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| Plant Pathology and Weed Research |
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| Head:
David Ezra, Ph.D.
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| Research in the Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research focuses on fungal, bacterial, viral pathogens and noxious weeds causing damage to agricultural crops in Israel and abroad.
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Vision of the Department: To lead research and technology development in managing biotic crop damage while maintaining the values of sustainable agriculture and quality production. Main objective of the Department: Develop knowledge and technology for disease control and to maintain quality of agricultural produce while minimizing environmental damage. Goals of the Department: 1. Study the relationships between the environment and pathogens and weeds affecting agricultural crops.
2. Identifying and describing the pathological and weed problems limiting agricultural production.
3. Development of efficient, environmentally-friendly methods for solving pathological and noxious weed problems limiting agricultural production.
4. Distribution of knowledge and techniques developed for the benefit of growers and industry in Israel and abroad.
5. Development of practical applications in plant pathology and weed science.
6. Development of the next generation of researchers in plant pathology and weed science. 
Selected trends of research in the Department: Development of management and preventive approaches to plant diseases • Epidemiology of disease and causal agents.
• Development and application of methods for assessing susceptibility to disease-causing agents.
• Development of plant resistance, agrotechnical methods and decision support systems for disease reduction.
• Development and assessment of biological and other non-chemical control agents. Research on plant/pathogen interactions • Identification and isolation of pathogenicity genes involved in disease development.
• Identification and characterization of genes involved in the plant host response to disease agents. Noxious weed research and developing methods for minimalizing damage • Biology and physiology.
• Biological control of weeds.
• Intelligent chemical control of weeds.
• Development of decision support systems for precision control of weeds.
• Developing parasitic-weed resistant crops. Contact details of Head of Department:
TEL: 972-3-9683555
FAX: 972-3-9683544
Email: dezra@volcani.agri.gov.il Department member in Gilat Research Center Dr. Leah Tsror
Dr. Hagai Raanan Department members in Neve yaar Research Center Prof. Hanan Eizenberg
Dr. Ran Lati
Dr. Evgenia Dor
Dr. Maor Matzrafi |
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| Staff |
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| Researchers |
Name
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Research Interests /
Job description |
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| Bahar Ofir, Ph.D. |
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* Molecular study of plant-pathogen interaction
* Plant diseases caused by fastidious bacteria
* The role of bacterial outer-membrane vesicles in pathogenicity and immune activation |
| Bar Maya, Ph.D. |
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Group Leader (PI):
The involvement of cellular processes and structure-function relationships in plant defense, plant pathogen interactions, and biocontrol.
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| Blank Lior, Ph.D. |
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Spatial distribution of pests, pathogens and weeds in agricultural crops |
| Dombrovsky Aviv, Ph.D. |
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Transmission of plant viruses
Virus vector interactions
Aphid-pathogenic viruses |
| Ezra David, Ph.D. |
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Fungal fruit tree diseases:
Mal secco disease of citrus
Alternaria brown spot and black spot disease of citrus
Disease of pomegranate
Alternaria in persimmon
The molecular relations between pathogenic fungi and their host
Biological control of fruit trees pathogens by the use of endophytic microorganisms and their secreted secondary metabolites.
Biological control of diseases in fruit trees their products and seeds by Volatile Organic Compounds emitting fungi.
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| Freeman Stanley, Ph.D. |
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Foliar and soilborne pathogens of vegetable and fruit crops.
Biological and chemical control.
Molecular biology techniques for diagnostics and studying host pathogen interactions of: Fusarium spp. of cucurbits and mango, and Colletotrichum spp. of strawberry, anemone, Limonium, avocado and almond.
Epidemiology and control of mango malformation disease caused by Fusarium mangiferae.
Epidemiology and control of Colletotrichum acutatum, C. gloeosporioides, Macrophomina, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Phytophthora in strawberry.
Ambrosia beetle/Fusarium interaction affecting avocado
Botryosphaeria affecting avocado and other fruit trees
Forest Pathology: Fungal pathogens of Pine, Cyprus and Carob trees
Medical cannabis: Diseases and means of management
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| Frenkel Omer, Ph.D. |
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Soil borne pathogens ecology
Population biology of plant pathogens
Plant diseases in wild vs. agricultural pathosystems
Current projects:
Effect of biochar amendments on the dynamics of soil-borne pathogens in greenhouses and nurseries
The epidemiology of pythium and fusarium diseases in greenhouses
The synergistic effect of multiple infections
Population biology of Erysiphe necator in grapes
Population biology of Botryosphaeria species in Israel
Lab members:
PhD students: Mrs Amit Philosophe, Mr Lior Gur, Mrs Maya Moshe
M.Sc students: Mr. Itay Keren, Mr. Adar Tabib, Ms Danielle Rockenstein, Ms Dor Azoulay, Mr. Yedidia Atun
Lab technicians: Mr. Gideon Mordochovich.
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| Mawassi Munir, Ph.D. |
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Engineering of grapevine virus-based transient expression vectors.
Development of methods for detection of grapevine and citrus viruses.
Molecular biology of grapevine Closteroviruses and Vitiviruses.
Molecular biology of citrus tristeza virus.
Etiology of grapevine rugose wood complex and leafroll diseases.
Elimination of viruses from grapevine tissue by thermotherapy, meristem culture, and cryopreservation
Phytoplasmal deseases in grapevines.
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| Ment Dana, Ph.D. |
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- Microbial biopesticides
- Invertebrate pathology
- Entomopathogenic Fungi and nematodes
- Wood borer pests management
- Soil pests management |
| Shtienberg Dani, Prof. |
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•Epidemiology of plant disease.
•Crop loss assessment.
•Development of decision support systems, IPM and modeling.
•Host-pathogen interactions at the population level.
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| Spiegelman Ziv, Ph.D. |
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- Developing novel approaches for viral resistance in vegetable crops.
- Long-distance and cell-to-cell movement of plant viruses.
- Interaction of plant viruses with the root system.
- Viral silencing suppression and its effect on plant development.
Lab website |
| Teper Doron, Ph.D. |
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• Bacterial pathogens of vegetable crops
• Molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions
• Host specificity determinants.
• Virulence mechanisms of plant-pathogenic bacteria
• Bacterial effector proteins
• Plant innate immunity
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| Engineers/Technicians |
Name
(Surname, First name) |
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Research Interests /
Job description |
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| Bekelman Ilana |
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| Borenstein Menahem |
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| Dror Orit, B.Sc. |
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| Katz Miriam, Ms. |
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| Leibman Diana, Ph.D. |
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Genetic engineering of plant viruses
virus resistance |
| Leibman Meirav, Ms. |
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| Liarzi Orna, Ph.D. |
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| Maymon Marcel |
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| Meslinin Ludmila |
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| Mor-Mussery Amir, Mr. |
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| Rav-David Dalia |
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| Shulhani Ran, Mr. |
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| Smith Elisheva, Ph.D. |
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| Suaza Sandy, Ms. |
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| Tam Yehudit |
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| Weiss Daniela, Ms. |
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| Administration |
Name
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Research Interests /
Job description |
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| Retiree |
Name
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Research Interests /
Job description |
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| Antignus Yehezkel, Ph.D. |
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Molecular and biological characterization of vegetable viruses.
Virus /vector interactions.
Integrated Pest Management(IPM)of plant viruses |
| Bar Joseph Moshe, Prof. |
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Management and control of virus and virus like disease agents of subtropical fruit trees, with special emphasis on citrus.
Certification programs, nursery propagation methods and modern cultivation practices of citrus & subtropical fruit trees .
Eradication policies and practices of potentialy epidemic disease agents of fruit trees.
Phytoplasma, Spiroplasma and insect vectored disease agents of citrus and subtropical fruit trees
Molecular characterization and evolution of Closteroviridae and of viroid disease agents.
Methods of pathogen detection and elimination.
Transgenic plants (citrus) and rapid propagation technologies.
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| Ben-Yephet Yephet, Ph.D. |
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Soil borne pathogens in vegetables, flowers and peanut in the following topics:
1. Chemical control of soil borne pathogens. Chemicals: metham sodium, methyl bromide, 1,3 dichloropropene (Telone=Condor) and benomyl.
Pathogens: Verticillium dahliae, Sclertoinia sclerotioum, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi, Pythium spp., nematodes and mites.
2. Ecology and epidemiology. Survival of sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum, Sclerotium rolfsii and microsclerotia of V. dahliae in semi-arid climate. Fusarium wilt in carnation (F. o. dianthi): distribution of the pathogen in soil, the relationship between inoculum and disease, and effect of cultivar resistance on wilt incidence and population densities on plants and in soil.
3. Developing greenhouse and field screening methods to evaluate resistant cultivars or lines. Effect of isolate source and daylight intensity on the pathogenicity of V. dahliae in watermelon and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi |
| Elad Yigal, Prof. |
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Induced resistance in plants and bio-stimulants, Diseases of covered crops; Foliar diseases; Integrated management; Low input management, Global climate change effect on agriculture, plants and plant diseases; Mitigation and adaptation to climate change; Plant-Pathogen-Microb interactions.
Special emphasis on cultural, chemical, biological and integrated control, epidemiology, physiology and parasitism; Biocontrol agents.
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| Gaba Victor, Ph.D. |
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Plant tissue culture and transformation for plant protection
Virus-free crops (potato, sweet potato, garlic)
Potato virology
Sweetpotato virology
Transgenic resistance to viruses
Plant-Virus interactions |
| Gal-On Amit, Ph.D. |
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1.The molecular basis of host and positive-strand RNA virus interaction.
2. The role of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 in plant virus defense.
3. Identification of plant genes associated with disease symptom development to plant virus infection.
4. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology for crop improvement.
5.Genetic engineering of attenuated ZYMV-AG as a plant virus vector, for gene expression and epitope presentation.
6. Development of resistance to RNA and DNA viruses, in cucurbits and tomato by transgenic approaches.
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| Gera Abed, Prof. |
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Research Expertise:
Molecular and biotechnological approaches for characterization and control of viral diseases of ornamental cropss.
Specific areas: Production of virus-free propagation material of ornamental and cut-flower crops.
Molecular epidemiology, virus detection and diagnosis, and virus-vector interactions.
Virus diseases of new ornamental corps.
Transformation of ornamentals for virus resistance
Tospoviruses transmission.
Management of phytoplasma diseases
Virus ecology and epidemiology
Current focus is on tospoviruses, tobamoviruses, carlaviruses and potyviruse.
Crops include ornamentals, cut flowers, nursery, and vegetables.
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| Haas Jerry H, Ph.D. |
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Ecology and epidemiology of soil-borne fungal pathogens and mycorrhiza. |
| Katan Talma, Ph.D. |
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| Korolev Nadia, Ph.D. |
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Fungal populations, soilborne and foliar fungi, fungal genetics, vegetative compatibility, resistance to fungicides, induced systemic resistance, Verticillium, Botrytis, Fusarium, Trichoderma |
| Kritzman Giora, Ph.D. |
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Plant Pathologist & phytobacteriologist: Soil borne,seed borne and water borne pathogens.Bacterial diseases. |
| Manulis-Sasson Shulamit, Ph.D. |
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Studies on molecular basis of bacterial-host interactions, cloning and characterization of pathogenicity genes, development and implementation of molecular techniques for detection of major and economically important bacterial diseases: Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae, Xanthomonas campestris pv. pelargonii, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Erwinia amylovora, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. |
| Raccah Benjamin, Prof. |
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Virus-vector relationships at the biological and molecular level
Transmission of plant viruses by vectors
Epidemiology and control of plant viruses
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| Rosner Arieh, Ph.D. |
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| Solel Zvi, Ph.D. |
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Fungal diseases of citrus.
Epidemiology, resistance and chemical control of plant diseases caused by fungi. |
| Spiegel Sara, Ph.D. |
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| Tanhe Edna, Ph.D. |
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