New Agricultural Research in Israel

August 1, 2013

These are just a few projects at the Agricultural Research Organization, the research arm of Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture which houses six separate research institutes.

“We don’t have a lot of land here in Israel and 60 percent of it is desert,” Ada Rafaeli, the Associate Director for International Cooperation and Academic Affairs, told The Media Line. “But we can provide know-how and innovation for the rest of the world.”

Some Israeli innovations, like drip irrigation, which conserves water, are well known. But others, like colored netting draped over plants to increase yields, or especially-sweet seedless tangerines marketed in Europe are less known. The Institute is also focused on improving productivity and yields.

“In 1955, one Israeli farmer could feed 15 people, while in 2007, that same farmer could feed 100 people,” she said. “Israel is subsistent in vegetables and fruits but we still need to import grain so we’re developing special varieties of grain that are only for animal feed or that contain more protein.”

Dr. Amnon Lichter, the head of the Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce holds up a brown, decaying Granny Smith apple. “These apples have not been treated and they look brown and unappetizing,” he told The Media Line. “Those brown patches called ‘superficial scalding’ can be prevented with insecticides but we’re trying another way.”

That other way is called “controlled suffocation” and it involves keeping the apples in a storage container with no oxygen for a week. The oxygen can be removed using liquid nitrogen. After that, the apples will remain perfectly green for well over a year.

He moves on to two boxes of potatoes—one with unsightly sprouting, and one with smooth russet skin. Then he opens a small vial. “Smell this,” he urges. “It’s spearmint oil and when rubbed on the potatoes it keeps them from sprouting for almost a year,” he said. “This replaces the use of chemicals with a natural compound and is being used commercially as well.”

About one-third of food is wasted, says Associate Director Rafaeli, mostly because it goes bad before it can be eaten. Israel is trying to come up with solutions to make food last longer and taste better.

Source: Excerpts from an article by Linda Gradstein, The Media Line

Photo Credit: MazPhotography/ Shutterstock.com