DUBAI // New agricultural technology from Japan promises to require a tenth of the water used in conventional farming.
Agricel, founded four years ago by the Japanese scientist Dr Yuichi Mori of Waseda University, grows crops without soil. Dr Mori claims it produces up to 50 per cent more food than traditional methods.
The plants are watered through a film with tiny holes. The key, says Dr Mori, is that the holes are big enough for water to pass through, but not disease-causing organisms such as viruses and bacteria.
"It's like a thin gel so it keeps the water and nutrients inside the film," said Yalman Khan, the chief executive of Agricel.
"The plants' roots attach themselves to it and suck up all the water and nutrients through the film. It's a new way of producing food."
And the company says it can be used for many crops including lettuce, chillies, melons and herbs.
It says the technology also saves fertiliser, using only a fifth as much as conventional systems.
In 2009, the company set up a 400 square metre test facility to produce cherry tomatoes in Sharjah. After six months, they were growing good, sweet tomatoes thanks to the UAE's constant sunlight.
"We named them Arabian rubies," said Kunal Wadhwani, a board member of the company.
"This is going to revolutionise farming because it's something that produces food faster, of better quality and more nutritional."
Dr Deborah Schlichting, an economist at Solvus Economics in Abu Dhabi, said the technology could be useful here.
"The private sector in the UAE is investing in interesting technologies to produce food, and this is one of them," Dr Schlichting said.
"The UAE could achieve a reasonable proportion of domestic production of green-leaf vegetables with technologies and it's important for the country to be able to localise its food production."
cmalek@thenational.ae
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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The specs
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Tips to keep your car cool
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- Park in shaded or covered areas
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- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
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