We are looking for a curious and motivated student interested in exploring the connections between plants, climate, and agriculture, while combining fieldwork, data analysis, and computational modeling. Our research focuses on understanding how temperature, radiation, water availability, and other environmental conditions affect plant physiological processes and developmental rates — from germination and vegetative growth, through flowering and yield formation, to senescence and the completion of the plant life cycle.
One of our main goals is to understand the processes that regulate transitions between different developmental stages, and how these processes are influenced by weather and climate. We will examine mechanisms such as growing degree-day accumulation, photoperiod, and vernalization, and investigate how they affect developmental rates and the timing of key stages throughout the plant life cycle.
We integrate this knowledge into crop simulation models to better understand plant behavior under field conditions and to predict how crops will respond to changing environmental conditions. The research combines crop modeling, weather and climate data, plant physiology, fieldwork, and crop sampling in commercial fields. The student will collect and analyze data, monitor crop development, and use computational tools to analyze, explain, and predict processes observed in the field. The research questions range from fundamental science to applied agricultural challenges, including: – What determines the transition from one developmental stage to another? – How do temperature, day length, and other environmental conditions affect the rate of crop development? – Can we predict when a crop will flower, mature, or reach the end of its life cycle? – What is the optimal sowing date under different seasonal conditions? – Which crops or cultivars are best suited to different climatic conditions? – How will climate change affect crop development and yield? This research is especially suited for someone who enjoys asking how complex systems work and is interested in combining biological understanding with quantitative thinking, data analysis, and fieldwork.
Requirements: – What determines the transition from one developmental stage to another? – How do temperature, day length, and other environmental conditions affect the rate of crop development? – Can we predict when a crop will flower, mature, or reach the end of its life cycle? – What is the optimal sowing date under different seasonal conditions? – Which crops or cultivars are best suited to different climatic conditions? – How will climate change affect crop development and yield?
As part of their work in the lab, the student will gain practical experience in crop modeling and integrating climate data into agricultural models, as well as using tools to predict crop development and yield under different climate conditions. In addition, the student will gain hands-on experience in agricultural fieldwork, including crop sampling, measurements, and monitoring crop development in commercial fields. The work will provide practical exposure to agrometeorology, agroclimatology, and smart agriculture, as well as the application of research tools to address agricultural challenges under changing climate conditions.
See yourselves fit? Send your CV to Dr. Ehud Strobach via udist@volcani.agri.gov.il