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The Ministry of Municipality's Agricultural Affairs Department and the Agricultural Research Department, in co-operation with Mahaseel for Marketing and Agricultural Services, a subsidiary of Hassad Food Company, organised a guidance programme on 'Managing Plant Water Requirements: Principles of Irrigation Calculation and Determining Quantities'. The programme was held at the Agricultural Guidance Center affiliated with Hassad Food, with the participation of 34 agriculture engineers and local farm managers. It addressed the importance of understanding Qatar’s water resources and their current situation, reviewed the key challenges related to their management, and introduced the principles of determining plant water requirements and scientifically accurate and efficient methods for calculating irrigation quantities. The programme also presented a number of proposals, most notably: developing an electronic application for managing plant water requirements, enhancing the practical and applied aspects of training programmes, and collecting farm data under the supervision of the Ministry of Municipality to issue periodic recommendations on irrigation water quantities. These steps aim to improve the efficiency of water resource use in the country’s agricultural sector. An interactive test was conducted for participants to reinforce the acquired knowledge. They received certificates at the conclusion.

An emerging field of research, known as epigenetics, has become a focal point at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation, which is making significant strides in advancing this cutting-edge discipline. In alignment with its mission to drive transformative scientific research, HBKU is exploring how a combination of environmental, lifestyle, behavioural, and genetic factors interact to influence gene expression. Dr Nady El Hajj, an associate professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences at HBKU, said, “Epigenetics is the study of how external factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and environment, affect the way our genes function. “These changes help determine how our genotype – our genetic makeup – is expressed in our phenotype – our physical traits characteristics – impacting everything from disease development to the way we age,” he explained. Dr El Hajj and his team are studying the role of epigenetics in aging and longevity, focusing on how DNA methylation – the process by which a methyl group is added to DNA – influences the aging process. “We are using a tool called epigenetic clocks that measure DNA methylation at specific sites to predict both chronological and biological age,” said Dr El Hajj. “This allows us to assess not only someone’s biological age, but also how lifestyle factors, like diet and exercise, can impact their true biological age.” According to Dr El Hajj, the significance of studying biological age cannot be overstated. “Two individuals of the same chronological age may have very different biological ages,” he says. “For example, someone with a healthy lifestyle will have a younger biological age than someone with a poor diet and unhealthy habits.” Dr El Hajj’s work extends to the detection of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease through epigenetic biomarkers. As he explains: “Epigenetic changes can occur early in disease progression, sometimes even before symptoms manifest, allowing for timely intervention.” In addition to these advancements, Dr El Hajj and his team are investigating the impact of epigenetics on mental health, particularly how traumatic experiences can leave an imprint on the epigenome. “Epigenetic modifications have been shown to affect genes linked to mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder,” he said. “People who experience trauma, whether from war or other life events, can pass on epigenetic changes that influence their mental health. This raises important questions about the potential intergenerational impact of trauma.” HBKU is also exploring how these epigenetic changes may be inherited across generations. “There is evidence that certain epigenetic modifications, especially those caused by environmental stressors, can be passed down from parents to their children,” says Dr El Hajj. “However, it is important to understand that not all epigenetic changes are inherited. During fertilisation, most epigenetic patterns are reprogrammed, but some can escape this reprogramming and be transmitted to offspring."