Agronomy

The studies related to various crops are as follows:

• Wheat – Development of high-yield, high-quality bread wheat adapted to the Israeli environment; durum wheats for high-quality pasta, as an export crop; high-yield, high-quality forage wheat. Israeli wild wheat varieties are used to achieve these objectives.
• Grain crops – Improvement of rain-fed field crops through crop management developments, including studies of rotation, no-tillage cultivation, mineral nutrition, and weed control. The relevant grain-quality parameters include the gluten index and health-related components. Studies of precision agriculture cover new approaches to fertilization, including decision-support systems based on GIS layers, site-specific management, variable-rate application, and multi/hyperspectral remote sensing adapted to semiarid regions.
• Chickpea – Breeding  for  high yields and resistance to ascochyta, fusarium wilt, herbicides,  parasitic weeds and lodging. Development of post-harvest technology.
• Agriculture according to the Torah – Applied and basic research on orla, shmitta, Pesach, kilayim, the Four Species and other religious duties (mitzvot) associated with the Land of Israel, as related to modern agricultural and technological practices.
• Peanuts – Breeding for high yields, large pods, and early maturation to improve low-temperature tolerance during germination. Breeding cultivars that will produce high yields under low planting density, in order to conserve water and reduce seeding rates.
• Sunflowers – Improvement of pollination and fertilization of confectionary sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.).

Natural Resources

The research interests of this section fall into four broad areas.

• Forestry - Agroforestry research addresses the development of marginal agricultural resources for profitable and environmentally sound practices, based on eucalyptus plantations.
• Landscape forestry studies cover: the ecology and management of natural and planted forests in Mediterranean and semiarid environments; compatibility of afforestation candidate species with various Israeli habitats; genetics of forest tree species and the conservation of genetic diversity; enhancement of forest biodiversity; forest natural regeneration, and re-establishment following fire or harvest; fuel management and fire prevention; grazing in the forest; water harvesting and afforestation; biogeochemical cycles in the forest; effects of forests on neighboring habitats.
• Range Management - Studies in this field cover: primary and secondary production processes in grazing systems; improvement and development of natural rangelands and cultivated pastures in Israel through rearing of beef cattle, sheep and goats; the impact of grazing on the soil and on the herbaceous and woody vegetation; monitoring grazing behavior and nutrition of domesticated and wild herbivores, including use of GPS and GIS; use of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) in environmental, agricultural and food research; the impact of grazing management on beef cattle production in various ecosystems; fertilization optimization; livestock production in an organic agricultural context.
• Ecosystem Management - Studies in this field cover: the dynamics of Mediterranean woody vegetation; the use of grazing for managing natural systems; biodiversity in relation to grazing systems; scientific basis for conservation and management programs; exploitation of bio-geochemical cycles to improve soil productivity and restore degraded landscapes; soil stabilization in sandy and loess habitats; biogenic crusts; runoff harvesting.

Official Seed Testing Laboratory

This unit is the Official Seed Testing Laboratory of the State of Israel. It operates according to the Seed Law and is accredited in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025-International Standard. The Laboratory coordinates the handling and publishing of "The List of Varieties Eligible for Sale in Israel".

The Laboratory specializes in seed-quality tests and develops and applies new testing methods to ensure and improve seed quality. The main tests performed are: purity (including identification of cultivated, weed and noxious-weed seeds), germination and dormancy breaking, viability and vigor testing, health tests to identify seed-borne pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses, and testing of variety purity (according to OECD Regulations).

Department members at regional research centers:

Bonfil David J., Ph.D., Gilat
Henkin Zalmen, Ph.D., Newe Ya'ar
Zaady Eli, Ph.D., Gilat