Future of Food: Journal on Food

Optimizing irrigation requirements for almond trees grown in the South Sinai Governorate

A. A. Farag
Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki- Giza, Egypt.
M. A. A. Abdrabbo
Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki- Giza, Egypt
N. S. Kassim
Horticultural Crops Technology Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
N. E. Kasim
Horticultural Crops Technology Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

South Sinai, Egypt is considered one of the most severe governorates for water scarcity. The current work aims to optimize irrigation requirements for almond trees (Prunus dulcis, syn. Prunus amygdalus, var. nonpareil) in the El-Tor area, South Sinai. Climate data of the El-Tor area was collected from 2010 to 2014 to calculate evapotranspiration. Two evapotranspiration equations were used in this work: Penman-Monteith (complex radiation equation) and Blaney-Criddle (simple temperature equation). Regression analysis was done between the two equations to determine their agreement and calculate a correction factor in order to make the Blaney-Criddle equation more accurate under South Sinai conditions (modified Blaney-Criddle). Irrigation requirements for one- to five-year-old almond trees in South Sinai were also calculated for the last five years. This study helps the almond farmers estimate the irrigation requirements by using maximum and minimum temperature (Blaney-Criddle) instead of using many climatic parameters (Penman-Monteith). The R2 regression analysis between the two tested equations was 0.95, which means that the suggested correction factor can be used with great confidence. Although there were significant differences between ETo values calculated using Penman-Monteith and Blaney-Criddle, there were no significant differences between the modified Blaney-Criddle (with the correction factor) and Penman-Monteith. This study recommends the use of the modified Blaney-Criddle equation for almond farmers who don’t have access to the extensive climate data needed for Penman-Monteith, such as wind speed, relative humidity, sunshine hours and solar radiation. The output of this study is the accurate estimation of monthly irrigation requirements for almonds grown in South Sinai.

Keywords : Evapotranspiration ,irrigation schedule ,air temperature ,Penman-Monteith ,Blaney-Criddle .

Myanmar High School Students’ Perceptions of College and International Readiness in Western Society

Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords : international students, socioemotional well-being, mental health, identity development, intersectionality, LGBTQIA