between three days and a week to identify the type of fungus and whether or not it can cause diseases.
The lab has succeeded in greatly reducing the incidence of seed and soil disease in the country, Dr Rasheed said.
Aisha Amiri, the acting director of the ministry's laboratories department, said: "It is the first defence for agriculture in the UAE and it can protect biosecurity by preventing any guaranteed pests from entering the country."
Rapid diagnostics will help to increase the standards of food safety and biosecurity in the UAE by drawing effective plans for the control, prevention and treatment of the source of food, the scientists said.
"We need to guarantee healthy food for everyone in the UAE because it really is the basic need," Dr Rasheed said.
cmalek@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The%20Woman%20King%20
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
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SPECS
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
SPECS
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The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
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