Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Agricultural Research Organization

OurResearch Vision: at the Institute of Animal Sciences has resulted in enhanced animal productivity and increased quality of Excellenceanimal-derived in research products, and along development with cost and for waste the promotionreductions. of agriculture and the protection of the environment

Primary force driving Israel’s agricultural the Institute of Animal Sciences, the Institute of Plant achievements Protection, the Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, the Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, The Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) - Volcani and the Institute of Agricultural Engineering. The ARO’s Center, founded as a non-profit experimental station in Seed Laboratory is the state’s official laboratory for testing 1922, is the research arm of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture the quality of seeds intended for both local use and export. and Rural Development and as such, it is the primary other public sources contribute to the ARO and the include commercialization of ARO intellectual property, ARO also hosts Israel’s Plant Gene Bank, mandated to driving force behind Israel’s agricultural achievements. ARO Chief Scientist’s Fund, whose establishment resulted in a technology transfer, and the establishment of partnerships, collect, preserve and evaluate plant species indigenous to accounts for nearly 75% of all agricultural research in Israel. significant increase in agricultural R & D investment. Other joint ventures and other business enterprises. Kidum Israel, including landraces and primitive cultivars. ARO is mandated to develop knowledge, technologies and sources of funding include: international public sources also initiates and coordinates the execution of industry- products for food security, environmental protection and Special expertise such as bi-national research funds maintained with the sponsored research and services carried out by ARO. US and the EU; farmers’ organizations at the national and the Israeli food industry, and to promote their adoption. Israel is a small country with meager water resources Education It strives for excellence in research and development whose climate ranges from Mediterranean in the north to regional levels; and private sector investments. The latter are ARO is also charged with fostering knowledge: It educates for the promotion of agriculture and protection of the semi-arid and arid in the south. These natural factors have directed to products in which businesses can assure their the next generation of scientists and extension workers environment and focuses on solutions to today’s farming led ARO to develop special expertise in a number of areas, ownership of the intellectual property rights. Most of this in basic and applied agricultural research. The teaching hurdles while engendering an ideal of stewardship of including: research is conducted for companies that produce inputs for agriculture such as pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, plastics, experience enables the integration of active research agricultural resources. Agriculture under arid conditions and on marginal soils irrigation equipment, greenhouses and related products. scientists and state-of-the-art scientific methodologies for Irrigation using recycled wastewater and saline water ARO research has led to a host of innovative methods This agricultural input industry also applies the results the advancement of education in the agricultural sciences. and new species/strains, and with the cooperation of Crop cultivation in protected environments of the aforementioned public research. An autonomous Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from academic educated farmers, agriculture in Israel has advanced to Freshwater aquaculture under conditions of water unit, Kidum R & D, is dedicated to the management of institutions in Israel and overseas undertake research an extraordinary level. Beneficiaries of ARO achievements shortage mishmish-design.com ARO’s business-related activities. Kidum responsibilities studies at ARO. include farmers, agro-industries, Israeli consumers and even Minimization of produce losses via advanced pest control consumers abroad who enjoy a large variety of high quality and post-harvest storage methods Israeli agricultural products grown under environmentally sustainable conditions. Breeding and development of new strains of crops and domestic animals better suited to adverse conditions Six institutes undertake the bulk of ARO’s research and development efforts at the Bet Dagan Campus and at Collaborations and technology transfer two additional centers: Newe Ya’ar in the North and Gilat ARO maintains trilateral cooperation and close interaction in the South. The largest is the Institute of Plant Sciences, between government-sponsored researchers, extension the others covering the balance of agricultural endeavor: services and the farmers. The Israeli government and

www.agri.gov.il Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Agricultural Research Organization

www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Newe Ya′ar Research Center

The Newe Ya’ar Research Center is the northern branch of the Agricultural Research Organization. Research at the center is interdisciplinary, with principal efforts focused on herbs, cucurbits, weeds and beef cattle. this requirement and that are now widely grown in Israel. in several crops, including cotton and tomato. The latter In parallel, molecular research aims to characterize genetic programs are based on major weed development models factors related to environmental changes. Identification such as those for Orobanche, blackcurrant and Prosopis. of these genes aids breeding and the development of They were created with the assistance of advanced The herb superb A melange of mellow melons cultivation methods for deciduous fruit trees in a changing sensors for the detection of actual weed presence within A major success of the herb research unit is the Melons, cultivated in the Middle East since ancient times, environment. Among the noteworthy developments the crop as well as during underground sprouting. Newe transformation of herb cultivation into a major industry, are widely grown and enjoyed around the world. Because are the Emek and Shani pomegranate varieties. Emek Ya’ar is recognized worldwide as an important center of with exports of herbs and herb-based products exceeding cold limits their growing season (cucurbits do not tolerate pomegranates ripen towards the middle and end of August Orobanche research and has developed resistant cultivars 2$ billion today. Research focuses on breeding, acclimating frost), Israel’s mild climate lets Europeans enjoy melons and have excellent color, soft arils and a sweet-sour taste, produced via mutagenesis, such as the Orobreto tomato. while Shani, another early variety, has dark red-purple, soft, non-native varieties, understanding herb physiology and all year round. An especially noteworthy achievement Beef cattle: Pasture productivity points to sweet arils and is popular in Europe. developing cultivation technologies for herbs used in is the Galia variety, an arid-zone lover that has become prosperity cosmetics and medications. The chemistry and biological Europe’s best-selling melon. Other cultivars have followed, No more day-blind sheep Most beef consumed in Israel derives from imports, non- activity of natural compounds extracted from these plants including Arava and Revigal. A joint project with a Dutch Several years ago the birth of a number of day-blind sheep productive dairy cows and young dairy-breed bulls. and their aromatic volatiles are studied, particularly their seed company resulted in several additional cultivars from was observed, a phenomenon new to science. Utilizing Research at Newe Ya’ar focuses on the small herds of biosynthetic pathways. the Galia variety, including Capri, the principal cultivar molecular and bioinformatic techniques, researchers at the beef cattle in Israel’s north, where scientists examine Among the unit’s noteworthy achievements is the grown in Arava greenhouses during the winter months; Institute quickly succeeded in identifying a mutated gene, behavior, energy balance and grazing patterns to improve development of basil varieties suitable for export as a fresh Malika, a major cultivar grown in the Arava during autumn; CNGA3, that expresses in the retina. Via genetic molecular management and productivity in the pasture. Movement herb, with exports now exceeding 50$ million annually. and Cruzo, grown widely in greenhouses in Turkey. More assay, carriers of the mutation were identified and removed information, tracked and collected by GPS/GIS, and the Recognition of Israeli basil is so great that even Italy, recently, Unit scientists successfully bred varieties that from the herd, and by the end of 2011 the disease was totally energy costs for each activity, measured by heart rate and renowned for its basil, buys hundreds of tons from Israel combine high quality and long shelf life. Among the best eliminated. In parallel, a breeding nucleus of day-blind oxygen intake, are placed against total energy balance every year. Among basil varieties, Perrie is particularly are Ori, sold mostly in Israel, and Amargal, grown mainly in sheep was established to study achromatopsia, a similar variables. The research has enabled scientists to advise on resistant to Fusarium, a mold disease that at one time Brazil for European markets. human disease that results in incurable day-blindness due herd management, helping ranchers to improve income threatened local basil crops. Though Perrie is the only basil Between 2007 and 2012, sales of Galia seed reached 12$ to malfunctioning rods in the retina. while protecting the environment. The method also allows variety today exported from Israel, propagation cuttings identification of desirable breeding qualities. million, while exports of fresh melons to Europe reached are not exported, thereby maintaining an advantage for Weeds: A strike in time saves nine 120$ million. In 2011, working with a private company, Sustainable agriculture Israeli growers. Basil exports have led to the export of many Early detection of weeds in cultivated fields is key to timely Newe Ya’ar scientists developed Glory, a new, high quality, other herbs, with values exceeding 150$ million annually. and precise herbicide application and an overall reduction Newe Ya’ar scientists have for many years researched long shelf-life variety. In the coming years Glory may grace in its use. Research by scientists at Newe Ya’ar underpins isolated substrate cultures in greenhouses, providing Unit researchers have also developed a rare, new field many European tables. their development of new precision-agriculture methods basic knowledge about substrate types, irrigation and crop - clary sage (Salvia sclarea) - as a source for Omega and their integration into management programs. These fertilization management programs that have gained 3. As derived from clary sage, this fatty acid has a neutral Let a thousand orchards bloom methods, including molecular diagnostic methodologies, worldwide recognition. Activity in recent years has Developing orchard varieties adapted to a hot, dry climate taste and an extraordinary stability in comparison to other detect the presence of weed seeds, including parasitic included the production of compost from organic waste as that tolerate short exposures to cold is an important sources of Omega 3. Research, which began in 2009, has species, in the soil. The scientists also developed decision- a substrate or soil additive. already resulted in a crop grown by a young company that research focus in Israel. Newe Ya’ar scientists have bred new making programs for the prediction of weed presence produces it as a health food additive. varieties of apricot, pomegranate and almond that answer www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Newe Ya′ar Research Center

The Newe Ya’ar Research Center is the northern branch of the Agricultural Research Organization. Research at the center is interdisciplinary, with principal efforts focused on herbs, cucurbits, weeds and beef cattle. this requirement and that are now widely grown in Israel. in several crops, including cotton and tomato. The latter In parallel, molecular research aims to characterize genetic programs are based on major weed development models factors related to environmental changes. Identification such as those for Orobanche, blackcurrant and Prosopis. of these genes aids breeding and the development of They were created with the assistance of advanced The herb superb A melange of mellow melons cultivation methods for deciduous fruit trees in a changing sensors for the detection of actual weed presence within A major success of the herb research unit is the Melons, cultivated in the Middle East since ancient times, environment. Among the noteworthy developments the crop as well as during underground sprouting. Newe transformation of herb cultivation into a major industry, are widely grown and enjoyed around the world. Because are the Emek and Shani pomegranate varieties. Emek Ya’ar is recognized worldwide as an important center of with exports of herbs and herb-based products exceeding cold limits their growing season (cucurbits do not tolerate pomegranates ripen towards the middle and end of August Orobanche research and has developed resistant cultivars 2$ billion today. Research focuses on breeding, acclimating frost), Israel’s mild climate lets Europeans enjoy melons and have excellent color, soft arils and a sweet-sour taste, produced via mutagenesis, such as the Orobreto tomato. while Shani, another early variety, has dark red-purple, soft, non-native varieties, understanding herb physiology and all year round. An especially noteworthy achievement Beef cattle: Pasture productivity points to sweet arils and is popular in Europe. developing cultivation technologies for herbs used in is the Galia variety, an arid-zone lover that has become prosperity cosmetics and medications. The chemistry and biological Europe’s best-selling melon. Other cultivars have followed, No more day-blind sheep Most beef consumed in Israel derives from imports, non- activity of natural compounds extracted from these plants including Arava and Revigal. A joint project with a Dutch Several years ago the birth of a number of day-blind sheep productive dairy cows and young dairy-breed bulls. and their aromatic volatiles are studied, particularly their seed company resulted in several additional cultivars from was observed, a phenomenon new to science. Utilizing Research at Newe Ya’ar focuses on the small herds of biosynthetic pathways. the Galia variety, including Capri, the principal cultivar molecular and bioinformatic techniques, researchers at the beef cattle in Israel’s north, where scientists examine Among the unit’s noteworthy achievements is the grown in Arava greenhouses during the winter months; Institute quickly succeeded in identifying a mutated gene, behavior, energy balance and grazing patterns to improve development of basil varieties suitable for export as a fresh Malika, a major cultivar grown in the Arava during autumn; CNGA3, that expresses in the retina. Via genetic molecular management and productivity in the pasture. Movement herb, with exports now exceeding 50$ million annually. and Cruzo, grown widely in greenhouses in Turkey. More assay, carriers of the mutation were identified and removed information, tracked and collected by GPS/GIS, and the Recognition of Israeli basil is so great that even Italy, recently, Unit scientists successfully bred varieties that from the herd, and by the end of 2011 the disease was totally energy costs for each activity, measured by heart rate and renowned for its basil, buys hundreds of tons from Israel combine high quality and long shelf life. Among the best eliminated. In parallel, a breeding nucleus of day-blind oxygen intake, are placed against total energy balance every year. Among basil varieties, Perrie is particularly are Ori, sold mostly in Israel, and Amargal, grown mainly in sheep was established to study achromatopsia, a similar variables. The research has enabled scientists to advise on resistant to Fusarium, a mold disease that at one time Brazil for European markets. human disease that results in incurable day-blindness due herd management, helping ranchers to improve income threatened local basil crops. Though Perrie is the only basil Between 2007 and 2012, sales of Galia seed reached 12$ to malfunctioning rods in the retina. while protecting the environment. The method also allows variety today exported from Israel, propagation cuttings identification of desirable breeding qualities. million, while exports of fresh melons to Europe reached are not exported, thereby maintaining an advantage for Weeds: A strike in time saves nine 120$ million. In 2011, working with a private company, Sustainable agriculture Israeli growers. Basil exports have led to the export of many Early detection of weeds in cultivated fields is key to timely Newe Ya’ar scientists developed Glory, a new, high quality, other herbs, with values exceeding 150$ million annually. and precise herbicide application and an overall reduction Newe Ya’ar scientists have for many years researched long shelf-life variety. In the coming years Glory may grace in its use. Research by scientists at Newe Ya’ar underpins isolated substrate cultures in greenhouses, providing Unit researchers have also developed a rare, new field many European tables. their development of new precision-agriculture methods basic knowledge about substrate types, irrigation and crop - clary sage (Salvia sclarea) - as a source for Omega and their integration into management programs. These fertilization management programs that have gained 3. As derived from clary sage, this fatty acid has a neutral Let a thousand orchards bloom methods, including molecular diagnostic methodologies, worldwide recognition. Activity in recent years has Developing orchard varieties adapted to a hot, dry climate taste and an extraordinary stability in comparison to other detect the presence of weed seeds, including parasitic included the production of compost from organic waste as that tolerate short exposures to cold is an important sources of Omega 3. Research, which began in 2009, has species, in the soil. The scientists also developed decision- a substrate or soil additive. already resulted in a crop grown by a young company that research focus in Israel. Newe Ya’ar scientists have bred new making programs for the prediction of weed presence produces it as a health food additive. varieties of apricot, pomegranate and almond that answer www.agri.gov.il Agriculture in an era of desalination or harvesting run-off water to minimize erosion in fields By 2020, very high quality desalinated seawater will provide irrigated by large rotating booms. These methods also almost all of Israel’s urban water. Paradoxically, although it prevent salination and soil erosion in fields irrigated with is excellent drinking water, it lacks calcium, manganese and recycled or saline water. Institute scientists have developed sulfur, and is therefore problematic for use in agriculture. quantitative methods for estimating nutrient availability Use of desalinated water in cities means that recycled water from manure, compost, bio-solids and organic fertilizers, also lacks these important nutritional elements. Institute which help minimize nitrogen pollution of groundwater. researchers have demonstrated that adding calcium and Keep that pollution off the farm magnesium to desalinated water improved crop yield As Israel becomes more urbanized and as homes and and quality (e.g., blossom-end rot and fruit development industries expand into rural areas as well, there is increased in tomatoes) in plants grown hydroponically or in sandy danger of pollution in productive agricultural regions. This soils. Institute researchers are also developing methods for is especially the case with the expanding use of recycled adding appropriate amounts of manganese and sulfur to wastewater and organic waste as irrigation and fertilizer, desalinated water to improve plant growth. respectively. Preserving soil fertility and quality Institute researchers are developing physical models of Good soil structure and composition is essential for water, salt, and fertilizer flow in heterogeneous soils. These sustaining agriculture, yet Israel’s soils are characterized models aid in determining irrigation and fertilization in by low organic matter and fragile structure. The use of specific cases, thus managing and diminishing pollution. low-quality water for irrigation, combined with climatic They are also studying the fate of organic (especially conditions and intensive cultivation, increase the danger pesticides) and inorganic (especially boron and heavy of soil salination and soil erosion, both of which contribute metal) micro-pollutants, including their binding and to a thinning of the soil, a reduction in its fertility and a release from soil particles, their settling in deeper soil, consequent drop in crop yield. In some areas of Israel, the their movement and their decomposition. They have depth of the soil profile has decreased by 50 percent in 50 determined that treatment of bio-solids with lime enables years, whereas soil formation can take thousands of years. the use of this potential pollutant as fertilizer rather than as Institute researchers promote the use of soil conditioners combustible waste. and improved cultivation methods such as mini-dams www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Soil, Water and the Environment Institute

The Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences consists of two departments: Environmental Physics and Irrigation, and Soil Chemistry and Microbiology. Research activity focuses on the interactions among soil, plants and the atmosphere, and on optimizing the responsible use of soil and water resources in Israel.

Making a little go a long way Institute scientists also study changes in soil structure In historic times fresh water has always been scarce in Israel. and hydraulic characteristics resulting from rain, spray Precipitation ranges from about 800 mm in the far north irrigation, and different soil cultivation methods, in addition to well under 50 mm in the extreme south. Limited natural to the use of soil conditioning agents to reduce water loss water resources have been strained by a steadily growing through surface flow. population, and especially by the heavy immigration of the By examining the effects of salinity and salt accumulation past few decades, which increased demand for clean water on plant development and yield, and developing irrigation for urban living and for manufacturing. The result has been methods to remove salts from the area of the roots, Institute a decrease in fresh water available for agriculture - from researchers achieved increased yields in salt-sensitive 1,300 million cubic feet in 1980 to only 400 million cubic plants under irrigation in arid areas. feet in 2010. Yet, in part as a result of the Institute’s efforts, water use efficiency in Israel has increased during the past Widely but wisely used: recycled wastewater 60 years. The use of recycled wastewater for irrigation has increased markedly over the past 30 years. This water contains salts, All agriculture in Israel relies on irrigation, the major factor particulate and soluble organic matter, nutrients, organic in the country’s achieving the world’s highest ratio of crop and inorganic micro-pollutants, and a varied population yield per water unit. The Institute studies the theoretical of micro-organisms. Using this water for irrigation can basis for water and solute flow under drip, motorized and potentially have many effects on the chemical, physical, and spray irrigation systems, and fertigation systems adapted biological traits of the soil and groundwater. Early research to different crops, all with reference to climate and soil by the Institute proved that farmers can use fewer chemical conditions. The latter includes minimal soils such as in the fertilizers if they irrigate with recycled water. Adoption of Arava, sandy soils of the Besor region, and chalky-lime soils this research has resulted in increased yields with lower of the mountain ridge. The broad objective is to find the costs and less pollution from excess fertilizer application. most efficient (i.e. water-conserving) ways to provide water For example, farmers now apply half the nitrogen formerly and nutrients to crops. used in citrus groves. Yet use of recycled water affects soil The more that irrigation conforms to specific soil and structure and can increase soil and groundwater pollutants. atmospheric conditions and the type of crop being Methods have been developed to deal with these problems. irrigated, the more efficient the irrigation will be. Institute researchers discovered that shading of banana groves increased irrigation efficiency by 20-30 percent. Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center pheromones are derived. A patent has been registered on O2 concentrations. The change in the relative gas this compound for its use as an inhibitor of sex-pheromone concentrations arises due to the natural respiration of the production. product in the sealed bag. Ideal gas ratios are produced via micro-perforation of the packaging material, which slows Better feed, better preserved Postharvest and Food Science Institute unwanted physiological mechanisms. Gas ratios within the In pasture-scarce Israel, where dairy cattle rely on silage as package are controlled by the number of perforations - from a major component of their diet, better silage fermentation isolated perforations up to tens or thousands, according to is a high-agenda research item. Scientists at the Institute the herb and weight of the package. This methodology has have for more than a decade focused on developing been implemented with great success on more than 30 improved strains of lactic-acid producing bacteria, types of fresh herbs for export. Sharply reduced overseas inoculants that enhance fermentation. Their studies have disqualification rates have led to a significant increase in led to a global change in the program for the production of exports. bacterial cultures for silage, including fatty acid-producing Several vegetables and fruits particularly sensitive to strains that protect from air exposure during feeding. Their package condensation are liable to succumb to rotting and work also led to improved silage from drought-resistant physiological damage despite the controlled atmosphere. The Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences consists of two departments: sorghum, now in great demand for feed production. Institute scientists working with a private company Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce and Food Quality and Safety. The principal research interests of the Institute involve A tale of sea-going flowers developed polymer films whose permeability can be the quality, safety and healthfulness of fresh and processed food, for export and local consumption. For many years, Israeli growers of rapidly-perishing varied to maintain ideal water-vapor levels within the ornamentals relied on air transport to bring their products package. By so maintaining the freshness and crispness to European markets, but rising energy prices and of the packaged produce, Israeli growers can now use sea Extending shelf life naturally also exported to New Zealand, Holland, Morocco, Egypt, concomitant rises in air freight charges demanded solutions transport to transport more than 40 different species of fruits and vegetables to foreign markets. Israeli citrus fruits have long been sought by European and Nigeria and Indonesia. that would make sea transport feasible. Ornamentals are a particularly sensitive area, as their market is extremely even far-away American consumers. Israel also exports Bacteria detoxify stored grain Yeast yes, rot not many other fruits and vegetables, in part enabled by a dynamic and intensely competitive. The value of grain crops can be severely reduced by mold Microorganisms that compete with rot molds are an mild winter that permits crop cycles advantageous to sales infestation, some of which produce toxins dangerous to Institute scientists took up the challenge, and over a alternative to chemical control. One such microorganism in colder European markets. Maintaining freshness is a humans and animals. Institute researchers have developed period of six years developed cut-flower, ornamental- occurring naturally on fruits, yeast, is not found at critical challenge, especially to enjoy lower sea transport innovative molecular and serologically based methods for branch and pot-plant cultivars that not only survive the sufficiently high levels to inhibit the spread of rotting. charges. With colleagues from the Institute of Agricultural identifying molds that produce highly toxic aflatoxins. They 10-day sea voyage to Europe, but for cut flowers assured Institute scientists, working with a private company, Engineering, Institute researchers developed a fresh also developed a methodology for detoxification based on a minimum seven-day vase-life at the end-purchaser’s developed Shemer, a fungicide based on a natural isolate produce rinsing appliance that saves more than 70$ million probiotic bacterial enzymatic digestion of these toxins in home. Sea transport of ornamental branches to the United of Metschnikowia fructicola yeast. annually and reduces losses from 15% to less than 2%. States extending up to 3-4 weeks was also successfully the human and animal digestive system. Applied as a suspension using conventional sprays, Shemer implemented. As a result, the 2005-2009 export drops of The original appliance was developed in 1996. In the first has been implemented commercially with great success for Bye-bye sap beetles, hello major savings ornamentals were halted and from 2009 a 30% increase of its three chambers, the produce was sprayed with room- the prevention of rot in organically grown sweet potatoes Organically grown dates are subject to high levels of in export by sea of ornamental branches was recorded. temperature tap water, with cleansing aided by brushes. and carrots, and has been registered in Israel for use on sap beetle infestations, while strict international trade Switching from air to sea transport can save growers up In the second chamber, the produce (depending on type those products as well as table and wine grapes, citrus regulations call for null infestations. Post-harvest carbon- to 175,000$ annually - enough to make even the angels of fruit or vegetable) was exposed for 15-25 seconds to a fruit, strawberries, peaches, peppers, sweet potatoes and dioxide disinfestation of sap beetles in organically grown trumpet. o carrots. Control is enhanced through physical measures spray of re-circulated water heated to between 45-62 c and dates used to cost 222$ per ton. Institute scientists devised Unique packaging films extend produce life such as hot water or steaming. New applications include pressurized to 4 atmospheres. A third chamber dried the a chamber in which hot air induces the beetles’ escape integration in pre-harvest treatment as part of an integrated produce. responses. This method is as efficient as carbon dioxide Fresh produce loses 3-8% of its weight between harvest and retail sale. It also wilts and shrivels, changes color pest management program for strawberries and grapes to Research into improving performance continued, and the treatment but costs only 9$ per ton. and texture, and loses nutritional and commercial value. prevent post-harvest rotting. newest rinsing appliances use a 5-atmosphere cold rinse Moths: No sex appeal, no reproduction Particularly vulnerable are leaf vegetables, herbs, asparagus, whose water is one-third re-circulated, more efficient spray Moths infesting stored food can destroy its value. Institute corn and strawberries. Plastic packaging prevents water heads, and altered brush spacing and drying chamber researchers discovered that certain widely-used grass loss and shriveling, but water condensing on the produce length. and grain herbicides inhibit sex-pheromone production and the package induces rotting. Warm temperatures Peppers (organic and conventional), melon, mango, avocado, in female moths infesting stored products. Lack of sex- exacerbate the phenomenon. sweet maize, kumquat, citrus (particularly organically grown), pheromone prevents male moths from locating female Institute scientists developed unique “breathing bags” sweet potato and some tomato varieties all benefit from partners, thus preventing the development of pest for a large range of fruits, vegetables and herbs that this treatment. As of 2012, 250 appliances are in use in Israel, populations. These compounds (e.g., diclofop-methyl) contain modified atmospheres: higher CO2 and lower with outputs reaching 15 tons/hour. Rinsing appliances are act by inhibiting fatty acid biosynthesis, from which www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Postharvest and Food Science Institute

The Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences consists of two departments: Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce and Food Quality and Safety. The principal research interests of the Institute involve the quality, safety and healthfulness of fresh and processed food, for export and local consumption.

Extending shelf life naturally also exported to New Zealand, Holland, Morocco, Egypt, Israeli citrus fruits have long been sought by European and Nigeria and Indonesia. even far-away American consumers. Israel also exports Bacteria detoxify stored grain many other fruits and vegetables, in part enabled by a The value of grain crops can be severely reduced by mold mild winter that permits crop cycles advantageous to sales infestation, some of which produce toxins dangerous to in colder European markets. Maintaining freshness is a humans and animals. Institute researchers have developed critical challenge, especially to enjoy lower sea transport innovative molecular and serologically based methods for charges. With colleagues from the Institute of Agricultural identifying molds that produce highly toxic aflatoxins. They Engineering, Institute researchers developed a fresh also developed a methodology for detoxification based on produce rinsing appliance that saves more than 70$ million probiotic bacterial enzymatic digestion of these toxins in annually and reduces losses from 15% to less than 2%. the human and animal digestive system. The original appliance was developed in 1996. In the first Bye-bye sap beetles, hello major savings of its three chambers, the produce was sprayed with room- Organically grown dates are subject to high levels of temperature tap water, with cleansing aided by brushes. sap beetle infestations, while strict international trade In the second chamber, the produce (depending on type regulations call for null infestations. Post-harvest carbon- of fruit or vegetable) was exposed for 15-25 seconds to a dioxide disinfestation of sap beetles in organically grown o spray of re-circulated water heated to between 45-62 c and dates used to cost 222$ per ton. Institute scientists devised pressurized to 4 atmospheres. A third chamber dried the a chamber in which hot air induces the beetles’ escape produce. responses. This method is as efficient as carbon dioxide Research into improving performance continued, and the treatment but costs only 9$ per ton. newest rinsing appliances use a 5-atmosphere cold rinse Moths: No sex appeal, no reproduction whose water is one-third re-circulated, more efficient spray Moths infesting stored food can destroy its value. Institute heads, and altered brush spacing and drying chamber researchers discovered that certain widely-used grass length. and grain herbicides inhibit sex-pheromone production Peppers (organic and conventional), melon, mango, avocado, in female moths infesting stored products. Lack of sex- sweet maize, kumquat, citrus (particularly organically grown), pheromone prevents male moths from locating female sweet potato and some tomato varieties all benefit from partners, thus preventing the development of pest this treatment. As of 2012, 250 appliances are in use in Israel, populations. These compounds (e.g., diclofop-methyl) with outputs reaching 15 tons/hour. Rinsing appliances are act by inhibiting fatty acid biosynthesis, from which a long cool period and short days. Now plants could bear Institute scientists are also developing new varieties fruit as early as November, and California varieties were of pomelo and grapefruit. With more and more people abandoned for the Israeli varieties Nurit, Rachel and Dorit taking statin-based drugs for cholesterol control, demand and later the even more successful Tamar, Yael, Hadas and for grapefruit and pomelo has dropped, as they contain Malach, all of which give bountiful yields of early, tasty naringin, which interferes with statin absorption. A new fruit. The breeding program advanced the harvest by two grapefruit with ultra-low levels of naringin has been months, which allowed profitable export to Europe. developed at the Institute, which should lead to increased plantings. The breeding program was recently renewed with a principal goal of developing even earlier-ripening, higher- Subtropical passions quality varieties. This will boost Israel’s export advantage Though Israel’s climate is not considered subtropical, and lead to more local consumption as well. The first diligent research and attentive farming allow growing of varieties have already been released to growers: Tamir, many fruits on local soil. Research ranges from developing Baraq, 7110 and 7143. new varieties to developing agrotechnical methods for Careful breeding can also increase strawberries’ already preparing transplants, identifying pollinators, fertilizing, plentiful health-giving compounds while enhancing and pruning to molecular engineering for new varieties, resistance to common diseases. Success will lead to higher- rootstocks, and cloning genes that are useful in agriculture. damage from insects and disease, and fruit size and oil and not at others; and microclimate improvement (fewer content are crucial factors. Neither local nor imported olive environmental stresses, reduced water use). yielding plants requiring much less chemical spraying, The majority of the research is performed with avocado, varieties as yet fulfill all these commercial requirements. which along with increased nutritional value are strong mango, persimmon, litchi, date and banana trees. Much In ornamental plant production, the netting is used as a selling points to consumers. effort has also gone into ‘new crops’ such as anona, Institute scientists, however, have recorded impressive non-chemical means to regulate plant height. As plant Tree fruits macadamia, papaya, passionfruit, feijoa, kiwifruit, and achievements. After more than 30 years of crossing both photoreceptors respond to different light wavelengths, carambola, all of which have been commercialized. local and imported varieties, the Barnea variety was released plant development, particularly height and branching, can Citrus blossoms anew in the 1980s. Barnea responds well to controlled irrigation be regulated. Under red netting, Pittosporum, a common Great grapes Citrus growing was the major agricultural enterprise from and fertilization, bears a commercial yield in the third year ornamental leafy bush, grows taller with fewer branches the beginning of modern settlement in Israel more than Grapes have been cultivated in Israel for millennia: Haifa’s after planting, and can be harvested mechanically. Intensive than when grown under regular black netting of the same a century ago. At its peak in the 1970s, more than 40,000 Mt. Carmel, mentioned in the Bible, means “God’s vineyard.” cultivation can result in 12.5 tonnes/hectare of fruit with an shade rating, while plants grown under blue netting are hectares of citrus, mostly Shamouti orange, provided a While the ancients had to be content with the most basic oil content of 20%, 4-5 times the yield obtained without much shorter than those grown under (control) black nets. major export commodity to Europe. Yet continuing water farming techniques, Institute research has brought larger irrigation. The growth characteristics of other pot plants and cut shortages, unfavorable currency rates, and a shift in and better tasting fruit to the table over an extended flowers can also be regulated by the use of photoselective More recently, the patented varieties Askal and Maalot consumer preference to peelable citrus caused a significant season. A breeding program for seedless grapes has already netting. This environmentally-friendly method significantly have come into commercial production. Both varieties are decline in plantings. resulted in superior varieties now planted widely in Israel reduces the need for applications of plant growth regulators and abroad. Prime is a large, tasty early-yielding green early-bearing and have easy-care plant architecture, with However, the local citrus industry is now reviving. This is to obtain commercially-acceptable products. grape, millions of cases of which are exported annually, and Askal having a particularly high oil yield (>25%) and Maalot due to the widespread availability of recycled water, better also planted extensively in South Africa. StarLight, the red having resistance to leaf ringspot disease (peacock spot). Use of photoselective netting is expanding rapidly. In exchange rates, and – most of all – new citrus varieties cousin of Prime, is now being planted as well. Both varieties Dwarf varieties suitable for harvesting fruit for the pickling Israel, the netting is widely used: for ornamental plants, developed by the Institute. The seedless Orri, for example, can withstand long storage periods. industry have also been introduced, and scientists are leafy greens, pepper and tomato, table grapes, apples, is a late-season peelable orange that consistently ranks continuing to breed for large-fruited pickling olives with persimmon, citrus, avocado and more. This unique Israeli highly worldwide in taste tests. Many other seedless Let’s opt for olives easily-detachable stems to enable mechanical harvesting. innovation is also used in Italy, Turkey, Spain, New Zealand, varieties are under development, and in line with European Olives, an ancient Mediterranean staple, are hard to grow These improvements will lead to expansion of plantings China, and other countries. market demand, many contain enhanced quantities of commercially. They require manual labor during harvest, and higher incomes for growers. natural health-giving antioxidants. their trees bear fruit only biennially, they are prone to Blooms go zoom in export cavort Net me a few rays Narcissus Israeli farmers have long used netting for protection against For many years Ziva, developed at ARO in the 1960s, was the sun, hail and flying insect damage. Knowing that some leading narcissus variety in Israel. It provided up to 80% of crops flourish when exposed to only certain parts of the the 25 million flower bulbs exported each year. The yellow, light spectrum, Institute researchers and a private company yellow-white and cream-colored varieties Yael, Noni, Omir, went a step further: They added photofiltering compounds Hila and Maya are now popular, while the latest varieties, to conventional netting that through selective filtration Inbal, Ariel and Nir, paper-white narcissi with a pleasant provide the most beneficial wavelengths of sunlight. smell, can be marketed as cut flowers or pot plants. These The netting has multiple advantages: selective filtering of varieties are patented in Europe and the U.S., and have sunlight can improve yield and quality, and regulate harvest replaced most of the Ziva production. date; reduced chemical spraying for control of insects, molds and the like, as these multiply at certain wavelengths Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Plant Sciences Institute

The Institute of Plant Sciences is the largest institute of the Agricultural Research Organization. It deals with several aspects of plant research, crops and the environmental impacts of agriculture, and is a center of development and dissemination of applied knowledge (products and technologies) of agricultural plants and open range management. The Institute also helps determine the future of research in these areas to ensure quality of life for consumers and international competitiveness for Israeli growers, as well as to improve management of open areas that will benefit the public.

Vegetable crops Tomatoes so red that you’ll blush Paprika so red that you’ll blush The red pigment lycopene, a member of the carotenoid Dried non-spicy pepper fruits are used to make paprika family, can help prevent disease and commands higher powder, as well as natural red color, and both are prices than many other carotenoids. Processing tomatoes consumed worldwide. After unsuccessful attempts in are desired as a source of natural lycopene because crop Israel to grow paprika varieties from around the world, sowing, transplanting, harvesting, transporting and the Institute established a breeding program to develop processing are fully automated and mechanized; the varieties that would thrive in the Israeli climate. Their varieties are determinate-bushy and need no heating successful development encouraged the establishment of or trellising; and the genetic mechanisms controlling a local paprika industry, now worth 30$ million annually in lycopene yields are well-understood. exports. The main production region is the northern Negev Institute scientists undertook a research program to Desert, where one of the world’s largest paprika processing develop lycopene-rich processing tomatoes for industrial plants has been established. pigment production. The varieties are now grown on The research led to the discovery of genetic mechanisms hundreds of hectares in northern Israel, and have been a controlling a number of important traits, including yield, major source of income for farmers since the late 1990s. plant structure, adaptability to mechanical harvesting, The pigment is marketed globally and is incorporated disease resistance, and red pigmentation in the ripe fruit. in products sold in health food stores around the world. Superior plants with one or more such traits were selected It is also used in a functional (food) beverage sold by an and bred to produce improved varieties with all the American multinational in Japan. As well, lycopene is sold desired characteristics. The breeding program produced as a natural food color, and is steadily replacing synthetic the Shalhevet and Lahava varieties, which have high red dyes considered to have negative health effects. The yields (6000-9000 kg/hectare), intense coloration, and a cosmetics industry has recently begun to use lycopene in high concentration of carotenoids, the most important its products. quality parameter in paprika. These varieties have compact Fruit breeding plant structures and highly concentrated yields, ideal for mechanical harvesting. Thank you berry berry much More than 30 years ago, Institute researchers revolutionized strawberry growing by overcoming a flowering demand of Sunflower not only to its source variety V-52, but also to all other Pollen-free Orit, outstanding for quality blooms even when Israeli wheat varieties. Major Israeli millers have adopted grown in open fields in the winter, is one of the top ten Ruta even over formerly superior American varieties. It is flowers in markets around the world. Tens of millions are the first cellularly-engineered wheat ever introduced to exported each year, although there is now competition commercial agriculture. from similar varieties grown in other countries. Cytoplasmic transformation is also used to create new Peony wheat varieties and was employed to develop the Bar Nir Peony, a ‘luxury flower’ in the U.S. and Europe, is the most variety. Introducing foreign cytoplasm into the predecessor profitable cut flower grown. Although peonies have long of Bar Nir resulted in a variety with many more grain heads, been grown in Israeli gardens, over the past twenty years and with a yield of up to 550 kg/hectare under optimal Institute researchers have studied the life-cycle of this conditions. The cytoplasmic exchange also improved the cold-loving plant and have developed it as an off-season gluten index to the highest recorded for Israeli wheat cut flower for European flower markets. Israel produces varieties. Bar Nir is also resistant to Eurygaster integriceps, peonies from February to May, utilizing its relative climate a bug also known as sunn pest, one of the world’s most advantage and a special technique to cause flowering at serious wheat pests. the desired time. Approximately 25 hectares of peonies are A further development at the Institute is durum wheat that now grown in Israel, utilizing management protocols and produces high-quality pasta, unique among Israeli wheat varieties that flower early and have a relatively low chilling varieties. The first varieties released are Gvati, Ozen and requirement. Eliav. Gvati is now being grown in Italy, since it was tested Peanuts with panache there and was found to have better quality and yield than local varieties. The Institute leads in introducing new peanut varieties in Israel, especially for in-shell export to Europe. Hanoch is a A festival of forests variety particularly noted for high yields of exceptionally Israel’s geography and climate preclude the endless forests long, super-giant pods, which make it very desirable in of Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. Yet since 1901 more upscale European supermarkets. The pod is light-colored than 240 million trees have been planted and Israel is because of the sandy soils of the northern Negev in which among the few countries to have entered the 21st century it is grown, and its flavor is outstanding. Hanoch comprises with a net gain in its tree population. 90% of Israeli peanut exports to Europe, worth 15 million To maintain and improve the vigor of Israel’s forests, euros annually (10% of European peanut consumption). Institute researchers focus on sustainable management Cast thy wheat unto the fields methods that consider forests as multi-use systems. Wheat was first cultivated in the Levant at the dawn of The approach advances biological variation and the agriculture some 10,000 years ago, and wild strains of wheat ecosystem by expanding and improving the cover/foliage, were found growing in Israel more than a century ago. Yet while considering the environmental benefits of carbon due to climatic changes and other factors, flour milled from sequestration, soil stabilization, and preserving water wheat grown in Israel today often has to be mixed 1:4 or resources, all while permitting recreational use. even 1:5 with flour from wheat grown elsewhere to make an Researchers at the Institute, along with a select group of acceptable baked product. Institute scientists successfully foresters, have proposed a new paradigm for managing employed modern technologies to challenge this anomaly. forests in Israel that if adopted will change the management Ruta is a wheat variety developed at the Institute via a new and appearance of the forests. method of cellular engineering that is dramatically superior

www.agri.gov.il a long cool period and short days. Now plants could bear Institute scientists are also developing new varieties fruit as early as November, and California varieties were of pomelo and grapefruit. With more and more people abandoned for the Israeli varieties Nurit, Rachel and Dorit taking statin-based drugs for cholesterol control, demand and later the even more successful Tamar, Yael, Hadas and for grapefruit and pomelo has dropped, as they contain Malach, all of which give bountiful yields of early, tasty naringin, which interferes with statin absorption. A new fruit. The breeding program advanced the harvest by two grapefruit with ultra-low levels of naringin has been months, which allowed profitable export to Europe. developed at the Institute, which should lead to increased plantings. The breeding program was recently renewed with a principal goal of developing even earlier-ripening, higher- Subtropical passions quality varieties. This will boost Israel’s export advantage Though Israel’s climate is not considered subtropical, and lead to more local consumption as well. The first diligent research and attentive farming allow growing of varieties have already been released to growers: Tamir, many fruits on local soil. Research ranges from developing Baraq, 7110 and 7143. new varieties to developing agrotechnical methods for Careful breeding can also increase strawberries’ already preparing transplants, identifying pollinators, fertilizing, plentiful health-giving compounds while enhancing and pruning to molecular engineering for new varieties, resistance to common diseases. Success will lead to higher- rootstocks, and cloning genes that are useful in agriculture. damage from insects and disease, and fruit size and oil and not at others; and microclimate improvement (fewer content are crucial factors. Neither local nor imported olive environmental stresses, reduced water use). yielding plants requiring much less chemical spraying, The majority of the research is performed with avocado, varieties as yet fulfill all these commercial requirements. which along with increased nutritional value are strong mango, persimmon, litchi, date and banana trees. Much In ornamental plant production, the netting is used as a selling points to consumers. effort has also gone into ‘new crops’ such as anona, Institute scientists, however, have recorded impressive non-chemical means to regulate plant height. As plant Tree fruits macadamia, papaya, passionfruit, feijoa, kiwifruit, and achievements. After more than 30 years of crossing both photoreceptors respond to different light wavelengths, carambola, all of which have been commercialized. local and imported varieties, the Barnea variety was released plant development, particularly height and branching, can Citrus blossoms anew in the 1980s. Barnea responds well to controlled irrigation be regulated. Under red netting, Pittosporum, a common Great grapes Citrus growing was the major agricultural enterprise from and fertilization, bears a commercial yield in the third year ornamental leafy bush, grows taller with fewer branches the beginning of modern settlement in Israel more than Grapes have been cultivated in Israel for millennia: Haifa’s after planting, and can be harvested mechanically. Intensive than when grown under regular black netting of the same a century ago. At its peak in the 1970s, more than 40,000 Mt. Carmel, mentioned in the Bible, means “God’s vineyard.” cultivation can result in 12.5 tonnes/hectare of fruit with an shade rating, while plants grown under blue netting are hectares of citrus, mostly Shamouti orange, provided a While the ancients had to be content with the most basic oil content of 20%, 4-5 times the yield obtained without much shorter than those grown under (control) black nets. major export commodity to Europe. Yet continuing water farming techniques, Institute research has brought larger irrigation. The growth characteristics of other pot plants and cut shortages, unfavorable currency rates, and a shift in and better tasting fruit to the table over an extended flowers can also be regulated by the use of photoselective More recently, the patented varieties Askal and Maalot consumer preference to peelable citrus caused a significant season. A breeding program for seedless grapes has already netting. This environmentally-friendly method significantly have come into commercial production. Both varieties are decline in plantings. resulted in superior varieties now planted widely in Israel reduces the need for applications of plant growth regulators and abroad. Prime is a large, tasty early-yielding green early-bearing and have easy-care plant architecture, with However, the local citrus industry is now reviving. This is to obtain commercially-acceptable products. grape, millions of cases of which are exported annually, and Askal having a particularly high oil yield (>25%) and Maalot due to the widespread availability of recycled water, better also planted extensively in South Africa. StarLight, the red having resistance to leaf ringspot disease (peacock spot). Use of photoselective netting is expanding rapidly. In exchange rates, and – most of all – new citrus varieties cousin of Prime, is now being planted as well. Both varieties Dwarf varieties suitable for harvesting fruit for the pickling Israel, the netting is widely used: for ornamental plants, developed by the Institute. The seedless Orri, for example, can withstand long storage periods. industry have also been introduced, and scientists are leafy greens, pepper and tomato, table grapes, apples, is a late-season peelable orange that consistently ranks continuing to breed for large-fruited pickling olives with persimmon, citrus, avocado and more. This unique Israeli highly worldwide in taste tests. Many other seedless Let’s opt for olives easily-detachable stems to enable mechanical harvesting. innovation is also used in Italy, Turkey, Spain, New Zealand, varieties are under development, and in line with European Olives, an ancient Mediterranean staple, are hard to grow These improvements will lead to expansion of plantings China, and other countries. market demand, many contain enhanced quantities of commercially. They require manual labor during harvest, and higher incomes for growers. natural health-giving antioxidants. their trees bear fruit only biennially, they are prone to Blooms go zoom in export cavort Net me a few rays Narcissus Israeli farmers have long used netting for protection against For many years Ziva, developed at ARO in the 1960s, was the sun, hail and flying insect damage. Knowing that some leading narcissus variety in Israel. It provided up to 80% of crops flourish when exposed to only certain parts of the the 25 million flower bulbs exported each year. The yellow, light spectrum, Institute researchers and a private company yellow-white and cream-colored varieties Yael, Noni, Omir, went a step further: They added photofiltering compounds Hila and Maya are now popular, while the latest varieties, to conventional netting that through selective filtration Inbal, Ariel and Nir, paper-white narcissi with a pleasant provide the most beneficial wavelengths of sunlight. smell, can be marketed as cut flowers or pot plants. These The netting has multiple advantages: selective filtering of varieties are patented in Europe and the U.S., and have sunlight can improve yield and quality, and regulate harvest replaced most of the Ziva production. date; reduced chemical spraying for control of insects, molds and the like, as these multiply at certain wavelengths resistant plants were successfully employed to develop pheromone of the almond bark beetle were identified, tomatoes resistant to TYLCV, and cucumbers resistant to which in turn led to effective pheromone trap designs. tobamoviruses and CMV. Pheromone research has also enabled pest control through orientation disruption of the apple moth, vineyard moth, Wasps to the rescue citrus peel moth and yellow legged clearwing. More Many pests are invasive species that have come from distant recently, research has focused on implementing this habitats, many from far-away continents. In these instances method for control of the carob moth, which has become a practical approach to control is acclimation of natural a major pest particularly affecting pomegranates. Likewise, enemies from the pest’s original habitat to the new habitat. after identifying the sex pheromone of the lesser date Institute scientists induced the Israeli acclimation of a large moth, research has focused on providing farmers with number of natural enemies of invasive pests, particularly monitoring tools and in formulating a disruption method parasitic wasps, that resulted in maximal control of key pest against this major date palm pest. populations. Noteworthy examples include aphids, scale Institute scientists have also developed an efficient trapping insects, orchard whiteflies, web mites in avocado, field crop system based on the aggregation pheromone that could and greenhouse leafminers, gall wasps and the pine wooly be used against the orchard bark beetle. Aggregation aphid Pineus pini. Also notable is the use of predatory mites pheromone is already used to control sapbeetles in date and bugs against thrips that attack covered crops, as well palm orchards, and more recently against the red palm as the import and acclimation of natural enemies against weevil, another major date palm pest. Further innovations thrips in avocado. include controlled (slow) release of pheromones and Likewise, Institute scientists learned how to control soil- the development of environmentally friendly micro- dwelling insects, Capnodis beetles and mealy aphids using encapsulation techniques for sex pheromone release. entomopathogenic nematodes. They have also developed genetically engineered baculovirus containing selective Integrated pest management strategies toxins for the control of pest moths and butterflies. Successful integrated pest management requires a variety of tools. Institute scientists, in examining methodologies for Managing insect pests the pheromone way culturing insect populations on artificial diets, developed Pheromones, chemicals released in minute quantities artificial diets for the olive fly, red palm weevil, yellow by many creatures, elicit a specific response among legged clearwing and Capnodis beetle. These diets have members of the same species. Used as a lure in insect availed research on insect attraction to certain materials traps, sex pheromones and aggregation pheromones are and the sensitivity of these pests to bacterial toxins. a major boon to the development and application of pest Additional IPM studies include: The use of trap plants; population monitoring programs. This is so because early netting and plastic film with optical properties that warning of rising pest populations is fundamental to the minimize penetration and establishment of pest prediction and prevention of outbursts. populations in greenhouses; physical obstacles against Institute research into the sex pheromone of the mealy date pests; and plant resistance to insects and mites. Also aphid resulted in the development of monitoring systems underway is the development of management tools for the for orchards and herb greenhouses. In the past number prevention of resistance development to chemicals by the of years, sex pheromones of various scale insects, pest use of alternative compounds. This is a principal approach moths in orchards and field crops, and the aggregation to advance the management of cotton pests.

www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center resistant plants were successfully employed to develop pheromone of the almond bark beetle were identified, tomatoes resistant to TYLCV, and cucumbers resistant to which in turn led to effective pheromone trap designs. tobamoviruses and CMV. Pheromone research has also enabled pest control through orientation disruption of the apple moth, vineyard moth, Wasps to the rescue Plant Protection Institute citrus peel moth and yellow legged clearwing. More Many pests are invasive species that have come from distant recently, research has focused on implementing this habitats, many from far-away continents. In these instances method for control of the carob moth, which has become a practical approach to control is acclimation of natural a major pest particularly affecting pomegranates. Likewise, enemies from the pest’s original habitat to the new habitat. after identifying the sex pheromone of the lesser date Institute scientists induced the Israeli acclimation of a large moth, research has focused on providing farmers with number of natural enemies of invasive pests, particularly monitoring tools and in formulating a disruption method parasitic wasps, that resulted in maximal control of key pest against this major date palm pest. populations. Noteworthy examples include aphids, scale Institute scientists have also developed an efficient trapping insects, orchard whiteflies, web mites in avocado, field crop system based on the aggregation pheromone that could and greenhouse leafminers, gall wasps and the pine wooly be used against the orchard bark beetle. Aggregation The Institute of Plant Protection consists of two departments: Entomology, Nematology & Chemistry, and aphid Pineus pini. Also notable is the use of predatory mites pheromone is already used to control sapbeetles in date Plant Pathology & Weed Research. Research focuses on organisms that harm agricultural produce: insects, and bugs against thrips that attack covered crops, as well palm orchards, and more recently against the red palm nematodes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, phytoplasma and weeds, and on developing environmentally appropriate as the import and acclimation of natural enemies against weevil, another major date palm pest. Further innovations methods for their efficient control.These include bio-pesticides, physical treatments, breeding resistant plants, thrips in avocado. include controlled (slow) release of pheromones and and integrated pest management. The overriding aim is to enable the growth of crops that are free of chemical Likewise, Institute scientists learned how to control soil- the development of environmentally friendly micro- residues and disease-causing organisms. In addition, Institute researchers develop expert systems for decision- dwelling insects, Capnodis beetles and mealy aphids using encapsulation techniques for sex pheromone release. making to maximize the effectiveness of plant protection methods. entomopathogenic nematodes. They have also developed genetically engineered baculovirus containing selective Integrated pest management strategies toxins for the control of pest moths and butterflies. Successful integrated pest management requires a variety of tools. Institute scientists, in examining methodologies for Preventing disease the modern way Purge of the pathogens Managing insect pests the pheromone way culturing insect populations on artificial diets, developed In nature, plants in most cases are ultimately strengthened Diagnosis and production of pathogen-free propagating Pheromones, chemicals released in minute quantities artificial diets for the olive fly, red palm weevil, yellow by disease, as over time susceptible specimens die and materials is fundamental in the struggle against pathogens, by many creatures, elicit a specific response among legged clearwing and Capnodis beetle. These diets have resistant specimens thrive. Farmers, who historically had particularly against viruses and viroids. Institute scientists members of the same species. Used as a lure in insect availed research on insect attraction to certain materials few methods to combat disease that sometimes ravaged exploited serology, nucleic acid detectors, and polymerase traps, sex pheromones and aggregation pheromones are and the sensitivity of these pests to bacterial toxins. their crops, eagerly adopted chemical means once they chain reaction methods in projects aimed at the a major boon to the development and application of pest Additional IPM studies include: The use of trap plants; became available. Yet it was quickly learned that chemical development of pathogen-free propagating materials. They population monitoring programs. This is so because early netting and plastic film with optical properties that residue can harm humans and that chemical-resistant pest have been adopted by service laboratories that identify warning of rising pest populations is fundamental to the minimize penetration and establishment of pest strains often developed. Scientists have since sought more viruses, bacteria and fungi in ornamentals obtained from prediction and prevention of outbursts. populations in greenhouses; physical obstacles against sophisticated ways to control plant disease. vegetative reproduction (bulbs and cuttings), vegetables, Institute research into the sex pheromone of the mealy date pests; and plant resistance to insects and mites. Also Institute researchers, in parallel to colleagues elsewhere, fruit trees and vines. Collaborations among Institute aphid resulted in the development of monitoring systems underway is the development of management tools for the have developed a rational control approach for local needs scientists and private nurseries resulted in protocols for for orchards and herb greenhouses. In the past number prevention of resistance development to chemicals by the that enables reduced application of chemicals yet still producing propagating materials free of viruses that of years, sex pheromones of various scale insects, pest use of alternative compounds. This is a principal approach hinders the distribution and establishment of fungal and attack citrus fruit, vines, sweet potatoes, garlic and many moths in orchards and field crops, and the aggregation to advance the management of cotton pests. bacterial populations in plant habitats. These decision- ornamentals obtained by vegetative reproduction. support programs integrate epidemiological research Virulent viruses: preventing proliferation that incorporates data about the environment, climate Because serious viral diseases in Israeli agriculture are and pathogens that induce the development of diseases. transmitted by insects, Institute scientists place much They include the Botman and Greenman programs (against attention on virus epidemiology and virus-vector the grey and mildew fungi in greenhouse vegetables), relationships. The emphasis is on aphid-transmitted and the seed and flower program (against Fire Blight potyviruses, thrips-transmitted tospoviruses, whitefly- disease in pears). In addition, breeding programs have transmitted geminiviruses and leafhopper-transmitted strengthened resistance against difficult fungal diseases, phytoplasma. Screens covering open-crop vegetables and such as Colletotrichum in strawberry, and permitted novel flowers were found to provide physical protection, while watermelon and pumpkin grafts that are resistant to salt UV-absorbent netting reduced insect-pest virus-vectors. water stress, heavy metals and soil-borne diseases. Molecular tools that introduce virus-resistant genes to non-

www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Agricultural Engineering Institute

The Institute of Agricultural Engineering develops new technologies that aid growers in Israel and abroad and also benefit industries. Over the past 50 years more than 100 projects have been commercialized for use in fields, greenhouses, packing houses and processing plants.

The rod replaces the conventional blade that extracts the crop Separating pomegranate arils from pulp Cool cows Pure potatoes from the soil, before it travels up a conveyor that sieves it from Efficient separation of potatoes from clods of earth and Getting at those juicy red pomegranate arils has always Israel’s hot summers pose a challenge to dairy farmers, whose surrounding soil prior to crating. It has a square cross-section accompanying stones reduces manual labor in the field and been a chore for those who enjoy this treat, while animals must contend with substantial sensible heat in the with 40 mm walls made of tempered steel, and rotates freely in processing plant. Institute engineers developed a system that transporting whole fruit to market is an economic burden. cowshed. Institute engineers developed a cooling system that its retainer on the harvester tool bar. sends freshly dug potatoes onto a pair of rotating separation Institute technologists developed an aril separator suitable converts this sensible heat into latent heat through the use of drums. Because potatoes have a high coefficient of restitution for continuous production applications that performs with evaporating water that never reaches the cowshed floor. The Similar rods have been developed for other crops such as only negligible mechanical damage to the arils and without benefits are multiple: Reduced heat stress in the animals, an peanuts, as well as a range of flower bulbs, and hundreds of (a measure of their elasticity), they are flung further along the introducing foreign substances. improvement in their living conditions, and increased milk these systems have been sold and profitably put to use. system onto a designated conveyor belt. The inelastic clods yields and revenues for the farmer. remain and are crushed, the resulting soil traveling a shorter The system accepts whole pomegranates, cuts them into distance before dropping onto its designated conveyor belt. sections, removes the arils, and then segregates the arils as a Three principal elements comprise the system: water mist The energy of accompanying stones is absorbed by a rotating commodity ready to package and ship or for processing into supplied through high-pressure spray nozzles distributed steel drum designed to stop stones while passing potatoes. juice. Up to 95% of the arils are removed from the fruit, with throughout the shed, regulated natural air exchange by The stones ultimately land on the same conveyor as the maximum damage of only 3% that is apparent only after a opening and closing apertures in the roof and at the sides crushed clods, thus completely separating the edible potatoes week or more of storage. The machine and two workers can of the shed, and air circulation by fans that ensure controlled from the inedible soil and stone. More than 1,400 such devices process 16 fruits per minute, 60 times faster than manual airflow, and more regulated temperature and humidity. The have been sold in Israel and abroad, leading to the saving of methods. Retail packages of pomegranate arils do not require system can reduce shed temperatures by 12°C or even more. hundreds of thousands of days of labor with additional savings refrigeration until opened. Square knives for round bulbs on costs of production. A substantial number of these machines have been sold Onion and potato farmers, and growers of other bulbs and in Israel and abroad, and its development team received tubers, have long had to contend with bruising at the point of awards from the Ministry of Agriculture and from the Fresh harvest. Institute technologists developed a rotating rod with Agro-Mashov trade fair. Local demand for pomegranates has a square cross-section to harvest bulbs and tubers that grow grown which in turn has led to an expansion of pomegranate in shallow soil. Contact between the rotating rod and the bulb plantings in Israel. or tuber causes less damage than that of a conventional static In related work and in collaboration with scientists at other knife-edge, and results in less soil being collected with the ARO Institutes, extended shelf-life of pomegranate fruit crop. The rod also markedly reduces the need for manual labor, and of separated arils has been achieved. Additionally, new with a corresponding increase in grower income. pomegranate varieties better adapted for processing and that extend the harvest and marketing season have been developed.

www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center Agricultural Engineering Institute

www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center have developed new varieties with extended storage and season since 1980 for establishing the precise fertilizer shelf life along with improved appearance and flavor. These needs of individual fields, thus limiting expenses and new varieties are characterized by reduced aroma, which potential soil pollution associated with excess fertilization. many people find objectionable. Protocols for vegetative No odes to nematodes Gilat Research Center propagation and for proper storage have resulted in local farmers producing sufficient guava yields to allow export Nematodes, a type of roundworm, are found almost to Europe. everywhere, from sea and freshwater to soil, from high elevation to low, and from polar regions to the tropics. Recycled water: twin benefits in the olive grove Some parasitic species are harmful to agriculture. Gilat Because Israel is steadily growing more reliant on scientists have developed new methods for controlling recycled water, researching its effects on agriculture is of nematodes (both Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus), prime importance. Gilat scientists have demonstrated based on the use of solarized chicken manure in both conclusively that the use of recycled water does not affect fields and greenhouses. The use of high pH additives olive yield, quality, chemical composition or flavor. Use of to limit nematodes in manure has been adopted in the recycled water permits reduced use of chemical fertilizers, Arava. Nematocidic chemicals have been developed in The Gilat Research Center, located in the northwestern Negev region on loess soil, is the southern branch of the since many important elements are already present in the collaboration with agrochemical companies. water. The boon is binary: grower income is raised while Agricultural Research Organization. Gilat scientists study methods of agricultural production appropriate for arid Dealing with disease and semiarid regions such as the Negev and Arava, which together comprise a little over half of Israel’s 8,000 sq mi / groundwater pollution is reduced. Gilat researchers have developed methods to determine 21,000 sq km area. Recycled water: triple benefits in the citrus and quantify diseases in plant propagation materials, in grove soil, and in growth media, e.g., hidden damage from the Citrus trees have been grown in the Negev since the 1950s, quarantine bacteria Dickeya in seed potatoes can now How green grows my desert Without a doubt, bugs kept out aided by the development of appropriate rootstocks, be detected. They have also learned to use chemical and Until the early 1970s, open field agriculture was the norm Some insects, such as bees and certain wasps, are essential varieties, irrigation methods and treatments to avoid soil environmentally-friendly means such as bio-fumigation in the northern Negev. Gilat researchers recognized the for agriculture. Many more cause cosmetic damage to a salination. Gilat researchers have developed methods for with green manure to reduce soil-borne diseases. potential for greenhouse crops in the area and, after crop or even destroy it completely. Some do the damage the efficient use of recycled water that result in increased Open rangelands discussions with government agencies, plans were made themselves, while others carry harmful micro-organisms. yields with better fertilization and decreased salinity. to establish tens of villages in the area. Their economic Gilat researchers have made many contributions that Prevention of soil erosion/desertification and tree base would be export of vegetables to Europe in the winter Yields in the fields aid control of ubiquitous pests: UV-absorbing netting to stewardship are of prime importance in Israel, where months. When imported greenhouse technology proved control leafhoppers that spread phytoplasma diseases; Gilat researchers have long examined ways to improve rainfall is scarce and afforestation is a national interest. inappropriate for local conditions, a research station was screens to prevent mites that are vectors of potato yellow field-crop yields in semi-arid areas like the northern Negev Work at Gilat in this area includes: established at Besor, about 30 km west of Beersheba. virus (PYV) in potatoes; shade netting to control mites where rainfall is the major limiting factor to growing grains, a) Organic pasture, with and without irrigation, at the Research there led to the breeding of indeterminate and thrips that are vectors of viruses in flowers; methods hay and the like. A set-field experiment begun in 1974 Migda farm. tomatoes and peppers for winter export to Europe, continues to investigate the effects of fertilization and crop for raising and distributing entomophagous mites, which b) Means of rehabilitating sheep and goat enclosures to greenhouses and screenhouses with aeration, temperature rotation on yields. In 2004, a new element was added to attack pests such as mites, thrips, and aphids in pepper prevent the decline and death of young trees in and humidity control that met local needs, new methods of the experiment: No-till with straw cover vs. till. This field plants, and other methods for controlling cotton pests. planted forests of the northern Negev. trellising and training, hydroponic fertigation, and methods management method maximizes rainwater utilization c) Bio-membranes for the open areas of the Negev to control insect, fungal and bacterial pests. They also developed extremely fine mesh screens while limiting drainage and soil erosion. that prevent whitefly infestations of covered crops. (grazing, water harvest, prevention of erosion and Today Besor Station is a center of research and development Development of these screens, which prevent the spread These permanent research blocks have enabled the localized clearings) and for sand dune stabilization in for screenhouse coverings, including fine mesh screens of Tomato Yellow Mosaic Virus (TYMV) by tobacco whitefly, development of field-crop agrotechnical methods that best the western Negev. to limit virus-carrying insects, as well as materials with began in the 1970s and has resulted in savings to tomato suit the Negev’s soils and climate. They have been adopted optical properties that control insect behavior. More exporters of more than 67$ million over the course of ten outside the Negev region as well as in orchards. The Gilat efficient methods of surveying pest populations have been years. The netting also considerably reduces the need Method for determining soil fertility has been used each developed, along with improved methods for controlling for chemical sprays, allows the use of biological control the crop environment, ranging from temperature to carbon methods and simplifies pollination by bees. Most Israeli dioxide levels to airflow. export tomatoes, as well as many other vegetables and The achievements of the Besor Station draw many visitors. flowers, are today grown under Gilat-developed netting, Frequent open days enable farmers, academics and and the method has also been adopted in other countries. students from Israel and abroad to see new developments Grow, guava, grow in screenhouse agriculture. Besor Station also hosts foreign students for extended stays. Guava, a subtropical-tropical new world fruit, is now widely cultivated elsewhere, including Israel. Gilat researchers www.agri.gov.il Agricltural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center have developed new varieties with extended storage and season since 1980 for establishing the precise fertilizer shelf life along with improved appearance and flavor. These needs of individual fields, thus limiting expenses and new varieties are characterized by reduced aroma, which potential soil pollution associated with excess fertilization. many people find objectionable. Protocols for vegetative No odes to nematodes Gilat Research Center propagation and for proper storage have resulted in local farmers producing sufficient guava yields to allow export Nematodes, a type of roundworm, are found almost to Europe. everywhere, from sea and freshwater to soil, from high elevation to low, and from polar regions to the tropics. Recycled water: twin benefits in the olive grove Some parasitic species are harmful to agriculture. Gilat Because Israel is steadily growing more reliant on scientists have developed new methods for controlling recycled water, researching its effects on agriculture is of nematodes (both Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus), prime importance. Gilat scientists have demonstrated based on the use of solarized chicken manure in both conclusively that the use of recycled water does not affect fields and greenhouses. The use of high pH additives olive yield, quality, chemical composition or flavor. Use of to limit nematodes in manure has been adopted in the recycled water permits reduced use of chemical fertilizers, Arava. Nematocidic chemicals have been developed in The Gilat Research Center, located in the northwestern Negev region on loess soil, is the southern branch of the since many important elements are already present in the collaboration with agrochemical companies. water. The boon is binary: grower income is raised while Agricultural Research Organization. Gilat scientists study methods of agricultural production appropriate for arid Dealing with disease and semiarid regions such as the Negev and Arava, which together comprise a little over half of Israel’s 8,000 sq mi / groundwater pollution is reduced. Gilat researchers have developed methods to determine 21,000 sq km area. Recycled water: triple benefits in the citrus and quantify diseases in plant propagation materials, in grove soil, and in growth media, e.g., hidden damage from the Citrus trees have been grown in the Negev since the 1950s, quarantine bacteria Dickeya in seed potatoes can now How green grows my desert Without a doubt, bugs kept out aided by the development of appropriate rootstocks, be detected. They have also learned to use chemical and Until the early 1970s, open field agriculture was the norm Some insects, such as bees and certain wasps, are essential varieties, irrigation methods and treatments to avoid soil environmentally-friendly means such as bio-fumigation in the northern Negev. Gilat researchers recognized the for agriculture. Many more cause cosmetic damage to a salination. Gilat researchers have developed methods for with green manure to reduce soil-borne diseases. potential for greenhouse crops in the area and, after crop or even destroy it completely. Some do the damage the efficient use of recycled water that result in increased Open rangelands discussions with government agencies, plans were made themselves, while others carry harmful micro-organisms. yields with better fertilization and decreased salinity. to establish tens of villages in the area. Their economic Gilat researchers have made many contributions that Prevention of soil erosion/desertification and tree base would be export of vegetables to Europe in the winter Yields in the fields aid control of ubiquitous pests: UV-absorbing netting to stewardship are of prime importance in Israel, where months. When imported greenhouse technology proved control leafhoppers that spread phytoplasma diseases; Gilat researchers have long examined ways to improve rainfall is scarce and afforestation is a national interest. inappropriate for local conditions, a research station was screens to prevent mites that are vectors of potato yellow field-crop yields in semi-arid areas like the northern Negev Work at Gilat in this area includes: established at Besor, about 30 km west of Beersheba. virus (PYV) in potatoes; shade netting to control mites where rainfall is the major limiting factor to growing grains, a) Organic pasture, with and without irrigation, at the Research there led to the breeding of indeterminate and thrips that are vectors of viruses in flowers; methods hay and the like. A set-field experiment begun in 1974 Migda farm. tomatoes and peppers for winter export to Europe, continues to investigate the effects of fertilization and crop for raising and distributing entomophagous mites, which b) Means of rehabilitating sheep and goat enclosures to greenhouses and screenhouses with aeration, temperature rotation on yields. In 2004, a new element was added to attack pests such as mites, thrips, and aphids in pepper prevent the decline and death of young trees in and humidity control that met local needs, new methods of the experiment: No-till with straw cover vs. till. This field plants, and other methods for controlling cotton pests. planted forests of the northern Negev. trellising and training, hydroponic fertigation, and methods management method maximizes rainwater utilization c) Bio-membranes for the open areas of the Negev to control insect, fungal and bacterial pests. They also developed extremely fine mesh screens while limiting drainage and soil erosion. that prevent whitefly infestations of covered crops. (grazing, water harvest, prevention of erosion and Today Besor Station is a center of research and development Development of these screens, which prevent the spread These permanent research blocks have enabled the localized clearings) and for sand dune stabilization in for screenhouse coverings, including fine mesh screens of Tomato Yellow Mosaic Virus (TYMV) by tobacco whitefly, development of field-crop agrotechnical methods that best the western Negev. to limit virus-carrying insects, as well as materials with began in the 1970s and has resulted in savings to tomato suit the Negev’s soils and climate. They have been adopted optical properties that control insect behavior. More exporters of more than 67$ million over the course of ten outside the Negev region as well as in orchards. The Gilat efficient methods of surveying pest populations have been years. The netting also considerably reduces the need Method for determining soil fertility has been used each developed, along with improved methods for controlling for chemical sprays, allows the use of biological control the crop environment, ranging from temperature to carbon methods and simplifies pollination by bees. Most Israeli dioxide levels to airflow. export tomatoes, as well as many other vegetables and The achievements of the Besor Station draw many visitors. flowers, are today grown under Gilat-developed netting, Frequent open days enable farmers, academics and and the method has also been adopted in other countries. students from Israel and abroad to see new developments Grow, guava, grow in screenhouse agriculture. Besor Station also hosts foreign students for extended stays. Guava, a subtropical-tropical new world fruit, is now widely cultivated elsewhere, including Israel. Gilat researchers www.agri.gov.il nucleus of day-blind sheep was established to study achromatopsia, a similar human disease that results in incurable day-blindness due to malfunctioning rods in the retina. Schools in the pools: fishy business Aquaculture is old business in Israel, with carp Pools first established in the 1930s. Most locally-raised fish (about one-third of total fish consumption) are harvested from semi-intensively managed Pools. Where once Institute researchers focused on optimizing supplementary nutrition, Successful as this program has been, Institute researchers efforts are now directed at harnessing osmoregulation to are now taking it to another level by analyzing DNA data. increase the efficiency of seawater fish culture in the low- Aided by DNA microchips containing 54,000 gene markers, salt Pools prevalent in Israel. the scientists established genotypes for 1,300 bulls and Carp, tilapia, mullet, bass and trout are the principal calves. Preliminary data indicate 70% validity between freshwater fish raised in Israel. Institute scientists have genetic makeup and the breeding index, sufficient to base focused in particular on carp and tilapia, seeking to the breeding program on gene markers without offspring achieve through gynogenesis all-female carp populations tests. Full implementation is expected by 2020. and through hormonal manipulation all-male tilapia populations because of their improved growth rates and More lambs per ewe yields. Prevention of unmanaged reproduction, which Because sheep prolificacy in Israel is only about 1.5 births hinders growth, is also an objective of these programs. A per lambing, and lamb production is a major income source recent breakthrough was achieved using DNA markers to for growers, scientists at the Institute have sought ways to identify fish in the reproductive schools of Jordan and Nile increase births per lambing. tilapia that were not genetically pure. Removal of these Through a breeding program they succeeded in introducing fish from the schools enabled the efficient production of the Booroola mutation to the local Assaf and Awassi an all-male hybrid. breeds, which resulted in a 50% prolificacy increase in the Also in progress is a Nile tilapia breeding program newly-named Afec sheep and substantially improved flock using family selection to improve growth rates and cold profitability for growers. resistance. Due to their tropical origin, Nile Tilapia grow Though multiple births are prevalent with the Afec breed, slowly in Israel and mortality occurs during Israel’s winter low birth weights remain a challenge being addressed months. After four generations improved growth rates through research that examines the genetic and and cold resistance were obtained in a selected family. physiological factors responsible for this trait. Continuing research seeks to identify genes responsible for resistance to cold. Researchers are also seeking to develop genetic resistance to scrapie, a neurodegenerative illness similar to mad cow disease. A nucleus of breeding sheep resistant to scrapie has been established, and with the eventual introduction of their offspring to the Israeli sheep herd, preventive destruction of entire flocks will be unnecessary. No more day-blind sheep Several years ago the birth of a number of day-blind sheep was observed, a phenomenon new to science. Utilizing molecular and bioinformatic techniques, researchers at the Institute quickly succeeded in identifying a mutated gene, CNGA3, that is expressed in the retina. Via genetic molecular assay, carriers of the mutation were identified and removed from the herd, and by the end of 2011 the

mishmish-design.com disease was totally eliminated. In parallel, a breeding

www.agri.gov.il Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Center nucleus of day-blind sheep was established to study achromatopsia, a similar human disease that results in incurable day-blindness due to malfunctioning rods in the Animal Sciences Institute retina. Schools in the pools: fishy business Aquaculture is old business in Israel, with carp Pools first established in the 1930s. Most locally-raised fish (about one-third of total fish consumption) are harvested from semi-intensively managed Pools. Where once Institute researchers focused on optimizing supplementary nutrition, Successful as this program has been, Institute researchers efforts are now directed at harnessing osmoregulation to are now taking it to another level by analyzing DNA data. increase the efficiency of seawater fish culture in the low- Aided by DNA microchips containing 54,000 gene markers, salt Pools prevalent in Israel. the scientists established genotypes for 1,300 bulls and Carp, tilapia, mullet, bass and trout are the principal Research at the Institute of Animal Sciences has resulted in enhanced animal productivity and increased quality of calves. Preliminary data indicate 70% validity between freshwater fish raised in Israel. Institute scientists have animal-derived products, along with cost and waste reductions. genetic makeup and the breeding index, sufficient to base focused in particular on carp and tilapia, seeking to the breeding program on gene markers without offspring achieve through gynogenesis all-female carp populations tests. Full implementation is expected by 2020. and through hormonal manipulation all-male tilapia populations because of their improved growth rates and More lambs per ewe Meatier, healthier broilers Genetic markers to aid dairy cattle breeding yields. Prevention of unmanaged reproduction, which Because sheep prolificacy in Israel is only about 1.5 births hinders growth, is also an objective of these programs. A Poultry is a major element in the Israeli diet, making Milk yields per cow in Israel have risen from 4,000 kg/yr in per lambing, and lamb production is a major income source recent breakthrough was achieved using DNA markers to efficiencies in this sector an important goal. Israelis 1949 to a world-record of 12,000 kg/yr in 2009. Over 95% for growers, scientists at the Institute have sought ways to identify fish in the reproductive schools of Jordan and Nile consume ~70 kg per capita of poultry meat annually, of the 120,000 dairy cattle in Israel are the Israeli Holstein increase births per lambing. tilapia that were not genetically pure. Removal of these among the world’s highest rates. Broiler production, valued breed developed during the 1950s and 1960s, and their fish from the schools enabled the efficient production of at ~$400 million, comprises ~9% of total Israel agricultural yields are a result of a unique breeding program developed Through a breeding program they succeeded in introducing an all-male hybrid. production. The results of productivity and heat-stress by Institute scientists whereby approximately 80% of the Booroola mutation to the local Assaf and Awassi resistance research at the Institute, now being adopted Israeli cows are inseminated by a few selected bulls. Recent breeds, which resulted in a 50% prolificacy increase in the Also in progress is a Nile tilapia breeding program nationally, will translate to direct savings of $10.5 million developments in genomics promise to significantly reduce newly-named Afec sheep and substantially improved flock using family selection to improve growth rates and cold annually while also significantly reducing belly fat. In breeding costs and the time required to introduce young profitability for growers. resistance. Due to their tropical origin, Nile Tilapia grow addition, breast meat was shown to increase from ~18% bulls into the national herd. Though multiple births are prevalent with the Afec breed, slowly in Israel and mortality occurs during Israel’s winter to over 19% of weight, adding value to farmers of $32.5 Most cattle reproduction in Israel is through artificial low birth weights remain a challenge being addressed months. After four generations improved growth rates million annually. insemination by Sion, a breeder-owned cooperative that through research that examines the genetic and and cold resistance were obtained in a selected family. Continuing research seeks to identify genes responsible for Israel’s Mediterranean climate during spring, summer maintains reproductive performance data and a sperm physiological factors responsible for this trait. resistance to cold. and autumn is hot with low relative humidity, conditions bank of the national herd. The breeders’ association Researchers are also seeking to develop genetic resistance significantly adverse to broiler livestock productivity and administers the national herdbook, which maintains to scrapie, a neurodegenerative illness similar to mad cow that can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Breeding records of some 80% of local dairy cattle, as well as a central disease. A nucleus of breeding sheep resistant to scrapie programs showing an inverse relationship between milk laboratory that is key to the breeding program. Milk has been established, and with the eventual introduction productivity and resistance to heat stress caused Institute samples from each registered cow are sent to the lab, where of their offspring to the Israeli sheep herd, preventive scientists to seek a “loophole” during embryo development they undergo tests that include fat, protein and somatic destruction of entire flocks will be unnecessary. that could lead to performance improvements. They cell levels. The data permit evaluation by Institute scientists wondered if it were possible to instill during embryo of the breeding qualities of every registered cow and bull. No more day-blind sheep Several years ago the birth of a number of day-blind sheep development a “thermal memory” based on epigenetic Every year the herdbook committee, which includes was observed, a phenomenon new to science. Utilizing adaptation. Research into the regulatory pathways of the representatives from the breeders, Sion and ARO, selects molecular and bioinformatic techniques, researchers at thyroid and adrenal glands of 7-16 day embryos exposed about 50 male calves from outstanding parentage. At the Institute quickly succeeded in identifying a mutated to controlled temperature increases determined that maturity their semen is used to inseminate a number of gene, CNGA3, that is expressed in the retina. Via genetic broiler chicks can adapt to transient heat stresses without cows, whose daughters’ five-year performance is used to molecular assay, carriers of the mutation were identified affecting their productivity. Chicks hatching after 12 hours select the five best bulls to inseminate all the cows of the and removed from the herd, and by the end of 2011 the of this treatment exhibit lower metabolic rates, enabling national herd. them to direct more energy to growth and less to survival. mishmish-design.com disease was totally eliminated. In parallel, a breeding