Date fruit drying is a process that consumes a significant amount of energy due to the long duration required for drying. To better understand how moisture flows through the fruit during drying and to speed up this process, drying studies must be conducted in conjunction with mathematical modeling, energy analysis, and environmental economic analysis. In this study, twelve thin-layer mathematical models were designed utilizing experimental data for three different date fruit varieties (Sakkoti, Malkabii, and Gondaila) and two solar drying systems (automated solar dryer and open-air dryer). These models were then validated using statistical analysis. The drying period for the date fruit varieties varied between 9 and 10 days for the automated solar dryer and 14 to 15 days for open-air drying. The moisture diffusivity coefficient values, determined using Fick’s second law of diffusion model, ranged from 7.14 × 10⁻¹² m²/s to 2.17 × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s. Among the twelve thin-layer mathematical models, we chose the best thin drying model based on a higher R² and lower χ² and RMSE. The Two-term and Modified Page III models delivered the best moisture ratio projections for date fruit dried in an open-air dryer. For date fruit dried in an automated solar dryer, the Two-term Exponential, Newton (Lewis), Approximation diffusion or Diffusion Method, and Two-term Exponential modeling provided the best moisture ratio projections. The energy and environmental study found that the particular amount of energy used varied from 17.936 to 22.746 kWh/kg, the energy payback time was 7.54 to 7.71 years, and the net CO₂ mitigation throughout the lifespan ranged from 8.55 to 8.80 tons. Furthermore, economic research showed that the automated solar dryer’s payback period would be 2.476 years.

Egypt is among the world’s largest producers of sugarcane. This crop is of great economic importance in the country, as it serves as a primary source of sugar, a vital strategic material. The pre-cutting planting mode is the most used technique for cultivating sugarcane in Egypt. However, this method is plagued by several issues that adversely affect the quality of the crop. A proposed solution to these problems is the implementation of a sugarcane-seed-cutting device, which incorporates automatic identification technology for optimal efficiency. The aim is to enhance the cutting quality and efficiency of the pre-cutting planting mode of sugarcane. The developed machine consists of a feeding system, a node scanning and detection system, a node cutting system, a sugarcane seed counting and monitoring system, and a control system. The current research aims to study the pulse widths (PW) of three-color channels (R, G, and B) of the RGB color sensors under laboratory conditions. The output PW of red, green, and blue channel values were recorded at three color types for hand-colored nodes [black, red, and blue], three speeds of the feeding system [7.5 m/min, 5 m/min, and 4.3 m/min], three installing heights of the RGB color sensors [2.0 cm, 3.0 cm, and 4.0 cm], and three widths of the colored line [10.0 mm, 7.0 mm, and 3.0 mm]. The laboratory test results s to identify hand-colored sugarcane nodes showed that the recognition rate ranged from 95% to 100% and the average scanning time ranged from 1.0 s to 1.75 s. The capacity of the developed machine ranged up to 1200 seeds per hour. The highest performance of the developed machine was 100% when using hand-colored sugarcane stalks with a 10 mm blue color line and installing the RGB color sensor at 2.0 cm in height, as well as increasing the speed of the feeding system to 7.5 m/min. The use of IoT and RGB color sensors has made it possible to get analytical indicators like those achieved with other automatic systems for cutting sugar cane seeds without requiring the use of computers or expensive, fast industrial cameras for image processing.

Non-traditional Oils Encapsulation as Novel Food Additive Enhanced Yogurt Safety Against Aflatoxins

Functional Yoghurt Supplemented with Extract Orange Peel Encapsulated Using Coacervation Technique