Interdisciplinary Centers

Vision and goals:

UN projections suggest that 70% of the world’s population will reside in cities by 2050. Urban geometry and energy emissions result in a temperature increase known as the “urban heat island” effect, which also leads to reduced air quality and increased pollution. While vegetation can mitigate these issues, its effectiveness depends on plant adaptation to the environment, plant health, and soil condition. Our Center advances research on urban forestry and agroecology, integrating plants and green spaces within cities to promote sustainable urban living.

Activities and accomplishments:

Urban vegetation and climate change: optimizing the cooling potential of the urban forest in the city heat island

• Improving living conditions and the function of vegetation in the urban space under changing climate conditions.
• Examining the transition between rural and urban spaces: vegetation, pests, temperature and energy balance.
• Improving the subsoil and tree habitat in different cities.
• Monitoring carbon sequestration, and promoting pollutant reduction. The knowledge gained will be accessible to city residents and policymakers.

Israel’s urban gardens for green education and food security initiative:

• Engaging school students and city residents in growing vegetables within urban areas.
• Providing specialized training in the fields of green cities and urban ecology, for agriculture teachers, university and high school students.
• Developing and conducting classes on sustainable green solutions for homes and business, in agricultural farms, schools and public gardens, in order to cultivate practical skills, environmental awareness, and sustainable urban practices across diverse community settings.

Head of Center: Prof. Rina Kamenetsky Goldstein

Contact:

972506220511

vhrkamen@volcani.agri.gov.il

https://www.future-gardens-israel.com/

https://www.urban-gardens-israel.com/he

Visions and goals:

The Center for Farm Animal Welfare Research promotes research aimed at enhancing the productivity and profitability of farm animals while simultaneously prioritizing and improving animal welfare. Our mission is to develop innovative practices and technologies that support the health and well-being of farm animals balancing economic efficiency with ethical considerations.

Activities and accomplishments:

The Center for Farm Animal Welfare Research lead a multidisciplinary program that spans from animal welfare assessments and the development of sustainable farming practices to the advancement of state-of-the-art genetic manipulation programs prioritizing both welfare and productivity traits. Additionally, the center promotes improving farm animal cutting-edge research facility that supports innovative studies and serves as an educational hub for farmers and students. The center also actively promotes collaborative funding opportunities from both industrial and academic sources to support groundbreaking research and initiatives aimed at enhancing animal welfare and sustainable farming practices. Finally, the center promotes the presentation of animal welfare related findings.

Head of center: Prof. Noam Meiri

Vision and goals:

Promote the use of artificial intelligence to ensure the prosperity of Israeli agriculture, guaranteeing a fresh, high-quality, healthy and safe product for the public; increasing the productivity of Israeli agriculture in Israel and around the world; developing unique algorithms of artificial intelligence to improve food security, and environmental sustainability, while at the same time ensuring Israel’s position as a leader worldwide in the field of artificial intelligence in agriculture.

Activities and accomplishments:

A computing center funded by the Helmsley Fund was established, which includes, among other things: 26 CPU servers, 36 GPU systems, approximately 350 terabytes of fast storage, 500 terabytes of storage for long-term storage, fast communication systems between the processing and storage components, licenses to operate the systems and licenses of commercial software that support AI. The center was equipped with advanced sensing systems to collect data essential for the application of artificial intelligence methods: a mobile system for hyperspectral imaging, a thermal camera, a ground LiDAR system, a GPS RTK receiver, a mobile Raman spectroscopy system, a fluorimeter, soil sensors, a color camera, a mobile meteorological station, a porometer, and developed a dedicated system for phenotyping in the field.

Manager: Victor Alchanatis

Contact:

+972-3-968-3504

victor@volcani.agri.gov.il

Vision and goals:

A multidisciplinary inter-unit center involving over 40 researchers from various scientific fields, including biology, materials science, chemistry, soil and water sciences, plant sciences, agricultural engineering, animal sciences, and more. The field of nanotechnology is highly developed both in Israel and globally. Just as nanotechnology has led to tremendous advancements in fields such as medical sciences and cutting-edge technologies, we anticipate similar progress with its integration into agricultural sciences, which is already happening to a large extent. The Agro-Nanotechnology Center brings together knowledge and expertise across various aspects of agriculture and food, fostering a fertile and natural environment for collaboration among researchers from diverse disciplines.

The center’s activities encompass a wide range of fields, including: Developing advanced methods for the delivery and controlled release of substances for plant nutrition and protection; Eco-friendly treatments to reduce food loss and enhance the preservation of agricultural produce post-harvest; Utilizing agricultural waste, promoting circular and sustainable agriculture; Creating biodegradable and active food packaging and smart agricultural films; Precision agriculture, agricultural robotics, and the development of biosensors and chemical sensors; Transformations to improve crop yields, nutritional value, and plant resilience under changing climate conditions; Advanced treatment methods for livestock, and more.

Our vision is gaining recognition nationally and internationally as a leading institute in the use of nanotechnology for agricultural purposes, fostering global collaborations.

Activities and Achievements:

• Extending the storage life of agricultural produce to reduce food waste and open new export opportunities.
• Finding economically viable approaches to applying “green” materials for plant protection instead of chemical products.
• Developing efficient foliar feeding methods as an alternative to root feeding, which results in approximately 80% fertilizer loss.
• Creating methods to utilize waste, both organic and plastic, for agricultural benefit.
• Rapid detection of hazardous substances and harmful microorganisms in water and food.
• Early detection of diseases in plants and livestock.
• Developing anti-contamination packaging and surfaces.

Head of center: Elena Poverenov

Team Members:

Guy Mechrez

Maya Kleiman

The Research Center for Agriculture under Climate Change was established to provide infrastructure and collaborative platform for advanced research aimed at adapting all plant and animal agricultural sectors to changing climates. This might be achieved by developing new climate resilient varieties or by implementing innovative agronomic practices and technologies.

The center focuses on two main research areas: (1) improving prediction of climate change impacts on Israeli agriculture via modeling and (2) enhancing and advancing agriculture adaptation to these predicted impacts.

The center’s long-term goals include improving seasonal and multi-year modeling and forecasting capabilities to be used as decision-support tools for agriculture and agricultural R&D; Adapting Israel’s agricultural sectors to anticipated climate changes through breeding and innovative agronomic practices and technologies; Deepening the understanding of resistance mechanisms in plant crops against stress-inducing factors (biotic and abiotic); Enhancing pest control (both chemical and biological) under changing climate conditions; And understanding the epigenetic and molecular control mechanisms of homeostasis in animal sectors.

Head of Center: Roi Ben David

Research Coordinator: Tova Deutch Traubman

Website

Sustainable agriculture entails maintaining a balance between the need for providing food and that for conserving natural resources for future generations. The approach of the Center advocates that reaching sustainability requires development and assimilation of technological innovations, coupled with a holistic view and open mindedness for conservative practices.

Goals of the Center: Smart and precise irrigation and fertilization; soil conservation management practices; optimal pest and plant diseases control, soil health and carbon sequestration; diminishing of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Center’s activities will promote novel approaches such as precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors, statistical models and decision support systems. All alongside sustainable practices as minimal or zero soil tillage; incorporation of service crops in orchards, vineyards and field crops; use of composts and other organic amendments; crop rotation; incorporation of grazing as part of cropping management; taking a holistic view in an array of aspects. To achieve all of the aforementioned, the first two years of the Center were dedicated to purchasing laboratory analytical equipment, field machinery and measuring instruments; drowns for precise application of fertilizers and pesticides, building a greenhouse and growing houses; and reconstruction of cattle sheds.

In the course of September 2024 the Center will hold its first symposium under the title: “Service crops in orchards and field crops in Israel: accumulated experience, research issues and challenges”.

Vision and goals:

The center was founded to promote the transfer of microbial agrotechnology research products from the laboratory to field trials to facilitate the transfer of developed technologies to the industry

Activities and accomplishments:

As a first step we have established a unit for advanced fermentation, enabling the production of various microorganisms, under controlled conditions, in the quantities required for conducting field trials. A formulation unit is also planned, consisting of dedicated equipment for stabilization and packaging of microorganisms using methods compatible with industrial processes, taking developed microbial-based technologies a step further towards transfer to the industry.

Center manager: Or Shapiro