Development of an early detection tool to assess drought stress in plants is crucial in reducing irrigation water used to grow agricultural crops. The AIDA model was developed using field data and variables that are physiologic and direct indicators of drought stress. A custom-built Spectra-Rover was constructed with infrared (IR) and RGB cameras to capture radiometric IR and RGB plant canopy images. Radiometric IR temperature, red, green, and blue light reflectance values, and soil moisture readings were used to train the AIDA model.

Eighty percent (80%) of the data was used in the training dataset and the remaining 20% was used in the validation dataset. The AIDA model validation output was very close to the actual CWSI values with a low mean absolute error. A prediction output program was coded and appended to the AIDA model to output an AIDA score. This accurately approximated the manually calculated CWSI values. If this novel AIDA model with an AIDA score is used on all tomato farms in California, approximately 26 billion gallons of irrigation water can be saved each season. 

Water pollution from heavy metal ions is high in towns and rural areas in Kenya. The ions and other pollutants in drinking water are known to cause cancer among other human ailments.

The aim of this study was to prepare and determine adsorption capabilities of untreated, acid treated avocado seeds and activated carbon on removal of Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions from drinking water and finally making a water purification system using the adsorbents.

The avocado seeds obtained from Kabare market Kenya were cleaned with deionized water then cut into small pieces, dried in the sun for one week. They were ground using blender, then dried in the sun for 2 days and packed. Some were calcined to form charcoal. Acid treatment and activation was done using 1 molar sulphuric acid in the ratios 1:2, weight to volume; while adsorption tests were done using 2g of adsorbent in 50 ml of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions in various appropriate concentrations.

The % adsorption was calculated from AAS results of samples from this study done at JKUAT. The study results showed adsorption of the Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions at 26.7% and 57.0% respectively for unmodified while the removal was 97% Cu2+ and 95% Pb2+ for modified and 87.6% Cu2+ and 89.4% for activated carbon.

The results from the study led to a conclusion of using the adsorbents in domestic and commercial water supply systems and also recommends further study on these and other cellulose materials for the adsorption of heavy metal ions and pollutants.

El presente trabajo nos muestra las diferentes enfermedades que se pueden ocasionar al ingerir agua contaminada con metales pesados ​​y el desconocimiento que vive nuestra comunidad sobre este tema, es necesario investigar y trabajar en base a ello.

También mostramos cómo construir un filtro casero o hecho a mano con materiales de nuestro contexto, lo que puede parecer insignificante, pero este prototipo de filtro que se ha diseñado es una forma de mostrar cómo podemos aprovechar los insumos que nos ofrece la naturaleza y que existen. No es necesario tener costosos recipientes y un dispensador para purificar el agua que consumimos a diario en casa.

Es de vital importancia conocer las propiedades depurativas de la cáscara de plátano verde y las enfermedades que podemos evitar consumiendo agua libre de metales pesados ​​y que nos pueden llevar a la muerte.

La elaboración de este proyecto nos ha llevado a plantear una solución para reducir la contaminación y mejorar la calidad de vida de los ciudadanos de la comunidad educativa John Fitzgerald Kennedy y de toda la población donde se ubica la unidad educativa.

La solución ha sido innovadora utilizando materiales de contexto a los que no se les da importancia pero que son muy útiles cuando les damos utilidad con ideas creativas.

In my research, I have developed and characterized a novel, hybrid, clay polymer nanocomposite, for efficient and rapid Dissolved organic matter (DOM) removal from water. A comparison was made between the nanocomposite and the most common industrial sorbent, activated carbon.

The results of the study show that the composite is an extremely efficient sorbent for DOM removal and demonstrates fast adsorption kinetics. In addition, the nanocomposite was superior to the activated carbon, four times higher efficiency.

This research examined an applicable approach for industrial solution for DOM removal. The study has shown that clay polymer nanocomposites can be an alternative sorbent for water purification.

The implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 has affected the production process of agricultural produce due to labour shortage. Agricultural workers were unable to come to work to care for crops. At the same time, the MCO has also given opportunities for budding farmers who began to show interest in gardening and making profit.

Starting from mid-2020, our school has established a small farm using fertigation farming to generate income. Fertigation, formed by two words – fertilization and irrigation; is a concept that relies on using the present irrigation line operating in existing field to inject plants with the desired fertilizers. From this idea, we have designed and proposed an automatic plant watering system, an innovative technology to make farmers work more efficiently and yield more profit.

The irrigation technics currently applied in farms are inefficient and causing excessive volume of water wastage. Artificial intelligence system that is applied in agriculture; also known as precision farming, may help farmers to efficiently control water usage thus produce a profitable crop.

Our project on automatic plant watering system named Mechatronic Fertigation, is a device system that transmits data from soil-moisture sensor to inform decisions about watering schedules besides supporting the efficiency of fertilizers in mass production of agriculture.

If moisture in the soil is considered at the optimum amount, plants can wealthily absorb water. The data obtained from the Mechatronic Fertigation helps farmers to increase their profit by learning how to take care of their crops and determining the ideal amount of water and fertilizer to use. By allowing humans to grow food in urban areas, this technology may have the capacity to reduce deforestation. 

The aim of our research is to examine the impact of extreme rainfall distribution caused by climate change on the extent of soil erosion and to develop a proposal to make water management more efficient and to reduce soil erosion processes.

Our research was carried out in the northern part of Szekszárd in the Parásztai-Séd valley, where the typical agricultural activity is viticulture. We began our studies by analyzing precipitation data for the last forty years in the city. Soil samples were collected, soil texture determination and soil erosion estimation were performed. The runoff of Parásztai-Séd and the amount of suspended solids carried by water were measured, and then the water management of the soil was examined.

Our studies have proofed that the distribution of precipitation is becoming more and more extreme. The soil type of the valley is sensitive to erosion, which is already exceeding the rate of soil formation in the vineyards. The highest displacement is typical during times of extreme precipitation. The water management of the top of the soil is sensitive to drought periods and for the slow vertical water flow. Overall, water conservation and soil erosion prevention measures are needed in the valley.

In addition to the traditional solutions, the Ecotany model we developed could also be applied. Part of the project was the design of a rainwater harvesting device that, thanks to its automated operation, would not only reduce the impact of rainfall on soil erosion, but also prevent the development of plants by shading during the rainless period. Thirdly, the gradual return of the collected water to the production area would also reduce the effects of wind erosion and feed the vegetation covering the ground.

The installation of the eco-farm model and the associated stormwater collector comes at a high cost, which not all farmers can afford, so we wanted to develop a new cheaper and also efficient solution. Mulching has long been a technique used to prevent erosion in vineyards, and we wanted to improve its efficiency. This is to prevent the water flowing down the hill from accelerating because the soil trap absorbs the water thanks to the layered mulch. The soil traps were re-done every 10-15 meters so that if one of the traps was full of water, the water could not accelerate again.

The method was subjected to a control measurement several times after rain, where we could prove our theory, the method works. With this inexpensive and proven effective method of control, every farmer can protect themselves against erosion caused by extreme weather events.

Oil spills can cause serious damage to resources in the fisheries and aquaculture sector through physical contamination, toxic effects on fish and shellfish stocks and business interruption. In some cases, effective protection measures and cleanup can prevent or minimize damage. As a result of this, the ideas of looking for possible solutions arise. This is how our research tries to contribute to the ecosystem, capturing the hydrocarbons present on the Caldera coast, with the use of human hair filters (F.C.H.) in artisanal fishing boats.

Dans la commune d’Abomey-Calavi, la Société béninoise des eaux (SONEB) ne couvre pas toutes les communes dans la distribution d’eau potable. Cette situation oblige les ménages qui n’ont aucun moyen de forer à utiliser l’eau du puits pour tous les usages domestiques, y compris la boisson. 

Les résultats obtenus sur les trois échantillons pour les analyses montrent que les eaux ménagères sont dures. Les résultats obtenus sur les trois échantillons concernant la dureté révèlent que les eaux sont dures. En conséquence, les ménages font face à des dépenses financières. Ceci est d’une importance cruciale pour notre projet.

There’s nothing fantastic about bottles made out of single-use plastic – yet, they are everywhere! 11 million metric tons of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year, and 8 million tons of that number constitutes of single-use plastic bottles. The safeguarding of oceans starts on land – it starts with each one of us. This is the pivotal belief that My Water Bottle Project rests on. My Water Bottle Project is a gamified platform meticulously designed to discourage the use of single-use plastic water bottles and strengthen water security. The project is focused on the places which groom future change makers and global citizens – schools. It aims to embed a deep sense of responsibility in young minds and inspire them to take action. I trialled My Water Bottle Project at my school and the results showed an impressive decrease in single-use plastic water bottle usage, thus validating the fact that it is small actions taken at the individual level which will lead to huge, impactful, cumulative results.