#MEET Irrigate and grow Cassava
This is a short interview we conducted with Mohamed Ayman, the creator of Irrigate and grow Cassava. If you like this project and would like to vote for it, click here
1. Please, tell us a bit about yourself: where are you from and what is your background?
My name is Mohamed Ayman. I am from Egypt. I am a person, who tries to serve the world with something: in Math. I have a dream, and surely, I am following up this dream. Generally, I will live a once; therefore, I have to exploit my time to do a special thing. I am raising senior in STEM school in Egypt. STEM is abbreviation to Science Technology Engineering Mathematics. This school relies on the research and the project, which is called Capstone. I like my school because it generally teaches me what the real science means. I am a person who his life clings to Math. I opposed a lot of challenges to learn Math by myself. One of these challenges is the first language: English. Specifically, I didn't indulge my mind to despair; I had learned English, as a language to deal with other people, till becoming a person who can deal with native speakers and research in English. I have been learning Calculus 1, and I have made sessions in my school to help them in Math since they know that I love the math, and I can do my best to help them on this subject.
2. Can you describe your idea or project in two sentences?
This project concentrates on agriculture. We can get the water from purification it; we can make a cassava tissue culture to get flour.
3. How did you get your idea or concept?
I have researched a lot to combine my project from purification and tissue culture. I got it from Springer - International Publisher Science, Technology, Medicine.
4. What is unique about your idea/project and how does it benefit mankind?
First of all, My project consists of three parts: Water purification, food production, and water management. Naturally, The process to purify sewage water consists of three parts: physically, chemically, and biologically, but the most research called that chemicals cause Alzheimer. Hence, I replaced this process with botanical: Moringa Oleivera seeds that have been used in water treatment work both as a coagulant and an antimicrobial agent. It has that property due to the highly concentrated positive charge in the seed,60% of its mass.The flocs settle to the bottom then it can be removed by filtration. Cassava is a double purpose crop; starch is extracted from it and it enters the baking industry.it can also be mixed with wheat flour with the percentage of 1:9 to form bread suitable for human and reduce the imports of wheat and reduce the overall consumption of wheat by 10%. Also, the cassava can be benefited from its roots due to its high content of carbohydrate and starch, and its other parts can be served as feed for animals. If cassava is introduced to Egypt, Egypt is expected to not import wheat from any other countries. Cassava yields are improved by using tissue culture that involves using small pieces of plant tissue which are cultured in a nutrient medium under sterile conditions. Nutrient media includes (gelling agent- growth regulators Macro nutrients – Micro nutrients Sucrose). Mother tissue is brought from the nodes of cassava. The mother tissue is put in MS to grow. Growth regulators are Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA-auxins) and 6 benzyl-aminopurine (BAP-cytokinins) that are responsible for the growth of shoots and roots. Gelling agents are replaced with Xanthan gum which is cheaper than agar(3-10) times. The xanthan gum will be (1%) in MS, and with (0.2%) agar. Water needs of Cassava are specified by calculating the total transpiration which water consumed of plant and evaporation of water from the soil through the following equation ETc= ETo *Kc.The ETc is the total transpiration and evaporation of crop. ETo is grass Evapotranspiration used as a reference value. Kc Is the crop coefficient which is dependent on crop characteristics affecting soil evaporation and plant transpiration; Irrigation is scheduled in different plant growth stages by specifying the time of irrigation and duration according to the accumulative plant water needs. Soil moisture is used to measure the volumetric water content in the soil as when water content increases then the soil resistivity decreases which increase the signal output as water is a good conductor as ρ = 1/ σ; ρ is the resistivity, σ is the conductivity of the medium; the resistivity is inversely proportional to the conductivity. The readings from the sensor are compared to the plant water needs for controlling solenoid valve. Trickle irrigation reduces water loss as it decreases soil percolation and surface runoffs enhancing irrigation. Finally, we can get electricity from " spherical sun power generator. "
5. Describe yourself as an entrepreneur in one sentence
The main principle in my life is that It's always the right time to do the right things
6. How do you deal with people that doubt your abilities/initiatives?
I don't care about people who frustrate me. I have to be patient because it is the main factor to prove the world who I am, and what I can do. Patience is everything; patience makes the light appear in our life.
7. Where does your passion lie?
I am very passionate about research, I think it's always amazing to blow your mind off with new information
8. What are you afraid of or what keeps you up at night?
I am afraid of being an ordinary person. I keep up pursuing my dream.
9. According to you, money is a synonym for.....
Nothing. We get money, but money can't get us.
10. If you could rid the world of three things, what would they be?
Procrastination, nepotism, and illiteracy
11. What are the benefits you take from the Entrepreneurship Campus?
I can gain experience from other people. Diversity helps people to learn new things to know the meaning of challenge. The challenge is a question: " what is the reaction when meeting new people? " I would like to deal with different people to exchange our experience.
12. What do you like more about the Entrepreneurship Campus?
I haven't seen the campus by my eyes, but with research, I see that is terrific and fabulous.
13. Which idea/project do you like most?
Till now I see my idea is the best.
NOTICE: If you want to see more submitted ideas and projects at the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, visit BEST IDEAS and BEST PROJECTS and VOTE for the ones you think deserve to WIN the Competition!
Photo via: pixabay.com
