Agro10 by Shai Klayman

Issue#1 February 2016

The First International Digital Agricultural Magazine

World Food Security

Plant Agriculture and Protection

Soil, Water and Climate

Animal Agriculture

Israeli Agricultural Projects

<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

The people behind the magazine Editorial team General Development and Management - Edna Ziv Editor in Chief - Dr. Haim Zaban Assistant Editor - Deena Fraiman Meir Language editing and proofreading - Deena Fraiman Meir Translation - Rebecca Bierman Contributors Tobias Mendelovici • Sandy Cash • Avi Obligenarz • Yitzhak Bar- Zakai • Dr. Ron Maron • Dr. Victor Alchanati • Jspace Staff • Gerry Kelman • Martyn Fisher • Avnit Rifkin • Prof. Ada Rafaeli • Shafrir Godel • Deena Fraiman Meir • Prof. Vinnie Altstein • Dr. David Nestel • Sharon Kabalo • Patricia Imas Steering committee Dr. Arie Regev • Ilan Fluss • Yakov Poleg • Prof. Yoram Kapulnik • Hanan Bazak • Prof. Haim Rabinowitch • Zvi Alon • Avshalom Vilan • Gerry Kelman • Prof. Amram Ashri • Yossi Malul • Kobi Bogin Professional consulting Yoram Tabibi • Yakov Kaniel • Ahuvit Friedman Lahav Production Dorin Segev Graphic design Cover and interior pages design: Carmit Rosenblum, “Duet Design” Graphic supervision: Carmit Rosenblum Cover photograph MASHAV and CINADCO drip irrigation project in Senegal. Photograph courtesy of MASHAV, Tami Eran Shushan, MASHAV employee. Special thanks to Ministry of Agriculture- Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel and the Ministry’s Director General Shlomo Ben David • Deputy Head of MASHAV Ilan Fluss • Director of CINADCO Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation Yakov Poleg • Director, Foreign Relations Department, Deputy Director, Foreign Trade Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Arie Regev • Director General of the Plant Production and Marketing Board Zvi Alon • Agricultural Marketing Consultant and Israel Correspondent for EuroFruit Magazine Gerry Kelman • and to all the institutes, organizations and companies who contributed to the magazine, as well as to the steering committee and other contributors who provided materials, information and images • Special thanks to “Tchelet Tikshoret” management. You may not reproduce, copy, record, translate, store in databases or transmit in any way or by any means; electronic, optical, mechanical, or otherwise any part of this magazine. Commercial use of any type of material contained in this magazine is strictly prohibited without the express permission in writing from the publisher. 5776 2016 @ All rights reserved to Tchelet Tikshoret Rural Area Magazine Group – 53 Menachem Begin St. Tel Aviv • Content and editing – responsibility of Zenovar • Commercial content- responsibility of the publisher English edition 2016

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Dear Readers,

many years of experience managing numerous Israeli agricultural and rural area's magazines and organizing related exhibitions have inspired in me a strong desire to help bring Israeli agricultural knowledge and innovation to the attention of an international audience. I hope that publicizing these developments will help to enhance and strengthen international agricultural collaboration, to promote food security throughout the world. The need to ensure the global food supply is one of the most critical challenges facing the world today. Rapid population growth underscores the need to develop efficient methods for the production of highquality food. These efforts require extensive research and development programs of the highest quality. Throughout its history, Israeli agriculture has excelled in its ability to combine innovative research with the successful implementation of new discoveries in the field. The challenging climatic conditions found in Israel and the country’s very limited supply of freshwater have fueled the development of technologies to facilitate efficient irrigation, purification and use of treated wastewater, use of brackish water and biocontrol of crop pests. The impressive achievements of Israeli agriculture have fortified Israel’s position as a global leader in agricultural R&D and have earned the country a well-deserved international reputation for excellence in this field.

The international digital magazine AgroIsrael represents the collaboration of a number of different governmental and academic institutions, including the Israel Ministry of Agriculture, MASHAV- the Israel's Agency for International development, CINADCO - the Center for International Agricultural Development & Cooperation, ICA in Israel, the Israel Export Institute, the Israel Latin America Chamber of Commerce, the Volcani Center and Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture, and many others. I hope that this magazine will serve as a source of valuable information for those involved in the agricultural industry, including governmental organizations around the world, R&D organizations, academic researchers and commercial enterprises, and that AgroIsrael will serve as a catalyst for enhanced international cooperation, characterized by the cross-pollination of ideas, the exchange of knowledge and technology, and the promotion of agriculture throughout the world for the ultimate benefit of global food security. My heartfelt thanks go out to the Steering Committee and to all of the writers, editors, graphic artists and production personnel who have worked so hard to bring AgroIsrael to you. I would also like to thank the executives at Tchelet Communications and the Rural- area's Publications team. Special thanks are also directed to the Ministry of Agriculture, the International Cooperation Center and the Jewish National Fund for their support of this important project. I hope you enjoy reading AgroIsrael. Sincerely, Edna Ziv Founder and Manager, AgroIsrael Director of the Rural Area's newspapers Group

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Steering Committee

Dr. Arie Regev Director, Foreign Relations Department Deputy Director, Foreign Trade Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Prof. Yoram Kapulnik Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center

Ilan Fluss Deputy head of MASHAV

Hanan Bazak Director of the Agricultural Extension Services, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Jaakov Poleg Director of CINADCO

Haim D. Rabinowitch, Professor (emeritus) Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

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Zvi Alon Director General of the Plant Production and Marketing Board

Gabriel Hayon, CEO Israel Latin America Chamber of Commerce

Amram Ashri, Professor (emeritus) Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Gerry Kelman Agricultural Marketing Consultant and Israel Correspondent for EuroFruit Magazine

Avshalom Vilan Chairman of the Israeli’s Farmer’s Federation

Zeev Miller CEO of ICA, the Jewish Colonization Association

Yossi Malul Editor in Chief of “The Dairy Farm and Milk” magazine of Tchelet Tikshoret - Rural Area Magazine Group

Kobi Bogin CEO of Alef Bet PLANNERS LTD.

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Editor's note

gricultural

production growth rate slowed in the second half of the 20th century, raising concerns that the available food supply would not meet demands of the ever-growing global population. Despite a current decline in the rate of global hunger, represented by the percentage of the global population suffering from malnutrition, which has decreased from 18.7% to 11.3% worldwide and from 23.4% to 13.5% in developing countries in the last decade,1 poverty still exists, and is still a leading cause of malnutrition and dietary insecurity. The main agricultural factors of production are land, water, labor, capital, knowledge and marketing. Israel, located in a semi-arid region of the world, faces a significant shortage of some of these production factors, particularly land and water. Nevertheless, investment in agricultural innovations achieved through correctly executed research has fueled growth in the production of various plant crops and animal products. Water is the main production factor in short supply both in Israel and around the globe. In Israel, the cost of water for irrigation is extremely high due to the need to transport it from the north (the KinneretSea of Galilee area) to the central and southern regions of the country. As a result, farmers have to consider their options carefully in order to generate the highest return on each cubic meter of water used. The main irrigation methods practiced in Israel used to be flood irrigation and furrow irrigation, but over time more efficient methods of irrigation were developed. The three main irrigation methods currently in practice are: sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation and mechanized irrigation. The use of these irrigation methods is the driving force behind the ongoing decrease in water usage in agriculture.

In the early 1900s a farmer grew enough food to provide for his family alone, while at the end of the 20th century a farmer produced food for 15 families. This dramatic change was a result of the technological developments achieved throughout the 20th century. The successful implementation of these new technologies enabled the reduction in the number of those working in agriculture alongside a constant increase in agricultural production. At the same time, these technological advancements required farmers to acquire scientific knowledge and expanded technological, organizational and management skills. To better deal with the shortage of land and water, Israeli policymakers decided that high quality information must be abundant and accessible, and thus provided the foundation for what turned out to be the unique phenomenon of the formation of support teams composed of researchers, farmers and agricultural instructors, which led to the development of many agricultural innovations. The goal of AgroIsrael is to showcase these innovations. We invite you to send us your comments, thoughts and articles on the subject of agricultural innovations to benefit farmers and the industry as a whole. Dr. Haim Zaban - Editor Deena Fraiman Meir - Assistant Editor

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FAO, (2014) The State of Food Insecurity in the World, Rome

Index

2 3 4 6 8 10 14

People behind the magazine Dear reader by Edna Ziv Steering Committee Editor’s note by Dr. Haim Zaban and Deena Fraiman Meir A Taste for Innovation by Yitzhak Bar-Zakai Agricultural Extension Service by Avi Obligenarz Israeli Agriculture: A case study of innovation and entrepreneurship by Shafrir Godel

World Food Security 18 Manna on the Menu by Sandy Cash 24 Volcani Signs Agreement with the WFPC by Prof. Ada Rafaeli 26 Israeli Technology and The Next food Crisis by Dr. Ron Maron and Dr. Victor Alchanati 32 34 36 40 42 44 46

Plant Agriculture and Protection Israeli Scientists Growing Sesame Agriculture by Jspace staff Scientists plan to cut insect pest populations by Prof. Vinnie Altstein Filling in the Gaps by Gerry Kelman and Martyn Fisher Israeli easy peelers show promise by Gerry Kelman Israeli breeders identify new trends by Gerry Kelman Fruit Fly Net News by Dr. David Nestel ‘Orri’ - The Best Mandarin in the World by Tal Amit

Soil, Water and Climate 50 Introducing Polysulphate by Patricia Imas Animal Agriculture 56 Milk and Money: Israel's Dairy Technology Exports by Deena Fraiman Meir Israeli Agricultural Projects 60 Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Senegal by Sharon Kabalo 66 AgroProject by Avi obligenarz 68 Branching out: The International school at the Faculty of Agriculture by Deena Fraiman Meir

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A Taste for Innovation

In this edition, we focus on new crops and cultivars in Israel By Yitzhak Bar-Zakai

Developing Truffle Production

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A new development from Northern R&D (part of the Galilee Development Company) will allow the production of truffles in Israel, for the very first time. To date, these valuable fungi have only been available in Israel as imports from abroad. A game-changing development in research that has been conducted for several years by Northern R&D, under the leadership of Ofer Danay, has led to the development of a highquality truffle cultivar that will be cultivated on the roots of oak trees in agricultural areas of the Galilee and Golan Heights. Dogs are being trained to sniff out these truffles. In Europe, a grower can get 300 Euros for a kilogram of truffles. The new cultivar was presented at the Agricultural R&D Open House held at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Yardlong Beans that Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Make You Gassy

Ein Yahav public relations

Farmers in the Arava have begun growing a new cultivar of yardlong bean that has particularly long pods and is sweeter than other cultivars. The yardlong bean does not cause the production of gas in the digestive system, solving a problem that has long troubled both lovers of beans and those around them. Yardlong bean is very popular in Southeast Asia. In that region, people eat the pods together with the beans in salads, steamed and as an ingredient in other dishes. They also use yardlong bean in desserts, taking advantage of its natural sweetness. According to Itai Gal of Ein Yahav, trellising is used in the production of yardlong beans. This gives the large pods, whose length can reach 30 cm, a nicer appearance and prevents the bruising and scarring that appear on pods grown close to the ground.

Taro

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Taro is a tuber crop (like potato) that is a traditional staple food in many developing countries in Africa, Asia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Taro has good nutritional qualities, with high levels of protein, as well as starch, vitamins and minerals. The large leaves of the taro plant are also steamed and eaten. One or two Israeli growers have begun to grow taro commercially.

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Ein Yahav public relations

"Esmerelda" – A New Seedless Eggplant One of the frustrating challenges faced by eggplant lovers is the removal of seeds that add bitterness to eggplant dishes. Most of the time, some of the juicy eggplant flesh is lost as the seeds are removed. The farmers of Ein Yahav have begun to market a new cultivar that will bring an end to the chore of picking out these seeds – a seedless eggplant. The new cultivar has an attractive external appearance, a pleasing form and a shiny black color. It’s relatively heavy, with an average fruit weight of 400 grams, due to the fact that the fruits are solid without the hollow core found in many other eggplant cultivars. Eggplant fans who over the years have learned to avoid large eggplants because they generally contain many seeds will fully enjoy these eggplants. The new cultivar is naturally pollinated. It has a particularly long shelf-life of two weeks. Consumers can purchase these eggplants and then cook or fry them any time within that period without worrying that they will go bad before they are needed.

Zeraim Gedera -The Seed Company public relations

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Bitter Cucumber Why is there a bitter cucumber? Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family and, like other members of this family, they produce chemicals known as cucurbitacins, which are very bitter. In large quantities, cucurbitacins can make a person ill. Most of the time, these chemicals are found only in the leaves and stems of the plant. But, under certain conditions such as high temperature, uneven irrigation, temperature fluctuation and certain genetics, these chemicals can find their way into the fruit, giving those fruits a bitter flavor. There are those who turn this problem into an advantage for the production of a bitter liquid that is used in cocktails. In Israel, individual vegetable growers have recently begun commercial production of bitter cucumbers.

‘Nofar’ – A New Tomato Zeraim Gedera, long known as an expert in the production of high-quality vegetable seeds, especially tomato seeds, recently introduced a new tomato cultivar – ‘Nofar’. This cultivar produces clusters of fruit, with five fruits per cluster. It has excellent levels of fruit solids, an attractive appearance and high yields, including a high percentage of marketable fruit. Average fruit weight is 150-160 grams. ‘Nofar’ is also resistant to Tomato yellow curl virus. This cultivar was developed by Dr. Yehudit Milau and Naomi Gavish of the Institute of Plant Sciences at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot. Dr. Milau told us that the development of this cultivar began as part of a project focused on long-season greenhouse cultivars and plantings in Spain. The unique feature of this cultivar is its long shelf-life, which is longer than that of any other tomato. The tomato fruits are uniform in size and are not particularly large or small. After tasting, it was noted that this tomato lacks both aroma and flavor. Dr. Milau responded that its long shelf-life gives it an advantage for shipping to European markets, which is more valuable than flavor and aroma.

<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

Agricultural Extension Service By Avi Obligenarz

ince

it began to operate in its current format in 1965, the Israel Extension Service has been a center for the study of methods of disseminating professional knowledge and research findings to farmers and has served as the main professional avenue of the Israel Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. “The agricultural extension service is a professional body that links growers with those producing agricultural research, mainly, the Volcani Center. Since we’re always in the field, we serve as the eyes, ears, hands and legs in the field, and provide guidance all the way to the

individual farmer,” noted Hanan Bazak, the head of the Extension Service. As the Extension Service includes experts in a range of agricultural subjects, it also provides information and consulting services to other parts of the Ministry of Agriculture, the government and other public and private organizations in the agricultural sector. The Extension Service’s objectives are set based on the policies and goals of the Ministry of Agriculture and the current situation in different parts of the agricultural sector. The

Field visit for Israelis

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assignment given to each agent includes a detailed description of the methods and tools to be used as he or she works toward the defined goals, including plans for professional development and methods of transferring information to growers. The Extension Service serves all farmers, as well as other clients involved in every aspect of agricultural production in every part of the country. “We collect information from research institutes in Israel and abroad and produce, develop and apply objective, unbiased information, to provide solutions for problems that arise in the field. Extension agents work on an ongoing basis to identify needs and improve production methods, with an eye on different aspects of production, such as land, water, labor and energy. The overarching goal of the organization is to build up the capabilities of the agricultural sector by providing highquality professional guidance to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the agricultural sector for the next generation.” Modern agriculture requires the professionalization of practical work and multi-disciplinary knowledge, including entrepeneurship and management. One of the important challenges the Extension Service has set for itself in recent years is the training of the next generation, including the grown children of current farmers and young people who are interested in working in agriculture. This training is carried out within the framework of the Agricultural Futures course, which lasts a full year and provides participants with both practical knowledge and the theoretical foundation needed to establish a farm from A to Z, as well as tools for success to help the young farmers make a respectable livelihood. The course, which is subsidized by the Ministry of Agriculture and which, according to

Consulting in Ukraine

Bazak, has been very successful, is divided into three semesters: one that serves as an introduction, one involving specialization in a specific area and one focused on business and marketing. In keeping with its mission, the Extension Service serves as a conduit for knowledge and ideas for the development of comparative advantages in different parts of the agricultural sector, particularly with regard to foreign markets. The guidance provided by the Extension Service is tailored to the needs of the recipients, on the individual and group level, and includes professional field tours, study days and courses. Ongoing consulting services are provided free of charge and growers are asked to pay a symbolic fee only for courses and continuing-education programs. Bazak emphasized that the Extension Service’s activities serve growers, as well as other professional organizations interested in the latest information regarding different parts of the agricultural sector. He also emphasized the Extension Service’s contribution to increased public awareness of agriculture through its website and conferences that are open to the general public. In addition, written advice is available to growers through Recommendation Pages, crop bulletins, production protocols, extension videos, summarized findings of research projects and field experiments, and professional publications.

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The Extension Service is made up of professional units that are organized in divisions focused on different branches of agriculture: Vegetable and Field Crops, Fruit, Flowers and Plant Engineering, Livestock, a Service Division (including Crop Protection, Mechanization and Field Services), Agroecology, and Consulting and Management. The main wealth of the organization lies in its staff members, who possess high levels of education and exceptional learning abilities. Extension Service agents do not only transfer and apply knowledge, but are also involved in the production of practical knowledge through research, field trials, observations, model farms, model plots, surveys and special projects carried out by the different research and development units of the Ministry of Agriculture. “All of our research is applied research, shortterm studies lasting one or two years that have small budgets, on topics such as water, a new pest or checking the genes of a new cultivar, in order to improve it.” Over the years, the Extension Service has undergone a number of changes aimed at making it better positioned to respond to changing conditions, in terms of personnel and in terms of changes occurring in the sector. In 2008 and 2009, an organizational change was made in the organization, as a switch was made from a decentralized system to a more centralized one. The new organizational design

introduction of pollination technology - Ukraine

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allows for flexibility in the management of the Extension Service’s 150 employees, most of whom work in extension, either as national extension agents based at the headquarters in Beit Dagan or regional agents based at one of the five regional offices of the Ministry of Agriculture. “Extension agents positioned in a particular regional office do not work only in that region, but move around in keeping with the needs of the organization and every farmer knows exactly who to call when necessary.” Its contributions to farm development and optimization have earned the Extension Service an excellent reputation both at home and abroad. The organization receives many inquiries from individuals and high-ranking delegations from foreign agricultural institutions, who are interested in closely studying the methods of the organization responsible for the production of agricultural knowledge and its dissemination throughout the agricultural sector. “We are seen as a model by many nations that want to build similar organizations. Many countries privatized their extension services and quickly discovered that they were better off returning to a public system that is unbiased and focused on the common good.”

Field visit for Israelis

In addition, the Extension Service conducts week-long continuing-education courses for representatives of foreign countries who are sent to Israel to study the local agriculture. These courses include five days of practical work and one day of theoretical studies.

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In parallel, extension agents play an active role in guiding agricultural delegations that arrive from abroad, mainly from developing countries, for continuing-education course on topics such as orchards and crop protection. As part of their ongoing work, extension agents are sometimes asked to serve the State of Israel as part of short missions to developing countries, including providing advice, carrying out surveys and training farmers and local professional organizations within the framework of activities organized by MASHAV Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, which is part of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, and by CINADCO - Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation, which is a part of the Ministry of Agriculture. Bazak noted that representatives of the Extension Service sometimes take part in long-term projects. For example, over a 10-year period, agents specializing in cattle provided guidance for the establishment of an innovative dairy in China. Extension agents are also asked to participate in field tours, continuing-education programs

and professional conferences in Israel and abroad. Their participation in professional activities overseas allows the Extension Service to gather crucial information on new trends and technologies, to visit research projects and field studies, and to share information as they present lectures and build relationships with similar organizations and individuals from around the world who are active in their field. Information gathered abroad is examined and, if deemed suitable, is disseminated by the Extension Service to farmers and other professionals working in Israel. Dramatic changes and unstoppable modernization in the agricultural sector necessitate continuous training and development of knowledge among extension agents. Bazak explained that the unique nature and added value of the Extension Service lies in its “very high-quality guidance and development of up-to-date, practical knowledge for Israeli farmers and, on the other side of the coin, the transfer of consulting services and practical knowledge to foreign countries. Israeli agriculture has a reputation as a world leader and sits at the top of the pyramid for agricultural innovation, extension methods, range of cultivars and new technologies. Many countries are thirsty for our agricultural knowledge and we must make sure that Israel maintains its position as an international leader in this field.” •

Photos: Zeidan Omar

Training in Israel

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Israeli Agriculture

A case study of innovation and entrepreneurship Shafrir Godel

Israel

is considered to be one of the most innovative nations and, indeed, is often described as the 'Startup Nation'*. The Israeli business atmosphere encourages innovation, inventiveness and creativity. This is true for many sectors, including agriculture. Israeli agriculture holds a number of productivity world records and is famous for its agricultural achievements and efficient use of scarce resources of land, water and labor. Israeli farmers and agri-businessmen are known for being early and fast adapters to new technologies. So what has worked for Israeli agriculture? How can a relatively young nation have such advanced

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agriculture? What has made Israel a leading force in world agriculture? What are the key factors of Israeli agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success? Understanding the answers can assist many nations in their struggle to ensure food security for their people. Innovation and entrepreneurship at all stages of the agricultural value chain have been keys to the success of Israeli agriculture. In this regard, the government, academy and R&D centers, farmers, service and input companies, and fresh produce exporters all play crucial roles. The innovative advantage is neither permanent nor static, but requires the ongoing combined efforts of all parties in the agriculture value chain.

Components of an effective ecosystem for innovative agriculture

An Israeli team guiding Indian farmers

Fresh produce traders and exporters Private sector: manufacturers, suppliers and professional service providers

PRODUCTIVE FARMERS

Academy and applied r&d

Government

This support system provides funding, regulation, legal support, R&D, infrastructure, networking and marketing support.

>> What is a supportive atmosphere for innovation?

Rapid change

A supportive atmosphere** is an ecosystem combining four major elements that help the farmer maintain a productive farming unit. These players work together to address agronomic, post-harvest, business and market challenges by providing effective solutions for the agriculture value chain.

Innovative changes are happening faster, borders are open and there are more players around the globe that influence us. The distribution of innovative solutions is much faster than in the past. Agriculture's stakeholders must be aware of the need to move faster, to adapt to changes more quickly and sometimes to abandon solutions, technologies and even markets that are at the heart of today's commercial activities.

Upcoming challenges

Takeover by international companies

The meaning of innovation is changing! The nature of innovation today is different from what it was a few decades ago. Today's innovation is based on computation and data analysis. In the near future we will have to collect data, analyze it and provide solutions in â&#x20AC;&#x153;real timeâ&#x20AC;? in order to maintain Israel's innovative advantage.

Globalization enables international conglomerates to dominate the market. These large organizations may not always be innovative or enthusiastic to promote change. In recent years many of the leading Israeli companies were bought by international conglomerates or invested in by VC funds. Both hold a very different set of goals and strategies from

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the companies themselves. Israeli companies that once saw niche markets as their primary markets, which required of them innovative thinking and solutions, are now serving international companies' goals that focus on productivity, volume and market domination.

The decreasing involvement of government Since the early days of Israel the government has shown a deep interest and involvement in the agricultural sector. It has taken a major role in infrastructure investments, offered a well-developed free extensions service, given loans and subsidies to farmers, held a major share of Agrexco - the national fresh produce export company, and developed R&D centers - academic as well as applied research institutes. This involvement has had a tremendous influence on the progress and achievements of Israeli agriculture. In recent years the government has been

pulling out of many of its activities in the agricultural sector. There are many reasons for this new approach, but the bottom line is that the government now plays a smaller role in shaping the nature of Israeli agriculture and its value chain. As the diagram above shows, the government is an essential part of the agricultural innovative network, without which that network is in jeopardy.

>> The potential for contributions to food security and food safety around the globe The lessons Israel has learned can be utilized by other nations facing similar challenges. Countries that have not secured their food supply, face a shortage of resources and/or seek economic solutions for remote and peripheral regions, can learn from the Israeli case study about how to produce more with fewer resources and how to approach new markets. Countries that choose to learn from the Israeli experience will find Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government agencies and private sectors eager and enthusiastic to cooperate. â&#x20AC;˘

Shafrir Godel is the founder of AgriQuality (www.agriquality.net) * 'Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle' is a 2009 book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer about the economy of Israel ** Support to some of the ideas presented in this article can be found in publications made by the Israel Innovation Institute http://www.israelinnovation.org.il/

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1 Chapter

World Food Security Plant Agriculture and Protection

Soil, Water and Climate

Animal Agriculture

Projects Around the World

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World Food Security

Manna

on the Menu

TAU steps up to the plate on global food security Sandy Cash

In 2011,

opening shots were fired in a uniquely Israeli revolution, when the rising price of cottage cheese - a staple of the Israeli diet - sparked a consumer boycott that evolved into summer-long street protests focusing on a wide range of economic issues. According to Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Director of Tel Aviv University's recently established Manna Program in Food Safety and Security, this is just one example of how, when facing the challenge of feeding the world's growing population, a veritable smorgasbord of factors must be taken into account. "In the cottage cheese protests, outrage erupted because in Israel, like in most developed nations, we take the availability of affordable food for granted," says Chamovitz, a noted plant geneticist who directs TAU's Manna Center for Plant Biosciences and is also a teacher, science commentator and author. But soon, Chamovitz says, scarcity could be on the menu.

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"Fifty years ago, the Earth's population was three billion, and we're up to seven billion today. By the year 2050 the population will hit nine billion. We'll need to feed these people in an era of dwindling resources - including land, water and fertilizer and may also have to contend with the challenge of climate change. To produce enough culturally-appropriate nutrition for everyone, we need to create an integrated strategy that links plant science and agricultural research with economics, law, public policy, and the humanities," asserts Chamovitz.

Prof. Danny Chamovitz, whose research focuses on plant proteomics, does pro bono consultation for governmental agencies on food security. His popular science book What a Plant Knows was the basis for a recent TAU Coursera course that enrolled over 34,000 students from around the world. Photos courtesy of Mana program for food security, University of Tel Aviv.

This integrated approach is at the heart of the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security, which puts TAU's unique confluence of experts to work training the next generation of academics and practitioners who will focus on food-related issues. The program offers MA/MSc and PhD studies and an international summer school - all taught in English. Scholarships awarded by the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences are helping bring international students to campus. At the same time, seed money for special projects is enabling Israeli graduate students to conduct food security-related research abroad. The goal, writ large: to step up to the plate - and fill it - with Israeli food security leadership.

>> Manna from heaven: The Gates connection Reaching this goal just became a little easier, thanks to a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private charitable trust in the world. Currently supporting wheat research at the University's Institute for Crop Improvement, the Gates Foundation is also helping TAU connect with people and organizations working to improve food security in Africa. One Gates-sponsored Ugandan wheat scientist is already scheduled to join a TAU lab. "Tel Aviv is the only university in Israel, and one of a few worldwide, that promotes the creation

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and dissemination of practical strategies for food security based on a truly comprehensive academic approach," Chamovitz says. "Research activity going on in many of TAU's departments - not just plant sciences - is what inspired Bill Gates to become involved with us."

>> Exporting Israeli know-how Along with bringing foreign scientists to the campus, the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security provides Israeli students with educational opportunities abroad. For example, Yannay Shanan, a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s candidate in economics, recently traveled to Nepal, together with fellow TAU graduate student Matan Hoffmann, to evaluate the effectiveness of an Israeli aid organization's training program for local farmers. "I worked in a hilly area called Ramechhap where villagers grow crops, but where the scarcity of irrigation sources means that many plots stay uncultivated, and many households don't grow enough to sustain themselves," Shanan recounts. "I evaluated a training program sponsored by an Israeli NGO that teaches farmers how to improve crop yields. Villagers were shown how to use natural pesticides and fertilizers, how to operate mini-greenhouses and how to grow crops that aren't native to the region, such as wheat. My goal was to design a study that would measure the impact of this teaching activity, to see if the training actually improves the well-being of the local community." Shanan's investigation in Nepal put the economic principles he'd learned in the classroom to practical use. "It was a great experience to design the study, and to assist in the collection of data that could help us assess the impact of this type of program on foodsecurity outcomes," he says. "It's been said that you can't fully understand developing world economies without 'boots on the ground.' Mine were, and I believe this had educational value for me personally, and was also key for

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creating the kind of analysis framework that will help future groups create interventions that produce measurable, positive effects."

>> The science of food security TAU's strength in the food security field was recognized nationally in May 2013, when the Israeli government selected the University's Prof. Hillel Fromm to lead a new Center of Research Excellence (I-CORE) in "Plant Adaptation to the Changing Environment." This research consortium supports joint work by scientists from four Israeli universities, with TAU researchers making up the single largest group. According to Fromm, much of the I-CORE's work will involve a new take on an old Zionist theme. Rather than "making the desert bloom," these scientists will concentrate on "making the desert feed." "With the world's agricultural lands largely exploited, it is vital to promote cultivation in non-traditional settings," he says. "The I-CORE provides five years of much-needed funding so that researchers can work on clarifying the basic scientific principles that govern plant adaptation - principles that can later be incorporated into new biotechnological techniques to increase food production." A long career spent examining how plants adapt to harsh conditions made Fromm a natural choice to direct the I-CORE. "A plant's self-regulation is complex because it occurs in response to a tremendous number of input factors, from light wavelength, heat and oxygen, to the presence of pathogens," Fromm explains, adding by way of example that plant roots dynamically adjust their architecture so that they grow in the direction of water sources. "Charles Darwin said that plant roots are like a 'small brain' and he was right. Today, the challenge is to use modern genetic tools to clarify how this small brain makes the 'decisions' that ensure plant survival," Fromm says.

greater nutritional value - and reintroducing it into modern varieties."

Today, Distelfeld uses traditional hybridization methods as well as computerized gene mapping to pursue another quantitative factor: grain weight. "We've identified a chromosomal region linked to grain dimensions such as length and volume," he says. "In the future, we hope to link high grain weight to specific genes that can be transferred into crops. This may not solve world hunger, but it is a small step in the right direction."

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student Moran Nave in Dr. Assaf Distelfeldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheat field Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

>> Wisdom from the fields At TAU, plant science is not only about discovering new techniques. It is also about unearthing agricultural secrets from the distant past. "Throughout history, farmers and breeders have been combining and selecting crop strains, in hopes that this hybridization will produce better quality crops and higher yields," begins Dr. Assaf Distelfeld, an expert on wheat genetics and genomics at the Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants and Institute for Crop Improvement. "But there's a problem: selection reduces the gene pool. With every gene-based trait strengthened, another may be lost. Our work involves going back to older, non-domesticated wheat strains to find qualityand yield-related genes, and then reintroducing them into the wheat we grow for our food." Distelfeld has a track record in this field of endeavor; while still a doctoral student, he isolated a gene that controls grain protein content. "Comparing modern wheat to wild, we discovered a mutation that resulted in low protein content," he says. "From there, we patented a process for taking the non-mutated gene - which promotes high protein content and

Other TAU plant biology initiatives go beyond the optimization of crops, to address what I-CORE director Fromm terms the "tri-lemma" of balancing food, energy and the environment. "Intensifying cultivation requires a lot of energy, so new energy sources are needed," says Fromm. "However, biomass-based fuel from plants ties up agricultural fields needed for food production. "In one of our studies, conducted together with experts in desert agriculture from the Arava, we are exploring the cultivation of desert trees watered with salty runoff from desalinization plants as a source of biofuel. This is an example of how multi-disciplinary research can lead to creative solutions for sustainability, as well as the production of more food," Fromm enthuses.

>> Food law and rights To change society, you first have to understand it. That's where the Food Security Program's experts in law, the humanities and the social sciences have an important role to play. Prof. Aeyal Gross, a member of the Buchmann Faculty of Law, believes that â&#x20AC;&#x153;food security is corollary to the recognized human right to adequate food and adequate nutrition, and is in turn inextricably linked to buying power - a power that, in many cases, is dictated by the state.

>> 21

<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

"In Israel, the poorest citizens receive welfare payments which are supposed to act as a kind of food security safety net, but don't guarantee proper nutrition,â&#x20AC;? Gross says. "At the same time, we don't want the government to be responsible for directly providing us with food, or for telling us what to eat.

Prof. Gross's colleague at the law faculty, Dr. Yofi Tirosh, affirms that "just like tax law promotes fairness in taxation, food law is a matter of justice." But, she says, beyond promoting economic equality, "the legal profession needs to think about how the law defines and regulates our relationship to, and choices about, food." "For example," she says, "the current demands of the labor market make it harder for parents to find time to shop for produce, prepare food at home and have meals with their children. How could the law contribute to more family-oriented and healthy eating habits?" As another example, Tirosh notes the demand by the US and other governments that food producers specify the caloric value of the food they sell. "This step directs our attention to the individual consumer as a rational and informed player, while diverting it from the much-needed structural changes in the food market. Rather than focusing mainly on information, states should make sure that healthful foods are affordable to all," Tirosh suggests.

>> Food through an historical lens TAU historian Prof. Amy Singer believes that reaching food security objectives depends on understanding a society's past, particularly its attitudes toward proper apportioning of food

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ShutterStock

"Food law," he says, "is a work in progress around the world because individual societies - through their legislatures, courts and advocacy groups are negotiating their way toward the ultimate goal: a reasonable standard of food-buying power for all, but without governmental overinstrusiveness."

and other resources. "The big question is always: Who deserves what, and at what level - the household, the town, the state or the empire?" Singer thinks that the answer to this question changes over time, depending on everything from climate and population density, to the accumulation or loss of wealth. Singer's own research - on public kitchens that furthered social policy in the Ottoman Empire is instructive. "We need to ask: is food security a tool for acquiring political capital? Is it a method for keeping the peace? Is it an ethical or moral value? If we understand the historical attitudes that shaped a particular society, we stand a better chance of instituting policy decisions that will work within that culture and improve lives." To round out the multidisciplinary mission of food security, Manna Program director Chamovitz draws attention to an additional and very important partnership - between biology and the social sciences. "Plant biologists need to understand the economic implications of what they're doing, while policy people need to understand both the limitations, and the potential, of plant biology," he says. "Working together, we can launch food security initiatives based on Israeli scientific discoveries and make them work in developing societies around the world."

Scoresheet: Feeding 7 Billion People Today

800 million are hungry 3.2 billion experience food security 2.3 billion are undernourished 700 million are overweight What does the future hold? Every year, the Earth loses 100,000 sq. km. of arable land. To maintain present-day calories per capita by the year 2025, food availability must increase by

36%

>> Reviving international development As a resource-poor country that has achieved Western-level food security success in just a few short decades, Israel has much to offer developing nations. But in reaching out, Israel also stands to benefit. "Agricultural diplomacy is an effective bridgebuilding tool," says Dr. Aliza Inbal, Director of the Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy's Pears Program for International Development. "In the 1960s and 70s, Israel was an international development powerhouse, sending out huge numbers of agricultural advisors to work in poverty-stricken nations, particularly in Africa," she says, adding that Israel once topped the world in terms of agricultural advisors sent to other countries. "Unfortunately, the severing of diplomatic relations with Israel after the Yom Kippur War, as well as a steady decrease in Israeli government budgets for foreign aid, has reduced Israel's stamp to just a shadow of its former self.â&#x20AC;?

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With food security rising to the top of the international agenda, Israel is poised to reclaim the development leadership title. "We are the 'startup' nation.' We have a talent for finding creative solutions, and we're good at the things that developing countries need most, like agriculture, water management, renewable energy and education and communication technologies," Inbal says. "The TAU Food Security Program will train people from developing countries so that they'll use Israeli knowledge as the basis for creative initiatives back home and will link Israeli researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals to their counterparts in developing countries.â&#x20AC;? Inbal stresses that development work is not just agricultural altruism. "Today, the Israeli agritech sector almost exclusively focuses on high-end technologies targeting developed countries. However, the majority of arable land in the world is farmed by small farmers in low and middle-income countries. By facilitating the development of agricultural technologies and methodologies suitable to the developing world, the Manna Program could open up huge markets that combine good business with doing good. The long-term impact of the Food Security Program will rest on its ability to promote business models that combine saving the world with turning a profit." According to Chamovitz, reaching out to developing countries goes hand-in-hand with reaching in to the Israeli public itself. "One of the pillars of the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security is outreach, because we want to remind Israelis that, together, we have the ability to reclaim our place as an international development superpower," Chamovitz says. "Only one-fifth of Israel's land is arable, yet we produce an amazing 80% of all the food our population needs. That's why Israeli and TAU expertise is inspiring, and why it should be out in front all over the world." â&#x20AC;˘

Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

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World Food Security

Volcani Signs Agreement with the World Food Preservation Center Israel will officially take part in finding solutions for world hunger through the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, in partnership with the WFPC. Prof. Ada Rafaeli

olcani,

the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization Center (ARO), signed a memorandum of understanding with WFPC, the World Food Preservation Center, to join forces in combating food scarcity and hunger by means of reducing postharvest losses of food in developing countries.

Volcani-ARO represents the research division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Israel, covering over 70% of research endeavors in Israeli agricultural research, and is recognized as being at the forefront of scientific and technological development. The World Food Preservation Center, LLC, a 501(c) (3) public charity, is a unique coalition of ten universities from six continents that are developing sustainable techniques to

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combat food loss, particularly for emerging economies. As much as half of harvested food in low-income countries is lost before being consumed, and yet the vast majority of funds for agricultural research is directed to food production and not food preservation. The World Food Preservation Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participating institutions seek to correct this imbalance, guided by the belief that preventing food insecurity can also prevent future political instability and violence. The coalition is developing lowcost, sustainable, and regionally-adaptable techniques of food preservation, such as solar refrigeration, biological control and smart packaging. The participating universities will also offer academic programs and professional training

>> prof. Yoram Kapulnik Director of Volcani shakes hands with Dr. Charles Wilson, Founder/Chairman & CEO of the World Food Preservation Center, LLC. Courtesy of the spokesperson office of the Volcani Institute

in postharvest food preservation to students from developing countries in order to establish independent research, education and extension programs in their native countries, and to promote improvement of postharvest food preservation in their country’s government and industry. “The World Food Preservation Center is very fortunate to partner with Volcani as we face one of the most intractable problems of our time; world hunger. Current projections suggest that even with improved crop yields, we will not be able to meet the world’s demand for food by 2050. The postharvest expertise and educational programs at Volcani-ARO will be invaluable as we confront this challenge,” said Dr. Charles Wilson, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the World Food Preservation Center.

programs, particularly due to our expertise in postharvest at our Postharvest and Food Science Institute,” said Dr. Ada Rafaeli, ARO's Associate Director for academics, events and international cooperation. “ARO hosts over 300 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows through collaborations with most of the universities in Israel. We see the partnership with WFPC as a major step forward in our mission to educate young scientists from developing countries in the latest technologies for the postharvest preservation of food.” •

“Volcani-ARO will become a worthy contributor to the World Food Preservation Center's

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World Food Security

How

Israeli Technology Could Solve the Next

Food Crisis

From robotic tractors to satellite photographs, technology is changing the world of agriculture. With greater investment, Israel can lead the field. Ron Maron and Victor Alchanati

any researchers and professionals around

the world warn of worldwide starvation by 2050. Less and less cultivated land will have to supply more food for the population, which is expected to grow two- or threefold by then. Farm lands are being sold as real estate for the expansion of cities. The average age of farmers in the United States in 2007 was 57, with the younger generation abandoning agriculture for more modern and lucrative professions. If solutions are not found for producing an adequate amount of food, wars will be waged over water and edibles. Everyone looks to the world of technology, with the understanding that only a true technological revolution can enable human society to deal with this great challenge. In fact, the last great

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revolution in agriculture took place in the 1940s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s - the revolution in agricultural machinery. After this came genetic engineering, which encountered fierce public resistance and has therefore failed to realize its potential. The time has now come for the technological revolution to trickle down to agriculture. The beginnings of this move have been seen over the past decade, and it is steadily gaining momentum. The various technological developments that have taken place may now be fused together for the benefit of other, heretofore unexpected uses in agriculture. The advent of the smartphone, GPS, satellite photographs, robotics and other sophisticated technologies, combined with a reduction in their

Organic hydroponic vegetable garden. ShutterStock

prices and the simplicity of operation of these technologies - as well as the ability to use them in additional areas - open up new possibilities for the agricultural world. As J. Robert Oppenheimer once said, “The history of science is rich in the example of the fruitfulness of bringing two sets of techniques, two sets of ideas, developed in separate contexts for the pursuit of new truth, into touch with one another.” The immense progress made in computerized vision and image processing is of critical significance to the success of the new technological revolution, called “precision agriculture.” It is so called because it enables precision in the spatial performance of agricultural tasks, enhancing crops and, at the same time, economizing the resources needed to produce them. Precision agriculture involves flexible thinking, which may be manifested in simpler forms of solutions - such as that adopted by Nigerian farmers in increasing the fertility of their parched

fields. They use Coca-Cola caps for the precise measurement and placement of the proper amount of fertilizer, adjacent to the plant. This solution was developed by researchers from the global partnership CGIAR, which strives to eradicate hunger and poverty in distressed regions of the world. At the other extreme, we see also the smart technologies of computerized vision and image processing enabling the production of maps of an individual field by means of satellites, airplanes and UAVs, thus providing a complete picture of the land, including topographical variance, differences in the type of soil, as well as other local conditions such as feed materials and water. Photographs such as these enable the farmer to discern whether a particular field or plot lacks water or nitrogen, or to identify outbreaks of pests or disease in the field. The ability to utilize local meteorological forecasts and update the farmer with a microforecast relevant for his own private fields, as

>> 27

<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

well as the ability to adapt the fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultivation to this forecast, pushed Monsanto - a giant multinational dealing in agricultural sustainability - to acquire The Climate Corporation for $1 billion in 2013.

>> Getting the most out of man and machine

precision, where the farmer is fed information from the robotic system and is integrated in decision-making processes. As a result, both elements - man and machine - may be utilized to their maximum effectiveness. One of the main directions in which innovative technologies in agriculture are now being implemented is the reduction of loss, which currently diminishes world harvests by up to 30%. Computerized vision technologies

These capabilities fit in well with the area of robotics, the development of which now enables machines to see, diagnose and respond to needs in the field. As a result, autonomous or semiautonomous tractors have been developed, which can be operated by the farmer. They perform their tasks while adhering to predetermined routes, or follow the crop rows by camera, adjusting the implements so as to avoid damage to crops, etc. The application map is fed to the technological systems of the tractor, which operates automatically or semiautomatically in the fields - knowing where, when Agricultural engineer in green house for quality control. ShutterStock and what amount to irrigate, fertilize and spray pesticide in various dosages. discover weeds, diseases and pests as early as possible, in order to prevent serious damage to Blue River Technology of California has crops in fields and groves - from the sorting of developed a robotic tractor that traverses seeds, to identification and treatment of pests lettuce fields, identifying defective lettuce in cultivated areas, and to the harvesting and heads, spraying them with a substance that treatment of produce in packing houses, cold causes them to wither, thus enabling the healthy storage of fresh produce and processed foods. lettuce to grow. California, where 90% of the lettuce consumed in American households is In packing houses after harvesting, cameras grown, is suffering from a shortage of skilled inspect all produce and divide it into groups manpower, which, until now, has performed this according to the required storage conditions work manually. and quality. This extends storage time and keeps the produce from spoiling. Vision systems are As with the lettuce, human-robotic systems integrated into various stages of treatment can be developed for more complicated tasks, of fresh produce and processed foods, such as such as automatic orange picking, pruning of sorting the good peas from the pod or the best fruit trees, and more. Robotic systems with carrot cubes or peanuts at a rate of hundreds of computerized vision guidance may perform pieces per second. Fish in ponds may be sorted difficult, repetitive tasks faster and with greater by means of camera as well.

>> 28

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We are a consulting firm based in Israel and provider for sustainable solutions and Israeli technology and know-how worldwide Our clients include international companies that are looking in Israel for technologies, business and commercial opportunities, support for their projects and find other resources within the Israeli marketplace. We also assist foreign governments in developing strategic water and agriculture policies and plans and more ‫ א‬Our firm counts with a team of agronomists and other experts with vast experience in the international scene, and that are experienced with the application of Israeli technologies worldwide. ‫ א‬Ocean Business has strategic alliances with leading Israeli companies, universities, research institutions, start ups, technology experts and investors.

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it must function in unstructured, difficult field conditions. Performance must be reliable and precise, and the price competitive.

Agriculture with sensor network, Internet of Things, irrigation diagram. ShutterStock

>> An opportunity to join the revolution In Israel, several companies have developed innovative systems for the sorting of agricultural produce, such as the Crystal Vision date-sorting system developed at Kibbutz Samar in the Arava Valley, or the Eshet Eilon sorting systems made on Kibbutz Eilon. However, all of this is nothing compared to the great potential of technological development in agriculture, and the current acute shortage of such technologies. Israel now has the opportunity to join the revolution, which is currently being led by the major U.S. corporations. The most acute shortage of development of technologies lies in Europe, especially the Netherlands and Italy, with their vast farmlands. There is much talk about technological innovation in agriculture, but not enough is invested in this channel. The time frame for the development of an agricultural startup is seven to 10 years. In order for a technological development to be assimilated in agriculture,

The last two to three years have seen a growing interest on the part of investors in Israeli agricultural R&D, on the part of funds such as Pontifax and the BIRD Foundation, as well as agriculture companies such as Trendlines Agtech. In addition, the Volcani Institute, together with Israel Aerospace Industries, is exploring ways of adapting military technologies to agricultural use. The BIRD Foundation has just recently approved two collaborations in agriculture, and increased its activity in initiating and encouraging joint development of agricultural applications by Israeli and U.S. companies. Over the last few weeks, the Economy Ministry has made a public appeal to issue tenders for agricultural knowledge aimed at promoting the Israeli agricultural industry. The ministry has allocated 12 million shekels ($3 million) for the establishment of research centers to encourage Israeli startups in various areas of agriculture over the next six years. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience in the development of military technologies, its experience in converting them to civilian use, and the conceptual flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit which characterize us, can enable Israel to once again play a leading role in the development and advancement of world agriculture. These capabilities have yet to be realized in the world of agriculture. â&#x20AC;˘

Dr. Ron Maron is head of business development at the BIRD Foundation, and a member of the steering committee of the IMVC Convention. Dr. Victor Alchanati is the director of agricultural engineering at the Volcani Institute. This article was originally published in Ha'aretz'

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2 Chapter

Plant Agriculture & Protection Soil, Water and Climate

Animal Agriculture

Projects Around the World

World Food Security

<AgroIsrael> Israeli Agricultural Innovation in one click

Plant Agriculture and Protection

Sesame field Courtesy of Jspace

Israeli Scientists

Growing Sesame Agriculture to Feed

the Hungry By Jspace Staff

any

people think of sesame seeds as a topping on hamburger buns at profitable global fast-food chains. But in fact the crop has traditionally been unprofitable and difficult to harvest because it produces a low yield. A high percentage of sesame seeds grown are not suitable for human consumption.

a new elite sesame cultivar with enhanced yield and seed quality suitable for modern agricultural practice. Peleg is a senior lecturer at the Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture.

Now a Hebrew University of Jerusalem agricultural researcher has discovered a way to increase the yield and nutritional quality of this important but challenging food crop.

For some 5,500 years, sesame has been grown as an oil-crop in Asia’s Far East and Africa. In Israel and some other Middle Eastern countries, where falafel is a culturally iconic food, tahini (or tehina) sauce, made from sesame, is an essential condiment.

By screening more than 100,000 sesame seed variants, Dr. Zvi Peleg has found a way to develop

Peleg’s innovation facilitates the use of sesame as part of a farmer’s crop rotation between

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Sesame varieties Courtesy of Jspace

cereal crops, while at the same time making it high-yield. As a result, it contributes to more sustainable agriculture and helps prevent the development of herbicide resistance weeds. As a new summer crop, sesame is essential for agriculture in Israel and around the world, according to Peleg. Global production of sesame currently stands at 4.4 million tons, with a projected growth value of between 5 and 10 percent yearly.

seeds are rich in essential nutrients such as iron, zinc and calcium. Peleg’s innovation could improve the bio-availability of these essential nutrients and therefore hold health benefits for consumers. Peleg conducts his research at the Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, located on the university’s Rehovot campus. He serves on the editorial boards of various peerreviewed plant journals.

“The increase in global demand for sesame products as a health food has turned this highly domestic consumption item into an important export commodity for Israel,” said Dr. Peleg.

In recognition of his finding, Dr. Peleg has been awarded the Kaye Innovation Award for 2015.

Sesame seed contains about 20 percent protein, along with healthy oils and carbohydrates. It is one of the highest oil content crops, broadly ranging from 34 to 63 percent. Sesame

The Kaye Innovation Awards at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been awarded annually since 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff and students of the Hebrew University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential, which will benefit the university and society. •

This article was originally published by JSpace.com

http://www.jspacenews.com/israeli-scientistsgrowing-sesame-agriculture-feed-hungry/ Shutterstock

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

Scientists plan to cut insect pest populations by turning their own hormones against them By Professor Vinnie Altstein

international group of scientists collaborating on researching pest insects received a €7m subsidy from the European Union. The research group includes representatives from Scotland, Belgium, Israel, Sweden, Germany, South Africa and the UK and has an external expert advisory board comprised of members from the German and American industries, representatives from the Belgium and American governments and representatives from American Academia. The project, funded through ‘Horizon 2020’, the EU’s research and innovation fund, started on June 1st 2015 and will run for four years. The economic cost of the damage caused by pests is extremely difficult to estimate, however it is believed that biological threats such as insects and disease account for about 40% of all crop losses globally1. By 2017 the world is expected to spend more than $65 billion annually on pesticides2.

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The pests being studied include: moths, locusts, aphids, flies and beetles, which either damage crops directly through eating, or indirectly by spreading plant viruses. The researchers are developing a novel group of environmentally friendly insect control agents based on artificial neuropeptides; small proteinlike molecules that facilitate communication between the brain and other tissues. The goal of the research is to discover how to turn the pest insects’ own hormones against them in order to alter their behaviour or physiology, i.e. their circadian rhythms, form of mating, reproduction system or appetite, while taking care not to harm the physiology of beneficial insects. The scientists will explore different ways to influence these systems in order to impair the insects’ ability to inflict damage, including: y Interfering with fat mobilisation causing the reduction of insects’ fitness, which will hurt locusts’ swarming behaviour.

Biological threats such as insects and disease account for 40% of all crop losses globally. Shutterstock

y Changing the neuropeptides that control the pheromones moths release to attract mates in order to decrease reproduction rates and lead to the reduction of large pest populations. y Altering neuropeptides that facilitate the balance of fluid, ions and water in pests, in order to lower their ability to cope with stressful conditions (drought, excessive cold or heat, etc.) Professor Vinnie Altstein, of the Institute of Plant Protection at the Volcani Center, who has worked on the development of neuropeptidebased insect control agents for over twenty five years says: “Insects are the most diverse class of life on earth, some of them highly damaging to agriculture, horticulture and forestry. There is a pressing need, not only for new insecticides that can overcome resistance in pests, but for more specific, ‘greener’ insect control agents that target damaging insects while sparing beneficial ones and keeping the non-pest

species in their right place in the eco-system. An international consortium with unparalleled experience in insect biology has been assembled, and together with an external advisory board, which is comprised of representatives from relevant government agencies, industries and agricultural, horticultural and forestry endusers, we will ensure we meet user needs. Neuropeptide-based insect control agents could be ‘greener’ and more environmentally friendly than current pesticides. The group of researchers at Volcani is among the leading teams in this research and will be responsible for the design and synthesis of such ‘green’ compounds. We expect that the outcome of the consortium’s effort will result in the discovery of highly effective, environmentally friendly insect-pest specific compounds that when adapted into insect control agents will be produced and implemented worldwide and will almost completely replace the current toxic insecticides, and impact major economic sectors globally.”•

1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15623490 2 http://www.bccresearch.com/pressroom/chm/global-market-pesticides-reach-$65.3-billion-2017

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

Shutterstock

Filling in the Gaps

GEDERA-Many of Israel’s exporters are looking for new varieties to fill in supply gaps, for example by growing later dragon fruit or by developing counter-seasonal production of Lychees abroad. By Gerry Kelman and Martyn Fisher

The

popularity of dragon fruit, or pitaya, has increased significantly over the past few years, to the extent the exporters in Israel say they are finding it harder and harder to fulfill international demand. According to exporters, that’s mainly down to the recent growth in demand from UK supermarkets- mainly Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda- which reportedly favour

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the red-and-pink fleshed types grown in Israel rather than white-fleshed versions originating from Vietnam. A new variety of dragon fruit developed in the country, meanwhile, could allow the country to achieve year-round supply of the product in years to come, allowing it to meet increasing

Juicy flavor

in every

single piece

Sunrise | Medjoul Dates | Red Grapefruit

Orri

Sharon

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>> Trials of new types of lychee are being carried out in South Africa.

demand on international markets. Developed by Professor Yosef Mizrachi at the University of the Negev, Desert King is harvested from the end of December until April. In contrast, Israel’s two main varieties-Bilu and Venus- are harvested from June until the end of the year. Dragon fruit is grown in Israel by five major producers across a total planted area of about 50ha, turning out around 2,000 tonnes per year-the majority of it for export. The country’s leading supplier of dragon fruit is Eden Fruits, located in the central southern part of the country and owned by Yossi Zaphrir, who also breeds new varieties or clones of pitaya and whose home village lent its name to the Bilu variety. Zaphrir operates his own breeding and selection programme, which targets both earlier flowering and a more even spread of flowering to give a steady availability of fruit for harvesting. Despite the fact the fruit is widely known as dragon fruit in Asia, Zaphrir is not a fan of the

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name, preferring instead to use the term pitaya on account of what he regards as the term dragon’s negative and possibly frightening connotation.

>> Longing For Lechees Israel’s lychee marketers, meanwhile, could soon benefit from research being conducted in South Africa to test new varieties that could fill what remains an empty supply window around October-November. Production of the fruit in Israel currently extends to approximately 130ha, concentrated in the country’s northern coastal area and the inner valleys. Annual production in Israel is close to 1,000 tonnes, of which half is exported between the end of July and the end of September. As with other sub-tropical crops, the main companies involved in the export trade are Galil exports, Mehadrin and Mor international, all of which export to Europe and to North America. Although newer, improved varieties are available, the main variety grown remains

Mauritius with some recent plantings of the Hong Long bring the start of the season forward. However, three new varieties are now being trialled at an undisclosed location in South Africa and might potentially fill the gap. Their names are Sivan, Tamuz and Yuli. According to Mikki Noy, head of sub-tropical crops at the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture’s extension service: ” The months of October and beginning of November represent a gap of availability from the northern hemisphere and we have not yet found a way to preserve the shelf-life of the fruit to cover that period.”

cholesterol oxidation, which leads to accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall. But natural antioxidants can slow down the oxidation process in the body, and serve to reduce the risk of heart attack. Pomogranate juice, which is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants, has apparently been shown to most significantly reduce oxidative stress in previous studies, and dates, which are a rich source of phenolic radical scavenger antioxidants, also inhibit the oxidation of LDL-the so-called ‘bad cholesterol’- and stimulate the removal of cholesterol from lipid-laden arterial cells.• This article was originally published in Eurofruit magazine

>> Health Potential Elsewhere, a new Israeli study has found that eating dates and pomegranates could stave off the risk of heart disease. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, led by Professor Michael Aviram of Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center, found that a combination of pomegranate juice and dates-along with their pits-provided maximum protection against atherosclerosis, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. A number of risk factors are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, including Pitaya. Shutterstock

Lacking In Passion Israel’s passion fruit producers have had to contend with all kinds of weather problems over the past six seasons, culminating in January of this year in a heavy hailstorm which virtually ruined the entire crop. Normally, this would consist of around 150ha of production. The main variety grown is the highly successful Passion Dream, which was developed locally at the Volcani Institute. Passion fruit. Photos: Palezero

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

Israeli

easy peelers show promise

BEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;EROT YITZHAK-As grapefruit exports diminish, easy peeler volumes are rising up to fill the gap, with North America and East Asia high on the agenda. By Gerry Kelman

cientist at the Volcani Institute in

Israel Developed the current version of easy peelers marketed from the country today, a variety based on the Or and branded in Israel as Orri. However, research efforts have not ceased in the development of improved varieties in order to better meet market demands. According to Rafi Zuri, citrus product manager at Galilee Export, the quantity of easy peelers exported from Israel is increasing year on year and now represents over 40% of total citrus exports. Part of the reason for this, he says, is the steady decline in exports of grapefruit from Israel.

Menachem Shoham of M.Shoham, Moshav Ramot

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The main exporters of easy peelers from Israel are Mehadrin (with just over 40 per cent) and Galilee export (with around 15 per cent). Orri remains by far the leading variety, but others exist, including Mineola, Santina and Ora. Mehadrin is a grower-based organization, with vertically integrated management from field to shelf. Rami Hessel, vice president of citrus exports, commented: “We certainly hope that we will not face the same weather issues as last year. We expect a record production due to higher yields of existing orchards and the expansion of new plantations coming into production. Mehadrin alone owns about 1,600ha of the Orri easy peeler. According to Hessel, the potential for growth for easy peelers in Israel remains huge, with a total yield of 200,000 tonnes possible in the next two to three years, of which 150,000-160,000 tonnes would be for export. Mehadrin’s customers consider the Orri better than all other late varieties. Unless climatic vagaries prevent it from doing so, Orri will continue to be packed right up to late April. An anticipated smaller crop of late varieties from Spain and Morocco could be a measurable advantage to Israel growers. This year with an anticipated 25 per cent increase in Orri volumes, a key challenge for Mehadrin will be in the sorting process. This is an aspect in which the company is making large investments, with the introduction of new high-end equipment in its packhouses. In addition to its head office in Israel, Mehadrin has five branches- in Switzerland, France, the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands. Recently, there has been some improvement in the exchange rates for the US dollar and the Euro to the Israeli shekel, compensating to a certain extent for the increasing costs of production. Meanwhile, Mehadrin is rapidly boosting business in North America and East Asia, where the company is doing a lot of work with South Korea, Japan and China.

For more information:

>> Shutterstock

M Shoham, with its state-of-the-art packhouse, is situated on the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee. The company’s Orri is considered a premium product, mainly due to the company’s pedantic attention to growing and harvesting and to all the post-harvest handling. The quantities of easy peelers exported by M Shoham are increasing by 10-15 per cent year-on-year. At exporter BeFresh, finally, where easy peelers represent around 20-30 per cent of total value citrus sales, the focus is firmly on the Russian market, where the company has its own offices and facilities in the Moscow area. According to the firm, volumes exported are increasing year on year. •

ISRAELI CITRUS EXPORTS (TONNES) Total Citrus Exports

Total Easy Peelers

Total Orri

2012/13

180,000

83,000

50,000

2013/14

167,000

77,000

50,000

2014/15 (est)

180,000

100,000

70,00080,000

Season

Source: Galilee Export

This article was originally published in Eurofruit magazine

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

Israeli breeders identify new trends By Gerry Kelman

New opportunities are apparently emerging for new product development in the tomato and melon categories

ack in April, I was in Tel Aviv for the latest

edition of Agritech, one of the leading exhibition events in the field of agricultural technology and R&D. Notable among the various companies showing off recent advances in product development was TomaTech, a privately owned Israeli breeder of tomato varieties.

Crucially, TomaTech has identified three new segments of the tomato category in which it has identified requirements that are as yet unfulfilled. Those requirements are:

>> Cluster (tomato on the vine) Breeding efforts are being made to meet demand for a large cluster tomato (around 190-2

Founded about ten years ago, the firm has made great strides in recent years by addressing the needs of all links in the supply chain - from farmers to suppliers to retailers and on to consumers - to create innovative products in all tomato segments, from standards to specialities. Its focus in terms of marketing is on three primary markets - western Europe, North America and, more recently, Turkey - each of which is a major producer, consumer and exporter.

Sugardrop tomatoes (Photo: Tesco)

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Shutterstock

2 0g) with broad resistance to disease, good yield and long shelf-life. In this segment, TomaTech is also transferring its knowledge and expertise in creating colourful and flavoursome specialities, working to enrich flavour and offer alternative colours in small and medium-sized clusters. One example is the super-sweet mini plum Sugar Drop sold by Tesco.

>> Heirloom

>> Medley

This segment is being revitalised in Europe. Inspired by consumers looking for old-fashioned tomato flavours, and buyers looking for new and interesting varieties, TomaTech is developing heirloom and Raf varieties containing many volatile components that give a rich, full and balanced flavour reminiscent of the good old days. Best served with olive oil and sea salt to fully develop their flavour, these varieties are worthy of the attention of all tomato lovers.

In the US, a successful new segment is emerging that could be of benefit to all links in the chain. Medley packs consist of a mix of super-sweet mini cherries in a range of various colours, flavours and shapes. These are delivered in a

Elsewhere at Agritech, I noted that the breeding activities of another privately owned Israeli breeder Origene Seeds, are focused entirely on cucurbits.

convenient range of packs both for home use and on-the-go snacking. This mix allows the grower to mix and match according to availability, while the retailer gets a low-risk trial of new varieties; consumers also benefit from a wider choice and the opportunity to try new varieties at a lower cost.

The company breeds watermelons of all types, as well as a broad range of melon varieties Cantaloupe, Charantais, Galia, Yellow Canary and Ananas - and cucumbers, squash and pumpkin. With the customer in mind, Origene recently developed a variety of watermelon - seedless and round with a striped skin - that can be produced in a range of sizes, from 1.5kg through to 9kg. Allowing for variation in terms of size means the offer can be adapted to consumer preferences, depending on whether they are a single consumer or a large family. Origene is also active in developing resistance to leaf diseases for its varieties, the aim being to help the environment by reducing the use of plant protection chemicals.â&#x20AC;˘ This article was originally published in Eurofruit magazine

Origene Seeds breeds watermelons of all types. Shutterstock

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

Fruit Fly Net News The First ReTIC in the Field

By Dr. David Nestel

ReTIC - Real Time Insect Counting Trap, was developed by the Israeli team of the FruitFlyNet Project. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;FruitFlyNet" project is funded under the 2007-2013 ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme, a multilateral cross-border cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).

ReTIC -Real Time Insect Counting Trap

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ReTIC systems can provide real time information

The fly trap aims to provide wireless automatic monitoring of fruit fly pests that have no specific attractants. Fruit fly monitoring data is fed into a Decision Support System (DSS) which helps farmers decide when and where to apply pest management. ReTIC systems can provide real time information on the pest’s status without the need for human scouting. A digital image is sent to a server and is visually analyzed by a human expert. We expect that in the future, identification and counting of insects will be performed automatically by an algorithm that will identify the specific insect organism in the image. The first ReTIC’s were recently deployed in melon tunnels in the Arava, Israel. The ReTIC system in the Arava will help develop management strategies against the invasive Ethiopian fruit fly, Dacus ciliatus. During March 2015 the Israeli team assisted the Greek team at the University of Thessaly to deploy the yellowsticky ReTIC trap system in cherry orchards to

demonstrate the system’s ability to manage the cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi. The Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme’s objective is to promote sustainable and harmonious cooperation in the Mediterranean Basin by funding projects that contribute to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the Mediterranean region through joint projects that bring different members of the programme to work together on common challenges. The following 14 countries are members in the programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria (participation currently suspended), and Tunisia. The Joint Managing Authority (JMA) is the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). Official programme languages are Arabic, English and French (www.enpicbcmed.eu). •

Photos courtesy of the spokesperson office of the Volcani Institute

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Plant Agriculture and Protection

‘Orri’ - The Best Mandarin in the World By Tal Amit

Development of the cultivar The mandarin cultivar ‘Orri’ first became known on the market in the early 2000s. Few know that the development of this cultivar took 20 years. The process began with cross-breeding carried out as part of a unique variety improvement project supervised by the late Prof. Pinhas Spiegel-Roy, and the late Dr. Aliza Vardi and the staff of the Crop Improvement department of the Plant Sciences Institute at the Agricultural Research Organization. The initiative was fully funded by Israeli citrus growers, who were desperate for innovation and unique, highquality cultivars to improve their position in the saturated citrus market and shall allow a good level of profitability even in a country with some

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of the world’s highest production costs. The researchers succeeded in producing a series of citrus lines, which were called ‘Orr’ and given individual numbers. The Plant Production and Marketing Board and citrus specialists from the extension service planted these different lines in experimental plots across the country, in order to determine which line was best and understand its climate and soil requirements, match it with appropriate rootstocks and determine which production techniques would encourage an optimal level of fruit-bearing and the production of fruit of the desired size.

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The first international digital agricultural magazine of its kind will cover Israel’s diverse and extensive agriculture, agricultural research and technology innovation. AgroIsrael will serve as a platform to promote Israeli agricultural achievements in general and Israeli agricultural exports in particular in order to strengthen international cooperation and promote the discussion of solving the global food crisis. Affiliated institutions and organizations include:

Israel's Ministry of Agriculture; Mashav - Israel's Agency for International Development; CINADCO - Israel's Center for International Agricultural Development & Cooperation; the Volcani Center, Israel's largest Agricultural Research Organization; Israel's Agricultural Extension services; ICA in Israel; The Bureau of Trade for Latin America; Israel's Export Institute; The faculty of agriculture of the Hebrew University, and many others. The magazine: Aspires to Strengthen international cooperation in general and promote agricultural

export in particular. knowledge, innovations and technological developments in the various fields of Israeli agriculture. Will be free of charge to all those engaged in agriculture throughout the world; distributed to embassies, international aid organizations, agricultural companies and farmers.

We invite: All organizations and companies that are involved in agricultural development to advertise in our magazine and get worldwide exposure.

Focus on

‫משרד החקלאות ופיתוח הכפר‬ ‫שירות ההדרכה והמקצוע‬ ‫ תחום הדרים‬-‫אגף פירות‬

For more information: info@agroisrael.net Development and management, Edna Ziv, Manager of the Rural Area’s Newspapers

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Photo: Ministry Of Agriculture - Extension Service

At the end of this long process, the best line was chosen from among the different selections and given the trade name ‘Orri’.

Orri’s unique characteristics ‘Orri’ possesses a number of excellent qualities that are not often found together in the same fruit. For this reason, it is in high demand and customers are willing to pay more than 50% more for ‘Orri’, as compared to its competitors. These qualities include the following: 1. Very easy to peel 2. Contains very few seeds (0-2) 3. Excellent flavor due to an optimal balance of high sugar content and just the right amount of acid (approx. 1%) 4. A long season that extends from late December to April in the northern hemisphere and from July to September in the southern hemisphere; during these seasons, there are not many easy-to-peel mandarins on the market, which gives added importance to the presence of this elite cultivar on the shelves during this period. 5. Reasonable yields - 35 to 40 tons/hectare.

Acreage The cultivar ‘Orri’ is is patented in most countries of the world. The cultivar is owned by the State of Israel through the Agricultural Research Organization. Today, the cultivar is grown under license in Spain (approx. 2200 hectares), South Africa (approx. 200 hectares), the U.S. (approx. 100 hectares) and in South America (approx. 600 hectares). In Israel, 5400 hectares of Orris have been planted, which should produce approx. 200,000 metric tons of fruit within two to three years. This production will be the crown jewel of the Israeli citrus sector, until the next big discovery, on which we are currently hard at work. •

Photos: The Plant Production and Marketing Board of Israel

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3 Chapter

Soil, Water & Climate Animal Agriculture

Projects Around the World

World Food Security

Plant Agriculture and Protection

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Soil, Water and Climate

Introducing Polysulphateâ&#x201E;˘,

a multi nutrient new fertilizer Patricia Imas, Chief Agronomist, ICL Fertilizers

Introduction Polysulphate is a new multi-nutrient fertilizer, available in its natural state, and mined in the UK. It has four nutrients, which makes it a unique product: sulphur, magnesium, potassium and calcium. It is a soluble material therefore its nutrients are readily available for plant uptake. Polysulphate comes from the polyhalite layer of rock, over 1000m below the North Sea off the North Yorkshire coast in the UK. Deposited 260 million years ago, it lies 150-170 m below the potash seam at the Cleveland Potash Boulby Mine. The main Polysulphate seam was reached in September 2010, bringing the first samples up to the surface. Polysulphate is a naturally occurring mineral fertilizer and is available as both a granular and powder product. It can be applied in many forms to the soil according to the consumer demand (straight fertilizer, or can be used in blends or for use in compound fertilizer manufacturing). The 2-4mm granular product has excellent spreading characteristics and is an ideal fertilizer to apply alongside straight nitrogen. It is suitable for all crops and being a low chloride fertilizer, it can be applied to even the sensitive ones.

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Polysulphate is available in its natural state and has a low carbon footprint. It delivers dependable high value for low environmental impact and is certified for organic use. Polysulphate contains: y 48% SO3 (19.2% S) as sulphate y 14% K2O (12% K) as potassium sulphate y 6% MgO (3.6% Mg) as magnesium sulphate y 17% CaO (12% Ca) as calcium sulphate

Benefits of sulphur, potassium, magnesium and calcium Polysulphate is an ideal natural source for all crops, especially brassicas, cereals, pulses, field vegetables, clover-rich grassland leys and silage crops. It is particularly suitable for crops which prefer low levels of chloride in the soil, such as tobacco, grapes and other fruits, and where higher dry-matters are desired in potatoes. Sulphur (S) is absorbed primarily in the sulfate form (SO42-) by plants. It is part of every living cell and required for synthesis of certain amino acids (cysteine and methionine) and proteins. Sulphur is also important in photosynthesis and

crop winter hardiness. Leguminous plants need S for efficient nitrogen fixation. Crops such as corn that have a high dry matter production generally require the greatest amount of sulfur. Also potatoes, cotton, sunflower, canola (rape seed), Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) and many other vegetables require large amounts of S. When S is deficient, nitrate-nitrogen may accumulate. This can pose significant health threats to grazing ruminants or those consuming hay high in nitrates. When nitrates accumulate in the plant, seed formation can be inhibited in some crops such as canola. Balancing sulfur with nitrogen nutrition is important to both plant and animal health. Over the last 20 years, S deposition from the atmosphere has declined significantly: the anthropogenic emissions of sulphur - usually as sulphur dioxide (SO2) from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal - had reduced to such an extent, and so widely, that the S content of Polysulphate became of great potential Photographer: Nataly Cohen Kadosh

significance as a nutrient to counter S deficiency in crops and grassland. In addition to sulphate, Polysulphate has the added bonus of valuable levels of potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca). Potassium (K), along with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), is one of the three essential plant macronutrients, and is taken up by crops from soils in relatively large amounts. Potassium increases yield and quality of agricultural produce, enhances the ability of plants to resist diseases, insect attacks, cold and drought stresses and other adverse conditions. It helps in the development of a strong and healthy root system and increases the efficiency of the uptake and use of N and other nutrients. In addition, K has an important role in livestock nutrition The K in Polysulphate complements routine fertilizer K applications. Magnesium is an essential component of the chlorophyll molecule, with each molecule containing 6.7% Mg. Magnesium also acts as a phosphorus carrier in plants. It is necessary for

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cell division and protein formation. Phosphorus uptake could not occur without Mg and vice versa. Therefore Mg is essential for photosynthesis, phosphate metabolism, plant respiration and the activation of several enzyme systems. It is removed in significant quantities at harvest of all crops, and an application from Polysulphate provides a useful input of a nutrient that is frequently overlooked.

convert nitrate-nitrogen into forms needed for protein formation and contributes to improved disease resistance. Polysulphate helps to maintain essential calcium reserves in the soil. Polysulphate can play an important role as Ca source in tropical, acidic soils where Ca deficiency can be found and Ca supply can alleviate aluminum toxicity symptoms which are common in those regions.

Calcium is the fourth constituent of Polysulphate, which means that it has effectively no nonnutrient constituents. Calcium is responsible for proper plant cell division and for strengthening cell walls. Calcium improves the absorption of other nutrients by roots and their translocation within the plant. It activates a number of plant growth-regulating enzyme systems, helps

Experiments with Polysulphate

Relative yield and nutrient uptake (control = 100)

Proprietary and independent trials have shown Polysulphate to be as good as the best sources available of the principal nutrients it contains. Polysulphate trials have focused on establishing that its nutrients - sulphate, potassium, magnesium and calcium - are readily available to the plant. Crop samples were grown in pots and given standard sources Figure 1: Yield and nutrient uptake from replicated grass field trial in of pure potassium and magnesium UK comparing granular Polysulphate with the equivalent nutrients sulphates, or Polysulphate. Uptake of the Polysulphate nutrients 250 by the plants was found to be as good if not better than the standard already used in the field. The results 200 confirm Polysulphateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effectiveness as a multi-nutrient fertilizer (Figure 1). 150 100 50

Yield

Control (no S, K or Mg)

K uptake

Mg uptake

Equivalent nutrients

S uptake

Granular Polysulphate

Yield index - Control = 100

Figure 2: White cabbage yield response to Polysulphate

150

100

Control

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Field trials in the UK have also investigated the response of cabbage to sulphate fertilizer. The results showed a 40% yield improvement from an application of Polysulphate (Figure 2).

Polysulphate

Polysulphate has been also tested in field trials for some major arable crops in France. In winter wheat, addition of Polysulphate to ammonium nitrate gave a 1.8 to 2.1 q/ha surplus (statistically significative) at different locations. In potatoes, Polysulphate increased the yield by 7.0 t/ha as compared with the agricultural practice which consisted in a complete fertilization including nonlimiting levels of P, K and Mg. These field trials confirm the agronomic efficiency of Polysulphate.

Introducing

multi-nutrient fertilizer

Innovative versatile and unique 48% SO3 (19.2% S)

14% K2O (12% K)

6% MgO (3.6% Mg)

17% CaO (12% Ca)

Polysulphate is a soluble, easily-absorbed, cost-effective answer to crop nutrition. Innovative and highly versatile, this natural, multi-nutrient mineral is low in chloride and crop safe, suitable for using alone or in blends and compound fertilizers. Mined in the UK, ICL is the first – and only producer – in the world to mine polyhalite, marketed as Polysulphate™. www.polysulphate.com Potash House, P.O.Box 75, Beer-Sheva, 8410001, Israel Tel: +972-8-6465129, www.iclfertilizers.com

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In India, experiments done at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Karnataka showed that application of Polysulphate resulted in significantly higher head diameter, head weight and head compactness of cabbage and cauliflower crops.

KCl (potassium chloride or muriate of potash) by Cleveland Potash Ltd. Twin shafts were sunk into the polyhalite seam from the potash level in the existing mine and the mineral is being extracted. This is the first operational polyhalite mine in the world.

Effect of sulphate and the effectiveness of Polysulphate on cabbage yield in India

Unlike blended or compound fertilizer, Polysulphate is available in its natural state. It is mined, crushed, screened and bagged, involving no chemical separation or other industrial processes. Available in its natural form, Polysulphate is UK-sourced and has a low carbon footprint. It delivers dependable high value, for low environmental impact. The natural process by which Polysulphate is produced makes it a low carbon footprint fertilizer. This helps growers achieve carbon targets demanded by retailers and some food processors.

Another field experiment performed at CSAUA&T University in Kanpur, U.P. (India) showed that the yield of mustard increased significantly with the use of 50, 75 and 100% sulphur through Polysulphate. Maximum grain yield was recorded at the treatment with 100% S through Polysulphate, and was found significantly better than gypsum. In this treatment, the yield increase was 52.7% as compared with the control treatment (only N and P application).

Polysulphate production Polysulphate is the trade mark of the mineral 'Polyhalite', which is one of a number of evaporate minerals containing potassium. The content of impurities is low, and is almost entirely sodium chloride at a maximum inclusion of 5%. Polyhalite (dehydrate) is a single crystal complex with 2 molecules of water of crystallization. It is not a mixture of salts. The chemical formula is: K2Ca2Mg(SO4)4â&#x20AC;˘2H2O A seam of high grade polyhalite was found in the United Kingdom, below the existing sylvinite seam which is being mined for the production of

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Getting the best from Polysulphate Polysulphate has a number of key benefits, which makes it an ideal choice of sulphate fertilizer for farmers: y Readily available - already in its soluble, sulphate form for rapid uptake y Essentially a straight form of sulphur, offering flexibility to tailor application to field requirements y Concentrated, so has a low storage requirement and is quick to spread y A source of potassium, magnesium and calcium an added bonus y Very low in chloride, so suitable for chloridesensitive crops y Environmentally benign as it used in its natural state - no processing or waste product, and nonacidifying y UK-sourced and a secure supply of fertilizer with a low carbon footprint. For more details check Polysulphate website at

www.Polysulphate.com

For more information:

Patricia.Imas@icl-group.com

4 Chapter

Animal Agriculture Projects Around the World

World Food Security

Plant Agriculture and Protection

Soil, Water and Climate

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Animal Agriculture

Israel's Dairy Technology Exports By Deena Fraiman Meir

recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the consumption of dairy products in developing countries, particularly in East Asia, Brazil and Sub-Saharan Africa. This increase, together with the steady growth in world population, has widened the gap between the production rate of dairy products and their consumption, creating a challenge for developing countries and leading them to seek ways to increase milk production.

Holstein cows are reared all over the globe, but different rearing conditions lead to varying degrees of milk production. Healthy cows living in optimal conditions produce more milk. Over the years Israeli farmers, backed by research and government support, have succeeded in increasing milk production by developing a

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sophisticated and comprehensive system for managing dairy farms while abiding by the highest environmental standards. All aspects of care are taken into consideration, from supplying a proper diet, providing suitable bedding and living quarters, and ensuring a smooth and fast transition to and from the milking parlor. All this is possible due to the development and application of advanced technological systems that allow detailed and accurate tracking of the health and welfare of the cows throughout the day and during the milking, along with the presence of onsite ancillary services such as veterinary oversight, a food center, manure treatment facilities and more. Dairy farm in Vietnam Courtesy of ALEF BET Planners LTD.

A good example of how Israeli farmers successfully overcame a major challenge is the way they learned to cope with the extremely hot Israeli summer. Hot weather causes milk production to drop. Israeli farmers found that by installing cooling systems in the cowsheds they could maintain a high level of milk production. As a result of this and other effective solutions, cows in Israel produce over 10,000 liters of milk a year, the world's highest production rate. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate and other environmental conditions necessitated finding solutions that are relevant to other tropical and semi-arid countries, and indeed in the past few years these solutions have generated great interest in many countries that now wish to set up dairy farms according to the Israeli model. As a result of this surge in interest, Israeli companies in the field have expanded their activity abroad, and their consultation services and support have led to an increase of more than double the milk production in many places. In recent years, these

companies have been hired to help set up about one hundred and fifteen dairy farms in Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia and the Far East. Replicating the successful Israeli dairy industry model in many countries has become a lucrative export sector worth about $100 million annually.

India is one of the most interesting markets because although they have the largest number of cows in the world, they have an especially low milk production of four liters a day, compared to forty liters a day in Israel. Most of India's cows are reared in traditional farms and only house two to twenty cows. The Indian government, seeking to secure food supply and increase production rates, established the Center of Excellence in Agriculture in Hisar with the help

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Courtesy of ALEF BET Planners LTD.

of CINADCO, Israel's Center for International Agricultural Development & Cooperation of the Agricultural Ministry, and MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in order to experiment implementation of Israeli solutions to increase milk production.

Another important market is China , which has accelerated the development of its dairy farming. In most cases, the dairies are constructed by entrepreneurs backed by the government and include thousands of cows in large facilities. One such large farm was established in the province of Nansha in cooperation with AfiMilk and AlefBet Planners and accommodates 8,000 cows and heifers. The Sion Company - an Israeli company for artificial insemination and breeding - was invited to take part in training the next generation of dairy farmers by providing programs on insemination, fertility and breeding.

The largest Israeli project is in Vietnam, housing 15 thousand cows. The project covers a wide area of 800 thousand square meters and its worth is estimated at more than $200 million. It

was planned by AlefBet Planners and AfiMilk and built in collaboration with Y.W Galil Engineering. Ronen Feigenbaum, who led the project for AlefBet Planners: “Planning was particularly challenging due to the size of the project and lack of infrastructure to support such a big facility. By comparison, the project is 11 times larger than the largest dairy farm in Israel and produces the equivalent of 15% of Israel’s milk production. The project has revolutionized milk consumption in Vietnam.” Milk yield now reaches 9,300 liters per year - a remarkable achievement in a country with tropical weather. This is due in part to the installation of cooling systems in the cow sheds. Planning and constructing large dairy farms, installing advanced monitoring and surveillance systems and providing professional advice in dairy farming are part of the professional knowledge Israel provides to many countries around the world, introducing creative solutions for population growth and the global food crisis. • A short video about the dairy farm in Vietnam, courtesy of Afimilk www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k2ktEouqHo

Courtesy of ALEF BET Planners LTD.

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5 Chapter

Projects Around the World World Food Security

Plant Agriculture and Protection

Soil, Water and Climate

Animal Agriculture

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Israeli Agricultural Projects Around the World

Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Senegal Sharon Kabalo, Director Policy Planning & External Relations Department MASHAV- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel

gricultural growth is the primary source

of poverty reduction in most agriculturebased economies. Three quarters of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poorest people get their food and income from farming small plots of land, most of them under difficult climatic conditions. The majority of these smallholder farmers are women; therefore, the expansion of smallholder and family farming can lead to a faster rate of poverty alleviation by raising the incomes of rural cultivators and reducing food expenditure. Increasing food and nutrition insecurity and increasing poverty in the face of a rapidly changing climate and degrading natural resources are daunting challenges for agriculture in general and for smallholder farmers in particular. To address these challenges, there is a need to move towards the implementation of an integrated climate-smart agriculture approach including

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the development of efficient agro-technologies to allow smallholder farmers to move towards more productive and sustainable food systems. It is within this framework that MASHAVIsraelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agency for International Development Cooperation, is implementing TIPA (Technological Innovation for Poverty Alleviation) - a family drip irrigation system which combines two important strategies to mitigate the effects of climate-change: effective water management and making relevant technologies available to smallholder farmers. As one of the oldest international development agencies in the world, MASHAV is committed to sharing with the developing world the State of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own creative solutions and firsthand experience in agricultural and rural development to develop the agro- and rural sectors under semi-

Smallholder farmers in Senegal move towards more productive and sustainable food systems. Courtesy of MASHAV

arid and arid climatic conditions. This includes management of limited natural production resources and the integration of appropriate agro-technologies, water and irrigation, research and development, agricultural extension and delivering of know-how to farmers and to the rural areas at large, to enhance overall national employment and economic growth. Sharing the goals set by the international community for greater cooperation between donor and partner countries, TIPA is currently being implemented in Senegal by the State of Israel through MASHAV in cooperation with the Government of Italy through its DGCS -the General Directorate for International Development Cooperation. Through this triangular cooperation, Israel and Italy are providing the necessary expertise and

technical support to set a common framework to improve Senegalese farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capacities to adapt to climate change and to ensure sustainable agricultural development.

>>The Sahel sub-region is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world. Poverty is pervasive and agriculture is the most important sector and the principle source of livelihood for the majority of the people. The agricultural sector faces high exposure to risks and extreme climate conditions leading to repeated cycles of droughts and desertification. Most of Senegal lies within the drought prone Sahelian region, typified by irregular rainfall and generally poor soils. With only about 5% of the land under irrigation the heavy reliance on rain fed cultivation results in large fluctuations in production. About 75% of

>> 61

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the working population is involved in farming. The vast majority of crops are rain fed, making water availability one of the country's biggest agricultural challenges. Successive droughts and mismanagement of natural resources have led to declining yields as soils have become degraded mostly due to erosion.

of Senegal, representing thus, an important tool in support of the national strategies for the reduction of poverty. Moreover, the program is based on a participatory approach focused on the role of the community, and especially on women's associations and local community, as socio-economic development promoters.

Intensification of agriculture through the production of irrigated high-value crops (particularly in dry regions) is a way to overcome the constraints of climate and soil while significantly increasing farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income. The relative advantage for growing labourÂŹ intensive vegetables lies in small-scale family units where the smallholder can utilize family labour to achieve better results.

In Sub-Saharan Africa between 70-80% of small-holder farmers are women. As a means to empower women, the TIPA project creates a context for promoting gender mainstreaming related to the role of women in society, creating a ripple effect for sustainable development.

The activities of the TIPA project in Senegal focus on the improvement and support of the horticulture sector in the central regions of Thies, Djourbel and Fatik; through the introduction of basic drip irrigation technology in order to achieve increased productivity, quality and marketing of the produce, and to create better value and production chains. The present program has been formulated upon a specific request of the Ministry of Agriculture

The TIPA project takes into consideration also aspects of environmental sustainability. Surface irrigation and extensive use of groundwater could be detrimental to soil quality and plant production leading to land abandonment and desertification. Fragile environments need particular care for reducing soil degradation. Using drip irrigation to increase horticulture productivity in semi-arid areas of Senegal allows a more rational use of water to reduce soil degradation and protect the aquifers.

TIPA is a family drip irrigation system based on the concept of the African Market Garden a small-scale horticultural production package based on low-pressure drip-irrigation, a mix of vegetables and tree crops, and a management package that leads to optimization of the production system. The biggest benefit of TIPA is the decreased labour requirements for irrigation and weeding. Benefits of using the system include water saving, higher yields of improved quality vegetables and fruits, the ability to produce crops year round and greater likelihood of maintaining the productive capacity of the soil. The mix of crops allows households to meet their own needs and sell excess in local markets. The hardware components of the basic model comprise a concrete reservoir, a plastic drip irrigation kit, and a water pump. The size of

Courtesy of MASHAV

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We invite: All organizations and companies that are involved in agricultural development to advertise in our magazine and get worldwide exposure.

Focus on

‫משרד החקלאות ופיתוח הכפר‬ ‫שירות ההדרכה והמקצוע‬ ‫ תחום הדרים‬-‫אגף פירות‬

For more information: info@agroisrael.net Development and management, Edna Ziv, Manager of the Rural Area’s Newspapers

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y Protection / fencing of the area allocated for the project y A building to provide necessary storage space, packing space, sanitation services and other elementary needs of the project.

The estimated cost for installation is around US$1.5 per m². The estimated annual profit is about $2.0/m² per year with an investment’s return period of 6 months.

Producing irrigated high-value crops can enable small-scale family farm units to achieve better results. Courtesy of MASHAV

individual market gardens can range from tens of square meters to a few thousand square meters. The most common size is 500m². Since the minimal pressure needed for operation of the drip system is only one meter, TIPA can use low-energy water sources such as surplus water from village water towers (most common in Senegal), solar energy and artesian energy. The technical requirements to establish a TIPA project of 100 units (100 farmers) are the following: y An area of 5 hectares divided into 100 plots of 500m2 each (20 x 25 meter), a 500m2 plot per farmer y Sustainable water-resource for the daily supply of up to 400 m3 of water to the project with pressure not lower than 3.5 meter (0.35 Atmosphere) y Basic water infrastructure for distribution of the water to the plots: each plot with access to a water tap

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Developed at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in cooperation with world ¬renowned Israeli irrigation companies, the TIPA model was later enhanced by MASHAV in cooperation with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). It was first started in Senegal in 2006, as an initiative of the Embassy of Israel in Dakar and of MASHAV. Together with the collaboration of the Senegalese Water Services and two local partners, three communities and locations were chosen for the establishment of the first TIPA projects in Senegal. The results were impressive: 60 families, most of them headed by women tripled their agricultural income in less than two years. A new source of income was created. Following the success of the model, the Senegalese Government decided to expand the TIPA project, adopting it as a National Program to be implemented throughout the country. Within this framework, the trilateral partnership established between the governments of Israel, Italy and Senegal, addresses the issue of food security and enhancing income generation, including the installation and operation of about 500 hectares of TIPA which will directly benefit a population of over 10,000 people in rural Senegal. By placing people at the heart of development, the TIPA project identifies efficient ways to help family farmers to fulfill their potential and contributes to human development by enhancing and expanding human capabilities to achieve sustainable development, poverty alleviation, provision of food security, the empowerment of women and community development. •

>> The TIPA family drip irrigation system provides effective water management for smallholder farmers. Courtesy of MASHAV

The Family Drip Irrigation System A reservoir and an irrigation kit are combined to make up the basic irrigation system. The reservoir capacity is determined by the size of the field to be irrigated, and the long-term evapotranspiration averages in the region.

The Irrigation Kit The irrigation kit uses the pressure of gravity from a height of one meter and above to distribute water evenly throughout a field allowing: a) Maintenance of low soil moisture tension and ample soil aeration b) Reduced leaching of fertilizers as compared with pressurized systems c) Water application based on crop evapotranspiration d) Application of nutrients based on crop demand The basic low-pressure drip irrigation kit is composed of taps, a filter, the main distribution line, and 500-1000 meters of laterals (in which the drippers are embedded).

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The Operating System Irrigation water is applied every day. It takes 3-4 hours to complete an irrigation cycle. The continuous maintenance of low soil moisture tension (due to the lengthy irrigation period) results, particularly in sandy soils, in higher growth rates and hence in higher yields. Under low-pressure discharge, water moves mainly horizontally resulting in very little vertical leaching of nutrients. This special characteristic eliminates the need to apply soluble fertilizers (that are not always available) in the water with every irrigation event (as practiced in conventional drip systems).

Maintenance The system operation is confined to daily cleaning of the filter prior to irrigation, and periodical flushing of the reservoir and laterals. The rigid drip systems developed and manufactured by Israeli companies can last for more than 10 years with little or no maintenance.

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Israeli Agricultural Projects Around the World

AgroProject International Ltd. Avi Obligenarz Over the last 60 years, a great deal of agricultural knowledge has been accumulated in Israel, in areas such as efficient agricultural production, agricultural development and production in arid regions, technologies for dealing with unique environmental conditions and efficient use of water resources. This knowledge base has made Israel a world leader in the field and increased the demand for Israeli agricultural technologies, planning, consulting and management services. AgroProject International was founded in 2003 by Netafim and Yanai Information Resources and is today owned by the Yanai Group and Erez Meltzer (each holding 50% of the company). Dr. Dan Dvoskin, CEO of AgroProject, explained that the company’s reputation is based on its accumulated experience providing consulting services and evaluating over 100 agricultural projects spread all over the world. The company is known for its exceptional ability to link evaluation and planning with knowledge regarding what actually needs to be done. Dvoskin noted that the company specializes in regional and rural development, infrastructure, advanced irrigation, greenhouses, field crops, vegetable production, post-harvest treatment of agricultural produce, the dairy industry, the poultry industry, aquaculture and energy crops (biofuels) – all with an emphasis on technological innovation. AgroProject’s customers are a diverse group of organizations from the public and private sectors. AgroProject operates according to modern principles of management. For each project, it out-sources tasks to Israeli professionals best suited to serve the needs of that project. Dvoskin noted that “We have many ‘excellent musicians’ each of whom is a leader in his field.

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I am the conductor of the orchestra who makes sure that the overall performance is perfect. Each project includes many disciplines that need to be integrated and connections need to be made between the different players in the project. “AgroProject acts as the general contractor or coordinator for the project, shepherding it from the planning stage until it can stand on its own two feet.” AgroProject is a one-stop shop for agricultural development. For every project in which it is involved, it works to deliver the necessary tools for the efficient use of natural resources, capital and labor, as well as management that is appropriate for the specific business environment. Decisions are made as to what cropping techniques should be used and target markets are identified. The next step is an initial planning and feasibility study carried out by experts who are dispatched to carry out professional surveys of the soil and available water and evaluate potential crops. Those preliminary surveys are followed by an economic feasibility study; the formulation of a business plan and assistance locating sources of funding for the project, as necessary. Once all of the preparations have been made and the project initiators have given the green light, the project needs to be carried out in accordance with the agreed-upon budget and schedule. Dvoskin explained that the unique nature of this agricultural consulting company lies in its “ability to handle large and complex agricultural projects that involve the cooperation of many professional agricultural experts. The wisdom lies in being able to speak with each professional his language, to understand what he needs, to connect all of the different professionals, so that they work together toward the success of the project.”

For more information:

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AgroProject is the vital link to sustainable agricultural development, based on Israeli know-how and technology. AgroProject’s experience spans over 30 years and over 100 agricultural projects around the world. AgroProject is a leader in comprehensive project development.

Services:

ˆ Identification of agricultural production, marketing and business opportunities ˆ Assessment of natural resources ˆ Economic, agronomic and structural planning of agricultural projects ˆ Marketing assessments of agricultural products and services ˆ Structural financial packages for development ˆ Project implementation: Planning, construction, operation and management

Expertise: ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ

Rural and regional development Development of water supply and water treatment systems Advanced irrigation development Energy crops, biogas & biofuel Greenhouse agriculture Field and vegetable crops Fruit production and post-harvesting treatment Integrated poultry production Dairy farming Aquaculture

Agro-Project International Ltd.

Herzliya 4672534, Israel. Tel: +972-9-779-4000, Fax: +972-9-779-4020 info@ AgroProject.co.il Agro-Project International Ltd.

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Israeli Agricultural Projects Around the World

Branching Out:

How Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture reaches students from 130 countries around the world Interview with Prof. Moshe Coll, Head of the International School at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem By Deena Fraiman Meir The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University has been offering academic programs and professional training for international students since 1988. To date, more than 2,400 students from over 130 countries have attended the various programs. A new international school has been recently established in order to coordinate all these activities under one roof. Professor Moshe Coll is the Head of the school, and he told us a little about its various programs.

>> Please tell us about the various programs the school offers. The school offers four M.Sc. Programs in the fields of: plant sciences, animal sciences, environmental quality sciences, and nutritional sciences. A fifth program, focusing on Viticulture and Oenology, is awaiting the approval of the Council for Higher Education. These programs lead to non-thesis M.Sc. degrees and take three semesters to complete (Taken in one calendar year). Excelling students may then continue for a second year in which they conduct thesis research.

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In addition, the School offers summer school programs, which last several weeks, and offer diverse academic courses, such as plant breeding, biotechnology, biological control, water management, and more. Studies are intensive and combine basic scientific knowledge with an applied perspective. In addition, the School offers several professional courses a year in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These courses may last from a few weeks to a few months and cover topics such as dairy farm management, bee keeping, humane nutrition, food safety, aquaculture, and more.

>> How do students hear about these programs? The School has a well-developed network of contacts in developing countries, which is used to circulate information concerning the various programs. Each year we release a public announcement which we send out through university faculty members, researchers, and government agents in those countries. Secondly, the school keeps in touch with its alumni, who

>> The International School offers hands-on training, field and laboratory work, and visits to various agricultural production sites. Courtesy of the International School at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture

also spread information concerning the various programs. Unfortunately, only 30% of the applicants can be accepted based on existing scholarships. Our goal is to increase the number of scholarships so the school may accept more students.

>> Are there similar programs elsewhere in the world? There is a small number of similar programs in the field of agriculture, including one or two in Europe. Yet those programs are lacking handson training, field and laboratory work, and visits to various agricultural production sites. Our programs take full advantage of the year-round agricultural activities in Israel and thus offer the students a unique and highly valuable training.

>> Do students go on to work in their fields of study? The Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to build-up the agricultural capability of developing countries, countries in which no advanced degrees are offered in the field of agriculture or where training is not

advanced enough. Take Africa, for instance, where in many places there are no professionals to be found in the field of nutrition. Graduates from our program return to their countries of origin, assume key positions within the government and academia, and implement what they have learned, which immediately translates into an improvement in the capability of those countries. Thus, they contribute to the improvement of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living conditions by increasing agricultural production and food supply. Graduates of the various programs go back to work as researchers in institutes operated by agriculture ministries, as lecturers in higher education, or as teachers in villages. The latter teach farmers how to apply their knowledge, thus enhancing food production in the field. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduates also work in commercial businesses and NGOs that focus on advancing agriculture around the world. The school also attracts students from developed countries that benefit from a unique, year-round and hands-on training, gain exposure

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to agriculture and human nutrition challenges in developing countries, enjoy a multi-cultural learning experience, and form networks and friendships for life.

>> Are business relationships with Israeli companies formed through the program?

>> Does this academic program have any effect on Israel’s image and status around the world?

The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment of Hebrew University is the only institution in Israel that offers advanced degrees in the field of agriculture. All agricultural activities in Israel have emerged from the Faculty of Agriculture, and still emerge from there today. People working in the seed, irrigation, automated milking system technologies and food industry companies are graduates of the Faculty, and many serve in senior positions. Naturally, a large portion of the people teaching in the various programs of the International School are academic members of the Faculty of Agriculture or its graduates who work now in the industry and in government offices (the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture). In addition, we have teachers coming in from the Volcani Center, the research arm of the Ministry of Agriculture, that many of its scientists earned their academic degree in our Faculty. •

Without a doubt. The school’s graduates are our best ambassadors, and the fact is that they bring new applicants every year. The programs combine social activities, trips around Israel and an exposure to Jewish culture and religious holidays. The School’s students work shoulder to shoulder with Israelis in the laboratories, and they leave with a better understanding of Jewish tradition and Israeli society. Needless to say, interaction with the School’s students also enriches the lives of Israeli students.

>> Please tell us a little about the new program for students from China. The initiative was launched a year ago, following a donation the Hebrew University received for the purpose of opening a program dedicated to students from China. The students start their way as M.Sc. students, and are then transferred to a direct PhD track. With the increased momentum of the program and its marketing in China's top academic institutions, we are likely to receive many excellent applicants that will compete for this prestigious program. In a few years, about 25 Chinese PhD scholars will enroll in the program every year.

Professor Moshe Coll is an Insect Ecologist that is interested in biological pest control. The aim of some of his research is to maximize the activity of natural enemies of insects that cause agricultural yield loss, and thus minimize the need to use toxic pesticides.

The students at the international school enjoy a multi-cultural learning experience, and form networks and friendships for life. Courtesy of the International School at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture

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Dear Readers, We hope you have enjoyed the first issue of AgroIsrael. We will be publishing a quarterly issue of the magazine. We would love to hear your comments, suggestions, thoughts and requests for specific topics you would like to see in the next issue. Sincerely, Edna Ziv, Founder and Manager of AgroIsrael email: edna.ziv@tmags.co.il email: info@agroisrael.net