Ran Erel Ph.D.

Researcher

Gilat Research Center
Gilat Researchers and research team
The Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition, and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences
Gilat Research Center, mobile post Negev 2, 85280
+972-547580414
+972-8-9928244

ranerel@volcani.agri.gov.il

Biography

Dr. Ran Erel is a Principal Investigator who graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the Hebrew University, specializing in soil and water sciences as well as plant sciences. His early research focused on the response of olive trees to mineral nutrition. During his postdoctoral work at Eco&Sol, INRA, Montpellier, he investigated the key root properties that facilitate phosphorus uptake by maize. Since 2016, Dr. Erel has been a Principal Investigator at the Gilat Research Center, the southern campus of the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO, Volcani Center). His main research interests include root-soil interactions, phosphorus in soil and plant acquisition, and plant responses to nutritional levels.

Education

2003 - 2005
B.Sc. in Agronomy, Soil and Water Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2006 - 2008
M.Sc. in Plant Sciences in Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Volcani Institute, Israel (Summa Cum Laude)
2009 - 2013
Ph.D.. in Plant Sciences in Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Volcani Institute, Israel
2014 – 2015
Postdoctoral position at. INRA, UMR Eco&Sols Montpellier, France with Prof. Philippe Hinsinger

Research Interests

My lab focuses on three major aspects of plant nutrition:

(1) developing enhanced fertilization strategies for fruit trees.

(2) understanding phosphorus acquisition by roots and the chemical processes in soil that affect phosphorus bioavailability.

(3) studying the environmental and physiological factors that govern calcium allocation to fruits.

I have a particular interest in the physiological responses of plants to nutrient deficiencies or excesses and the complex interactions between plant nutrition and abiotic stress. I am dedicated to understanding how calcium is allocated to fruit under abiotic stresses and to developing strategies to enhance calcium uptake.

Research Areas

Phosphorus chemistry in soil and phosphate acquisition by plants
Optimization of fruit trees fertilization
Calcium allocation to fleshy fruits
Plant nutrition under abiotic stress

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